Translated by the Tripiṭaka Master Zhu Fahu of the Western Jin Dynasty by Imperial Command
The Secret Vajra Guardian said, “Tranquil Mind! Do you think the thoughts of all sentient beings can be known?” Tranquil Mind replied, “It is already extremely difficult to guess the thoughts of one person, let alone if we were to gather all beings of the three thousand great thousand worlds. Even if we observed together for a kalpa, we could not fully understand, much less the thoughts of all sentient beings. This is beyond verbal description.”
The Secret Vajra Guardian said, “I now solemnly tell you, if measuring the thoughts of all sentient beings is already so difficult, how much more so is understanding the nature of all sentient beings? This quantity is intangible and cannot be likened in words.” Then, he chanted:
“If all beings of the three thousand worlds became PratyekaBuddhas, even after a kapla of time spent calculating,
one could not fully understand a single being’s mind.
All thoughts of all beings in the world, the Buddha knows their thoughts and intentions,
With a mind free of thoughts, the Buddha fully understands what beings contemplate.
If all beings combined thoughts of past, present, and future,
The Tathagata’s spoken words can enable each being to attain understanding.
The Buddha speaks according to the thoughts in the minds of beings,
The voice of the Buddha enters the hearts of beings, expounding the wonderful Dharma.
All colors conceived by all beings,
The light emitted from a single pore of the Buddha contains all these colors.
All sounds thought by all beings, With just one voice spoken by the Buddha,
he transcends them all.
Everything the Buddha says, including parables, references, and other skillful means,
The continuity of sound before and after, spreading incessantly.
One should not say the Buddha’s words have limits.
Who can possess a ‘non-material’? Who can speak an ‘unspeakable’ word?
Non-material, non-verbal, extensively applied, all phenomena are unattainable.
All dharmas are unattainable everywhere, because, in the ultimate sense,
there is nothing that can be obtained.
Language is not real, what is spoken is neither inside nor outside,
Afflictions are the same, like space, they are called neither inside nor outside.
Because no dharma of words can be attained, thus the Buddha’s words pervade all directions,
Afflictions cannot be attained either, therefore the Buddha has something to proclaim.
The speech of all beings has three grades: high, middle, and low,
Speech is neither the action of body nor of the mind, it neither dwells nor not dwells.
Like the music played by the gods, the sound comes from nowhere,
there is no creator, yet the sound spreads around.
Due to the Buddha’s past pure roots, all thoughts of all beings,
the Buddha speaks in detail, yet the Buddha does not differentiate.
Like the sound of a shout, the sound is neither inside nor outside,
The noble among men issues wonderful speech, likewise neither inside nor outside.
Like jewels that do not differentiate, but causing joy to arise in beings,
Buddha does not differentiate, and all sounds are perfect.”
The Secret Vajra Guardian said to Tranquil Mind, “This is the secret of the Tathagata’s speech. Moreover, the essential secret of the Tathagata is that he can preach and enlighten according to the voices of sentient beings. In these three thousand great thousand worlds, there are innumerable types of beings, the Tathagata can conform to the languages and voices of all beings, establishing the Four Noble Truths by various names; in this world, they are called suffering, origin, cessation, and path.”
(Translator’s Note:
Some of the mantras below have been adapted from the 84000 project. For reference, see: https://84000.co/translation/toh47#UT22084-039-003-chapter-8.
The original translator of this text, Dharma-rakṣa (竺法護), employed an unconventional approach in rendering the mantras. In some cases, the mantras are transcribed phonetically; in others, they are a blend of phonetic transcription and semantic translation into Chinese. The original source language of the mantras remains unidentified, and several of them cannot be reliably reconstructed.)
The deities on earth come to support this Dharma, their minds resolute. They proclaimed this mantra
‘avi avamule kahaṇaya khagayuta’
‘It protects all. This mantra is suffering, origin, cessation, and path’
All the gods in the void exclaim in praise, each proclaiming this mantra:
‘vaṭi avaṭi avaḍagame avaniniri”
‘Save all beings, this is suffering, origin, cessation, and path’
Celestial beings in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, proclaimed the mantra:
‘inimini tapitatapi vilu’
‘This mantra protects all, this is suffering, origin, cessation, and path’
Celestial beings in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘This mantra protects all: circling, embracing, extinction, and returning to extinction.’
The third heaven: Yāma Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘śulitolusi honitolosi sviśe tośisviśepehani’
The fourth heaven: Tuṣita Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘total wickedness, the root of wickedness, disengagement, and causing complete disengagement. This mantra protects all’
The fifth heaven: joy emanation Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘save beings, save all being, protect saved beings, primarily save you. This mantra protects all.‘
The sixth heaven: Joy Creation from others’ joys Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘ahu śiyehu hanayi alanihan. This mantra protects all.‘
The seventh heaven: General Brahma Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘deeds, the seeds of deeds, the tree of causes and conditions, attaining deliverance through causes and conditions. This mantra protects all.’
The eighth heaven: Brahma’s Commoner Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘Clarity, what is done is pure, the pure wind, stirring purity. This mantra protects all.’
The ninth heaven: Brahman Filled Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘no limit, all will depart, the sovereign of the way, firm intentions. This mantra protects all.’
The tenth heaven: Brahma’s Attendant Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘hana hanasandhi hanahehana hanakumara. This mantra protects all.’
The eleventh heaven: Mahābrahman Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘causing a flood, causing detritus, bringing the flood to an end, and causing the attainment of the cause.‘
The twelfth heaven: Illuminations Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘ehyehi, take hi away, close to. This mantra protects all.’
