༄༅། །་མ་་་ང་་འན།

The Illusory Absorption

Māyopamasamādhi
 འཕགས་པ་་མ་་་ང་་འན་ས་་བ་ག་པ་ན་ ་མ།
’phags pa sgyu ma lta bu’i ting nge ’dzin ces bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Illusory Absorption”

Āryamāyopamasamadhināmamahāyānasūtra

· Toh 130 ·
Degé Kangyur, vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 210.b–230.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ

· Surendrabodhi · Bandé Yeshé Dé ·
 Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

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co. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgments
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
1. The Illusory Absorption
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary
s. SUMMARY
s.1 In this sūtra Buddha Śākyamuni explains how to attain the absorption
known as “the illusory absorption,” a meditative state so powerful that it
enables awakening to be attained very quickly. He also teaches that this
absorption has been mastered particularly well by two bodhisattvas,
Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, who live in Sukhāvatī, the distant
realm of Buddha Amitābha. Buddha Śākyamuni summons these two
bodhisattvas to this world and, when they arrive, recounts the story of how
they first engendered the mind of awakening. Finally the Buddha reveals the
circumstances surrounding the future awakening of Avalokiteśvara and
Mahāsthāmaprāpta.
ac. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ac.1 Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance
of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Andreas Doctor produced the translation and
wrote the introduction. Zachary Beer compared the draft translation with the
original Tibetan and edited the text. The translators are grateful to Khenpo
Trokpa Tulku, Lama Karma Oser, and Lama Tenzin Sangpo from Ka-Nying
Shedrub Ling Monastery for their assistance in resolving several difficult
passages.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision
of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
i. INTRODUCTION
i.1 The Illusory Absorption is a sūtra that belongs to the general sūtra section of
the Kangyur. In the fashion typical of Great Vehicle sūtras, the Buddha’s
discourse unfolds within a worldview vastly different in scope from ordinary
reality. Here we meet bodhisattvas who have journeyed across billions of
universes to hear the Buddha’s teaching, bringing with them samples of the
splendors and pleasures that adorn their distant buddha realms. The vast
scope of this sūtra pertains not only to the distances traveled, but also to the
timespan covered. Through his omniscience, the Buddha recalls events that
happened at the dawn of time and predicts affairs yet to unfold in a far-
distant future. In this way our ordinary perceptions of time and space are
challenged as we enter the worldview of the Great Vehicle.
i.2 The sūtra begins outside Vārāṇasī, in the Deer Park where the Buddha
first turned the wheel of Dharma after his awakening. This time, however, he
is not just speaking to his five previous companions, the audience for his
first teaching. Now, we are told, there are 20,000 monks, 12,000 bodhisattvas,
20,000 deities, and several hundred thousand other beings present.
i.3 As is customary in sūtra literature, the Buddha delivers his Dharma talks at
the request of someone who poses a particular question and asks for
clarification. In this particular sūtra, the role of the questioner is played by a
bodhisattva named Padmaśrīgarbha, who asks the Buddha how one can
attain a particular type of absorption known as “the illusory absorption”
and, after attaining that absorption, quickly attain complete awakening.
i.4 The Buddha is pleased with this request and praises Padmaśrīgarbha for
asking such a meaningful question. He then proceeds to explain that there is
one quality that underlies all attainments of awakened qualities and the
state of awakening itself. When in possession of this one quality, a
bodhisattva will naturally proceed along the path until finally gaining
 perfect buddhahood. The Buddha reveals that this crucial and indispensable
quality is not to abide anywhere in the three realms, whether internally in
the mental sphere or externally in the outer world.
i.5 If one is able not to abide in this manner, one will come to understand that
all phenomena are unborn, an understanding that enables one to practice
the bodhisattva path. With the realization that all phenomena are unborn
comes the understanding that phenomena are likewise illusory and empty.
This is the point at which one attains the illusory absorption. When this
absorption is attained, one is able to display a variety of bodies in order to
teach and guide sentient beings. At that point, full and complete awakening
is not far off.
i.6 Padmaśrīgarbha continues to ask the Buddha about the illusory
absorption, and he wonders whether anyone among his peers in the
Buddha’s retinue might have obtained this absorption. Indeed, the Buddha
confirms, several students have gained this absorption, but all of them have
attained their realization by associating with two bodhisattvas,
Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, who live in Sukhāvatī, the distant
realm of Buddha Amitābha.
i.7 Padmaśrīgarbha implores the Buddha to manifest a miraculous sign that
will summon these two bodhisattvas, so that others may be blessed by their
presence in this world and likewise attain the illusory absorption. The
Buddha consents and emits a light from the hair between his eyebrows, a
light so bright that it illuminates the entire world of Sukhāvatī. When all the
bodhisattvas in Sukhāvatī ask Amitābha about the origin of this light, he
reveals that it is being emitted by Buddha Śākyamuni to indicate that a
Dharma teaching will shortly be delivered. Avalokiteśvara and Mahā-
sthāmaprāpta request permission to attend the teaching, and Amitābha
encourages them to go. The two bodhisattvas bring with them on the
journey no fewer than 840 million other bodhisattvas, who each manifest a
beautiful mansion as an offering to the Buddha Śākyamuni. Avalokiteśvara
and Mahāsthāmaprāpta multiply this offering by emanating 840 million
exact copies within each mansion, thus producing a mind-boggling display
of gifts.
i.8 The pilgrimage to this world is not an arduous one by any means, being
completed within a single second. Once the bodhisattvas arrive, they pay
homage to Buddha Śākyamuni and sing his praises in a series of beautiful
verses. The bodhisattvas and hearers in the retinue of Buddha Śākyamuni
are, of course, amazed by the arrival of all the bodhisattvas from Sukhāvatī
and their impressive display of offerings. So they ask the Buddha about the
merit that allows Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta to perform such a
 display. The Buddha reveals how these two bodhisattvas are able to multiply
their bodies in inconceivable ways, thus gaining merit by serving countless
buddhas in endless realms.
i.9 Next, Buddha Śākyamuni recounts the story of how Avalokiteśvara and
Mahāsthāmaprāpta first gave rise to the mind of awakening that signifies
the beginning of the bodhisattva path. We hear how these two beings, in a
far, far distant past, were born miraculously from two lotus flowers in the
realm of a buddha known as King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play, who
himself was a previous emanation of Buddha Amitābha. The place where it
all unfolded, we are told, was none other than the world of Sukhāvatī, at that
time known as Boundless Accumulation of Precious Qualities and Full
Display of Happiness.
i.10 As is typical of many Great Vehicle sūtras, the Buddha proceeds to reveal
the circumstances surrounding the future awakening of the protagonists in
question, in this case Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. Once Buddha
Amitābha has passed into nirvāṇa and no trace remains of his teachings,
Avalokiteśvara will fully awaken at dawn on the very next day and receive
the name Buddha Samantaraśmyabhyudgataśrī kūtarāja. At that point the
realm will no longer be known as Sukhāvatī, but rather Complete Gathering
of Wealth. Next, once this particular buddha passes into nirvāṇa, Mahā-
sthāmaprāpta will awaken in a similar fashion and be known as Supra-
tiṣṭhitaguṇamaṇikūṭarāja.
i.11 The names of these two future buddhas turn out to be of key importance
in the sūtra, because anyone who happens to hear them will be irreversibly
destined to unsurpassed and perfect awakening. The blessing of hearing
these two names is also such that any woman will be able to put an end to
future female rebirths, and in that way join the saṅgha of monks.
i.12 At this point the Buddha’s teaching is complete, and everyone in
attendance rejoices and arouses the mind set upon unsurpassed and perfect
awakening. Many of the listeners in attendance develop various signs of
accomplishment and become free from obscurations. Avalokiteśvara and
Mahāsthāmaprāpta also cause a miracle so that the entire retinue can behold
all the limitless, uncountable buddhas in all directions, who are making
prophecies for their unsurpassed and perfect awakening.
i.13 As is typical of Great Vehicle sūtras, toward the end of the story the
Buddha speaks of the great amount of merit to be gained by upholding and
propagating the sūtra, and everyone gathered at the occasion promises to
spread the teaching to the best of their ability. The Buddha repeats his
statement that any woman who hears this teaching will be transformed
immediately into a man. (Today’s readers should keep in mind that these
teachings were given in a society where the status of women was generally
 low, and women were expected to be subservient and deferential to men. It
is also important to remember that the Buddha did allow women into his
order, which at the time was a radical endorsement of women as worthy
spiritual practitioners.)
i.14 Finally, while thousands of gods scatter flowers and praise on the Buddha
and the assembled bodhisattvas, a young girl stands up and announces that
she has decided to give up the negative emotions that cause beings to be
born as women. Instead, she promises, she will set her mind on complete
awakening. In front of the Buddha she vows to become an example for other
women by relinquishing her female body, and she requests the Buddha’s
blessings to help her do so. Immediately her body is transformed and
becomes that of a man. With this metamorphosis complete, the Buddha
foretells that she is destined to become a future buddha known by the name
Repeller of All Disturbing Emotions, and the sūtra comes to an end.
i.15 No Sanskrit version of the text is known to exist, but in addition to this
Tibetan translation the sūtra survives in two earlier Chinese translations. The
Tibetan translation, by Surendrabodhi and Bandé Yeshé Dé, must have been
completed in the early translation period, as it is listed in both early ninth
century inventories, the Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) and Phangthangma (phang
thang ma). According to the catalogues of both the Degé and Narthang
Kangyurs, the sūtra has nine chapters or sections (le’u), and the Narthang
catalogue mentions that the existence of nine le’u is mentioned by the Great
Fifth Dalai Lama in the list of texts of which he received the transmission
(gsan yig). However, no such formal section breaks can be seen in the Tibetan
text as preserved in the different Kangyurs, and it would be unusual for a
relatively short text such as this to be divided into formally distinct chapters.
It may be that in this and similar catalogue entries 1 the term le’u is being
used to denote “episodes” or “scenes,” rather than in its more usual sense of
chapters; it would not be impossible to discern nine or more parts to the
narrative in this text.
i.16 Unlike the names of some of the specific absorptions described in sūtras,
“the illusory absorption” is a term that occurs in a wide range of canonical
texts, including the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, the Laṅkāvatāra, and in several
tantras and their Tengyur commentaries.2 This sūtra, as would be expected
from its title, is indeed sometimes mentioned or cited in later Tibetan works
in connection with the illusory absorption itself. More often, however, it is
mentioned as one of the scriptural sources of the stories of Avalokiteśvara
and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. The other notable source is the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka
(Toh 113), which contains a similar but much more detailed account of the
predictions of these two bodhisattvas’ future attainment of complete
buddhahood, as well as a different episode from their previous lives.3
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
The Illusory Absorption
1. The Translation
[F.210.b]

