Translated by the Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci of the Great Tang Dynasty by Imperial Command
A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras: Selections from the Mahāratnakūta Sūtra.
https://archive.org/details/Maharatnakuta
Page 315-326
The omitted scripts in the book is restored here in blue fonts.
Part One: The Adornment of the Prophecy
Page 319:
If I do not relinquish it, then I shall be cheating all Buddhas. . . .
“Śāriputra, if a Bodhisattva is able to accomplish such seeds of great vows, then in accordance with his thoughts these Dharma qualities will arise, and he will be able to proclaim various teachings for the sake of sentient beings.
“Śāriputra, at that time there was a bhikṣu who said to the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya: ‘Great Being, if your sincere mind truly does not regress, and if the words you have spoken are genuine and not false, then I hope you will move the great earth with your toe.’ At that moment the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya, relying upon the Buddha’s majestic spiritual power and the strength of wholesome roots accumulated in past lives, caused that great earth to display six kinds of trembling. These are called trembling, great trembling, universal trembling; shaking, great shaking, and universal shaking. Śāriputra, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva Akṣobhya has now fulfilled the vows he made in former times. Therefore Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas who wish to realize Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi should learn from the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva Akṣobhya. If there are Bodhisattvas who can diligently cultivate this practice, they will obtain a Buddha land of purity like that, and they will swiftly realize Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi.”
At that time Śāriputra asked the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, when the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya first aroused the aspiration, how many devas came together to assemble?”
The Buddha told Śāriputra: “At that time, throughout the three thousand great thousand worlds, all the Four Great Heavenly Kings, as well as Śakra, the King of Māra, and the Great Brahmā King who is the lord of the Sahā world, all joyfully placed their palms together and spoke these words: ‘What we now hear concerning the donning of the armor of merit has never before been heard by us in the past. World-Honored One, when that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya becomes a Buddha, all the sentient beings within his Buddha land will not have been accomplished through inferior wholesome roots.’”
Śāriputra said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One, just as the Buddha has said, the merit of the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya in donning this armor is something that other Bodhisattvas have never possessed.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra: “So it is, so it is. Among other Bodhisattvas who don the great armor and arouse the mind directed toward unsurpassed Bodhi, none are like the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva Akṣobhya. Śāriputra, the merit accomplished by that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya cannot be matched by any Bodhisattva within the entire Auspicious Kalpa.”
no sentient being died an unnatural death, just asit was when I realized all-knowing wisdom . . . .
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the prophecy, a delightful fragrance pervaded and perfumed the entire world. It was just as when I in former times realized great Bodhi, when wondrous fragrances were universally perceived, soothing and pleasing, without any difference.
At that time Śāriputra said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One, that Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva Akṣobhya has accomplished such vast merit.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra: “When that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the Buddha’s prophecy, it was not only this single merit. He is also able to reach the further shore of boundless merit.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the prophecy of Buddhahood from the Tathāgata Great Eyes, at that time devas, humans, asuras, and others in the world were all inwardly joyful and delighted, gentle and well subdued. It was also just as when I attained Buddhahood, when the devas and humans of the world likewise rejoiced.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the prophecy, great yakṣas holding vajra maces attended upon and protected the Bodhisattva. This was no different from the time when I accomplished the Way.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the Buddha’s prophecy, the devas and humans scattered various precious flowers, fragrant ointments, and powdered incense upon the Bodhisattva, just as when I realized great Bodhi and various fragrant flowers were scattered.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the prophecy, among the devas there were those who, each with two billions, aroused the aspiration for Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi, and they received from the Tathāgata Wide-Eyes prophecies of Buddhahood.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the prophecy, utpala flowers, padma flowers, and puṇḍarīka flowers filled the great earth in full bloom. It was just as at my place of awakening, where various flowers universally covered the ground.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya received the prophecy, innumerable devas in the sky scattered various celestial garments which covered the Bodhisattva. They all spoke these words: ‘May this Bodhisattva swiftly realize Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi.’ It was also just as when in former times I attained omniscient wisdom, when the devas scattered celestial garments, without any difference.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the devas, humans, and asuras in that world, seeing the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya receive the prophecy of Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi, rejoiced greatly, their joy surpassing that of parents when a child is born in the world. Likewise, when I realized omniscient wisdom, the devas and humans of the world all rejoiced greatly with delight.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, all the devas and humans within the three thousand great thousand worlds, through the Buddha’s spiritual power, heard that the Bodhisattva Akṣobhya had received the prophecy of Bodhi. Each of them made offerings of various superior garments, precious robes, and rare and exquisite foods. It was like the time when the bhikṣus complete the observance at the end of the month of Kārttika, when all people come to make offerings.”
Page 320
Now he is living in the World of Wonderful Joy and is named Tathagata Akṣobhya, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One. . . .
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the Tathāgata Akṣobhya in former times cultivated the Bodhisattva path, whenever there were those who came to request his head, eyes, brain, marrow, hands, feet, or the joints of his limbs, he never went against their wishes and bestowed all these upon them in generosity. Śāriputra, from the time that Tathāgata Akṣobhya first aroused the aspiration until he realized Unsurpassed Bodhi, because of this cause and condition he was free from wind disorders, bile disorders, phlegm disorders, headaches, and other combined illnesses. Śāriputra, when that Tathāgata Akṣobhya formerly cultivated the Bodhisattva path, he obtained such unprecedented Dharma qualities.
