Contents

Foreward by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche

Introduction by Yeshe Gyamtso

The Youthful Manjushri

Avalokita, the Noble Lord of Compassion

Glorious Vajrapani

Maitreya, the Regent Ajita

The Protector Akashagarbha

The Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha

The Victors' Son Sarvanivaranavishkambhin

The Supreme Arya Samantabhadra

Acknowledgments

Resources

Excerpts

Manjushri

While the bhagavat was residing on Vulture Peak Mountain along with all his retinue, Manjushri was speaking of dharma on the steps of Mount Meru to a great assembly that included twenty-five holy beings and four devas from Tushita. At the same time, tathagatas emanated by Manjushri were ripening many beings by teaching dharma and so on. When the bhagavat summoned Manjushri, he and his retinue entered the buddha's presence and spoke with him of various aspects of dharma.

Within that assembly were two hundred devas who had previously possessed the conduct but had subsequently lost bodhichitta by thinking, “I am unable to accomplish unsurpassable awakening! I will pass into nirvana as a shravaka or pratyekabuddha!”
In order to place them in unsurpassable awakening, the bhagavat emanated a householder outside that assembly. That householder offered a begging bowl filled with food of a hundred flavors to the buddha, who accepted it.

Manjushri said to the bhagavat, “If you eat that food without giving me any, you will have demonstrated ingratitude!”

Shariputra wondered, “What did Manjushri do for the bhagavat in the past to allow for ingratitude now?”

Knowing Shariputra’s thought, the buddha said, “Shariputra, the tathagata knows the right time. I will tell you. Wait!”

He then cast the begging bowl into the vast earth. Instantaneously, the bowl passed through as many buddha realms below this one as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, and was observed by the buddhas in those realms. It reached a world called Illuminated, in which resided the tathagata King of Light Rays. The bowl remained in the sky of that realm.
When the retinues of all those buddhas asked about the begging bowl, the buddha answered, “The tathagata Shakyamuni cast it down from the realm called Saha that is above us in order to tame some bodhisattvas.”

Then the bhagavat said to Shariputra, “Find that begging bowl.”

Shariputra entered ten thousand samadhis. Even though he used the strength of his own discernment and the power of the buddha to go to ten thousand buddha realms, he did not see the begging bowl, and returned to the buddha’s presence. In the same way Maudgalyayana, Subhuti, and about five hundred other great shravakas searched for the begging bowl using miraculous abilities and the divine eye, but were unable to find it.

Subhuti said to the bodhisattva Maitreya, “Find that begging bowl.”

Maitreya answered, “Although the tathagata has predicted that only one birth remains for me until unsurpassable awakening, and that when I attain awakening I will become a tathagata whose very footsteps are unknowable to bodhisattvas like Manjushri, I do not know even the name of the samadhis that the youthful Manjushri enters. Ask Manjushri to recover the bowl. He can do so.”

Subhuti asked Manjushri to recover the bowl. The bhagavat, as well, said, “Do it.”
The youthful Manjushri entered a samadhi called All-Reaching. Without moving from his seat, and while remaining visible to that assembly, he extended his right arm. His hand saluted the buddhas in all the buddha realms below us, and gave forth the sound of greeting. From each pore in the skin of his arm emerged one hundred billion light rays. On the tip of each of them was a tathagata seated in the center of a lotus. All those tathagatas proclaimed praises of the tathagata Shakyamuni. Each buddha realm the hand passed through shook six times, was filled with bright light, and became decorated by parasols and victory banners.

Manjushri’s right hand passed through as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in seventy-two Ganges Rivers. It reached Illuminated, the realm of the tathagata King of Light Rays. The hand greeted him and performed the miracle of the light rays. A bodhisattva named Glorious Light, an attendant of that buddhas, asked, “Whose is this miraculous, delightful, beautiful hand?” The tathagata told him how the hand came from Saha above them. The bodhisattva asked to see the realm of Saha, its bodhisattvas, the tathagata Shakyamuni, and the youthful Manjushri.

The tathagata King of Light Rays sent forth light from his forehead. All the beings it touched attained the bliss of chakravartins. All the yogins it touched attained fruition. All the bodhisattvas it touched attained a samadhi as brilliant as the sun. The beings of that realm saw our realm of Saha.

Seeing it, the bodhisattva Glorious Light wept and exclaimed, “Like priceless jewels cast into the mud are the bhagavat and mahabodhisattvas who live in that realm of Saha!”

The buddha King of Light Rays said, “Don’t say such things! It is more meritorious to meditate on love for one morning in the realm of Saha than to remain in meditation for ten kalpas in this realm! The mahabodhisattvas who guard holy dharma in Saha will purify all karmic obscurations and kleshas by doing so!”

The light sent forth by the buddha King of Light Rays was seen by beings in this realm of Saha. The bhagavat explained it to the assembly.

