Dharma Torch

Translated by the Tripiṭaka Master Zhu Fahu of the Western Jin Dynasty by Imperial Command

Secret Vajra Guardian said to Bodhisattva Tranquil Mind, “The words spoken by the Bodhisattva are never unclean, unkind, angry, or foolish; nor are they flattering, stubborn, convoluted, mocking, or useless. When the Bodhisattva speaks, they do not laugh without cause, nor do they speak divisive or inappropriate words regardless of gender. Their words are not harsh, and they do not have a rude or irritable temperament. In their heart, there is no resentment, no preferences, and they do not lack manners; their mind is not entangled, they are unattached, without disputes or litigation, they do not conform to tainted speech, nor are they hasty, arrogant, frivolous, self-indulgent, unreasonable, or untimely in their speech. They have no greed, inappropriate words or harsh language, no beloved possessions, and nothing impure; they do not act out of season, lose self-control, their faculties are unimpaired, their voice flawless. In their heart, there is no intent to harm or bias. They are not indulgent, not concealing, do not argue, bear no grudges or enmity, hold no resentment, and do not wrongly hold onto false views. They are not self-satisfied, do not dwell on self, do not disturb others, nor trouble themselves or others. They do not speak hurtfully, nor do they engage in harmful actions.

“None of their words are untrustworthy, none of their actions are unacceptable, none of what they say goes against the karma of beings, there is nothing they cannot endure, and their spoken words are harmonious. When the Bodhisattva teaches, they make no distinctions of caste, their teachings are not frivolously mocking, and they stay away from unlawful acts. They do not destroy righteous practices, do not exceed what is timely, do not violate appropriate measures, and do not speak of momentary trifles. They do not boast about themselves, do not disrupt others’ partnerships, are not pleased by their own praise, nor are they troubled when others are praised. They are careful and modest, do not belittle others, speak only what is appropriate, do not destroy what is suitable, and do not slander in secrecy. They always protect timely, do not slander the wise, do not rebuke the virtuous, their words are not false, they do not unjustly criticize, do not blame others, and do not seek others’ faults. Their words do not harm others when teaching, nor do they praise the misdeeds of others. Their aspirations are supreme, they do not compare themselves with others, do not seek factions, do not think of the convenience of karmic retribution, do not act contrarily, and their heart is always gentle.”

Secret Guardian said to Tranquil Mind, “This is how the Bodhisattva’s words and actions correspond, all achieved through the powers of spiritual wisdom and the fruits of meritorious deeds, proclaiming sincere words, receiving recompense through their actions. Suppose someone walks under a large tree, or stands there and observes the tree, and then asks another person: ‘Sir! Can you know how many leaves this tree has?’ At this moment, the Bodhisattva, without looking at the tree or counting the leaves, can know the number of leaves on that tree and verbally express ‘The tree has this number of leaves.’ The Bodhisattva sits down with the questioner, knowing the count without actually counting. Although the Bodhisattva has not yet attained supreme perfect enlightenment, they can still know the number. Whether one person asks or several people ask, the Bodhisattva’s words remain the same. If someone asks how many grains of sand are there in the great river? Counting them could yield hundreds of thousands, millions, billions, trillions, or septillions of grains. How many liters or bushels of water are there? It is impossible to measure by analogy, without observing their limits or counting them, the Bodhisattva can fully know the billions, quadrillions or septillions of grains of river sand, and also knows the limits of water’s liters and bushels, explaining separately for sentient beings. These numbers are only known by the great saints; the heavens cannot prove them, nor can the nāgas, spirits, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, shravakas, pratyekaBuddhas; only the Buddha, the World-Honored One, can know. From this, it is evident that the wisdom of the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the perfectly enlightened is immeasurable, proclaiming billions of sounds, heard by all beings, each receiving enlightenment.”

Secret Vajra Guardian said to Bodhisattva Tranquil Mind, “In a distant past era, there was a sage named Light. At that time, there was a Brahmin named Tranquil. In the country, there was a great tree called Benevolent Merit, which had very lush branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Light, the sage, often practiced under this tree, spending twelve years counting its leaves and observing it. One day, Tranquil the Brahmin came out from the city to the Benevolent Merit tree and observed it day and night. After a meal, he began counting the tree’s stems and leaves, focusing his enlightened mind as he counted. He then said, ‘I want to tell the sage, I know how many leaves this tree has.’ At that moment, Tranquil did not observe the tree nor count the leaves, but immediately recited a verse:

‘There are eight thousand quadrillion and eight hundred billion leaves, nine thousand six hundred and twenty nodes, the trunk has five main and two hundred and fifty branches, and there are six thousand six hundred and sixty burls. Holy teacher wants to know how many leaves? Count the positions where the stems are distributed and understand its structure, I tell you this is how it is. Now, do not be negligent, if in doubt, just count.’

