Chapter Seven: The Protection of the Nāgas

7.1Nāga King Sāgara then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, through what Dharma door should bodhisattvas enter such that not only do they abandon all the flaws of previous karmic obscuration, but, having abandoned all karmic obscuration, they proceed to become distinguished persons? What Dharma door should they enter?”

7.2The Blessed One answered, “Nāga Lord, the continuity of all karmic obscuration is severed by a single quality. What is this single quality? It is to abide by one’s vows and, should a fault occur, to confess it. [F.170.a] Nāga Lord, the continuity of karmic obscuration is severed by two qualities. What are these two? They are to discriminate the Dharma accurately and to not have preconceptions about what is presently arising. Nāga Lord, the continuity of karmic obscuration is severed by three qualities. What are these three? They are the discrimination of the consciousness that engages conditional phenomena, the discrimination of phenomena that are neither new nor old, and the discrimination of phenomena that are naturally without affliction. Nāga Lord, the continuity of karmic obscuration is severed by four qualities. What are these four? They are certainty in emptiness, abiding in the absence of marks, freedom from wishing, and unconditioned consciousness. Nāga Lord, the continuity of karmic obscuration is severed by five qualities. What are these five? They are the nonexistence of self, the nonexistence of a being, the nonexistence of a life principle, the nonexistence of personhood, and the nonexistence of life. Nāga Lord, the continuity of karmic obscuration is severed by six qualities. What are these six? They are aspiration, trust, certainty, confidence, discerning the real, and engaging in actions motivated by the pure motivation. These six qualities sever the continuity of karmic obscuration.”

7.3The Blessed One said this, and Nāga King Sāgara further inquired of him, “Blessed One, how does a bodhisattva become distinguished?”

7.4The Blessed One answered, “Nāga Lord, bodhisattvas become distinguished if they have ten qualities. [F.170.b] What are these ten? They are nonattachment, pure motivation, stable diligence informed by skillful means, being considerate and compassionate toward beings, being insatiable in the pursuit of merit, being insatiable in the pursuit of learning, conscientiousness, bringing the seat of awakening to mind, actualizing the wisdom of buddhahood, and never abandoning the mind set on awakening. If bodhisattvas possess these ten qualities, they will become distinguished.”

7.5Rāhu, lord of the asuras, then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how can a bodhisattva become ennobled with all virtuous qualities?”

7.6The Blessed One answered, “Lord of the asuras, a bodhisattva will become ennobled with all virtuous qualities if they have eight qualities. What are these eight? Rāhu, they are as follows: bodhisattvas in this Great Vehicle must be without pride, bow and bend before all beings, readily accept advice and be agreeable, practice what they preach, develop respect for all masters, precede all practitioners of virtue, keep firm pledges with regard to virtuous qualities, and be inspired toward vastness. In this way, they must perform many different kinds of generosity, never upset others even at the cost of their lives, give freedom from fear to fearful beings, never abandon beings who have come for refuge, and be insatiable in the pursuit of all aspects of merit and wisdom. If bodhisattvas possess these eight qualities, they will become ennobled with all kinds of virtuous qualities.” [F.171.a]

7.7Rāhu, lord of the asuras, then again asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, through what qualities will a bodhisattva achieve greatness of body, appearance, retinue, and mind?”

7.8The Blessed One answered, “Rāhu, a bodhisattva will achieve greatness of body through four qualities. What are these four? They are to never belittle the behavior of others, to commission perfect representations of the Thus-Gone One’s body, to reconcile and harmonize millions of struggling beings and then establish them in unsurpassed and perfect awakening, and to be without the power of anger toward any being. If bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will achieve greatness of body.

7.9“A bodhisattva will achieve greatness of appearance through four qualities. What are these four? They are to give various kinds of jewelry, to give up all valuable things, to look upon the Thus-Gone One with a loving gaze, and to not be jealous or miserly because of the fine countenance of others. If bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will achieve greatness of appearance.

7.10“A bodhisattva will achieve greatness of retinue through four qualities. What are these four? They are to abandon divisive speech and to never divide another’s retinue, to rejoice in others’ retinues, to be stable in the mind set on awakening, and to establish others in awakening. Lord of the asuras, if bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will achieve greatness of retinue.