Then the bhagavat performed the miracle of sending forth light rays that allowed beings of our realm to see the realm Illuminated far beneath us. All the bodhisattvas touched by those light rays attained a samadhi called Beacon like Mount Meru, and were able to see that buddha realm beneath us.

The youthful Manjushri picked up the begging bowl in that realm with his right hand. His hand returned to our realm, accompanied by sextillions of bodhisattvas. As his hand returned through each realm between Illuminated and Saha, the light radiated by his arm disappeared from that realm. Finally, he cast the begging bowl into the sky before the bhagavat Shakyamuni. Prostrating to the bhagavat’s feet, Manjushri said, “Please accept this begging bowl!” The buddha did so.

Manjushri

“Space does not come from conditions; it abides naturally. In the same way, although temporary kleshas afflict the mind, the mind's nature is never afflicted. For example, even though there have occurred as many kalpas of burning as there are sand grains in the Ganges River, space has never been burnt. In the same way, although each being has done as many unvirtuous actions as there are sand grains in the Ganges River, the nature of their minds has never become afflicted. That nature is utterly pure. It is the dharmadhatu. It does not change. It is not obscured. It is without even the slightest formation or transformation. This is the dharma gate of no transformation. Bodhisattvas who abide in this have entered the utterly pure nature of all dharmas. They will never become obscured by any fault.”
Manjushri

The youthful Manjushri taught that all dharmas are the dharmadhatu in nature. He taught the profound point that they are beyond either affliction or awakening from affliction, and beyond bondage or liberation. Two hundred bhikshus present within that assembly became discouraged, thinking, "If no one is liberated, what point is there in our renunciation and diligently traversing the path?" They left the gathering. On their way they encountered a bhikshu whom Manjushri had emanated. He said to them, "I do not like the youthful Manjushri's teaching! I do not believe him! I am leaving!" They told him that they felt the same way.

The emanated bhikshu asked them, "Have you merely fled out of dislike for his teaching, or have you also renounced and disparaged it?"

They replied, "We have merely fled out of dislike for it. We have not renounced or disparaged it."

The emanated bhikshu said, "Venerable ones, the absence of disputation is the greatest virtue of a renunciate. Do not denigrate Manjushri's teaching. Do not dispute it. Simply distance yourselves from it for a while. Venerable ones, is the mind blue? Is it yellow, or any color? Is it real or unreal? Is it permanent or impermanent? Dos it have form or no form? Examine the mind. It has no form. It cannot be displayed. It has no appearance. It is without substance. It is without location. It is invisible. Can it be said that such a mind abides within, or without, or in between?"

The bhikshus replied, "No, it cannot."

The emanation asked, "If not, then is the mind truly real?"

The bhikshus replied, "It is not."

The emanation asked, "Can something that is not truly real be liberated?"

The bhikshus replied, "It cannot."

The emanated bhikshu said, "Venerable ones, it was with that in mind that the youthful Manjushri taught that the dharmadhatu is free in its nature from affliction and awakening. Deluded, childish, ordinary beings fixate on 'I' and 'mine.' From that fixation arises the conceptual mind. Although such a mind conceives of renunciation and meditating on the path, that mind is naturally nonexistent. It is without origination, destruction, or abiding. It is therefore beyond affliction, awakening, attainment, and realization. It was with that in mind that the youthful Manjushri taught what he did."

Manjushri

The bodhisattvas on the lotuses exclaimed:

"The children of the sunlike buddhas
Appear rarely in the world.
They are like the udumvara flower.
Buddhas are also extremely rare.

"Shakyamuni, the best of humans,
Has come to the world.
He teaches perfect dharma
That exhausts all suffering.

"Devas, you delight in pleasure.
No matter how long it lasts,
And no matter how good it feels,
You will still have bad rebirths.

"The longer you engage in desire
The more your craving will increase.
There is no happiness for beings
In the three realms of samsara.

"The appearance of a buddha is so rare!
Having acquired this holy opportunity,
Whoever does not realize selflessness
Will not exhaust their suffering.

"Come now to view the buddha
And listen to holy dharma!"

Manjushri

Glorious Light of Finest Gold, the daughter of a prostitute, had a golden complexion. The clothing she wore and any place she went always appeared golden in color. The king, ministers, and merchants all found her pleasing and followed her around, gazing at her. Fear Remover, the son of a merchant, purchased her freedom. He placed her in a chariot and drove her along the road to a park. On the way they encountered the youthful Manjushri. In order to tame them he emanated from his body light so bright that it eclipsed that of the sun and moon. The light that emerged from his robes filled a yojana. He was adorned by a full set of jewelry. Finest Gold, observing that Manjushri's appearance was superior to her own, was attracted to him and thought, "I shall play with him."

Through Manjushri's power, King Vaishravana appeared in human form and said to the young woman, "He is not looking for passion. He is the youthful Manjushri, a bodhisattva. He fulfills beings' wishes and will give anything to those who ask for it."