Light, the sage, exclaimed, ‘Excellent! These are sincere words, truly without deceit. I sat for twelve years counting the leaves of this tree and still could not count them all, but now you fully know the details and number of leaves of this tree. I wish the Brahmin would explain to me, how did you do it with your voice and actions? Did you know this by your own wisdom, or did some sage help you speak?’ Tranquil replied, ‘Sage, please listen. Heaven did not help me, nor did humans aid me, I spoke truly with human wisdom, the void can be broken, but my words have no falsehood.’ Light, the sage, was Śariputra; Tranquil, the Brahmin, was the lion among men, Shakyamuni Buddha. The Bodhisattva’s words are like an ocean of merit, able to abide in true merit and the proper meaning of the Dharma.”

Secret Vajra Guardian said to Tranquil Mind, “These are the manifestations of the Bodhisattva’s pure secret speech karma. Their boundless wisdom, profound and immeasurable, grand and infinite, always manifesting, supremely true and formless, is unspeakable.”

Secret Vajra Guardian again said to Bodhisattva Tranquil Mind: “What is meant by ‘secret of mind’? The so-called secret of mind is to keep the mind and actions pure, without losing supernatural powers. The Bodhisattva accomplishes his work with wisdom and regards supernatural powers as something to be freely utilized as if it were a game. No matter where one is, one can manifest and abide in the realm of supernatural powers, while also establishing the boundless work of great compassion. Through supernatural powers, one can transform into countless forms and changes, and rely on the sincere insight and wisdom as the foundation to directly see and understand the truth of all phenomena; this is the truly true Dharma gate of the Bodhisattva. When wisdom and supernatural powers reach an immeasurable degree, they are able to govern all appearances. The supernatural powers and wisdom manifested by the Bodhisattva will display various forms, and penetrate the essence of all phenomena of form, showing that they are empty of inherent existence; they can also, by means of supernatural powers, pervade all the origins of sounds, thereby penetrating the minds and actions of all sentient beings, seeing that they are originally pure. The Bodhisattva always observes all sentient beings, guiding and teaching them according to conditions, never forgetting even for a moment. The Bodhisattva is also able to sever attachments to the past and future, widely manifesting the power of the divine feet without obstruction, freely traversing the three realms, unrestrained by anything, without attachment or contrivance to any phenomena. The luminous supernatural powers of the Bodhisattva can cut off all defilements, always aware and seizing every opportunity. Even if manifesting the various hardships of life and death, it is all for the purpose of saving sentient beings; the scope of his observation and contemplation is exceedingly profound.

“Their spiritual wisdom surpasses all realms of Śrāvakas and PratyekaBuddhas, deeply in accord with the subtle profound meaning of the Buddha Dharma. They are like the host of demons subdued when the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, thoroughly penetrating the true essence of the Buddha’s path and law, turning the wheel of the sacred Dharma in accordance with the appropriate moment, and teaching the beings of the ten directions of the world to follow the Buddha Dharma in practice, until they reach the state of perfect rebirth in one lifetime and realize the nature of all phenomena. Tranquil Mind, you should understand that this is the Bodhisattva’s practice of secret of mind, in which both thoughts and actions are pure and unstained. If the nature of the mind is truly pure, then there is neither attachment to any destination nor any distinction of like or dislike; its inherent nature is steady and harmonious, and all its actions attain perfection. The Bodhisattva enters samādhi with vast wisdom, abiding in right mindfulness, neither indulging in the quiescence of nirvana nor rejecting the sentient beings of the desire realm. Even when manifesting in the desire realm to take birth, there is not the slightest bond, and the manifested body is never entangled in defilements. Why is this so? Because the Bodhisattva has transcended all false distinctions, severing all ties of deluded and inverted thoughts, with no attachment in his mind. Precisely because of this, they are completely liberated from the bondage of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