“Śāriputra, because in former times, in every place of birth throughout successive lives, he made offerings and rendered service to the Buddhas and Tathāgatas, and in the presence of those Buddhas constantly cultivated the pure conduct, therefore in life after life, wherever he was born, he again received his original name, called Akṣobhya. From one Buddha field to another Buddha field, he was always born in an age when a Buddha appeared in the world, and he constantly beheld the Tathāgata. Śāriputra, it is like a consecrated kṣatriya king who in the world attains supreme sovereignty, passing from one palace to another palace without his feet touching the ground, enjoying the pleasures of the five desires. In the same manner, when that Bodhisattva Akṣobhya in former times cultivated the Bodhisattva path, wherever he was born throughout successive lives he constantly practiced the pure conduct, made offerings to the Buddhas, followed the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, and gave instruction, guidance, benefit, and delight. All these accorded with the Pāramitās and only rarely accorded with the stage of the Śrāvaka. He was able to lead Bodhisattvas to enter and abide in Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi. Because he aroused the aspiration toward unsurpassed Bodhi in this way, he obtained such vast merit and benefit.
“He further dedicated the wholesome roots of giving the Dharma toward Bodhi and made this vow: ‘When I become a Buddha, within my Buddha field all Bodhisattvas, through the power of the Buddha, shall hear me teach the Dharma, accept and uphold it, recite it, and each of them will personally attend upon the Buddhas and Tathāgatas, going from one Buddha field to another Buddha field. Until they realize Unsurpassed Bodhi, they will constantly not be far from the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, just as I have been. The only exception is when they reach the position of succession in the Tuṣita heavenly palace. Why is this so? Because Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas naturally abide in this manner. When they descend from the Tuṣita Heaven and enter the mother’s womb, and when they are born from the right side, the great earth trembles.’
“Śāriputra, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva in his final existence displays such auspicious signs. Śāriputra, it is like a bhikṣu who has attained the supernormal power of spiritual mastery. When he enters a palace it is as though he abides in empty space, and in whatever posture or deportment he remains without obstruction. The Bodhisattva in his final existence is also like this. Although he abides within the mother’s womb, he dwells as though in empty space. All the impurities and defilements of the womb cannot stain him, nor does he perceive any foul or offensive odor.
“Śāriputra, when the Tathāgata Akṣobhya in former times cultivated the Bodhisattva path, he made this vow: ‘If in the future I realize Buddhahood, within my Buddha field those who cultivate the Bodhisattva Vehicle and those who cultivate the Śrāvaka Vehicle shall all cut off every activity of Māra. For all sentient beings, in every circumstance and at every time, the hosts of Māra shall find no opportunity. Just as when I cultivated the practices of a Bodhisattva I cut off all the activities of Māra, so too the Bodhisattvas, even before they have accomplished the various great merits, will always diligently gather and cultivate the practices of Bodhi.’
“Śāriputra, when the Tathāgata Akṣobhya, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, in former times cultivated the Bodhisattva path, whenever he expounded the Dharma or listened to it, neither body nor mind ever produced weariness. Why was this so? Because when he first aroused the aspiration to cultivate the practices of a Bodhisattva, he had already obtained the power of the Dharma body.
“Śāriputra, when Akṣobhya Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, formerly cultivated the Bodhisattva path, he made this vow: ‘All Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas within my Buddha field shall attain the perfection of the Dharma body, without any difference from myself.’”
Part Two: The Adornment of the Merits of the Buddha-land
Page 323
Śāriputra, all these merits and splendors are brought about by the power of Tathāgata Akṣobhya’s original vows. . . .
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, in that Buddha-land the garments and ornaments of women arise naturally from the trees and may be enjoyed at will. The women of that land do not possess the faults of women. They are unlike the women of this world, whose minds are for the most part filled with jealousy and who delight in speaking divisive words and harsh speech. Moreover, when they become pregnant and until the time of childbirth, both mother and child remain at ease and comfortable, and there is no impurity. Why is this so? It is all due to the power of the original vows of the Tathāgata Akṣobhya. Śāriputra, within that Buddha field there are such conditions of peace and happiness.
Part Three: The Assembly of Śrāvakas
Page 325
Those who have attained the fruit of a Nonreturner will become Arhats in one lifetime, unlike those called Nonreturners in this world, who have to be born in the upper realms [before they are liberated], though they will not return to this earth. . . .
“Śāriputra, in his Buddha field the Tathāgata Akṣobhya expounds the stages and distinctions of the practice cultivated by the Śrāvakas, even to the establishment of these noble fruits. If there are virtuous men and virtuous women who are able to understand this Dharma, they do not cling to the various consciousnesses, nor do they remain in the stage of the learner. Rather, after the death of the body, they abide in the stage of the non-learner and only then attain final Nirvāṇa. Śāriputra, what is called the ‘stage of the non-learner’ is merely the provisional designation of the ‘stage of the Arhat’; what is called the non-learner is likewise only the provisional designation of Arhat.
“Śāriputra, the assembly of Śrāvakas of that Tathāgata Akṣobhya is pure and complete, abiding firmly in steadfast cultivation. Śāriputra, this is the provisional designation of the assembly of Śrāvakas of the Tathāgata Akṣobhya, namely what is called the great Arhats: those whose afflictions have all been exhausted, whose tasks have already been accomplished, who have cast aside the heavy burden, who have attained their own benefit, who have severed all the bonds of the three realms, and who have attained liberation through the correct Dharma. Most of these Arhats abide in meditative absorption and in the eight liberations. Śāriputra, the Tathāgata Akṣobhya possesses such a great multitude of Śrāvaka disciples, endowed with various merits, and through them that land is adorned.
Dharma Torch 