Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā

36.1Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, was blessed by the instruction of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind practiced the words of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind had the perception of the kalyāṇamitra as a physician and himself as a patient; [F.96.a] his mind was contented by focusing on the vision of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind had obtained the opportunity to disperse the mountain of obscurations to the vision of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind had attained, through seeing the kalyāṇamitra, entry into the ocean of the ways of the great compassion that saves all the realms of beings; his mind had attained, through seeing the kalyāṇamitra, the illumination by wisdom of the ocean of the ways of the realm of phenomena.

Thus, he approached the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā.

36.2The night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā, in order to further increase the ripening of his accumulation of the roots of merit through approaching a kalyāṇamitra, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as arising from a great accumulation, blessed going to a kalyāṇamitra as great prowess, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as diligence in actions that is difficult to realize, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as reliance throughout a long time, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as going into centerless and limitless directions, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as the source for dwelling together for a long time, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as the source of perceiving infinite tasks being completed, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as the prowess of an accumulation of centerless and limitless displays of the path, blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as prowess through every gateway, [F.96.b] and blessed approaching a kalyāṇamitra as the prowess of undeviating arrival.

36.3Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, approached the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā in this way: approaching a kalyāṇamitra with diligent dedication in the accumulation of omniscience; approaching a kalyāṇamitra with the prowess of accomplishing an ocean of great prayers; approaching a kalyāṇamitra with the resolve to undergo suffering for the sake of a single being until the conclusion of the last future kalpa; approaching a kalyāṇamitra with the prowess of remaining for a long time within a single atom, emitting sound throughout the entire realm of phenomena while wearing the armor of diligence; approaching a kalyāṇamitra while moving at great speed through the entire extent of the ocean of directions; approaching a kalyāṇamitra while maintaining all bodhisattva conduct of future kalpas in a single pore of the body; approaching a kalyāṇamitra with the attainment of bodhisattva conduct and in each instant of mind dwelling in omniscient wisdom; approaching a kalyāṇamitra while intent on following the path and the display of miracles of the tathāgatas of the three times; approaching a kalyāṇamitra while following the path of entering the stream of all the ways of the realm of phenomena; and approaching a kalyāṇamitra without deviating from being focused on all the ways of the realm of phenomena and pervading the entire realm of phenomena. [F.97.a]

36.4He saw the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā seated on a flower in the center of a lion throne within the circle of the assembly of the Bhagavat, resting in the bodhisattva samādhi called the banner of the power of vast, stainless, completely good joy.

36.5He saw emanating from all her pores clouds of manifestations of the practice of the perfections, such as generosity, which delighted all beings, which brought pleasure to all beings, and which were various kinds of beauty for all beings.

36.6They were like this: he saw clouds of manifestations of the practice of generosity in accord with the aspirations, perceptions, and languages of all beings, in order to benefit beings without causing discord, in order for there to be no concern for all material things, in order to give equally to all beings, in order for there to be impartiality toward all beings, in order to give respectfully to all beings, in order to give all inner and outer things, in order to manifest the generosity that is difficult, and in order to manifest in all worlds the practice of generosity according to the wishes of beings.

36.7He saw clouds of manifestations of the countless difficult acts of generosity by the bodhisattvas that appear in the three times, [F.97.b] which being emanated were perceived by all beings within the vast extent of the worlds in the ten directions.

36.8It was like this: because of her attainment of the inconceivable miraculous powers of the might of bodhisattvas, he saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanated bodies of various beings, equal in number to that of all beings, which spread throughout all beings within all world realms, demonstrating directly to them the unwavering commitment to vows of discipline; demonstrating throughout the realms of beings the field of the various vows of discipline of asceticism; demonstrating nondependence on all worlds, no concern for all fields of perception, and the rejection of all locations in saṃsāra; demonstrating entering the gateway to the decline of the good fortune of devas and humans; demonstrating the field of unattractiveness; dispelling the incorrect perception of attractiveness in the world; revealing the nature of phenomena to be impermanence, instability, destruction, and change; showing the true nature of all that is composite to be suffering and the absence of a self; yearning to dwell inseparably within the field of activity of the tathāgatas; inspiring beings toward the perfectly stainless conduct of the tathāgatas; teaching to beings, in accordance with their aspirations and languages, the practice of correct conduct; manifesting the lovely scent of correct conduct that brings satisfaction to beings; [F.98.a] and ripening all beings.