“Although it appears to manifest the characteristics of birth and death, in truth there is neither birth nor death. Based on the Mahayana as the foundation, the complete accomplishment of the Buddhas’ enlightenment is achieved; the Buddhas’ marvelous dharma universally saves the sentient beings of the ten directions. If one seeks externally, there is nowhere to be found; thus one comes to understand that all the Buddhas’ dharmas—these Buddhas’ dharmas are all dharmas; because the profound realization is that the Buddhas’ dharmas are inherently unobtainable, it is known that all dharmas ultimately return to the Buddha dharma, and the Buddhas’ dharmas are indeed all dharmas. All dharmas and Buddha dharma are neither truly existent nor utterly non-existent. Why is this so? Because all dharmas inherently have no origin or destination; if one sees that dharmas cannot be found anywhere, then they transcend the measure of quantity. When all dharmas transcend quantitative measurement, one who thoroughly knows all dharmas does not cling to any semblance of dharmas. If one clings to benefits, it in turn brings great harm; if one seeks nothing, then there is no anxiety of gain or loss. Although the practitioner diligently moves toward the path, seeing profit and meaning, the inner mind experiences no fluctuation of joy or sorrow. When the mind is unimpeded, it abides in nothingness; when it abides in nothingness, there are no distracting thoughts; without distracting thoughts there is no fixed direction. This absence of fixed direction is the true direction, yet this direction is in fact unobtainable, thus dispelling the self. Without a self, there is nothing to grasp or receive; without grasping or receiving, there is no contention; without contention, there is no strife. This state of non-contention and non-attachment is the true practice of the śramaṇa.

“The nature of the mind is as equal as empty space; one who abides in this equality does not fall into the pleasures of the desire realm, nor is it ensnared by the forms of the form realm, nor is it deluded by the void and stillness of the formless realm. If one can remain unattached to all dharmas, one transcends both praise and defamation. Without praise or defamation is the true nature of all dharmas. One who fully comprehends this profound meaning can clearly discern the six pāramitās and skillfully expound their distinctions. Why is one able to thoroughly distinguish among all dharmas? Because all dharmas are inherently unobtainable. Only by fully knowing that all dharmas have no abiding place, and that the three realms are all illusory, can one ultimately discern the true nature of all dharmas. This is the essential meaning of the Bodhisattva’s secret of mind.”

Secret Vajra Sthira again said to Bodhisattva Tranquil Mind: “The secret of the mind of the Bodhisattva is manifested in that, although they practice compassion, they do not cling to the characteristics of ‘I and mine’; although they display a compassionate mind, they understand that the nature of all sentient beings is empty; although they experience the joy of the dharma, they realize the true nature of non-arising. They practice the four kinds of dāna with a mind free from miserliness; uphold pure precepts to subdue the afflictions of their own minds; cultivate forbearance so that their mental activities are ultimately pure; practice dhyāna while contemplating the quiescence of nirvāṇa; enter samādhi by abandoning the attachments upon which the mind clings; realize that the Buddha’s mind is by nature unacted; practice the four satipaṭṭhānas, free from discriminative conceptualization; undertake the four right exertions so that the mind does not generate erroneous thoughts of extinction; by means of siddhis, traverse the entire dharma realm with a mind that pervades it; with deep faith in the Buddha Dharma, have a mind without hindrance; through diligent practice, have a mind that attains freedom; by practicing equanimity meditation, have a mind without differences; with wisdom as the root, have a mind free from delusion; and, in accordance with the original nature of truth, follow its source.

“The Bodhisattva distinguishes wisdom with the awakened mind of bodhicitta; diligently cultivates while abandoning the notions of actor and acted upon; the mind ground is tranquil, detached and contemplative; observing the Dharma, the mind does not cling; cultivating and realizing the holy path, ultimately comprehending the original nature of mind; recollecting the Buddha with clear wisdom, the mind is free from inverted and delusional thoughts; investigating the supreme Dharma path with an aspiration immeasurable; contemplating the equal nature of Dharma, free from discriminatory treatment; respectfully venerating the holy assembly with a mind unattached, thus leading sentient beings. The Bodhisattva’s mind, like a clear mirror, upholds the true Dharma, the nature of all dharmas remains indestructible; cultivating the pure Buddha land practice to achieve a mind equal to the void; free from all marks yet all marks are complete; perfecting the patience of paramita, the mind is free from the four inversions; dwelling in an unsurpassed state, the mind does not regress into samsara; though existing in the three realms’ magnificent Dharma assembly, the mind is not tainted; subduing all demons, with a compassionate heart embracing all sentient beings; proclaiming the equality of all Dharmas’ nature, the aware nature is complete and non-dual; turning the Dharma wheel yet in reality, there is no turning, thus achieving the mind of non-turning and non-non-turning; even displaying the great signs of extinction, in reality, the mind’s nature is equanimity.”