The young woman thought, "If I ask him for his clothing, he will give it to me." She then asked Manjushri for his clothing.

He replied, "If you enter the path to awakening, I will give you my clothing."
The young woman asked, "What is awakening?"

Manjushri taught her about essencelessness and equality, causing five hundred thousand celestial devas to generate the intention to achieve unsurpassable awakening. Two hundred people among the many men, women, boys, and girls who had accompanied Finest Gold also generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable awakening. Sixty devas and humans achieve the pure eye of dharma. The young woman Glorious Light of Finest Gold touched her five limbs to the ground. She undertook the bases of training and with the best of intentions generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable awakening. She promised to diligently engage in the means of taming beings through the knowledge that kleshas have no inherent existence. She questioned Manjushri about the nonexistence of kleshas for bodhisattvas. In response, Manjushri skillfully taught the profound dharma of emptiness.

At that time the bhagavat was walking on the grassy slopes of Vulture Peak Mountain, accompanied by Ananda. Speaking of Manjushri, the buddhas exclaimed, "Excellent!"
The sound of his voice filled this realm of a billion worlds. The great earth shook six times. This alerted many devas, nagas, yakshas, and other beings, all of whom assembled before the bhagavat. They asked him, "The sound of the word excellent has filled this world. We have all heard it. Of whom were you speaking?"

The buddha replied, "Of Manjushri, who is teaching dharma to the young woman Finest Gold."

Those devas and all the others then assembled before Manjushri. King Ajatashatru and others gathered as well. They saw that the young woman Glorious Light of Finest Gold was undisturbed by desire and at peace. They saw that she was no longer engaged in passion with anyone.

Manjushri asked her, "Where have you put your kleshas?"

She replied, "As all kleshas abide in the dharmadhatu, they are never generated, stopped, or transformed. I have realized the nature of kleshas."

Manjushri then taught that the nature of kleshas is awakening. The young woman Glorious Light of Finest Gold explained that, through the wisdom resulting from her accumulation of roots of virtue, she viewed forms as like the reflection of the moon in water. Through their teaching of dharma, twelve thousand beings generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable awakening. Five hundred devas and humans achieved patience with unborn dharmas. Thirty-two thousand beings achieved the pure eye of dharma. That young woman, through her utter delight in listening to dharma, achieved concordant patience with all dharmas. She then asked
Manjushri for the vows of renunciation.

Manjushri replied, "Sister, shaving your head is not the renunciation of a bodhisattva. Diligence in the eradication of the kleshas of all beings is the renunciation of a bodhisattva." In that way, he taught her that a bodhisattva's renunciation consists of benefitting others without attachment to one's own benefit.

Manjushri said to her, "Get back into your chariot and, out of kindness, ripen the merchant's son Fear Remover. That will be your renunciation and completion."

Manjushri had blessed those present who were temporarily unreceptive to that dharma teaching, such as the merchant's son Fear Remover, so that they did not hear any of it. Most of those present therefore thought, "How can the passionless and the passionate remain together?"

The young woman, aware of their thought, said, "Friends, a bodhisattva who is without desire, yet lives among beings with desire, is without wrongdoing and will tame those desirous beings. It is the same with anger and so forth." In that way, she taught how those with kleshas are tamed. She then bowed to Manjushri's feet, got back into her chariot, and went with Fear Remover to the park, where she played with him. While doing so, she lay down with her head resting on Fear Remover's lap. She then appeared to die, stiffen, and putrefy. She began to stink. Blood, pus, and the smell of putrefaction issued from her orifices. The merchant's son Fear Remover was terrified by this display of impurity. Manjushri appeared in a tree and reassured Fear Remover, encouraging him to flee into the buddha's presence. Knowing it was time for Fear Remover to be tamed, the tathagata emanated light rays that shone on him. Fear Remover cast aside the corpse and fled into the buddha's presence. He requested refuge. Through the victor's teaching of dharma, Fear Remover achieved concordant patience with all dharmas. Knowing that the merchant's son had been tamed, Glorious Light of Finest Gold, accompanied by about five hundred devis and the sound of cymbals and son, entered the bhagavat's presence.

The bhagavat said, "This Glorious Light of Finest Gold, the daughter of a prostitute, was established in the pursuit of awakening by Manjushri in the past. She has now achieved concordant patience. This Fear Remover, the son of a merchant, was established in the pursuit of awakening by me in the past. He also, having heard dharma, has achieved concordant patience. The young woman Finest Gold will, after nine million two hundred thousand kalpas, become the tathagata Precious Light in the world Precious Source during the kalpa Precious Source. The prosperity of that realm will be like that of the devas of Thirty-Three. However, all the jewels in Precious Source will be the jewels of bodhisattvas. The tathagata Precious Light will have an immeasurable life span. After that tathagata's buddhahood, Fear Remover will become the bodhisattva Light of Precious Qualities. He will hold the treasury of that tathagata's dharma and will receive from that tathagata the prophecy: 'After my passing, you will achieve buddhahood!' That bodhisattva will then become the tathagata Precious Radiance."