1.1 Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

1.2 Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the Deer Park
by the Hill of the Fallen Sages near Vārāṇasī, together with a great saṅgha of
twenty thousand worthy monks and twelve thousand bodhisattvas that
included the bodhisattva great beings Harisiṃha, Siṃhamati, Supratiṣṭhita-
buddhi, Anupamamati, Dharaṇīṃdhara, Agnidatta, Varuṇa, Ratnākara,
Guhyagupta, Bhadrapāla, Vidyutdeva, Vairocana, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta,
Jñānākara, Anikṣiptadhura, Amoghadarśin, and the bodhisattva great being
Maitreya. Also in attendance were twenty thousand gods who had all
entered the Great Vehicle, such as Susīma and Supratiṣṭhitabuddhi. [F.211.a]
At that time the Blessed One, surrounded and venerated by a retinue of
several hundred thousand beings, was teaching the Dharma.
1.3 The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha stood up, draped his shawl
over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together, he
bowed toward the Blessed One, and inquired of the Blessed One, “If this is
an opportune moment for the Blessed One to grant me answers to some
questions of mine, may I put them to the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha?”
The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha,
“Padmaśrīgarbha, it is always opportune for the Thus-Gone One to address
your concerns. Padmaśrīgarbha, ask the Thus-Gone One, the worthy,
completely perfect Buddha, whatever you wish, and I will address your
questions, so that you may feel at ease.”
1.4 The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One,
“Blessed One, how is it that bodhisattva great beings render irreversible
their progress to unsurpassed and completely perfect awakening, come to
possess the five types of clairvoyance, and attain the illusory absorption?
 How is it that, as soon as they attain that absorption, they emanate whatever
bodies in whatever way will perfect sentient beings’ roots of virtue, and
teach the Dharma according to sentient beings’ inclinations? How do they
quickly awaken to unsurpassed and completely perfect buddhahood?”
1.5 The Blessed One said to the bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha,
[F.211.b] “Padmaśrīgarbha, excellent! Padmaśrīgarbha, previously you have
served the victorious ones, gathered the roots of virtue, and venerated a
myriad buddhas. You feel love and compassion for all beings, and that is
why you ask the Thus-Gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha about this.
That is excellent! Padmaśrīgarbha, therefore, listen well and pay attention.
Then I shall explain it to you.”
The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha said to the Blessed One,
“Wonderful!” and he listened as the Blessed One had directed him.

1.6 The Blessed One said, “Padmaśrīgarbha, there is one quality that, if
bodhisattva great beings possess it, renders irreversible their progress to
unsurpassed and completely perfect awakening, and grants them the five
types of clairvoyance and the illusory absorption. Moreover, as soon as they
attain that absorption, they emanate whatever bodies in whatever way will
perfect sentient beings’ roots of virtue, teach the Dharma according to
sentient beings’ inclinations, and quickly awaken to unsurpassed and
completely perfect buddhahood.
“What is that single quality? Padmaśrīgarbha, those bodhisattvas must
not abide anywhere in the three realms, neither abiding internally nor
externally. As they do not abide, they will see reality. As they see reality, they
will unite with reality. As they unite with reality, nothing will impede their
mind. As nothing impedes their mind, they will engage in authentic conduct.
1.7 “What does it mean to engage in authentic conduct? It is as follows.
[F.212.a] All phenomena arise in dependence. There is no phenomenon that
can remain constantly. All phenomena arise from circumstances. There is no
phenomenon that arises without circumstances. Any phenomenon that
arises in dependence is unborn. Therefore all phenomena are unborn. To
realize that all phenomena are unborn is to know how to practice the
bodhisattva’s path. In this way, one attains the basis for benefiting all beings
and can proceed with a compassionate outlook. With such conviction, one
comes to understand that all phenomena are illusory. All phenomena are
magically manifest because they are imputed. Those imputations are also
utterly empty. The realization that all phenomena are empty is the attainment
of the illusory absorption.
“As soon as one attains this absorption, one emanates whatever bodies in
whatever way will perfect sentient beings’ roots of virtue, and one teaches
the Dharma according to sentient beings’ inclinations. In this way, one
 quickly awakens to unsurpassed and completely perfect buddhahood.”

1.8 The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One,
“Blessed One, is there any bodhisattva great being here in this gathering
who has attained this illusory absorption?”
“Padmaśrīgarbha,” replied the Blessed One, “there are sixty holy beings
here in this gathering who intentionally wear the armor and who have
attained the illusory absorption. There are sixty holy beings, including the
bodhisattva great beings Maitreya and Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, who have
attained this illusory absorption.”
1.9 Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, did these holy
beings [F.212.b] attain this illusory absorption here in this world? Or did
these holy beings attain this illusory absorption in some other realm?”
The Blessed One answered, “Padmaśrīgarbha, to the west of this buddha
realm, passing through one trillion buddha realms, there is a realm known as
Sukhāvatī. Right now the Thus-Gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Amitābha resides there, flourishes there, lives there, and teaches the Dharma.
In his buddha realm live the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the
bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta, both of whom have attained
this absorption. Padmaśrīgarbha, it is from conversations lasting seven days
with those two holy beings that other bodhisattva great beings attain this
illusory absorption.”
1.10 The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha said to the Blessed One,
“Blessed One, there must be many bodhisattva great beings who attained
the illusory absorption in that buddha realm. Blessed One, the reason is that
the bodhisattva great beings who are born in that buddha realm can engage
in Dharma conversations with those two holy beings without any effort.”
“Padmaśrīgarbha, it is exactly as you say,” said the Blessed One. “The
bodhisattva great beings who abide there within the illusory absorption are
indeed limitless and countless.”
1.11 The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha implored the Blessed One,
“Blessed One, [F.213.a] thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha,
please use your miraculous powers to show a mental sign by which the two
holy beings will come to this Sahā world, and the whole Sukhāvatī world
together with the Thus-Gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Amitābha
will also arrive here in this world. The reason is, Blessed One, that if those
two holy beings come to this buddha realm, the sons and daughters of noble
family who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas will perfect their roots of
virtue. They will hear the Dharma talks of those two holy beings, and they,
too, will thereby attain the illusory absorption. Here in this buddha realm
they will be able to behold Sukhāvatī as well as the Thus-Gone, worthy,
completely perfect Buddha Amitābha. Witnessing that, the sons and
 daughters of noble family will arouse the mind of unsurpassed and
completely perfect awakening. They will make aspirations to be born in that
buddha realm and, as soon as they are born there, they will render
irreversible their progress to unsurpassed and completely perfect
awakening.”
1.12 The Blessed One, understanding the bodhisattva great being
Padmaśrīgarbha’s request, emitted a bright light from the hair between his
eyebrows. The light pervaded this entire trichiliocosm with a bright golden
radiance. Throughout the entire trichiliocosm, all mountain ranges and
forests as well as the central mountain, the Mucilinda Mountains, the
Greater Mucilinda Mountains, the surrounding mountains, the greater
surrounding mountains, and all places of deep darkness throughout the
world were bathed in that golden light, [F.213.b] eclipsing even the sun and
the moon—so well known for their great miraculous ability, great strength,
and great power—to the point of invisibility. Toward the west, crossing
through a trillion buddha realms, that brilliant golden light pervaded the
entire realm of Sukhāvatī. There, the light prostrated at the feet of the Thus-
Gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Amitābha, circumambulated him
seven times, and, in that blessed one’s presence, disappeared.
1.13 The beings who lived in Sukhāvatī, including the bodhisattvas and the
great hearers, looked toward this Sahā world and saw the Thus-Gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni surrounded by the gathering
of bodhisattvas and attended upon by the saṅgha of hearers. As they saw it
all, as clearly as seeing an āmalakī fruit right in their own hand, they were
filled with joy and great happiness, and exclaimed, “Homage to the Blessed
One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni!”
1.14 Here in the Sahā world, the assembled retinue of the Thus-Gone, worthy,
completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni consisted of monks, nuns, laymen,
laywomen, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras,
and mahoragās, humans, nonhumans, Śakra, Brahmā, the guardians of the
world, and bodhisattvas. All of them could now also vividly see the world of
Sukhāvatī and the Thus-Gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Amitābha, [F.214.a] who was shining like the king of mountains, surrounded
by the assembly of bodhisattvas and attended upon by the saṅgha of
hearers. They saw the entire buddha realm in this way. Just as a person with
perfect sight can see the face of another person only a fathom away without
any strain, from this world and this buddha realm they saw the Thus-Gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha Amitābha, as well as the world of
Sukhāvatī, which appeared in a great display of fine features, filled with
 trillions of qualities. Witnessing it, they were filled with joy and great
happiness, and exclaimed, “Homage to the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha Amitābha!”
1.15 When that buddha realm was shown to them, 84,000 beings here in this
buddha realm, who had not previously aroused the mind of awakening, now
gave rise to the mind set upon unsurpassed and completely perfect
awakening. They dedicated the roots of virtue toward taking birth in the
world of Sukhāvatī, as well as toward unsurpassed and completely perfect
awakening.
In the world of Sukhāvatī, the assembled bodhisattva great beings and
great hearers saw the Sahā world and were amazed. They joined the palms of
their hands and prostrated toward the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni while they called out, “Homage to
the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Śākyamuni!”
As soon as the bodhisattva great beings and the great hearers had spoken
these words, the entire world shook in six ways: [F.214.b] it vibrated,
shuddered, and reeled; quivered, trembled, and quaked; wobbled, rocked,
and swayed; boomed, thundered, and roared; rattled, shook, and convulsed;
and clattered, rattled, and clanged.
1.16 Then the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the bodhisattva
great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta went before the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha Amitābha. Prostrating with their heads
to the Blessed One’s feet, they respectfully stood to one side. Standing
together, the two holy beings said to the Blessed One, “The Blessed One, the
thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni has attained very
stable powers. Blessed One, it is amazing. Blissful One, it is amazing. Why?
Blessed One, it is like this. When so much as the name of the Blessed One,
the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni was
pronounced, even this inanimate earth shook in six ways.”
1.17 The Thus-Gone Amitābha said to the two holy beings, “Sons of noble
family, not only was the name of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni pronounced in this buddha realm, the
name of that Blessed One was also pronounced in many other buddha
realms. Those buddha realms, too, all shook in six ways when touched by
that light. In those buddha realms, limitless and countless beings heard the
name of the Thus-Gone Śākyamuni, [F.215.a] and thereby perfected their
roots of virtue and rendered irreversible their progress to unsurpassed and
completely perfect awakening. Then, from among the assembly of
bodhisattvas, four hundred million bodhisattvas heard the name of the
Blessed One, the thus-gone Śākyamuni. When they heard it, they all
 gathered and, in a single voice, dedicated the roots of virtue toward
unsurpassed and completely perfect awakening. The Blessed One also
prophesied that they would render irreversible their progress to
unsurpassed and completely perfect awakening.”
1.18 Then the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the bodhisattva
great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta said to the Thus-Gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha Amitābha, “The Blessed One, the thus-gone Śākyamuni, has
sent forth a light that we have previously never seen nor heard of. Now,
since the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Śākyamuni, would not emit such a wonderful and beautiful light without
causes or circumstances, please tell us what the causes and conditions are
for the Blessed One, the thus-gone Śākyamuni, to send forth such a
wonderful and beautiful light.”
1.19 The Thus-Gone Amitābha said to the two holy beings, “Sons of noble
family, what you say is true. That Blessed One would not send forth such a
wonderful and beautiful light without any causes and conditions. And why?
Because the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Śākyamuni, is about to deliver a Dharma teaching on how to accomplish the
precious absorption known as ‘the bodhisattvas’ application.’ That is why
[F.215.b] the Blessed One Śākyamuni emitted this wonderful and beautiful
light as an omen of that Dharma teaching.”
1.20 Then the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the bodhisattva
great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta said to the Thus-Gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha Amitābha, “In order to gaze upon, honor, venerate, and
serve the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Śākyamuni, and also to hear his Dharma teaching, we, Blessed One, will
travel to that Sahā world.”
The thus-gone one Amitābha said, “Sons of noble family, you know that
the time has come for the Blessed One, the thus-gone Śākyamuni, to teach
the Dharma to an assembly headed by the two of you, so please do go
ahead.”
1.21 With this permission, the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the
bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta called out to the four hundred
million bodhisattvas assembled in the retinue of the Blessed One, the thus-
gone Amitābha, “Sons of noble family, come! In order to behold, honor,
venerate, and serve the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, and also to hear his Dharma teaching, let us
travel to the Sahā world. Why? Because the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, gave up all the many
perfectly pure buddha realms and, through his aspirations and great
compassion, manifested in that afflicted buddha realm. Because he
 undertook austerities, it was amidst those sentient beings who have base
desires and raging attachment, anger, and delusion, [F.216.a] that he fully
awakened to unsurpassed and completely perfect buddhahood.”
1.22 As soon as the two holy beings had spoken these words, all of the
bodhisattva great beings in the world of Sukhāvatī assembled and said in a
single voice, “Blessed One, any being who even hears the name of the
Blessed One, the thus-gone Śākyamuni, reaches excellent attainments. That
being so, what need is there to mention those who actually see him with
their physical eyes and engender faith? Blessed One, we shall also travel to
the Sahā world in order to behold, honor, venerate, and serve the Blessed
One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, and also
to hear his Dharma teaching.”
The Blessed One said, “Sons of noble family, you know that the time has
come, so please go ahead.”