Secret Vajra Guardian then told Bodhisattva Tranquil Mind, “If the Bodhisattva acquires the conviction that dharmas do not arise, their mind will be profoundly secret and pure, untainted. Once the mind is pure, it can thoroughly understand the originally pure nature of all sentient beings’ minds, universally integrating all thoughts of sentient beings. When this pure mind aligns with the bodhicitta, all thoughts of sentient beings gravitate towards the bodhicitta and are illuminated by its brightness. Just as the void equally pervades everything, both tangible and intangible, so does the actions of the minds of sentient beings merge into the bodhicitta.”

When the Secret Vajra Guardian expounded the inconceivable states of the body, speech, and mind secrets of the Bodhisattva, seventy-two thousand heavenly beings aroused the aspiration for the supreme enlightenment. Thirty-two thousand Bodhisattvas acquired the conviction that dharmas do not arise. Fourteen thousand people were freed from defilements, and their Dharma-eye became pure. Eight thousand Bhikṣus achieved liberation of the mind without outflows. At that time, the three thousand great thousand worlds experienced six kinds of tremors, and a great light illuminated the ten directions. Flowers rained down naturally from the sky, and musical instruments such as the harp played without being touched. From the music, a voice proclaimed, “If there are those who hear the Dharma expounded by the Secret Vajra Guardian and rejoice in faith, such people will receive predictions. If there are those who cherish the sutras, uphold, recite, and widely explain them to others without losing their aspiration for the path, then the merits they accumulate will never be in vain. These people have made offerings to countless Buddhas in the past, cultivated numerous virtues, and benefited sentient beings, so that all beings receive salvation.”

Then, the World-Honored One said to Tranquil Mind, “Did you hear the sound emitted by those musical instruments?”

Tranquil Mind replied, “I have heard it, World-Honored One! Great Sage, whose majestic power is this?”

The Buddha told Tranquil Mind, “There is a Bodhisattva named Thunder Sound, who has come from the Buddha-land of Thunder Sound King Tathāgata. His land is called Rain Clan. This Bodhisattva has come to the Sahā World to see me, pay homage, and inquire about the Dharma. He wishes to hear the secret teachings of the Tathāgata. He remains invisible in the sky, making offerings to the Tathāgata and this sutra. Therefore, flowers rain down from the sky, and various musical instruments play, emitting such sounds from within.”

Shortly after the Buddha spoke, the Bodhisattva Thunder Sound descended from the sky, paid homage to the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated the Buddha seven times, and stood before the Buddha, saying, “World-Honored One! Thunder Sound King Tathāgata sends his greetings. May you have few illnesses and few troubles, ease in your daily activities, and strength and well-being.” At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Bodhisattva Thunder Sound, “Welcome, noble one! You have come for the sake of righteousness. Now, if you wish to hear the wisdom of the Tathāgata’s secret teachings, the Secret Vajra Guardian will expound them by the Buddha’s majestic power.” Then, among the assembly, some Bodhisattvas thought to themselves, “In which world did this Secret Vajra Guardian accumulate such numerous merits? Before which Buddha did he arouse the aspiration for the path? What were his original vows, that he could attain such vast and boundless eloquence?”

At that time, the Buddha, fully aware of the thoughts in the minds of these Bodhisattvas, said to the Bodhisattva Tranquil Mind, “In the distant past, countless kalpas ago, there was an inconceivable era. At that time, there was a Buddha named ‘Immeasurable Merit Treasure Pure King’ , Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Awakened One, the Perfect Clarity and Conduct One, the Well Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Leader, the Teacher of Heavenly and Human Beings, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, who appeared in the world. His world was named ‘Adornment’, and the kalpa was named ‘Good Sight’. That Buddha-land possessed extraordinary majestic virtue. The people were prosperous, lived in peace, enjoyed abundant harvests, and the land was rich and fertile. Everyone lived a joyful life.