7.11“A bodhisattva will achieve greatness of mind through four qualities. [F.171.b] What are these four? They are to have a pure motivation without deceit or pretense, to have a fierce resolve and to be unsaddened along the way, to be inspired toward vastness and to never desire the lesser vehicle, and to enter into the profound Dharma through understanding that all phenomena are inherently empty. Rāhu, if bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will achieve greatness of mind.”

7.12Rāhu, lord of the asuras, and thirty-two thousand of his followers were pleased and delighted, overjoyed, and filled with bliss. They scattered a hundred jewel flowers set with all kinds of gems weighing hundreds of pounds toward the Blessed One and developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. At that moment, they spoke the following verses in praise of the Blessed One:

7.24Not only did the excellent Rāhu receive his prophecy, but four hundred thousand beings set forth toward supreme awakening. The extraordinary intention of these beings with their excellent qualities shook the trichiliocosm, and the gods cast down a rain of flowers.

7.25Nāga King Anavatapta then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, if all phenomena are without self and without creator, what is a prophecy? What is a thus-gone one? What is awakening fully to buddhahood?”

7.26The Blessed One answered, “Nāga Lord, all phenomena are without self and without creator. This is the reality of phenomena. However, childish ordinary beings who are mistaken, who are fixated in clinging to me and mine, develop the notion that there is a being where there is none. Bodhisattvas arouse great compassion for them. For beings to then abandon such mistaken notions and become aware of how they cling to me and mine, the bodhisattvas don the armor of awakening. Such sublime beings also do not leave others in the ignorance of selflessness and nonindividuality but liberate these beings who have the views of self, being, life force, soul, person, and individual.

7.27“Nāga Lord, what you have just asked regarding prophecy is itself a prophetic teaching that shows a clear understanding of the Dharma. Developing certainty about the absence of self, life force, soul, and individuality [F.173.a] is a prophetic teaching. Abiding in the nonarising, unborn, rootless, and groundless is a prophetic teaching. Interest in the fact that all beings are equally selfless is a prophetic teaching. Seeing all phenomena as equally devoid of phenomena is a prophetic teaching. Knowing that all fields are equal in being pure and immaculate like space is a prophetic teaching. Seeing the wisdom that all phenomena are indivisible from the qualities of buddhahood and the realm of reality is a prophetic teaching. The mind that is naturally pure and that cannot become afflicted by any māras of affliction whatsoever is a prophetic teaching. Neither accepting, giving up, thinking of, nor conceptualizing emptiness and the absence of marks is a prophetic teaching. Nāga Lord, in the same manner that the nonabiding nature of mind, cognition, and consciousness is taught, so are all phenomena beyond apprehending. Realizing the sameness of all phenomena accurately is awakening. In this regard, on the ultimate level, there is no observation of a prophecy, an awakening, people being given a prophecy a prophet, or a reason for prophecy.

7.28“Nāga Lord, why is this? Phenomena are not entities because all roots are severed. Phenomena have no self because they arise from causes and conditions. Phenomena are ungraspable because they have the characteristic of lacking an essential nature. Phenomena have no essential nature because they have the characteristic of being free from parting. Phenomena do not arrive because they do not transfer over from the past. [F.173.b] Phenomena are not existent because they will not come into being in the future. Phenomena do not abide because a location cannot be observed. Phenomena are not observable because they are nonfunctional. Phenomena are not functional because there they are incorporeal. Phenomena are not corporeal because they have no location. Phenomena have no location because they have no support. Phenomena have no support because they do not move. Phenomena do not move because they do not abide. Phenomena do not abide because they are inanimate. Phenomena are not animate because they lack essential nature. Phenomena have no essential nature because they cannot be cognized. Phenomena cannot be cognized because they are free from superimposition. Phenomena have no superimposition because they cannot be brought to mind. Phenomena cannot be brought to mind because they are unobservable. Phenomena are unobservable because they do not change. Phenomena do not change because they are without concept or investigation. Phenomena have no concept or investigation because they are at peace. All phenomena are at peace, peaceful, and utterly peaceful because they do not occur from causes. Phenomena do not occur from causes because they are inherently liberated. All phenomena are inherently liberated because they have the characteristic of liberation. All phenomena have the characteristic of liberation because they are free of duality. All phenomena are free from duality because they have a single mode of being. All phenomena have a single mode of being because they are free of individuation. [F.174.a] All phenomena are free of individuation because they are without subdivisions. Phenomena have no subdivisions because they are realized as sameness.