1.23 So the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the bodhisattva great
being Mahāsthāmaprāpta set out from the world of Sukhāvatī, surrounded
and preceded by 840 million bodhisattvas. At that point they manifested
their miraculous powers, and by those miraculous powers 840 million
bodhisattvas each emanated 840 million mansions. The miraculously
manifested mansions were square, structured around four pillars, even and
well proportioned, and of excellent design. Each of the mansions was twelve
leagues tall and eight leagues wide. Some mansions were made of gold;
[F.216.b] some were made of silver; some were made of beryl; some were
made of crystal; some were made of red pearl, emerald, and coral; some were
made of combinations of gold and silver; some were made of combinations of
gold, silver, and beryl; some were made of combinations of gold, silver, beryl,
and crystal; some mansions were made of combinations of gold, silver, beryl,
crystal, and red pearl; some mansions were made of combinations of gold,
silver, beryl, crystal, red pearl, and coral; some mansions were made of
combinations of gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearl, coral, and emerald;
some mansions were made of red sandalwood; some were made of
uragasāra sandalwood; some were made of aloeswood and sandalwood;
some were made of black aloeswood and sandalwood; some mansions were
made of all types of sandalwood; some mansions were made of blue lotuses,
pink lotuses, water lily, and white lotuses; some mansions were made of
flowers of nutmeg, jasmine, magnolia, pāṭalam, mountain ebony, aloe flower,
and gotaraṇi; some mansions were made of danuskari flowers; some
mansions were made of māndārava and mahāmāndārava flowers; some
mansions were made of flowers of pāruṣaka, mahāpāruṣaka, mañjuṣaka,
mahāmañjuṣaka, roca, mahāroca, cakra, mahācakra, sarvacakra, atyartha-
śobhaticakra, candra, mahācandra, atyarthaśobhaticandra, paramacandra,
 sthāla, and mahāsthāla; [F.217.a] some mansions were made of all types of
flowers; and some were made of flowers of various colors, multiple colors,
hundreds of thousands of colors, beautiful, pure, and shining.
1.24 In each mansion were emanated 84,000 goddesses. Some of the goddesses
held conches, drums, clay kettle drums, wooden kettle drums, lutes, and
flutes, while others sang melodiously, and yet others held up reed pipes,
one-stringed lutes, and three-stringed lutes. In this way they were playing
instruments, singing songs, and making music in abundance. Some
goddesses were holding vessels of powdered red sandalwood; some
goddesses were holding vessels of powdered uragasāra sandalwood; some
goddesses were holding vessels of powdered aloeswood and sandalwood;
some goddesses were holding vessels of powdered black aloeswood and
sandalwood; some goddesses were holding vessels of all types of powdered
sandalwood; some goddesses were holding vessels of powdered blue
lotuses, pink lotuses, water lilies, and white lotuses; some goddesses were
holding vessels of powdered flowers of māndārava, mahāmāndārava,
pāruṣaka, mahāpāruṣaka, mañjuṣaka, mahāmañjuṣaka, roca, mahāroca,
cakra, mahācakra, sarvacakra, atyarthaśobhaticakra, candra, mahācandra,
atyarthaśobhaticandra, paramacandra, sthāla, and mahāsthāla; some
goddesses were proffering vessels of all types of powdered flowers,
perfume, incense, flower garlands, and ointments.
1.25 In each mansion appeared an ornately decorated lion throne upon which
the form of a thus-gone one was seated, adorned with the thirty-two marks
of a great being. [F.217.b] In each of the mansions appeared 84,000 pearl
garlands, made of white, red, and blue pearls. In each of the mansions
appeared 84,000 victory banners made of divinely manufactured fabric, each
of them covered in a lattice of small golden bells. In each of the mansions
appeared 84,000 censers of incense. In each of the mansions appeared 84,000
parasols of various colors, multiple colors, hundreds of thousands of colors,
beautiful, well-crafted, and of fine proportions. In each of the mansions
appeared 84,000 rows of palm trees. In each of the mansions appeared 84,000
jewel trees. In each of the mansions appeared 84,000 lattices of small bells
that, when stirred by the wind, sounded tunes resembling the music
performed by skilled musicians playing trillions of divine instruments. Such
were the sweet and beautiful tunes that rang out from those bells when
stirred by the wind. In each of the mansions appeared ponds, the bottom of
each lined with gold dust, adorned with beryl and crystal, and encircled by a
ring of the seven precious gemstones. The ponds were filled with blue and
pink lotuses, water lilies, and white lotus flowers, and on them were wild
geese calling out. The ponds were filled to the brim with water of eight
properties, making them excellent for the birds to quench their thirst. Each of
 the mansions was surrounded by seven rows of jewel trees, and 84,000 jewel
strings bound them all together. The light shining from each of the mansions
extended for 84,000 leagues. Such was the layout of all the mansions.
[F.218.a]
Inside each of those mansions, the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara
and the bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta then again emanated
the entire display of all the mansions that they had produced, along with all
of their elaborate internal contents, in a precise copy.
1.26 Once the two bodhisattva great beings had emanated those displays
inside each of the mansions, the displays together with 840 billion
bodhisattvas all vanished from the world of Sukhāvatī and arrived here in
this Sahā world in just a single moment, a single second, a single instant. It
happened as quickly as it takes for a strong person to extend his arm and
flex it again. At that point the two bodhisattvas miraculously transformed
this Sahā world so that it became as even as the palm of a hand. Such was the
miracle that they manifested. All the bodhisattvas also arrived together with
the 840 million mansions. This great display of qualities was absolutely
resplendent. The light that shone from the mansions pervaded this entire
trichiliocosm.
1.27 Then the two bodhisattvas went before the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni. They prostrated with their
heads at the feet of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, the worthy, completely
perfect Buddha Śākyamuni, and circumambulated him three times before
standing off to one side. As they stood there, those two holy beings, [F.218.b]
in a single tune and a single voice, praised the Blessed One with these
verses:

1.28 “We prostrate to your unrivaled splendor, your mass of qualities!

Great Omniscient Sage, you have perfected all good qualities.
You outshine everyone and transcend the desirous path of the three realms.
Supreme leader of the Śākyas, we prostrate before your stainless, moon-like
face.

1.29 “Your body is beautiful, like the stainless sun.

You wear the armor of the thirty-two perfect signs,
And light up the world with your adornments, the excellent marks.
Perfect man, no one in the three worlds can compare to you.

1.30 “When faced by the light from the body of the Blissful One,
The light of the sun, the moon, every jewel and fire in the world,
That of any human, or gods like Śakra and Brahmā,
Is eclipsed, dimmed, and shines no more than a pool of ink.
1.31 “Victorious One, while present in one realm,
You instantaneously go to limitless others for the sake of beings.
No one can comprehend the departure and arrival of the teacher.
Your many deeds and disciplines tame beings.

1.32 “In a single pore you can display limitless realms,

Yet nothing increases or decreases.
This is beyond the workings of karma, cause and effect.
No being is harmed, and nothing is confused.

1.33 “To some supreme beings you display the pure lands,
Where there are no hell beings, animals, or pretas,
And which are full of the renowned sons of the victorious ones —
A realm of perfect delight beyond the eight unfree states.