The thirteenth heaven: Limited Illuminations Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘take away, no forcibly remove, not to make go, leading nowhere. This mantra protects all.’
The forteenth heaven: Immeasurable Illuminations Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘service, correct service, extinction of service, and reverence. This mantra protects all.’
The fifteenth heaven: Illuminous Sounds Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘division, emergence of division, close to home, and always pure. This mantra protects all.’
The sixteenth heaven: Brief Purity Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘following, always returning, association, going to association. This mantra protects all.’
The seventeenth heaven: Limited Purity Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘purity, possessing purity, purifying purity, and going to purity. This mantra protects all.’
The eighteenth heaven: Immeasurable Purity Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘no self, no possession of self, no arrogance. This mantra protects all.’
The ninteenth heaven: Allover Purity Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘freedom, possessing freedom, root of freedom, the place of freedom. This mantra protects all.’
The twentieth heaven: Great Fruit Heaven, proclaimed the mantra:
‘what is unmade, inactivity, freedom from activity, and apex of activity. This mantra protects all.’”
The Secret Vajra Guardian continued, “This is what is called suffering, origin, cessation, and path, the teachings that sentient beings should follow and practice, manifest the subtle and boundless karma.”
“The Pure abodes has four heavens: the twenty-first Command Words Heaven, the twenty-second Leave Words Heaven, the twenty-third Hypothesis Heaven, the twenty-fourth Auspicious Vision Heaven. There are supreme heavens at the twenty-fifth level. They are: Dwell Supreme Heaven, True Supreme Heave, Frre from Anger Heaven, No Attachment Heaven. Tranquil Mind! This is the solemn vow established by the gods, sparking the wisdom of sentient beings.
“These Yakshas, ghosts, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, Mahoragas, karoṭapāṇi spirits, flower-holding spirits, and others, have different languages and teachings. Tranquil Mind! In this Jambudvīpa, there are a thousand great nations, each containing many large districts. Among them, sixteen great nations govern each other through political governance and mutually praise each other. All humans and non-humans have different languages, distinct voices, and varying degrees of expression in their speech. The Tathagata’s holy wisdom enters among them according to their voices, teaches them, and plants the seeds of supreme, proper, and equal enlightenment. These nations include Śaka, Parthian, Yuezhi, Yavana, Kamboja, Khaṣa, Kuci, Khotan, Shule, Shanshan, Karasahr, as well as the many nations established by Xiongnu, Xianbei, Wu, Shu, Qin, and many barbarians, thatala wild people, as well as the Sumaya spells, Daughter’s Country, Maruṇḍa, Conditional Country, Benāres Country, Counting Tree Country, Gold Root Country, Valaben Country, Yivasa Country, Yi-ben Country, Shang-ben Country, Other Discussion Country, Northern Foreign Countries, and Western Holding Countries. The sea deities and all creatures like fish and turtles; mountain deities with form and blood, Aṅkura, Makura, Anarṣa, all the shepherds, all the bird and beast people, people with various diseases, those with unbalanced minds, those who have been born, those currently in the world. Tranquil Mind! These thousand nations are surrounded and filled within Jambudvīpa, each dwelling differently. These humans and non-humans, with different languages, aspirations, and conducts, and distinct voices. The Tathagata, True Thusness, conforms to their speech and voices, enters among them, and teaches them with different causes and conditions, planting the seeds of supreme, proper, and equal enlightenment.”
The Secret Vajra Guardian said to Bodhisattva Tranquil Mind, “In these three thousand great thousand worlds, there are eight hundred and forty duodecillion types of sentient beings, each with different speech. Yet, no matter how they express the Four Noble Truths in various languages, it all ultimately converges to the same meaning, reflecting the True Thusness wisdom of the Tathagata. Tranquil Mind! This is the secret of the Tathagata’s speech. Moreover, Tranquil Mind! The speech of the Tathagata can resolve all doubts of sentient beings, enabling them to completely sever all their bonds. In the ten directions, the types of sentient beings are more numerous than the dust particles on the earth, each acting differently and due to different causes and conditions. Even if all their negative karmas were eliminated, obtaining human bodies, achieving wisdom, and eloquent courage, all like Shariputra. If we were to combine all these wisdoms into the wisdom of one saint, and then by extension, allow all sentient beings to attain wisdom like the aforementioned saint, these saints, over a kalpa or more, through wisdom and meditation, would observe the thoughts of beings and investigate their origins. If one among them still could not understand through meditative wisdom, they would consult another, and so on, these beings, by thinking and teaching each other, ultimately all go to the Tathagata. The Tathagata needs only a snap of the fingers to thoroughly clarify the root of all issues. This great saint, the Tathagata, can conform to each being’s thoughts, embracing all sentient beings, and with a single phrase, he can sever all their nets of doubt, allowing each to comprehend where wisdom lies. The Tathagata enables all beings to understand, removing all doubts, and each being feels joy. Tranquil Mind! The Tathagata can fully resolve all the past and future doubts of all beings, leaving them with no residual bonds. This is the secret of the Tathagata’s words. The understanding of the Tathagata’s voice and teachings by sentient beings is incomplete. The words of the Tathagata are immeasurable and cannot be likened in speech.”
When the Secret Vajra Guardian recounted the secret of the Tathagata’s words, twenty-two thousand sentient beings developed the mind of supreme, proper, and equal enlightenment. All present felt unprecedented joy, universally hearing the Secret Vajra Guardian proclaim the secret of the Tathagata’s words. Each one joyfully rose from their seats and paid homage to the Secret Vajra Guardian, taking refuge in him.
Dharma Torch 