“In that world, there were many heavenly beings, and the ground was as flat as a palm, free from impurities such as sand, dust, thorns, tiles, or stones. Instead, the ground was covered with lapis lazuli, crystal, moon pearls, jade, coral, amber, conch shells, and agate. The ground was as soft as heavenly garments, emitting a sweet fragrance and radiant light. It was adorned with heavenly brocade-like grass, which would sink four inches when stepped on and return to its original state when the foot was lifted. That land was exceedingly joyful, with neither extreme cold nor extreme heat. The people were kind, gentle in nature, and their bodies, speech, and minds were tranquil. The land was permeated with a fragrant aroma. The people of that country were all of a deep blue lapis lazuli color. They were universally free and at ease, receiving teachings. Their greed, anger, and delusion were minimal, and they lived in peace and stillness, possessing great power. Upon hearing the Dharma, they all understood its meaning. During that Buddha’s time, there were twelve billion trillion Śrāvakas and three hundred twenty billion Bodhisattvas. That Buddha’s lifespan was three billion and six hundred million years, and there were no untimely deaths.

“In that Adornment Land, there were four great cities named ‘Joyful Sight’, which were vast and magnificent. The winds and rains were timely, the harvests were abundant, and the people lived in peace. The strong did not oppress the weak, and everyone had their place. Each of the four cities was eighty thousand miles in length and width. Every four hundred miles, there was a great kingdom, and each great kingdom had a thousand counties and numerous villages and settlements. The people of that land were four miles tall. Such was the condition of the four great cities of Joyful Sight. There was also a great city named ‘Pure’, which was the place where the king ruled. The land was vast, with the city extending two thousand five hundred sixty miles from east to west and one thousand two hundred eighty miles from north to south. There were ten thousand counties, states, and districts. Life was exceedingly joyful. There were ten thousand parks and gardens, all extremely pure and made of the seven treasures. At that time, there was a Wheel-Turning Sage King named ‘Brave District King’, who ruled the four continents. The king possessed the seven treasures: first, the golden wheel; second, the six-tusked white elephant; third, the deep-blue horse with a crimson mane and tail; fourth, the luminous moon pearl; fifth, the jade maiden as his queen; sixth, the sage treasurer minister; and seventh, the great general who commanded the army. That king made offerings to past Buddhas, accumulated numerous merits, and possessed immeasurable majestic power. He aroused the aspiration for supreme, perfect enlightenment and attained the stage of non-retrogression.

“In the center of the city, the king built a palace that was six hundred forty miles in length, width, and height. It was constructed with the seven treasures, with seven layers of walls, seven layers of railings, seven layers of pathways, seven layers of precious canopies, and seven layers of deep moats. Within the palace, there were four great gardens, filled with various flowers: the first named ‘Wonderful Blossoms’, the second named ‘Meritorious Silk’ , the third named ‘Mountains and Rivers’, and the fourth named ‘Spring Peace’. There were pools filled with water, each twenty miles in length and width, with railings made of various treasures. The pools were made of purple gold, with purple gold and lapis lazuli as the sand at the bottom. The water was imbued with eight flavors, and precious lotuses grew there. Ducks, geese, mandarin ducks, and other exotic birds played in the pools. One bathing pool was named ‘Bestower of Wealth’, the second ‘Upper Cave’, the third ‘Upper Fragrance’, and the fourth ‘Wonderful Arrival’. In the inner palace, there were seventy-six thousand maidens, like heavenly jade maidens, each possessing excellent features, upright and extraordinarily beautiful, beyond anything found in the human world. The queen, the jade maiden treasure, and all the maidens aroused the aspiration for supreme, perfect enlightenment. The king had a thousand sons, each brave and mighty, extraordinary in appearance, possessing the thirty-two marks of a great man, adorned with splendor. Their dispositions were kind and harmonious, and they all united in arousing the great aspiration for enlightenment.