1.34 “To remedy others, gods and humans lacking fear and careless in their ways,
Once you show them the unbearably afflicted realms,
The states to which they could go as hell beings, animals, and pretas,
They all take refuge fully in the Blissful One. [F.219.a]

1.35 “In some other realms you manifest in the form of space;
Likewise, in other realms you blaze in the form of fire and flames.
You manifest by filling other realms with water—
These emanations are the domain of omniscient wisdom.

1.36 “In order to tame others you display limitless forms.

To some you appear in the shining form of the Lord of Desire,
Lord of the Brahma realm who attained the supremely peaceful absorption,
And the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the thousand-eyed blazing
vajra.

1.37 “Many hundreds of beings are delighted and worship you;

Through the ten virtues, limitless beings are tamed.
You are supreme among ministers, merchants, and royal counselors;
Fearless when enemies descend, you are unharmed by their attacks.

1.38 “With the four means of attracting disciples, you gather beings
And establish them on the path to perfect awakening.
Through meritorious action you become a universal monarch
Who masters the four continents in possession of the seven riches.

1.39 “To some, here in this world, you demonstrated birth,

And taking seven steps over the ground,
With your beautiful voice endowed with eight aspects, you said:
 ‘This birth of mine will bring an end to birth and death.’

1.40 “During the time of Dīpaṃkara you had abandoned all defilements,
And yet, to ripen beings for the supreme wisdom of awakening,
To some you stayed, a pure being, amidst a retinue of queens.
Lord of Men, you also taught the queens and your son.

1.41 “You gave up your parents, your cherished retinue of friends and relatives,
Your kingdom, wealth, and many treasuries of jewels.
Śakra, Brahmā, and the demigods revered you;
Great Sage, you left home and lived in the forest.

1.42 “To benefit beings, for six years you underwent hardship, [F.219.b]
Focused in supreme and precious all-pervasive concentration.
In order to defeat all the hordes of extremists,
You, a pure being, went to the foot of the Bodhi tree.

1.43 “In order to ripen beings for the supreme wisdom of a buddha,
Lord of Men, you entered into the supreme illusory absorption;
Victorious One, you took on a physical appearance
Of such a kind that would tame the world.

1.44 “Just as an illusionist, in order to trick others,

Will produce many illusory manifestations, so too, you,
Lamp of the World, in order to tame beings
Produced the many manifestations of your buddhahood.

1.45 “Heroic Sage, to some you showed the taming of Māra and his armies,
And did what no one else out of all the extremist hosts has done:
You attained immaculate omniscience beyond nirvāṇa,
And turned the unsurpassable and unchanging wheel.

1.46 “Over many billions of eons you discovered awakening;

On all paths you turned the wheel.
Lord of Men, like a moon reflected in water, you appear to all;
Self-Originated Blissful One in infinite places, we prostrate to you.

1.47 “To some, you show the Dharma body of a Buddha,

The permanent, stable, enduring, unchanging,
Immutable, unborn, stainless, and unceasing Dharma.
It pervades all the ten directions, which are like an optical illusion.

1.48 “To some you say, ‘In no time at all, you will be separated from your loved
ones,
So it is no good for you to put your trust in this compounded world.’
 And thus you show them how all beings are like a dream, an illusion, a
mirage,
And impermanent, unstable, and momentary.

1.49 “The physical activity of the Blissful One knows no bounds or borders;
The domains of your verbal and mental activity are also unfathomable.
[F.220.a]
Like the sky, the deeds of the Teacher are impossible to measure;
The domain of the Victorious One cannot be understood by sentient beings.

1.50 “Even if all the beings throughout the ten directions

Were as knowledgeable as Śāriputra,
They could not fathom the limitless scope of the victorious Dharma King’s
nature,
Nor the entirety of the Victorious One’s domain.

1.51 “The wisdom of the perfect Buddha is limitless like the sky,
And the experience of the victorious ones is entirely inconceivable.
The assemblies of sons of the victorious ones, hearers,
And circumstantial victorious ones 4 cannot comprehend it.

1.52 “Thus you show them boundless physical deeds,

Skillfully performed to tame infinite beings.
You have bodies as infinite as the element of space.
Protector devoid of concept and thought, we prostrate to you.

1.53 “You have crossed to the other shore of the vast ocean of suffering.
We praise you, Victorious One, tamer of disturbing emotions, and foremost
being.
May all the merit gained thereby go to all beings
So that they may reach precious, supreme, peaceful, and blissful
awakening!”

1.54 When the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the bodhisattva great
being Mahāsthāmaprāpta had praised the Blessed One with these fitting
verses, they asked the Blessed One about his health, saying, “The Blessed
One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Amitābha is asking
if the Blessed One is in good health. Are you free from any misfortune and
agitation? Are you enjoying good health and well-being?”
1.55 They also said, “Hearers of the Blessed One, behold how delightful the
world has become.”
 When the bodhisattvas and great hearers here in the Sahā world [F.220.b]
saw the great display of mansions that pervaded this entire world, as well as
its many riches, they were amazed and thought to themselves, “Is it due to
the power of the Thus-Gone One, or is it due to the power of these
bodhisattva great beings, that all of this has arrived here from the world of
Sukhāvatī?”
1.56 At that point, inspired by the Buddha, the bodhisattva great being
Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, all these many
mansions that now fill up and adorn this Sahā world are amazing! Blissful
One, they are truly amazing! Did all of this arrive here in the Sahā world from
the world of Sukhāvatī due to the power of the Thus-Gone One or due to the
power of these bodhisattvas?”
The Blessed One answered the bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha,
“Padmaśrīgarbha, that these many jewel mansions now fill up and adorn
this Sahā world is not due to the power of the Thus-Gone One. Rather, it is
due to the power of the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the
bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta.”
1.57 Padmaśrīgarbha exclaimed, “Because of their power, this Sahā world is
now filled and adorned with these many jewel mansions. The perfection of
the aspirations and roots of virtue of these two holy beings is inconceivable!
Blessed One, it is amazing! Blissful One, it is truly amazing!”
[F.221.a] “Padmaśrīgarbha, it is just as you say,” said the Blessed One.
“For innumerable trillions of eons, these two holy beings have perfected the
roots of virtue. Padmaśrīgarbha, these two holy beings have attained the
illusory absorption. As they abide within the illusory absorption, they can
demonstrate such miraculous emanations. Padmaśrīgarbha, when you look
toward the east, what do you see?”
1.58 When the bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha looked toward the east
with the unobscured divine eye of a bodhisattva, he saw as many buddha
realms as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, with as many blessed
buddhas as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. At the feet of all of
those blessed buddhas were the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and
the bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta, prostrating and inquiring
about their health, saying, “The Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect Buddha Amitābha is asking if the Blessed One is in good
health. Are you free from any misfortune and agitation? Are you enjoying
good health and well-being?”
1.59 The same thing occurred in the south, in the west, in the north, below,
above, and in all the ten directions. In all directions Padmaśrīgarbha saw as
many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, filled
with and adorned by a great display of mansions made of various precious
 substances. In all those buddha realms he saw blessed buddhas, and he
witnessed the two holy beings prostrating before all those blessed buddhas.
As he saw this, he was filled with great wonder.
The bodhisattva great being [F.221.b] Padmaśrīgarbha was amazed, and
exclaimed to the Blessed One, “The accomplishment of the illusory
absorption by these two holy beings is inconceivable! Blessed One, it is
amazing! Blissful One, it is truly amazing! Why do I say so? Because these
two holy beings abide in that absorption, and thus are present in all buddha
realms.”
1.60 The Blessed One then produced a miraculous display so that the
bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha could see the buddha realms in all ten
directions. He could also behold blessed buddhas in those buddha realms,
and he saw how the two holy beings prostrated at the feet of the blessed
ones. In a similar way, the entire retinue present could see the buddha
realms in all ten directions, behold the blessed buddhas in those buddha
realms, and see the two holy beings prostrated at the feet of the blessed
ones. Witnessing this, thirty-two thousand beings in the retinue of the
Blessed One developed the mind set on unsurpassed and completely perfect
awakening. Such were the miracles that the Blessed One produced.
1.61 Then the bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One, “Blessed
One, from which thus-gone one did these two holy beings develop the mind
set on unsurpassed and completely perfect awakening? And how long ago
was that? What was his name? Blessed One, thus-gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha, please tell us!”
The Blessed One replied, “It is thus that other bodhisattvas, too, should
perfect their conduct, actions, and aspirations. [F.222.a] Therefore,
Padmaśrīgarbha, listen very well and keep in mind what I will now explain.”
The bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha said, “Blessed One, excellent!” and he
listened as the Blessed One had advised.