When the buddha spoke this prophecy, this world shook six times and was filled with bright light. Thousands of beings generated the intention to achieve unsurpassable awakening. In that way, Manjushri demonstrated inconceivably skillful means of taming the passionate.

Avalokita

On another occasion, the bhagavat Shakyamuni said, "In the past, when I was a bodhisattva, I went on an ocean voyage in a company of five hundred merchants. An ill wind cast us on the shore of an island of rakshasis. Five hundred rakshasis, having transformed themselves into youthful maidens, led the merchants off one by one to their respective homes, deceiving them with their affectionate words and demeanor. While the senior rakshasi was attempting to seduce me, she fell asleep. Dozing, she began to laugh. I asked her why she was laughing. She said, 'We are rakshasis of the island of Singhala. We will kill all of you! If you don't believe me, walk to the crossroads to your right and look!"

"I did what she had told me to and saw, in a city of iron, the merchants whom the rakshasis had already captured. The merchants were crying, 'They are going to eat a hundred of us every day!'

"When I heard that, I asked the rakshasi who was revealing all this to me if there were anything I could do about it. She said, 'There is a king among horses called Balaha. He helps the weak and desperate. He is to be found at the shore, on a beach called All Medicines Concealed, which has golden sand. He runs back and forth along the shore, shaking his mane and exclaiming, "Who will cross the ocean?" If you answer him, "I will cross it," he will bring you to freedom."

"When I had heard all this, I secretly repeated it to the merchants. We decided to leave three days from then. We also promised one another that we would not look back at the island of Singhala.

"When we went to the shore we saw the king among horses. When he shook his mane, the entire island of Singhala became subdued. He asked us three times, 'Who will cross the ocean?'

"The merchants replied, 'We will cross it.'

"The king among horses then cautioned us, saying, 'None of you may look back at the island of Singhala!'

"Then I and the five hundred merchants climbed onto Balaha's back. The rakshasis pursued us, wailing piteously. The five hundred merchants turned to look back and fell into the water, where they were recaptured by the rakshasis, who eventually ate them. I alone reached Jambudvipa. When we reached its shores, Balaha, the king among horses, circumambulated me three times, bowed to me, and left. I eventually reached my home, where I was happily reunited with my parents.

"In that way, when I was a leader of merchants, I was saved from suffering and death by Avalokiteshvara, who took the form of the horse Balaha. Avalokiteshvara is a protector of the defenseless, a refuge for those without refuge, a giver of succor to the fearful, a torch for those captured by darkness, a parasol for those burnt by the sun, medicine for the sick, a parent to those who suffer, and a revealer of nirvana for the lost. All who recollect Avalokiteshvara's name will be happy. They will be freed from the sufferings of aging, sickness, and death. They will reach the end of samsara. Born in Sukhavati, they will hear dharma from Amitabha and will continuously remain there."

Vajrapani

Innumerable kalpas ago there was a tathagata called Conduct of Complete Peace. He taught only the doctrine for bodhisattvas, saying such things as, 'Bodhisattvas must diligently give away even their bodies and lives!'

"Vajrapani was one of the bodhisattvas in his retinue, and was called Heroic Strength. Contemplating what that tathagata had said, Heroic Strength did not see any virtue in nirvana; he saw that remaining in samsara was of greater benefit. He therefore undertook to remain in samsara and began to engage in innumerable bodhisattva deeds. The tathagata Conduct of Complete Peace pronounced the excellence of this and taught dharma about the utter purity of conduct.

"Just as all forms are within space, all dharmas are part of a bodhisattva's conduct. Knowing this, Heroic Strength donned the armor of stable commitment and thereafter served many buddhas."

King Ajatashatru then wondered, "Is the vajra that Vajrapani always holds in his right hand heavy or light?"

The Lord of Secrets knew Ajatashatru's thought and said to him, "This vajra is both heavy and light. In order to subdue the proud and vain, it is heavy. For the honest and free of pride it is light." Vajrapani then blessed the earth in that place so that it was vajralike and placed his vajra on the ground. This caused the great earth to shake six times.

The Lord of Secrets then said to Ajatashatru, "Lift this vajra off the ground."

Although Ajatashatru was strong enough to pick up an elephant with one hand, he was unable to move that vajra the distance of a hair's tip, even though he exerted all his strength. Amazed, Ajatashatru urged Indra to lift the vajra. Indra was also unable to move it. Astonished, Indra said to the buddha, "I can carry the chariot of Takzangri, the ruler of the asuras, for a distance of seven hundred yojanas without difficulty. Why can I not move this vajra?"

The buddha replied, "This vajra is so heavy that it is beyond analogy. If Vajrapani were to throw this vajra at a mountain made of vajra, that mountain would explode like a handful of chaff."