“At that time, that Buddha traveled to the great kingdom of Pure, and the Brave District King made offerings to the Tathagata Immeasurable Merit Treasure Pure King as well as to the assembly of Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, and others. He made offerings for a hundred million years, providing clothing, food, bedding, medicine, and all other necessities. He also provided gardens, bathing pools, dwellings, lecture halls, rooms, meditation huts, high towers, and pavilions. Each Bhikṣu was accompanied by two attendants, who supplied all their needs. The king’s sons were peaceful and harmonious in nature, free from careless behavior. They constantly served Tathāgata with utmost sincerity, listened to the sutras, and took no pleasure in desires, frivolous laughter, or unwholesome deeds. With a diligent and undistracted mind, they listened to the sutras, free from scattered thoughts, and soon attained the five supernatural powers. After attaining these powers, they could leap into the sky and fly freely like the king of geese, without any hindrance. They traveled from one scenic place to another, from one county to another, from one kingdom to another, and from one world to another, universally touring and observing. They used the following verses to teach the masses:

‘The Buddha appears in the world, profound and far-reaching, difficult to encounter.

Human life in the world is also difficult, and such an opportunity is rare.

All of us share the same aspiration, believing and delighting in listening to the sutras.

In hundreds of thousands of kalpas, such an opportunity is even harder to encounter.

Now, the hero among humans has appeared in the world,

To bring peace and stillness to people, he expounds the meaning of the sutras.

We, abiding in the World-Honored One, receive his teachings,

Seeking guidance from the great sage, we uphold the Buddha’s supreme words.

Through listening to the sutras, we abandon evil destinies,

Hearing the true Dharma, we are seated in the realm of utmost bliss.

Through hearing the Dharma, we eliminate many defilements,

By listening to wisdom, we attain the true Dharma.’

At that time, the princes proclaimed the teachings, expounding the sweet sound of the Dharma.

Due to such auspicious signs, the earth trembled in six ways.

They universally announced to the heavenly beings, and the gods praised them.

Immediately, flowers rained down from the sky, with various kinds of flowers,

and sentient beings gathered in numbers beyond calculation.

They received the most supreme transformation and all entered the Buddha’s teachings.

They bowed their heads in reverence, paid homage to the honored one among gods and humans,

and stood with palms joined respectfully.

Among them, the supreme holy teacher quickly attained realization and,

in accordance with the principles of the Dharma, expounded the sutras to them.

The companions of the holy teacher, having heard the abiding Dharma,

thirty-six billion people, all aroused the great mind of enlightenment.

Furthermore, thirty billion people, without exception,

attained purity and the supreme Dharma-eye.

Their hearts had grown weary of worldly household affairs,

and in that world, they renounced their homes to cultivate the path.

Hundreds of millions, billions, trillions of, countless people,

received the sutras and precepts, becoming pure lay devotees.

After hearing the sutras, they bowed at the Buddha’s feet,

each took their leave, and returned to their own homes.”

The Buddha told Tranquil Mind, “At that time, the crown prince and his father, the king, together built a pavilion out of sandalwood. It was vast, pure, and adorned with exquisite decorations. The windows were made of various precious materials, and they burned a measure of ox-head sandalwood incense, whose fragrance spread throughout the world, emitting a wonderful aroma. This sandalwood pavilion was vast and tall, reaching a height of four hundred miles. It was majestically adorned, displaying awe-inspiring majesty, towering and immeasurable. The pavilion was square, with four corners and four pillars, constructed steadily and upright, without any tilt. King Brave District, desiring to pay homage to the Tathagata Immeasurable Merit Treasure Pure King, to bow to him, seek his teachings, and listen to the sutras, urged his retinue: ‘Human life is difficult to obtain, the appearance of a Buddha is hard to encounter, such an opportunity is rare even in a hundred million kalpas, and the Dharma is difficult to hear. We should go to pay homage to the Tathagata, seek his teachings, and listen to the sutras.’ The king, the crown prince, the queen, the maidens, the ministers, the officials, and the people, both great and small, all entered this magnificently adorned high pavilion. They sat on hundreds of thousands of exquisitely decorated precious beds, offering various flower fragrances, mixed incense, clothing, precious canopies, banners, drums, and music, serving with reverence and respect. They presented the jewel-adorned high pavilion to the Tathagata. With one mind and united effort, filled with kindness and harmony, they ascended into the sky like the king of phoenixes. Together with the multitude, unimpeded, they swiftly flew to the place where the Buddha was.