1.62 “Padmaśrīgarbha,” continued the Blessed One, “previously, in times past, an

inconceivable number of eons ago, an endless number of eons ago, at a time
stretching further back than any number of eons, a number of eons so great
that the number of atoms found in 100,000 worlds —all the limitless and
inconceivable number of such atoms —would not equal the number of eons,
there was a world called Boundless Accumulation of Precious Qualities and
Full Display of Happiness. In that world was a blessed, thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect buddha who had perfect knowledge and conduct. He
was a blissful one who knew the world, an unsurpassed charioteer who
trained beings, and a teacher of gods and men. His name was Blessed
Buddha King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play.
1.63 “Padmaśrīgarbha, in the buddha realm of the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play,
there was a display of precious qualities. I will only give you a mere
illustration of this, just to mention a few of the qualities, so listen.
Padmaśrīgarbha, tell me, are there many displays of precious qualities in the
buddha realm of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect
Buddha Amitābha?”
Padmaśrīgarbha replied, “Blessed One, there are indeed—inconceivably
many. They are limitless, and it would not be easy to describe them in
words.”
1.64 The Blessed One said, “Padmaśrīgarbha, consider this analogy. Imagine a
person splits the tip of a hair into one hundred pieces, and then uses the tip
of one of those pieces to lift up one drop of water from the ocean. [F.222.b]
Tell me now, Padmaśrīgarbha, which would be greater, the amount of water
that has been extracted or the water that remains?”
Padmaśrīgarbha replied, “Blessed One, the extracted water would be less.
The amount remaining is measureless.”
1.65 “Padmaśrīgarbha, think about this and understand it,” said the Blessed
One. “The amount of water extracted from the ocean in a single drop by that
person using a hundredth of a hair tip represents the displays of precious
qualities in the buddha realm of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy,
completely perfect Buddha Amitābha, while the body of water remaining in
the ocean represents the displays of precious qualities in Boundless
Accumulation of Precious Qualities and Full Display of Happiness, the
buddha realm of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect
Buddha, King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play.
1.66 “His saṅgha of hearers was also endless. Right now the Thus-Gone
Amitābha’s saṅgha of hearers is said to be boundless, but the saṅgha of
hearers belonging to the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha, King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play, was a hundred
thousand times larger than that. His saṅgha of bodhisattvas was also of
comparable size. That blessed, thus-gone one taught the Dharma exclusively
within the three vehicles. Padmaśrīgarbha, even if I had as many eons as
there are grains of sand in the Ganges River to describe the display of
precious qualities in the buddha realm of the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha, King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play, as
well as the display of qualities of his hearers and the causes for their
happiness, I would not run out of things to say, and I would be unable to
complete my description of the display of qualities in that buddha realm.
1.67 “Padmaśrīgarbha, [F.223.a] back then, during the life of the blessed Thus-
Gone One, King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play, there was a virtuous and
religious king who ruled over a thousand worlds. He was known as
Glorious Splendor. Padmaśrīgarbha, King Glorious Splendor had one billion
sons. All the young princes had the twenty-eight marks of a great being, and
all of them had genuinely attained unsurpassed and completely perfect
awakening. Padmaśrīgarbha, King Glorious Splendor also had seventy-six
thousand pleasure groves for his enjoyment, while each of his sons had ten
thousand pleasure groves.”
1.68 Then the bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One, “Blessed
One, were there no women in that buddha realm?”
“No, Padmaśrīgarbha, there were not,” answered the Blessed One. “In
that buddha realm not even the word ‘woman’ was heard. All those young
princes had been born out of chastity. They were all born in a miraculous
manner. All those beings sustained themselves on the joy of concentration
and the joy of the Dharma, and in that buddha realm there was no gross type
of food. Padmaśrīgarbha, King Glorious Splendor had no formal duties, so
together with his sons he worshipped the Blessed One for 840 trillion years.
That Blessed, Thus-Gone One knew the king’s good intentions, so he taught
him how to gain expertise in the mode of Dharma known as the boundless seal.
1.69 “Padmaśrīgarbha, you may wonder what that ‘expertise in the mode of
Dharma known as the boundless seal’ might be. Well, Padmaśrīgarbha, it is that
bodhisattva great beings never fail to strive for boundless activities. [F.223.b]
They never fail to undertake boundless efforts. And why? Because those
bodhisattvas’ generosity is boundless. Their discipline is boundless. Their
patience is boundless. Their diligence is boundless. Their concentration is
boundless. Their knowledge is boundless. Their embrace of saṃsāra is
boundless. Their love for beings is boundless. Their display of realms is
boundless. Their hearers are boundless. Their perfect forms are boundless.
Their voices are boundless. Their eloquence is boundless.
1.70 “Padmaśrīgarbha, bodhisattvas will dedicate any root of virtue that has
been created, even a single instance of the thought of awakening, so that it
becomes boundless. You may wonder how dedication can make it
boundless. Well, at the time bodhisattvas dedicate that root of merit to all
sentient beings, the non-birth of all those sentient beings is actualized, and it
is through their passing into the parinirvāṇa of a buddha that they will pass
into parinirvāṇa. That, son of noble family, is called boundless dedication.
1.71 “Their emptiness is boundless. Their signlessness is boundless. Their
wishlessness is boundless. Their lack of conditioned existence is boundless.
In this way they are free of desire and liberated within the realm of
phenomena, the limit of reality. They are unborn, serene, free, beyond
 suffering, and boundless. Son of noble family, in short, all phenomena are
boundless. Therefore all phenomena are said to be unborn and unceasing.
Whatever is unborn and unceasing is boundless.
1.72 “Padmaśrīgarbha, the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha, King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play, taught King Glorious
Splendor perfectly how to gain expertise in the mode of Dharma known as
the boundless seal, so that he, too, could reflect on the boundless Dharma. Then,
as King Glorious Splendor received the teaching on the boundless Dharma
from that blessed one, [F.224.a] he was satisfied and pleased. He rejoiced and
was extremely delighted. Since he was so joyful and happy, together with
his sons he praised that blessed one with these verses:

1.73 “ ‘Guide, you are the master of all dharmas.

You conquer the hordes of theoreticians;
You eliminate all of the demons’ disputes and disturbing emotions.
We prostrate to you, incomparable ocean of wisdom.

1.74 “ ‘The sun, the moon, and the light of fires,

The radiance of Śakra, Brahmā, jewels, and lightning,
Are eclipsed by the splendor of the Blissful One.
We prostrate to you, luminous leader of men.

1.75 “ ‘Sage, throughout an ocean of eons,

You perform many hardships.
Since the result of that activity is so beautiful,
Beings never tire of beholding you.

1.76 “ ‘Seeing that beings are pained by many sufferings,

And tormented by birth, old age, sickness, and death,
Great sage, your compassion for them
Will never change as you teach the Dharma of peace.

1.77 “ ‘You are like a physician for all beings in the three existences;
You purify all attachment, anger, and darkness.
Dharma physician, you develop compassion
And teach on the unsurpassed state of peace.

1.78 “ ‘You know well all beings’ actions.

Since you understand everyone in the infinite worlds,
You teach the Dharma that brings them
To supreme nirvāṇa.

1.79 “ ‘Supreme man, your compassion is such

That it is a compassion unrivaled
 By all hearers and conditioned sages
In all the infinite worlds.

1.80 “ ‘A gathering of merit endowed with the supreme marks,

The body of the Victor is like a golden mountain,
More splendorous than ten million suns.
We prostrate to you, unrivaled perfect man.

1.81 “ ‘When from the expansive cloud of Dharma5 the rain of teachings falls,
Those who have the vast inclinations to be within its scope,
And were not intimidated by the acts of previous buddhas,
Always find themselves before the blissful one.

1.82 “ ‘During an inconceivable number of trillions of eons,

It is exceedingly difficult to behold the perfect man.
Yet through the workings of merit the mind is purified [F.224.b]
And the guides become visible.

1.83 “ ‘The bodies of the Victor fill the entire realm of phenomena
And are present in all infinite realms.
They know no actual coming or going,
And yet fill the world like a vessel.

1.84 “ ‘You who see the truths and teach the ultimate,
You are a benefactor of the Dharma with a peaceful mind;
Having crossed over, you liberate others who were in bondage.
We prostrate to you, Blissful One.

1.85 “ ‘You have pulled out the tree of rebirth by its root;
You have reduced to rubble the massive mountain of pride;
You know no agitation and are beyond deceit and deception.
We prostrate to you, who are completely at peace.

1.86 “ ‘Perfect man, you have gone beyond all attachments,

And your realization is like earth, water, and fire.
Victor, you are impartial toward all beings.
We prostrate to you, who are like wind and space.

1.87 “ ‘Great sage, your qualities are like a treasure;

Your body appears from an ocean of merit.
Even if we had billions of eons to speak of them
We would be unable to exhaust the ocean of your qualities.

1.88 “ ‘Gods and men worship your ocean of qualities,

And I with my sons offer worship as well.
 By whatever merit accrues from worshipping the Victor,
May we become a great sage like you!’

1.89 “Padmaśrīgarbha, on another occasion King Glorious Splendor was in his

pleasure grove practicing concentration, when two beautiful and captivating
lotus flowers made of uragasāra sandalwood sprang up on either side of
him. From those two lotus flowers, two beings miraculously appeared: one
bore the name Precious Mind, and the other was called Perfect Wealth. They
sat cross-legged in the flowers.
1.90 “Padmaśrīgarbha, when King Glorious Splendor arose from his
absorption, he saw those two beings sitting there, cross-legged, and at the
sight he spoke this verse:

“ ‘Are the two of you gods or nāgas?

Or yakṣas, gandharvas, or kinnaras?
Or humans or nonhumans?
Friends, please answer this question.’

1.91 “Padmaśrīgarbha, [F.225.a] the being who had appeared on King Glorious
Splendor’s right replied with these verses to King Glorious Splendor:

“ ‘My friend, all phenomena are empty,

So why do you ask their names?
Since all phenomena are devoid of names,
What name are you asking for?

1.92 “ ‘In emptiness, there are no gods,

No nāgas or rākṣasas,
Nor any humans or nonhumans.
None of them exist within emptiness.’

1.93 “Padmaśrīgarbha, the other being then spoke to King Glorious Splendor in
these verses:

“ ‘Name is empty of name;

In names there are no names.
All phenomena are devoid of names,
And still they are described using names.

1.94 “ ‘Whatever nature a name might have

It cannot be seen or heard,
And no action can bring it to an end,
So what name are you asking for?6

1.95 “ ‘Conventionally names are formed,

 And names are given and spoken.
Thus, my name is Precious Mind,
And he is Perfect Wealth.’

1.96 “Padmaśrīgarbha, once these two beings had spoken these verses, the king
attained the five types of clairvoyance. Together with King Glorious
Splendor, the two beings then went before the Blessed One, the thus-gone,
worthy, completely perfect Buddha King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play.
They prostrated with their heads to the blessed one’s feet, circumambulated
the blessed one three times, joined the palms of their hands together, and
stood to one side. Padmaśrīgarbha, these two beings then spoke these
verses to the blessed one, as if in a single voice:

1.97 “ ‘Victorious one, how should we venerate you?

Should it be with lotus flowers, perfume,
Flower garlands, clothing,
Or perhaps with food and drink?

1.98 “ ‘Perfect buddha, foremost among men,

How should we venerate you?
Please teach us this point,
And we shall follow your advice!’

1.99 “Padmaśrīgarbha, then the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely
perfect Buddha [F.225.b] spoke the following verses to the two beings:

“ ‘If you give rise to the mind of awakening

In order to help all embodied beings,
You will be venerating the buddhas
With their thirty-two major marks.

1.100 “ ‘A being may make offerings

By filling as many buddha realms
As there are grains of sand in the Ganges River
With flowers for the protectors of the world.

1.101 “ ‘Yet if a person joins his palms

And bows to the mind of awakening,
His merit will be much larger
And know no bounds.

1.102 “ ‘The one with superior intelligence has shown

The mind of awakening, precisely as it is.
There is no other comparable offering,
 And no other similar glory.’