Indra then urged Maudgalyayana to lift the vajra. When Maudgalyayana took hold of the vajra, the great earth shook six times. Water shot into the sky. All the oceans became turbulent. However, Maudgalyayana was unable to move the vajra. Amazed, he said to the bhagavat, "With my miraculous abilities I could hold all the water of a great ocean in the palm of my hand. I could flip this realm of a billion worlds with one finger as easily as someone flipping a coin. I could stop the sun and moon. I could pick up Mount Meru with one hand and cast it all the way to the world of Brahma. I have tamed the naga kings Nanda and Upananda. I have been to the world of Light Rays. I could go to as many realms as there are particles in Mount Meru. I am unable, however, to move this little vajra. Have my miraculous abilities become impaired?"

The buddha replied, "Your miraculous abilities are unimpaired. Nevertheless, no shravaka or pratyekabuddha, let alone any other being, can disturb the blessing of a bodhisattva. You could move all the supreme mountains in as many buddha realms as the Ganges River's sand grains, but you cannot remove this vajra form this place."

Maudgalyayana said, "The great strength of the Lord of Secrets, who holds this vajra, must be wondrous! Did Vajrapani inherit his strength from his parents, or is it miraculous?"
The buddha replied, "Maudgalyayana, no matter how much strength one might inherit from one's parents, it barely justifies the use of the term strength. If I revealed all the miraculous strength of bodhisattvas, this world with its devas would go mad!"

The bhagavat then said to Vajrapani, "Pick up that vajra."

The Lord of Secrets shook the world and then picked up the vajra with his left hand. He threw it into the sky above. It circled him seven times and came to rest in his right hand. Everyone in that assembly was amazed. They praised Vajrapani, made aspirations to achieve his strength, and asked about the causes of attaining such strength.

Maitreya

"Other than bodhisattvas, no one in the world, including the devas, has ever undertaken this responsibility, this burden: the welfare of all beings. For example, if someone were to bear these billion worlds -- with all their mountains, oceans, and forests -- on their head or shoulders for a hundred thousand kalpas without resting, that would be a heavy burden. That person would have to be extremely strong and brave. Someone, however, who takes up the burden of bringing all beings to the happiness of nirvana bears a much greater burden, and must be even stronger and braver.

"Someone who could in the time of a finger snap accomplish all the actions of all the beings in a billion worlds would have to be very powerful. Someone, however, who says, 'I will free all beings from samsara's suffering!' and sets about doing it is even more powerful.

"For example, imagine that there is a householder with one beloved son. His king says to him, 'Householder, go to a certain city one hundred thousand yojanas from here and return to me within seven days. If you do so, I will return to you your son, wife, retinue, and wealth. I will also give you half my kingdom. If, however, you do not reach that city and return here within seven days, I will give you nothing. I will also execute your son, wife, and retinue.

"That householder would travel as quickly as possible, using all his strength. Until his return, he would ignore all distractions, hunger, fatigue, and sorrow. Even such great diligence, however, would not equal a hundredth of or thousandth part of the great diligence of a bodhisattva. Why? Because bodhisattvas turn all beings back from the momentum in which they are immersed and bring them to the unmoving expanse of nirvana.

"For example, imagine a man strong enough to reverse the flow of all the water that flows into the four seas and cause it all to flow into Lake Manasarovar. That would be both difficult and amazing. However, a bodhisattva's great compassionate bodhichitta and resolve are far more difficult and amazing than that.

"It is even more difficult and amazing to realize the truth of the three jewels and the ripening of karma.

"It is even more difficult and amazing than that to dispel the three poisons in the mind.

"It is even more difficult and amazing than that to give up friends, family, and luxury and walk seven steps away from one's home for the sake of full renunciation.

"It is even more difficult and amazing than that to don saffron robes and achieve full renunciation of home life through faith in the vinaya that was well taught.

"It is even more difficult and amazing than that to practice the instructions and bases of training.

"It is even more difficult and amazing than that to walk seven paces toward solitude out of a dislike of distraction and a liking for solitude.

"It is even more difficult and amazing than that to contemplate that all dharmas are empty. It is even more difficult and amazing than that to realize the three gates of liberation and achieve the results of a stream-enterer, once-returner, nonreturner, or arhat.

"Why? Because faith in the noble dharma, the vinaya; achieving the state of a bhikshu; and achieving the fruitions are all extremely difficult. Therefore having achieved full renunciation, don't abandon the actions of a bodhisattva and return to the actions of the childish. Engage in the twenty actions of a bodhisattva--such as eradicating greed--and avoid, like poison, transgressing the training. Keep the four vows: abstention from ingratitude, deception, lies, and transgressions. Those four things are impediments to achievement of omniscience. Abandon acquisitiveness, negative influences, and distracting environments. Especially, remain at least a hundred yojanas away from any place where there is fighting caused by hatred. Never give rise to hatred. It is far worse to give rise to anger and hatred toward another bodhisattva even once than to abuse, beat, and attack with weapons all the beings in the billion worlds. A bodhisattva who does so will be damaged and impaired. For example, iron can only be cut by iron and not by other materials such as earth. In the same way, a bodhisattva's roots of virtue will be destroyed by hating another bodhisattva. Nothing else can destroy them. Therefore treat one another with courtesy and respect. Regard even a bodhisattva who has just generated bodhichitta as the teacher."