“When the jewel-adorned high pavilion reached the great assembly and arrived before the Buddha, it circled the Buddha seven times and then stopped on one side. The king and the multitude descended, bowed at the Buddha’s feet and to the holy assembly, circled the Buddha seven times, and stood before him, saying: ‘For a long time, we have yearned to hear the holy voice, but due to the busy affairs of the state, we were unable to come and pay homage. We feel ashamed and unworthy. Today, we have finally satisfied our hungry and thirsty hearts.’ At that time, the great sage Buddha, seeing the king’s sincere heart and that the palace retinue had all come to hear the Dharma, accordingly addressed their thoughts and prescribed the Dharma to suit their needs. The Buddha told the king: ‘There are four Dharmas for those who aspire to pursue the Great Vehicle, whose actions are extraordinary and do not violate the great path. What are these four? If one studies the Great Vehicle, one should firmly believe in and value others, and their actions should be extraordinary and not violate the intention of the path. What is faith? If one joyfully serves the sages and saints, one should never do what ought not to be done. If the king is respectful, then he studies the Great Vehicle, and his actions are extraordinary and do not violate the great path. If one humbly listens to the sutras of the sages and saints, taking them to heart and hearing them with utmost sincerity, one does not study the Great Vehicle with arrogance. Their actions are extraordinary and do not violate the great path. One should not view the assembly of sages with arrogance but should bow and pay homage, wholeheartedly taking refuge. If one diligently follows and studies the Great Vehicle, their actions are extraordinary and do not violate the great path. Through diligence, one lightens the burdens of body, speech, and mind, and their actions become skillful, surpassing all other actions. These are the four Dharmas.’

“The Buddha told the king, ‘There are four things that can allow one to see the state of non-indulgence and gain protection. What are these four things? First, guarding the various senses; second, regarding desire as an obstacle; third, understanding that all sensations and thoughts are impermanent; fourth, seeing the Dharma as the most important aspect of life; these are the four things. There are four things that Bodhisattvas are called ‘Dharma Kings.’ What are these four things? First, not abandoning the pursuit of the Buddhist path; second, also encouraging others to aspire towards Buddhism; third, using various good roots to support and enhance the aspiration towards Buddhism, where the teachings heard are immensely vast and boundless; fourth, surpassing all Brahma-kings and the Four Heavenly Kings, as well as all Śrāvakas and PratyekaBuddhas, until reaching a state that is boundless, limitless, and incorruptible, achieving vast and boundless merits. These are the four things. Therefore, Great King! You should practice non-indulgence, constantly maintain firm faith, delight in the boundless meanings of the Dharma, frequently accept the true Dharma, and entertain yourself with the joy of the Dharma. If you pursue the Dharma with a diligent heart, your actions, Great King, will not crave the realms of the mundane.

‘Why is this so? Great King! You should understand that desire is insatiable, like drinking salt water; only upon seeing the light of noble and wise restraint can one know moderation. Human life is short, comfort is scarce and suffering abundant, life will eventually end, leading to the next world, constantly fearing the future, with an unreliable heart. Today, Great King, because of your meritorious root in offering to the Buddha, there are four things that can fully assist you. What are these four things? Wealth through generations is immeasurable, merits and blessings are endless, the wisdom of the sages is boundless, the wisdom of eloquence is endless; these are the four things. There are also four things that can encourage. What are these four things? The merit of pure bodily conduct; the purity of speech and actions, complete precepts; the purity of the mind, knowledgeable without satiety; the purity of the Dharma, wise and unbiased; these are the four things. There are also four things that can encourage good roots. What are these four things? Skillfully facilitating pure conduct, teaching sentient beings to transcend to the other shore; using pure karma to subdue all demons; vowing purity, consistency in words and actions, all aspects of the Dharma are pure; accumulating merits, seeing the Buddhas; these are the four things.’

“At that time, the World-Honored One explained the profound meanings within the scriptures to the Brave District Chakravartin. The king realized this in his heart, immediately felt joy, and then removed countless precious pearls and jewels from his body, offering them to the Buddha, dedicating the entire country to the support of the Buddha, providing everything needed, and upholding the five precepts, devoting his life to pure ascetic practices. The chief consort and the court ladies, upon hearing the Buddha’s teachings, filled their hearts with joy, always harboring a gentle intention, without any obstacle, removing their clothes and strange precious jewels, and draped them over the Buddha’s body. They requested the king, “We wish to forsake the household life, to ordain as bhikṣus, to pursue pure ascetic practices, and devote our lives to upholding the precepts.” The king immediately agreed.