1.103 “Padmaśrīgarbha, once again the two beings addressed the blessed one in
verse:

“ ‘In the presence of the protector of the world,

We make a firm commitment.
Gods and men, listen
To this unsurpassed lion’s roar.

1.104 “ ‘However long it may have been

Since saṃsāra’s unknowable beginning,
For that long, even if it takes many eons,
We shall act for the welfare of beings.

1.105 “ ‘For as many eons as have passed

Since the very beginning, for that many eons
We shall act as you have taught
In order to help beings.

1.106 “ ‘If, from today on,

We should feel any desire,
We will have betrayed
The buddhas in the ten directions.

1.107 “ ‘So, too, for any feelings of anger, dullness,

Jealousy, and avarice.
We shall always speak truthfully
And give up all lies.

1.108 “ ‘If, from today on,

Without attaining stainless awakening,
Our attitude should become like that of the hearers,
This pledge would have been a lie.

1.109 “ ‘We shall also abstain from

Delighting in the ways of solitary buddhas.
For ten million eons,
We shall feel compassion for beings.

1.110 “ ‘Guide, just as your realm

Has tens of millions of other qualities
Beyond these accomplishments,
So shall we, too, produce a perfect realm.
1.111 “ ‘In that realm there shall be no hearers,
Nor any guides who are solitary buddhas.
At that time, there shall only be bodhisattvas
Numbering tens of millions. [F.226.a]

1.112 “ ‘The beings who enjoy this realm

Will all be stainless.
As they hold the treasury of the Buddha,
They will perfect the dharmas of the Buddha.

1.113 “ ‘If things are certain to be like that,

And not in any other way,
May this entire earth shake
With its oceans and mountains.’

1.114 “As soon as they said this,

The entire world shook,
And musical instruments all sounded
Without even being played.

1.115 “Billions of gods

Scattered a beautiful rain
Of a million flowers, powders,
Incense, and clothing.

1.116 “Padmaśrīgarbha, you should not have any doubts or uncertainties as to

whether the person who at that time, at that point, was named King Glorious
Splendor was somebody else. And why? Because at that time, at that point,
the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Amitābha was named King Glorious Splendor. Padmaśrīgarbha, you should
also not think that at that time, at that point, the two beings called Precious
Mind and Perfect Wealth were anybody else. And why? Because at that time,
at that point, the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara was the being
called Perfect Wealth, and the bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta
was the being called Precious Mind. Son of noble family, this was the first
time that these two beings developed the mind set upon unsurpassed and
completely perfect awakening.”
1.117 Then the bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha said to the Blessed
One, “Blessed One, it is amazing how these two holy beings, devoting
themselves so much to the profound and without apprehending their own
names, have both been developing the mind of awakening for so long! How
many other blessed buddhas apart from that thus-gone one have these two
holy beings served?”
 “Son of noble family,” said the Blessed One, “it may be possible to count
the number of grains of sand in the Ganges River. [F.226.b] But it is not
possible to count the blessed buddhas who were venerated by those two
holy beings since the time of that thus-gone one. That is how long these two
have been developing the mind of awakening. Those two holy beings wear
inconceivable armor and possess boundless skills. In fact it is impossible to
comprehend the scope of those two beings’ qualities.”

1.118 Then the bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One,
“From here, in which direction is that world called Boundless Accumulation
of Precious Qualities and Full Display of Happiness where the Blessed One,
the thus-gone King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play lived?”
The Blessed One said, “Son of noble family, at that time, at that point, the
world of Sukhāvatī in the west was that world called Boundless
Accumulation of Precious Qualities and Full Display of Happiness.”
1.119 The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha requested of the Blessed
One, “Please tell us what kind of display of precious qualities the Blessed
One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha manifested in the
buddha realm of those two holy beings in order to aid many beings, show
love for the world, and bring happiness and health to all, including gods and
men. How were his perfect hearers? How long did they live? What kind of
enjoyments did they have? What was their radiance like? And what were the
names of the two holy beings after they awakened to unexcelled and
completely perfect buddhahood? Why, you may wonder, am I making this
request? It is so that other bodhisattvas may hear the Thus-Gone One
describe the great aspirations of those two holy beings, [F.227.a] so that they,
too, may perfect similar great aspirations.”
The Blessed One said to the bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha,
“Padmaśrīgarbha, for that very purpose I shall answer you, so listen well
and keep in mind what I say.”
The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha said to the Blessed One,
“Excellent!” and listened as the Blessed One had directed.
1.120 The Blessed One said, “Son of noble family, the extent of the Thus-Gone
One Amitābha’s life is boundless. Even if you had a trillion eons to describe
its limits, it would not be easy. Son of noble family, although the life of the
Thus-Gone One Amitābha is boundless, all compounded phenomena are
empty, unstable, without solidity, and fleeting. Therefore, son of noble
family, in a distant future the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfect
Buddha Amitābha will also pass into nirvāṇa. Though he will pass into
nirvāṇa, his sacred Dharma will remain for 84 trillion eons. Just as when he
was alive, his passing into nirvāṇa will also accomplish sentient beings’
roots of virtue to their full extent.
1.121 “At that point, however, other sentient beings will no longer behold that
thus-gone one. Yet the bodhisattvas will obtain the absorption of
remembering the Buddha. They will always and continuously behold the
Buddha and not be separate from him. Son of noble family, when Amitābha
passes into nirvāṇa, lotus flowers and trees made of the seven gems will
emit several hundred Gates of Dharma similar to the Dharma teachings that
the thus-gone one taught.
1.122 “Son of noble family, after the Thus-Gone One Amitābha has passed into
nirvāṇa, there will come a night when the sacred Dharma disappears. As
soon as that happens, at the break of dawn on the very next day, [F.227.b] the
bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara will awaken to unsurpassed and
perfect buddhahood at the foot of a Bodhi tree made of various gems. As he
perfectly and completely awakens, he will be known as Samanta-
raśmyabhyudgataśrī kūtarāja. The precious qualities displayed in the buddha
realm of the Thus-Gone One Samantaraśmyabhyudgataśrī kūtarāja will be so
extensive that even a thus-gone one who is otherwise able to recount how
many grains of sand there are in the river Ganges will not be able to be
comprehend them. There are so many causes for happiness and the precious
qualities found in that buddha realm, but, son of noble family, let me just
give you a brief illustration of their number.
1.123 “The display of precious qualities in the buddha realm of the Blessed One,
the thus-gone King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play, which I described
before, would not equal even one hundredth of this display of qualities. Nor
would it measure one thousandth, or ever one hundred thousandth of it. In
fact no number, analogy, or illustration would suffice. In this buddha realm
even the names of hearers and solitary buddhas do not exist. This buddha
realm is entirely filled with bodhisattvas. Son of noble family, even if one
were to gather all of the hearers, solitary buddhas, and bodhisattvas of the
Blessed Amitābha, they would not equal even one hundredth of the
bodhisattva saṅgha of the Blessed One, the Thus-Gone One Samanta-
raśmyabhyudgataśrī kūtarāja. Nor would they measure one thousandth, or
even one hundred thousandth of that. In fact no number, analogy, or
illustration would suffice. As for his lifespan, it will be 96 trillion eons. The
sacred Dharma that he teaches will remain for 630 million eons.”
1.124 The bodhisattva great being Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One,
[F.228.a] “Blessed One, will the name of that world also be Sukhāvatī?”
The Blessed One said, “No, son of noble family, it will not. That world will
be called Complete Gathering of Wealth. Son of noble family, during the
lifetime of Samantaraśmyabhyudgataśrī kūtarāja, until he passes into
 nirvāṇa, he will be worshipped by the bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta. After
he passes into nirvāṇa, that bodhisattva will uphold his sacred Dharma and
propagate it, so that the sacred Dharma may remain for long.
1.125 “Later, when the sacred Dharma has disappeared in that buddha realm,
Mahāsthāmaprāpta will awaken there to unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood. He will appear in that world as a thus-gone, worthy, perfect
buddha, a learned and virtuous being, a blissful one, someone who knows
the world, an unsurpassed charioteer who tames beings, a teacher of gods
and men, a blessed buddha known as Supratiṣṭhitaguṇamaṇikūṭarāja. Just as
were the perfect bodhisattvas and the perfect environment belonging to the
Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Samanta-
raśmyabhyudgataśrī kūtarāja, so will they be, precisely and without any
difference, for the Blessed One, the thus-gone Supratiṣṭhitaguṇamaṇikūṭa-
rāja. His lifespan and the period of his sacred Dharma will also be the same.
1.126 “Any son or daughter of noble family who hears the names of the Blessed
One, the thus-gone Samantaraśmyabhyudgataśrī kūtarāja, or the Blessed
One, the thus-gone Supratiṣṭhitaguṇamaṇikūṭarāja, will render irreversible
their progress to unsurpassed and perfect awakening. [F.228.b]
“Padmaśrīgarbha, any woman who hears the account of how the Blessed
One, the thus-gone King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play, passed into
nirvāṇa, and who hears the name of these two future buddhas, will no
longer have the identity of a woman, and after 400 million eons she will
destroy saṃsāra. She will render irreversible her progress to unsurpassed
and perfect awakening. She will always see the Buddha, listen to the
Dharma, and serve the Saṅgha; and as she moves to the next life, she will
take ordination. She will recollect her past lives and attain unimpeded
eloquence and retention.”
1.127 Then, from within the retinue, 960 million gods, men, and other beings
called out in a single voice, “We pay homage to all thus-gone ones: those yet
to come, those who presently remain, and those in the ten directions who
have passed into nirvāṇa. We rejoice in their names!” And they continued,
“Blessed One, this entire gathering now engenders the mind of unsurpassed
and perfect awakening.”
Then the Blessed One prophesied their unsurpassed and perfect
awakening. Eight trillion four hundred thousand million beings purified
their eye of Dharma regarding phenomena so that it became stainless and
unobscured. Seven thousand monks freed their minds from defilements
without further clinging.
1.128 Then, at that time, the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara and the
bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta caused a miracle by which the
entire retinue could see all the limitless, uncountable blessed ones in the ten
 directions making prophecies for their unsurpassed and perfect awakening.
[F.229.a] Such was the miracle that they performed.
At this spectacle, everyone present exclaimed, “Blessed One, we now see
the extent to which these two bodhisattva great beings are cared for by those
blessed buddhas! It is amazing to see so many blessed buddhas making
prophecies regarding these two holy beings!”