The mahabodhisattva Maitreya said, "Bhagavat, I treat all beings with courtesy and respect. What need is there to speak of bodhisattvas? Why? Because I don't like malevolence; I have very strong patience. I am not deceptive; I have great benevolence. I am not attached to a home; I am free from ownership and possession. I don't seek material wealth; I seek dharma. I am not interested in food and clothing; I am in search of my inheritance. I have no jealousy or greed; I delight in the prosperity of others and am extremely generous. I don't seek the title of 'renunciate'; I am cultivating the qualities of a renunciate. I don't seek talk; I make practice my essence. I am not especially attached to honor and gain; I seek few actions and the qualities of buddhas.

"I don't enter towns in a state of acquisitiveness; I enter them with my mind focused on omniscience. I am not deceptive in order to gain dharma robes and alms; I have the undeceptive contentment of the four aryas. I don't emulate the behavior of the childish; I emulate the behavior of buddhas. I don't think about what others do and don't do; I diligently subdue and pacify myself. I don't speak of others' downfalls; I control my speech. I don't delay the training; I cultivate the pratimoksha. I don't seek the praise of myself by the buddha, dharma, or sangha; I joyously praise, contemplate, and rely upon the three jewels. I don't weep in the sight of others in order to impress them; I weep through the power of dharma. I am unpolluted by the distraction of various activities. I am diligent in seeking dharma. I dislike mundane activities; I like the search for supramundane dharma.

"I don't accumulate and store provisions; I behave without hypocrisy. I don't remain in one home or place; I wander like a wild animal. I am not diligent in the search for alms; I am diligent in the search for the buddhas' qualities. I don't sleep in a stupor of unconsciousness; I diligently abstain from sleep during the beginning and end of the night. I don't engage in distracting activities; I delight in solitude. I am not content with a few qualities; I am relentless in my search for all qualities. I don't behave like a dog; I roar like a lion. I don't make friends easily, but I am an extremely stable friend. I am never ungrateful; I am very grateful and appreciative. I don't offer my friendship in repayment of generosity; I offer my friendship out of benevolence. I don't fake benevolence; I strengthen it. I am uninterested in lowly things; I am interested in the vast and perfect accomplishment of the buddhakaya. I am not disrespectful to the tathagata and the training; I respect them.

"I am not two-tongued, thinking one thing and saying another; I do what I say. I am not a hypocritical bodhisattva; I am perfectly benevolent and diligent in being subdued and tranquil. I am not proud; like the child of outcasts, I have conquered pride. I don't consume alms through desire; with pure morality, I regard them as a burden in that they are offered through faith. I don't allow my mind to wander, sleeping in the afternoon in an unconscious stupor; I diligently apply myself to the accomplishment of all the buddhadharmas. I don't hold the view of a personal self; I remain in emptiness. I don't conceptualize or speak through bewilderment; I remain in the absence of attributes.

"I am without pretense in my physical behavior; my actions of body, speech, and mind are pure. I don't teach dharma with a mind focused on acquisition; I teach dharma with a mind free from materialism. I don't befriend others through materialism; I befriend them through the giving of dharma. I don't torment myself or others; I practice in order to heal myself and others. I am not hypocritical in my reliance upon solitude, alms, and cast-off clothing; I perfectly cultivate the twelve qualities of training. In doing so, I don't seek honor, gain, or praise."
The bhagavat said to the mahabodhisattva Maitreya, "Excellent! Excellent! Your lion's roar of diligence in seeking the qualities of buddhas shows that you have attended the victors of the past, have generated roots of virtue, and are independent in the dharma and qualities! Excellent! Excellent!"

Maitreya

Maitreya then said to those five hundred bhikshus, "Venerable ones, apply yourselves! Exert yourselves! Try! The appearance of a buddha is rare, so don't turn back from full renunciation."

They asked, "Manjushri, to what are we to apply ourselves?"

Manjushri replied, "Bhikshus, to what are you to apply yourselves? At what are you to work? What are you to try to do? Apply yourselves to nothing whatsoever! Exert yourselves in nothing whatsoever! Apply yourselves to making no distinctions, to starting nothing, stopping nothing, attaining nothing, abandoning nothing, decreasing nothing, and increasing nothing. Bhikshus, through such training, you will realize nothing whatsoever. Realizing nothing whatsoever is going nowhere and coming from nowhere. Someone who is beyond going and coming is fit to be called a bhikshu. He depends on nothing, yet is not independent."