7.29“Nāga Lord, therefore, within the sameness of all phenomena, there is nothing to be prophesied and no perfect and complete buddhahood whatsoever. Nāga Lord, consider the great compassion of the thus-gone ones and the strength of the bodhisattvas’ aspiration. By presenting phenomena in this manner through names and symbols, beings are made to understand. No phenomena can be seen outside of beings, and no beings can be seen outside of phenomena. Phenomena are just as beings are. Awakening is like this too. Buddhas are like this too. Prophecy is like this too. The realm of all phenomena is like this too. That is why one speaks of the thus-gone ones . The term thusness is employed because thusness is realized and because one abides in thusness. Since the meaning of thusness is unobscured, indivisible, and realized, one speaks of the thus-gone ones . Just as the thus-gone ones are indistinguishable from thusness, so too are phenomena indistinguishable from thusness. Nāga Lord, this is the level of sameness of the thus-gone ones. If bodhisattvas abide in this, they will not be scared, frightened, or grow anxious. Rather, they will help beings to understand this sameness that is the ground of the thus-gone ones.”

7.30When this teaching was given, thirty-two hundred bodhisattvas reached the acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Nāga King Anavatapta was also satisfied, happy, [F.174.b] delighted, joyful, and at ease. On the body of the Thus-Gone One he placed a pearl garland worth as much as all of Jambudvīpa.

7.31Then Adorned with Various Jewels, who was Nāga King Sāgara’s daughter and also related to the asura ruler Vemacitrin, along with ten thousand nāga women, took pearl garlands in their right hands and stared wide-eyed at the Blessed One. They then prostrated and sat down. Adorned with Various Jewels and the ten thousand nāga women then dressed the body of the Blessed One with these pearl garlands and said, “Blessed One, all of us have been inspired and developed the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. In the future, may we also become thus-gone worthy ones, perfect buddhas! May we teach the Dharma just as the Thus-Gone One has taught now. May we also care for the Saṅgha.”

7.32At this point, Venerable Mahākāśyapa addressed the nāga women: “Girls, one cannot become a perfect buddha in a female body, so it will be difficult for you to attain unsurpassed perfect complete awakening.”

7.33Adorned with Various Jewels then responded to Venerable Mahākāśyapa: “Honorable Mahākāśyapa, it may be that one cannot fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in a female body. However, when one has developed pure motivation, it is not difficult to accomplish awakening. The awakening of the bodhisattvas depends on the development of the mind set on awakening, and as soon as one develops the mind set on awakening, one will acquire all the qualities of buddhahood.

7.34“Honorable One, you say that one cannot fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in a female body, [F.175.a] but one cannot fully awaken in a male body either. Why is this, you may ask? Because the Thus-Gone One has said that the eye is not male, nor is it female, and that likewise the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are not female‍—nor are they male. Honorable Mahākāśyapa, why is this, you may ask? The eye is empty, and what is empty is not female‍—nor is it male. Honorable Mahākāśyapa, likewise the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are empty, and what is empty is not female‍—nor is it male. In this regard, Honorable One, understanding the nature of the eye is awakening. Understanding the nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind is awakening. Awakening has neither female nor male attributes. Therefore, Honorable Mahākāśyapa, the essence of awakening is also my essence.”

“Girl, are you awakened?”

7.35“Both the elder and I are awakened.”

“Girl, I am not awakened; I am a hearer.”

7.36“Honorable Mahākāśyapa, who guided you?”

“Girl, I was guided by the Thus-Gone One.”

7.37“Elder, if you were guided by the Thus-Gone One, and if the Thus-Gone One had not already fully awakened, would the Thus-Gone One have acted to guide the elder?”

“Girl, no he would not.”

7.38“Therefore, Honorable Mahākāśyapa, [F.175.b] you are also awakened, for there are no things that are not awakened.”

7.39“Girl, are even the acts of immediate retribution awakened?”