1.129 Then the bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One,
how much merit is created when a son or daughter of noble family
remembers this sūtra taught by the Thus-Gone One, carries it, reads it,
comprehends it, and extensively and genuinely teaches it to others?”
The Blessed One said, “Son of noble family, it could be asked what would
be accomplished and what would be the reason for me to reply to the
question you have put to the Thus-Gone One. Son of noble family, it is
because base sentient beings may distrust the Thus-Gone One’s teachings,
and will therefore continue to meet with harm, unhelpful situations,
unhappiness, and misfortune.”
1.130 Padmaśrīgarbha said, “Blessed One, in this assembly there are sons and
daughters of noble family who are dedicated to the vast, indeed extremely
dedicated; this teaching will also appear to beings yet to come. So it is for the
sake of the welfare and happiness of many beings that I request the Thus-
Gone One to explain.”
The Blessed One said, “Padmaśrīgarbha, that being so, I ask you to listen
well to what I will say and keep it in mind.”
The bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha said, “Blessed One, excellent!” and he
listened as the Blessed One had instructed him.
1.131 Then the Blessed One said, “Son of noble family, say there is a man who is
strong, powerful, and with great amounts of merit. Now, however many
beings one may think there are in what one thinks of as the realm of beings,
the Thus-Gone One has said that there are many more than that; [F.229.b] it
is not like the realm of the earth. All those beings that person supports with
his head, shoulders, or hands for limitless tens of millions of eons. For as
long as he lives, he offers them clothing and food, and provides them with
all types of pleasant provisions and services.7 Now tell me, Padmaśrīgarbha,
would that man’s merit increase greatly on this basis?”
1.132 Padmaśrīgarbha said, “A lot of merit is created when just a single person
develops a loving attitude, even if only for as long as it takes him to snap his
fingers. So how much more would be created if someone embraces all beings
with love and serves them with all necessities for their happiness for
endless, limitless, tens of millions of eons?”
 The Blessed One said, “Padmaśrīgarbha, you should be inspired by this,
and you should fully understand it: any son or daughter of noble family who,
immersed in faith and full of interest, develops the mind of awakening based
on a sūtra that the Thus-Gone One has taught, like this one, and takes hold
of the sūtra, remembers it, reads it, understands it, and teaches it extensively
to others will, based on that foundation, give rise to a much greater amount
of merit.”
1.133 The bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha declared to the Blessed One, “Blessed
One, when the Thus-Gone One has passed into nirvāṇa, I will take hold of
this sūtra, which has been taught by the Thus-Gone One, and grasp it, read
it, understand it, and teach it extensively to others.”
The bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha and the 960 million bodhisattvas then all
declared, in a single voice, “Blessed One, we too will take hold of this sūtra
and grasp it, read it, understand it, [F.230.a] and teach it extensively to
others.”
1.134 The Blessed One said to the bodhisattva Padmaśrīgarbha,
“Padmaśrīgarbha, if any woman hears this Dharma teaching, she will
immediately be transformed from the state of a woman, unless there are the
two causative factors, jealousy and stinginess.”
Then Śakra, who is lord of the gods, Brahmā, who rules the Sahā world,
the four great kings, and many hundreds of thousands of gods scattered
divine māndārava flowers on the Blessed One and the bodhisattva great
beings. While playing billions of divine instruments, they called out, “Those
sentient beings who hear this Dharma teaching, grasp it, and teach it
extensively to others will reap a great profit.”
The Blessed One said, “Sons of noble family, what you have said is true.
Any sentient being who holds this Dharma teaching in their hands or hears
it, and subsequently feels devotion for it, will give rise to roots of virtue
before ten thousand buddhas.”

1.135 Then a young girl named Viraja rose from her seat in the congregation and,
motivated by altruistic thoughts, announced, “Blessed One, with an altruistic
motivation I have decided to give up any jealousy and stinginess, and
instead develop the mind of unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Blessed
Thus-Gone One, you speak the truth. Blessed One, if it is so that were I to
become a buddha, and other women should happen to hear this Dharma
teaching, they will also be freed from being a woman as soon as they hear it,
to that end, Blessed One, may all my woman’s organs now disappear from
my body, and those of a man appear!” [F.230.b]
1.136 Instantly the girl’s female organs vanished, and her body became that of a
man, of whom the Blessed One prophesied that his progress to unsurpassed
and perfect awakening had now been rendered irreversible, and that he
 would become a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a perfect buddha named
Repeller of All Disturbing Emotions.

When the Blessed One had spoken this teaching, the bodhisattva great
being Padmaśrīgarbha, the monks, and the many bodhisattvas, as well as the
world with its gods, men, demigods, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised
what the Blessed One had said.

1.137 This concludes the Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Illusory Absorption.”
c. Colophon
c.1 Translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Surendrabodhi and
the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé.
n. NOTES
n.1 See, for example, Dharmachakra 2016, Introduction i.7
(http://read.84000.co/translation/UT22084-056-002.html# UT22084-056-002-
9).

n.2 Particularly in texts of the Ārya, or ’phags lugs, commentarial tradition related
to the Guhyasamāja.

n.3 For a translation, see Roberts and Bower (2018)

(http://read.84000.co/translation/toh113.html).

n.4 rkyen gyi rgyal ba, a term that from the context is very likely a synonym of
pratyekabuddha (rang sangs rgyas). The term is found only in one other
canonical text, the Sūryagarbhamahāvaipulyasūtra (Toh 257). The Sanskrit
equivalent would be pratyayajina, which is rare or unknown, but pratyaya-
buddha is well attested. Norman (1997, p. 87) has argued that pratyayabuddha,
or pacceyabuddha in Pali, may have been the original, more correct form of
pratyekabuddha.

n.5 While most other Kangyurs have chos sprin rgyal las, the Degé Kangyur has
chos sprin rgya las, and the Stok Palace Kangyur chos sprin rgyas las. The latter
two readings seem more likely.

n.6 We are unsure of the meaning in the two last lines of this verse.

n.7 We have not been able to translate this analogy with confidence. This
represents no more than our best guess at this passage
b. BIBLIOGRAPHY
’phags pa sgyu ma lta bu’i ting nge ’dzin ces bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya-
māyopamasamadhināmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 130, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo
sde, da), folios 210b3–230b4.

’phags pa sgyu ma lta bu’i ting nge ’dzin ces bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur
(dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa
zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation
Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing:
krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing
House), 2006–9, vol. 55, pp. 552–600.

Dharmachakra Translation Committee (tr.). The Absorption That Encapsulates All

Merit (http://read.84000.co/translation/toh134.html) (Sarvapuṇyasamuccaya-
samādhi, Toh 134). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2016.

Norman, K.R. A Philological Approach to Buddhism. London: School of Oriental

and African Studies, 1997.

Roberts, Peter, and Bower, Emily (trs.). The White Lotus of the Good Dharma
(http://read.84000.co/translation/toh113.html) (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, Toh 113).
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.
g. GLOSSARY

· Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding ·

source language

AS Attested in source text

This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.

AO Attested in other text

This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.

AD Attested in dictionary
This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding
language.

AA Approximate attestation
The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names
where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested
in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

RP Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the
term.

RS Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan
translation.

SU Source unspecified
This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often
is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.1 Agnidatta
mes byin

ས་ན།
agnidatta

g.2 aloe flower

 ta ra ni

ཏ་ར་།
taraṇi

g.3 aloeswood
a ka ru

ཨ་ཀ་།
aguru

g.4 āmalakī
skyu ru ra

་་ར།
āmalakī

g.5 Amitābha
’od dpag med

ད་དཔག་ད།
amitābha
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate
beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity.
Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a
bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular
in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis;
in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed
description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115.
In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata
associated with the lotus family.

Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as

Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions
he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,”
Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter
version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into
Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details
on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The
Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.

g.6 Amoghadarśin
mthong ba don yod
 མང་བ་ན་ད།
amoghadarśin

g.7 Anikṣiptadhura
brtson pa mi gtong ba

བན་པ་་གང་བ།
anikṣiptadhura

g.8 Anupamamati
dpe med blo gros

ད་ད་་ོས།
anupamamati

g.9 atyarthaśobhaticakra
shin tu mdzes pa’i ’khor lo

ན་་མས་པ་འར་།
atyarthaśobhaticakra

g.10 atyarthaśobhaticandra
shin tu mdzes pa’i zla ba

ན་་མས་པ་་བ།
atyarthaśobhaticandra

g.11 Avalokiteśvara
spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug

ན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ག
avalokiteśvara
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the
bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord
of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In
Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in
China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of
East Asia.

g.12 Bandé Yeshé Dé

ban de ye shes sde

བན་་་ས་།
 —
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Yeshé Dé (late eighth to early ninth century) was the most prolific translator
of sūtras into Tibetan. Altogether he is credited with the translation of more
than one hundred sixty sūtra translations and more than one hundred
additional translations, mostly on tantric topics. In spite of Yeshé Dé’s great
importance for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet during the imperial era,
only a few biographical details about this figure are known. Later sources
describe him as a student of the Indian teacher Padmasambhava, and he is
also credited with teaching both sūtra and tantra widely to students of his
own. He was also known as Nanam Yeshé Dé, from the Nanam (sna nam)
clan.

g.13 beryl
bai dU rya

་་།
vaidūrya

g.14 Bhadrapāla
bzang skyong

བཟང་ང་།
bhadrapāla
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Head of the “sixteen excellent men” (ṣoḍaśasatpuruṣa), a group of
householder bodhisattvas present in the audience of many sūtras. He
appears prominently in certain sūtras, such as The Samādhi of the Presence of the
Buddhas (Pratyutpannabuddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra, Toh 133) and is
perhaps also the merchant of the same name who is the principal
interlocutor in The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (Toh 83).

g.15 black aloeswood

a ga ru nag po

ཨ་ག་་ནག་།
—

g.16 blue lotus

ud pa la

ད་པ་ལ།
utpala
g.17 bodhi tree
byang chub shing

ང་བ་ང་།
bodhivṛkṣa

g.18 Boundless Accumulation of Precious Qualities and Full Display

of Happiness
yon tan rin chen bsag pa dpag tu med pa bde ba kun tu ston pa

ན་ཏན་ན་ན་བསག་པ་དཔག་་ད་པ་བ་བ་ན་་ན་པ།
—

g.19 Brahmā
tshangs pa

ཚངས་པ།
brahmā
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to
be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator
god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods
(the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha
Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form
realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after
realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many
universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over
them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati)
and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

g.20 cakra
me tog ’khor lo

་ག་འར་།
cakra
“Wheel”; here, a flower.