Maitreya

The mahabodhisattva Maitreya perfected the paramita of generosity and the thirty paramitas for sixteen periods of novemdecillion kalpas and more than one hundred thousand additional kalpas. In his last life, having been born as Liberates All, he completed the practice of the paramitas by performing the great generosity of giving away his body. Upon the destruction of that body, he was reborn in Tushita. At the end of his present life in Tushita, he will be born in Jambudvipa in the royal palace called Spire to his father -- the brahmin Brahmabhadra, the chaplain of the chakravartin called Conch -- and his mother, Purity.

When he enters his mother's womb, ten thousand realms of worlds will vibrate. After ten months Maitreya will be born in the Deer Park in Varanasi. Through his merit, four mansions composed of the seven jewels will appear on the ground. Maitreya will inhabit these for one thousand years, enjoying the pleasures of the devas in the company of the devi Moonface and many other women, all of them as lovely as devis. On the day after one thousand years have passed, Maitreya will see a renunciate. He will come to dislike the mansions and will give rise to renunciation. When he does so, devas from ten thousand billionfold realms will gather around his mansions bearing divine flowers. King Conch and other great beings will also gather there, all of them bearing various offerings. The devas in the sky will all say, "Excellent!" The sound of this will be heard all the way to Akanishtha. Then the mansions will rise into the sky, spinning like potter's wheels. Like the moon surrounded by stars, the bodhisattva Maitreya and his consorts will fly off into space.

Accompanied by Mahabrahma, who will hold a white parasol one hundred thousand yojanas in diameter, Indra the devas' ruler, who will blow a conch; and many splendid and fortunate devis, Maitreya will travel to his awakening tree, which will be a naga tree. That tree will be one hundred twenty cubits in height. Its branches will cover a diameter equal to that. It will produce the most fragrant flowers. They will lie piled on the ground around the tree after they have fallen, emitting a delicious fragrance that will fill an area ten yojanas in diameter.
Akashagarbha

"Son of family, the bodhisattva Akashargarbha has great compassion. He lives to help beings. He frees them from great suffering. He awakens the dormant virtue of beings who have incurred root downfalls and would otherwise migrate to lower states. Akashagarbha heals those beings who have been abandoned by all the wise and who are without refuge or protector. He dispels the fog of bad views and frees beings from doubt. He shows them the path. He cleanses them of all their foul-smelling wrongdoing. He turns them away from bad karma. He places them in higher states and liberation. He closes the door to bad migrations for beings whose minds are immersed in intense desire; or disturbed by extreme anger, malice, or avarice; or so shrouded by thick stupidity that they are nihilistic -- beings without fear of future lives, insatiably greedy for wealth and such things, and constantly engaged in the ten unvirtuous actions. He places them in higher states and liberation. This holy being is worthy of worship by all beings other than tathagatas, all in the world including devas."

Kshitigarbha

"If beings anywhere who are tormented by various desires pray one-pointedly to the bodhisattva Kshitigarbha, call him by name, and worship him with devotion, they will acquire whatever they desire, become free from suffering, and will either be born as devas in higher realms or achieve nirvana, depending on their condition. If those lacking food, drink, clothing, jewelry, or other things pray to him they will acquire whatever they desire and achieve states up to nirvana.

"If those separated from those they love; or those who have encountered hate-filled enemies; or those whose bodies and minds are tormented by illness; or those at war; or those who are imprisoned; or those who are being physically abused or are about to be killed; or the weak and powerless of body and mind; or those whose faculties are incomplete or impaired; or those struck by demons caused by insanity; or those whose bodies and minds are tormented by kleshas they cannot let go of, such as attachment or anger; or those who are terrified by dangers such as fire, water, and falling over precipices; or those menaced by aggressive snakes, predators, or any form of poison; or those who tremble and have impaired memory, struck by contagious illnesses caused by elemental spirits; or those who are attacked by yakshas, rakshasas, other nonhumans, humans, predators, wrathful beings, mantras, curses, or warfare -- anyone who is tormented physically or mentally by any type of danger -- call Kshitigarbha by name and worship him, they will soon be freed from their suffering. They will achieve the happiness for which they hope.

"If those who desire and hope for learning, motivation, morality, meditation, supercognition, wisdom, liberation, beauty or any of the five desirables, profit, wealth, fame, merit, craftsmanship, flowers, fruit, gardens, seats, mats, livestock, grain, medicine, travel, a home, servants, paints, rain, crops, warm weather, cool weather, fans, fire, conveyances, children, skill, goodness, honesty, or anything in the world or beyond it call the bodhisattva Kshitigarbha by name one-pointedly and worship him devotedly, they will be freed from the torment of their desire. All their hopes will be fulfilled through the awesome power of Kshitigarbha's holy samadhis. They will achieve either higher birth as devas or nirvana, depending on their condition.