“Honorable One, yes‍—even the acts of immediate retribution are awakened. Why is this, you ask? Because awakening has the nature of the acts of immediate retribution, for the nature of the emptiness of the acts of immediate retribution is awakened. Because the nature of emptiness is awakened. Therefore, Honorable One, awakening can arise out of the understanding of the acts of immediate retribution. Honorable One, nothing exists that is not awakened. If a few phenomena were excluded, that would not be awakening. However, it is precisely the very sameness of all phenomena that makes them awakening.”

7.40“Girl, who gave you such eloquence?”

“It was given by the elder. Why is that? Because my eloquence would not have arisen if the elder had said nothing. As an analogy, Honorable One, just as there can be no echo if no one speaks, Honorable Mahākāśyapa, bodhisattvas do not give rise to eloquence until a question is posited.”

7.41“Girl, how many thus-gone ones have you served?”

“As many as the afflictions that the elder has abandoned.”

7.42“Girl, I have not abandoned the afflictions.”

“Honorable One, are you afflicted, then?”

7.43“I am neither afflicted, nor have I abandoned the afflictions.”

“Why Honorable One, have you cast off the afflictions?”

7.44“I do not produce them, cause them to cease, or cast them off. I simply know thusness as it truly is.” [F.176.a]

7.45“How can thusness be something one knows?”

“It is not.”

7.46“Why, then, is it said that the afflictions are known in exactly the same way as thusness? If you knew it, it would not be thusness, whereas if you do not know it, Honorable One, you are on par with ordinary beings, those who do not know.”

“Girl, all of your words nullify the words of others.”

7.47“My words neither nullify nor establish words. Why is this, you ask? Because the realm of reality cannot be nullified, and all words are truly contained within the realm of reality.”

7.48“Do you not regret positing that I am on par with ordinary beings?”

“Honorable Mahākāśyapa, I would only regret positing a difference between the elder, on the one hand, and all ordinary beings on the other, so I do not regret positing that the elder and all ordinary beings are not different. Honorable One, saying "on par with" is synonymous with the fact that all phenomena are undifferentiated and like space.”

7.49“Girl, are you on par with ordinary beings, or are you on par with the noble ones?”

“Honorable One, I am not on par with ordinary beings, nor am I on par with the noble ones. Why is this? If I were on par with ordinary beings, bodhisattva conduct would be meaningless for me, whereas if I were on par with the noble ones, then I would be on par with the hearers. If that were the case, I would have fallen away from the qualities of buddhahood.” [F.176.b]

7.50“Girl, if you are not on par with either ordinary beings or noble ones, how are you on par with the qualities of buddhahood?”

7.51“Honorable Mahākāśyapa, it is not that I am just now coming to be on par with the qualities of buddhahood. Why is this? I am primordially on par with the qualities of buddhahood.”

“Girl, if you are on par with the qualities of buddhahood, how do you have these qualities of buddhahood?”

7.52“Elder, are these so-called qualities of buddhahood in the past, present, or future? Do they exist as objects or in particular directions? Are they blue, yellow, red, white, madder, clear, or silver-colored?”

“Girl, the so-called qualities of buddhahood cannot be described in terms of color or shape.”

7.53“Honorable One, if the qualities of buddhahood cannot be described, and are not possible to describe, why then do I experience them?

7.54“Well then, girl, where should one seek the qualities of buddhahood?”

“They should be sought in the sixty-two views.”

7.55“And where should the sixty-two views themselves be sought?”

“They should be sought in the liberation of the Thus-Gone One.”

7.56“And where should the liberation of the Thus-Gone One itself be sought?”

“It should be sought in the five acts of immediate retribution.”

7.57“And where should the five acts of immediate retribution themselves be sought?”

“They should be sought in the elder Mahākāśyapa’s liberated wisdom vision.”

7.58“Girl, what do you mean by such a claim?” [F.177.a]

“Honorable One, this claim is neither a binding nor a liberating claim. It is not a claim to accept or reject. Rather, it is a naturally pure claim. It is a claim of how all phenomena are beyond difference.”

“Girl, this does not accord with the awakening of the thus-gone ones.”