g.21 candra
me tog zla ba

་ག་་བ།
candra
“Moon”; here, a flower.
g.22 circumstantial victorious one
rkyen gyi rgyal ba

ན་ི་ལ་བ།
*pratyayajina RS
A being who attains victory (i.e. awakening) through specific circumstances.
Almost certainly a synonym for a solitary buddha.

g.23 Complete Gathering of Wealth

rin chen kun nas bsags pa

ན་ན་ན་ནས་བསགས་པ།
—
The buddha realm in which Avalokiteśvara will become a fully enlightened
buddha. Probably the same as Sarvaratnasannicaya attested in the Karuṇā-
puṇḍarīkasūtra, where the Tibetan rendering is rin po che tham cad yang dag par
sags pa.

g.24 coral
spug

ག
—

g.25 danuskari
da nu ska ri

ད་་་།
—

g.26 Dharaṇīṃdhara
sa ’dzin

ས་འན།
dharaṇīṃdhara

g.27 Dīpaṃkara
mar me mdzad

མར་་མཛད།
dīpaṃkara

g.28 eight unfree states

 mi khom brgyad

་མ་བད།
aṣṭākṣaṇāni
Being born as a hell being, preta, animal, god, barbarian, human with wrong
views, where there is no buddha, or as a human with impaired faculties.

g.29 emerald
rdo’i snying po

་ང་།
marakata

g.30 four means of attracting disciples

bsdu ba’i dngos po bzhi

བ་བ་དས་་བ།
catuḥsaṃgrahavastu
Generosity, kind talk, meaningful actions, and practicing what one preaches.

g.31 Glorious Splendor

dpal gyi gzi brjid

དཔལ་ི་གཟི་བད།
—

g.32 gotaraṇi
go ta ra ni

་ཏ་ར་།
gotaraṇi

g.33 Greater Mucilinda Mountains

btang bzung chen po

བཏང་བང་ན་།
mahāmucilinda

g.34 Guhyagupta
phug sbas

ག་ས།
guhyagupta

g.35 Harisiṃha
 seng ge’i seng ge

ང་་ང་
harisiṃha

g.36 Hill of the Fallen Sages

drang srong lhung ba

ང་ང་ང་བ།
ṛṣipatana

g.37 illusory absorption

sgyu ma lta bu’i ting nge ’dzin

་མ་་་ང་་འན།
māyopamasamadhi
The realization that all phenomena are illusory and empty, which occurs
when a bodhisattva understands the unborn nature of phenomena.

g.38 jasmine
bar sha ka

བར་ཤ་ཀ
vārṣika

g.39 Jñānākara
ye shes ’byung gnas

་ས་འང་གནས།
jñānākara

g.40 King of the Golden-Hued Lion’s Play

gser ’od seng ge’i rnam par rol pa’i rgyal po

གར་ད་ང་་མ་པར་ལ་པ་ལ་།
—

g.41 magnolia
tsam pa ka

ཙམ་པ་ཀ
campaka

g.42 Mahāsthāmaprāpta
mthu chen thob
 མ་ན་བ།
mahāsthāmaprāpta

g.43 Maitreya
byams pa

མས་པ།
maitreya
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions,
where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is
said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent,
where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth
buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after
the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna
sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas
such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in
sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma.
Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning
“Invincible.”

For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to

Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).

g.44 māndārava
man dA ra

མན་་ར།
māndārava
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
One of the five trees of Indra’s paradise, its heavenly flowers often rain
down in salutation of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and are said to be very
bright and aromatic, gladdening the hearts of those who see them. In our
world, it is a tree native to India, Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegata,
commonly known as the Indian coral tree, mandarava tree, flame tree, and
tiger’s claw. In the early spring, before its leaves grow, the tree is fully
covered in large flowers, which are rich in nectar and attract many birds.
Although the most widespread coral tree has red crimson flowers, the color
of the blossoms is not usually mentioned in the sūtras themselves, and it
may refer to some other kinds, like the rarer Erythrina indica alba, which
boasts white flowers.
g.45 mañjuṣaka
ma ny+dzu Sha ka

མ་་ཥ་ཀ
mañjuṣaka

g.46 Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta

’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa

འཇམ་དཔལ་གན་ར་ར་པ།
mañjuśrīkumārabhūta
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva
who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras,
appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known
iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right
hand and a volume of the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in his left. To his name,
Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet
Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa,
Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.

g.47 mental sign

sems kyi mtshan ma

མས་་མཚན་མ།
cittanimitta
A high level of absorption reached through mastery of concentration.

g.48 mountain ebony

a ti mug ta ka

ཨ་་ག་ཏ་ཀ
atimuktaka

g.49 Mucilinda Mountains

btang bzung

བཏང་བང་།
mucilinda

g.50 nutmeg
sna ma

་མ།
 jāti
May also mean a type of jasmine.

g.51 Padmaśrīgarbha
pad ma’i dpal gyi snying po

པད་མ་དཔལ་ི་ང་།
padmaśrīgarbha

g.52 palm tree

shing ta la

ང་ཏ་ལ།
tāla

g.53 paramacandra
zla ba mchog

་བ་མག
paramacandra

g.54 pāruṣaka
pa ru Sha ka

པ་་ཥ་ཀ
pāruṣaka

g.55 pāṭalam
skya snar

་ར།
pāṭalam

g.56 Perfect Wealth

rin chen mchog

ན་ན་མག
—

g.57 Precious Mind

rin chen sems

ན་ན་མས།
—
g.58 Ratnākara
dkon mchog ’byung gnas

དན་མག་འང་གནས།
ratnākara

g.59 realm of phenomena

chos kyi dbyings

ས་་དངས།
dharmadhātu
The “sphere of dharmas,” a synonym for the nature of things.

g.60 Repeller of All Disturbing Emotions

nyon mongs pa thams cad zlog pa

ན་ངས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ོག་པ།
—

g.61 roca
mdog mdzes

མག་མས།
roca

g.62 roots of virtue

dge ba’i rtsa ba

ད་བ་་བ།
kuśalamūla
Wholesome actions that are conducive to happiness.

g.63 Sahā
mi mjed

་མད།
sahā
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds,
or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each
trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title
 of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is
also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he
teaches the Dharma to beings.

The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or
withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world
being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation,
mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the
sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

g.64 Śakra
brgya byin

བ་ན།
śakra
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa).
Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods”
dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The
Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based
on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has
performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a
Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

g.65 Śākyamuni
shAkya thub pa

་བ་པ།
śākyamuni
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
An epithet for the historical Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama: he was a muni
(“sage”) from the Śākya clan. He is counted as the fourth of the first four
buddhas of the present Good Eon, the other three being Krakucchanda,
Kanakamuni, and Kāśyapa. He will be followed by Maitreya, the next
buddha in this eon.

g.66 Samantaraśmyabhyudgataśrīkūtarāja
’od zer kun nas ’phags pa’i dpal brtsegs rgyal po

ད་ར་ན་ནས་འཕགས་པ་དཔལ་བགས་ལ་།
samantaraśmyabhyudgataśrīkūtarāja
 “King of Heaped Splendors That Shine Above All.” The name that
Avalokiteśvara will have when he becomes a tathāgata. The Sanskrit name is
attested in the Karuṇāpuṇḍarīkasūtra.

g.67 Śāriputra
shA ri’i bu

་་།
śāriputra
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, he was renowned for
his discipline and for having been praised by the Buddha as foremost of the
wise (often paired with Maudgalyāyana, who was praised as foremost in the
capacity for miraculous powers). His father, Tiṣya, to honor Śāriputra’s
mother, Śārikā, named him Śāradvatīputra, or, in its contracted form,
Śāriputra, meaning “Śārikā’s Son.”

g.68 sarvacakra
kun tu ’khor lo

ན་་འར་།
sarvacakra

g.69 Siṃhamati
seng ge’i blo gros

ང་་་ོས།
siṃhamati

g.70 sthāla
s+tha la

་ལ།
sthāla

g.71 Sukhāvatī
bde ba can

བ་བ་ཅན།
sukhāvatī
The buddha realm in which Buddha Amitābha lives.

g.72 Supratiṣṭhitabuddhi
legs par gnas pa’i blo gros
 གས་པར་གནས་པ་་ོས།
supratiṣṭhitabuddhi

g.73 Supratiṣṭhitaguṇamaṇikūṭarāja
yon tan shin tu gnas pa nor bu brtsegs pa’i rgyal po

ན་ཏན་ན་་གནས་པ་ར་་བགས་པ་ལ་།
supratiṣṭhitaguṇamaṇikūṭarāja
“King Jewel Mound Full of Enduring Qualities.” The name that Mahā-
sthāmaprāpta will have when he becomes a tathāgata. The Sanskrit name is
attested in the Karuṇāpuṇḍarīkasūtra, but in the Tibetan translation of that text
it is rendered as rab tu brtan pa yon tan nor bu brtsegs pa’i rgyal po.

g.74 Surendrabodhi
su ren dra bo dhi

་ན་་་།
surendrabodhi
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
An Indian paṇḍiṭa resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth
centuries.

g.75 Susīma
mtshams bzangs

མཚམས་བཟངས།
susīma

g.76 ten virtues

dge ba bcu

ད་བ་བ།
daśakuśala
Abstaining from killing, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying,
uttering divisive talk, speaking harsh words, gossiping, covetousness, ill
will, and wrong views.

g.77 twenty-eight marks of a great being

skyes bu chen po’i mtshan nyi shu rtsa brgyad

ས་་ན་ ་མཚན་་་་བད།
aṣṭaviṃśatimahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa
 A variation on the more usual set of 32 such marks; this set is mentioned
only in this sūtra and in three others: the Gaṇḍavyūha (ch. 45 of Toh 44), the
Tathāgatācintyaguhyanirdeśa (Toh 47), and the longest Sāgaramatiparipṛcchā (Toh
153). None of these texts give a list.

g.78 uragasāra sandalwood

tsan dan sbrul gyi snying po

ཙན་དན་ལ་ི་ང་།
uragasāracandana

g.79 Vairocana
rnam par snang byed

མ་པར་ང་ད།
vairocana

g.80 Varuṇa
chu lha

་།
varuṇa

g.81 Vidyutdeva
glog lha

ག་།
vidyutdeva

g.82 Viraja
rdul dang bral ba

ལ་དང་ལ་བ།
viraja

g.83 water lily

ku mu da

་་ད།
kumuda