"If those who plant in either fertile or infertile soil, whether they are diligent in farming or not, call Kshitigarbha by name one-pointedly and worship him, they will reap good and fruitful crops. Why? Because of the power of the fervent aspirations made with great diligence by the son of family Kshitigarbha throughout countless kalpas in the presence of countless buddhas. In order to ripen beings, he always cares for the earth and its seeds. He always engages in the fulfillment of beings' wishes. Through this son of family's miraculous power, the grass, trees, and seedlings that grow on this great earth flourish and ripen with fruit. He makes them healthy, sweet, shiny, and fragrant.

"If any being engages in the ten unvirtuous actions because their three poisons are strong and acute, and thereafter calls Kshitigarbha by name, their kleshas will be pacified. They will turn away from the ten unvirtuous actions. They will engage in virtuous actions. Love, compassion, benevolence, and joy will be born in their minds."

Sarvanivaranavishkambhin

Manjushri then said to Sarvanivaranavishkambin, "Please rouse the tathagata's sister from her samadhi."

Sarvanivaranavishkambhin replied, "I could rouse her from samadhi, but I request that the omniscient tathagata do so instead."

The tathagata King of Existence entered a samadhi called Rousing Others from Samadhi. By doing so he roused his sister and everyone else engaged in even placement in that world from their samadhis. Then Manjushri asked the tathagata's sister a number of questions such as, "When did you first generate bodhichitta?"

Her response to his questions, based on the inexpressible meaning, amazed everyone in that it demonstrated her confidence in teaching extremely profound dharma.
Manjushri then asked the tathagata, "Bhagavat, how long has it been since your sister first generated bodhichitta?"

The tathagata replied, "Manjushri, when you first generated bodhichitta, my sister had already been engaged in the deeds of a bodhisattva for ninety-nine sextillion multiplied by novemdecillion kalpas. She first generated bodhichitta in the presence of the tathagata Source of Solitude. The qualities and attributes of that buddha's realm could not be even partially described in as many kalpas as the Ganges' sand grains. At that time, when she first generated bodhichitta, my sister was a chakravartin called Silence. Do not think of my sister as a woman. As she has achieved the samadhi of magical illusion, she can emanate whatever sort of body she wants. My sister will achieve buddhahood as many kalpas from now as the number of particles and leaves in a billion worlds multiplied by one hundred thousand novemdecillion. She will become the tathagata called Source of Ubiquitous Light. Her realm will be like that of the tathagata Ratnakara."

Then Sarvanivaranavishkambhin said, "The youthful Manjushri is still very active; he continues to conceptualize the past and the future."

Manjushri responded, "Son of family, it is true. I am very active. Since the dharmadhatu is inexhaustible, my deeds are inexhaustible."

The tathagata King of Existence interjected, "Manjushri, don't argue with Sarvanivaranavishkambhin. His confidence is inconceivable. You don't even know the names of his samadhis! If all the beings in these billion worlds were to become just like Manjushri, they would not know even the names of my sister's samadhis. All those beings together would still be incapable of even a hundred thousandth of her samadhi, miracles, or wisdom. If all the beings in these billion worlds were to become equal to my sister in samadhi and wisdom, they would not all together be capable of a hundred thousandth of the mahabodhisattva Sarvanivaranavishkambhin's samadhi, wisdom, strength, or miracles. My sister does not know even the names of Sarvanivaranavishkambhin's samadhis! If all beings came to equal Sarvanivaranavishkambhin in samadhi and wisdom, they would still, even all together, be incapable of understanding a single step taken by a tathagata. The wisdom of buddhas is inconceivable!

Samantabhadra

Sudhana saw that from each pore on Samantabhadra's skin emerged light rays as numerous as the smallest particles in all world realms. They illuminated all the world realms throughout the dharmadhatu, pacifying beings' suffering. From the mandala of Samantabhadra's body emerged multicolored clouds of light as numerous as the smallest particles in all buddha realms, vastly increasing the joy and devotion of bodhisattvas. From Samantabhadra's head, shoulders, and pores emerged multicolored, radiant clouds emitting rains of fragrance that pervaded the mandalas of all tathagatas. From each of Samantabhadra's pores emerged clouds and rains of flowers, incense, bunting, colorful garlands, pearls, wish-fulfilling jewels, jewel trees, and the forms of the ruling devas of the form realm, the realm of Brahma, and the desire realm.
From his pores emerged clouds of spiritual leaders, reaching every pure and impure buddha realm; and clouds of buddhas surrounded by bodhisattvas, reaching every pure buddha realm. Samantabhadra emanated clouds of the bodies of all beings, clouds of bodhisattva bodies, and clouds of displays of his own deeds. Each of these was as numerous as the smallest particles in all buddha realms. Each of them filled every realm throughout the dharmadhatu. They presented offerings and praises to all tathagatas, upheld their dharma, and ripened and liberated oceans of beings through various skillful means.