7.59“Honorable Mahākāśyapa, that is not existent, and so this does not accord with the awakening of the thus-gone ones. Why is this? Because the awakening of the thus-gone ones cannot be described or related. Honorable Mahākāśyapa, all entities that can be described are distinguished by words. However, on the ultimate level, awakening cannot be communicated by words. Honorable One, what we call awakening is the peaceful ground. This is a nonverbal ground. This is the ground of things as they are. This is the groundless ground.”

7.60“Girl, if the characteristic of awakening is as you say, then how can one fully awaken?”

“Honorable Mahākāśyapa, one does not fully awaken through body and mind. Why is this? Awakening is simply the essential nature of body and mind. Thus, the essential nature does not fully awaken to the essential nature.”

7.61“Girl, will you fully awaken to buddhahood?”

“I am awakening. Through awakening, one does not fully awaken to buddhahood.”

7.62“Girl, if you are awakened, do you turn the wheel?”

“I am turning the wheel of Dharma.” [F.177.b]

7.63“How is it that you are turning the wheel of Dharma?”

“This wheel is unmoving because it is free from all supports. Because of the way in which this wheel abides in the realm of reality, it has no location. Because of the way in which this wheel is free from any lack, it is thusness. Because this wheel abides in the limit of reality, it is nonabiding. Because this wheel does not arise from any location, it is nonlocalized. Because this wheel accords with the sameness of all phenomena, it is nondual. Because this wheel cannot be apprehended as the ewsame or different, it is not differentiated. Because this wheel is of one taste with all conventions, language, and speech, it is indescribable. Because this wheel is not polluted, it is pure. Because this wheel cannot be apprehended as eternal or annihilated, its existence is not nullified. Because this wheel is fully considerate of cause and condition, it is not contradictory. This wheel is truth. This wheel neither arises nor ceases. This wheel is emptiness, the absence of marks, and the absence of wishes. Honorable Mahākāśyapa, how do you think the turning of such a wheel as this might work?”

7.64“Girl, if you can teach like this, then surely you will before long fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.”

“When the elder fully awakens to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, I too will fully awaken.”

7.65“It is impossible and unthinkable that I should fully awaken to buddhahood.” [F.178.a]

“That is true. Awakening cannot be found in any location. Therefore, no one at all could fully awaken to buddhahood.”

7.66When the maiden gave this teaching, five hundred bodhisattvas reached the acceptance that phenomena are unborn. The Blessed One expressed his approval of the maiden, saying “Excellent. Excellent. Your teaching was well spoken.” [B6]

7.67A few of the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas in the assembly then wondered, “How long will it take for this woman to fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood?”

7.68The Blessed One read their minds, and so addressed his monks, “Monks, after three hundred countless eons, during the eon called Purified, in the world of Light , the lady Adorned with Various Jewels will become the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Samantavipaśyin . The world Light will always be illuminated by the light of this thus-gone one. There will be 920 million bodhisattva attendants. The lifespan of this thus-gone one will be ten intermediate eons.”

7.69Then the ten thousand nāga women made the aspiration before the Blessed One, “Blessed One, may we be born in that world when the Thus-Gone One Samantavipaśyin attains awakening!”

The Blessed One then prophesied that they would be born into that world.

7.70Śakra, lord of the gods, then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three [F.178.b] live in constant fear and anxiety over the asuras. When the gods and asuras make war, there is mutual argument and fighting. Therefore, Blessed One, if the Thus-Gone One could give a teaching that would help all beings to be harmonious, it would be excellent! Blessed One, please see to it that all the gods and asuras contained in this assembly are harmonious toward one another, loving, helpful, and not malicious under any circumstances. Help our minds to be faithful!”

7.71The Blessed One then addressed the lords of the asuras Rāhu, Supreme Bliss, Vemacitrin, Subāhu, and Satisfier: “Friends, love is praised by all the buddhas. Beings who live according to the dictates of love achieve benefit in this and future lives. Friends, this life is short, and one must move on to the next. All of one's wealth is lost in the end. Kingly enjoyment and power are impermanent, so I encourage you to be harmonious with one another, to abandon malice, to keep the next life in mind, and to trust in the ripening of karma.”

7.72In that way the Blessed One gave a heartfelt sermon, which encouraged the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and the asuras to live in harmony. They said, “Blessed One, we agree to henceforth act kindly and be loving and not malicious toward one another.”

7.73The Blessed One continued, “Friends, this is excellent, excellent. A loving mind is the finest way to venerate the Thus-Gone One. [F.179.a] Veneration with objects that generate merit and are fashioned from material things cannot compare to absorption in the loving mind. Understanding this myself, I teach it accordingly. Furthermore, friends, these four are extraordinary ways to venerate the thus-gone ones. What are these four? They are not contradicting the trainings; actions of a loving body, speech, and mind; the mind set on awakening aimed at ensuring the survival of the lineage of the Three Jewels; and rigorously contemplating whatever Dharma one has heard. These four are extraordinary ways to venerate the thus-gone ones.”

7.74When the assemblies of gods and asuras heard this teaching, forty thousand of them developed the mind set on awakening. The nāga kings Breath , Great Breath, Takṣaka, and Infinite Color said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, in this ocean there are infinite classes of nāgas who have originated from a diversity of karmic ripening. Some are known for their power. Some are known to be weak and feeble in body, so there are also those with smaller bodies. Blessed One, the four garuḍas, those kings of birds, prey upon us and take away our young nāga boys and girls who are physically weak, thus causing fear among all classes of nāgas within the ocean. Thus we implore the Blessed One to guard, protect, and conceal all the nāgas in the ocean so we can live without fear and anxiety.”

7.75Taking the shawl from his shoulder, the Blessed One said to Nāga King Sāgara, [F.179.b] “Nāga Lord, take this shawl. Take pieces of it to all the classes and abodes of the nāgas. Wherever a single strand of this shawl lies in this ocean, the garuḍas will not go. Why is this? Because, Nāga Lord, aspirations made by the supreme mind of the disciplined Thus-Gone One are always fulfilled.”

7.76The nāga kings were worried as they wondered how every nāga in the ocean could possibly receive a piece of this small shawl. The Blessed One knew the thoughts of the nāga kings, and so he said to Nāga King Sāgara, “Nāga Lord, even if every single being in the worlds of the great trichiliocosm were to carry off a piece from this shawl, the shawl would not be used up. One can take as much fabric from it as one could wish for. This is how inconceivable the blessings of the Thus-Gone One are.”

7.77Nāga King Sāgara then took the shawl. Cutting it into hundreds of thousands of pieces, he distributed it to each adult and child nāga. The cloth was blessed such that each received as much as they desired. The shawl also grew vast and wide and never ran out.

7.78Nāga King Sāgara then addressed the nāga kings, “Friends, think of this shawl as the Teacher and use it as a support for your veneration. Why should you do so? Because this shawl was used by the Thus-Gone One. It is therefore a support for venerating him that all beings can use. [F.180.a] Friends, there is not the slightest distinction or difference to be made between venerating this shawl and venerating the Thus-Gone One himself.”

7.79The Blessed One then expressed his approval to Nāga King Sāgara, “Nāga Lord, excellent. Excellent. It is exactly as you have described: every act of venerating this shawl is an act of veneration toward the Thus-Gone One himself. Nāga lord, did the adult nāgas, the boy nāgas, and the girl nāgas all see the pieces being taken from the shawl?”

“Yes, Blessed One, they saw them.”

7.80The Blessed One said, “I prophesy that each of them will reach parinirvāṇa during this Fortunate Eon, purely by following the Great Vehicle. Nāga Lord, the Thus-Gone One is in this way the locus of veneration in this world. If one thinks of him just once, it will not be in vain.”

7.81All the nāgas in the ocean‍—adults, boys, and girls‍— were satisfied, happy, delighted, joyful, and at ease. They touched the feet of the Blessed One and said, “The Thus-Gone One does not speak falsely. The Thus-Gone One speaks the truth. He speaks truthfully. He does not speak mistakenly. So he prophesied that we would all reach parinirvāṇa. Blessed One, we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha of monks. We promise to take up the bases of training. We promise to repay the kindness of the Thus-Gone One. When the Thus-Gone One is alive, [F.180.b] we will come right away to behold, prostrate, serve, and listen to the Dharma. Even after the Thus-Gone One passes into parinirvāṇa, we will venerate the receptacle of his relics. We will serve and honor the Thus-Gone One in all ways.”