36.9He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanated bodies of various colors, which were as numerous as all beings, teaching the endurance by all beings of the major and minor parts of their bodies being cut off; teaching the endurance by all beings of harm to their bodies; teaching the endurance by all beings of being falsely reviled, censured, reproached, disgraced, and threatened; teaching the imperturbability of all beings; teaching all beings to be neither uplifted by honors nor made downcast by disrespect; teaching humility in all beings; teaching the unceasing wisdom of the unceasing patience toward the nature of all phenomena; teaching the practice of patience that eliminates the kleśas in all beings; turning all beings away from misshapen bodies with ugly color; teaching the supreme pure color of the tathāgatas; and ripening beings.

36.10He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanated bodies of various colors, shapes, and sizes, equal in number to that of all beings, which spread everywhere in accordance with the aspirations of beings, teaching exertion in diligence for the great accumulation of omniscience; [F.98.b] the diligence that puts to flight all discord from the māras; the diligence that is constant and unwavering in undertaking the attainment of enlightenment; the diligence for rescuing all beings from the ocean of saṃsāra; the diligence that turns beings away from all the paths that lead to unfortunate existences, calamitous existences, terrible existences, and downfalls; the diligence for shattering to pieces the mountain of ignorance; the diligence that never wearies in serving and making offerings to all the tathāgatas; the diligence for receiving and holding the Dharma wheel of all the buddhas; the diligence for shattering and scattering the mountain of all obscurations; the diligence that never wearies of ripening and guiding all beings; and the diligence for purifying all buddha realms and teaching the pure, unsurpassable diligence of the tathāgatas, and he saw them ripening beings.

36.11He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanated bodies of various colors and shapes that through various methods brought joy to beings; prevented unhappiness; condemned all delights in desire; proclaimed in the world the quality of a sense of shame; brought beings to control of their senses; praised the unsurpassable conduct of celibacy; taught the fearfulness of the world of desire and the realm of Māra ; taught all the worlds that are the range of desire, even to those who were free from delighting in desires; caused beings to delight in the pleasures of the Dharma; [F.99.a] enabled the successive attainment of the gateways to dhyāna, samādhi, and samāpatti; described the mind that comprehends the elimination of all kleśas in all beings; taught all the miraculous manifestations of the ocean of bodhisattva samādhis; taught the miracles and supremacy of the higher cognitions of the bodhisattvas; brought joy to all beings; increased enthusiasm; created happiness; dispelled unhappiness; caused the attainment of faultless minds; made minds skillful; purified thoughts; clarified the senses; brought physical bliss; magnified the power of delight in the Dharma; and thus ripened beings.

36.12He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of various bodies resembling all bodies that appear, in order to appear in accordance with the wishes of all beings within all realms, demonstrating unwearyingly going into the presence of kalyāṇamitras; demonstrating unwearying service and attendance to ācāryas, gurus, and kalyāṇamitras; demonstrating the diligence that never wearies of receiving and holding the turning of the Dharma wheel of all the tathāgatas; describing the way of comprehending the ocean of all the buddhas; [F.99.b] contemplating the ocean of all Dharma entrances; explaining the characteristics, natures, and ways of all Dharmas; teaching the entrances into the samādhis of all Dharmas; teaching the range of wisdom that dispels the ocean of questions and doubts of all beings; teaching the vajra of wisdom that destroys the mountains of wrong views of all beings; teaching, with every instant of mind, the rising of the disk of the sun of wisdom that dispels the darkness of the ignorance of all beings; and ripening beings by bringing happiness to all beings.

36.13He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanations of many bodies of inconceivable colors and shapes, equal to those of all beings, becoming present before all beings in accordance with their motivations and aspirations, and teaching, giving instructions by having mastered various languages, the knowledge of what is meritorious in the world and what is not meritorious. He saw the worldly deeds that should be accomplished, the description of the origin of all three realms, the explanation of the direction that leads to leaving all three realms, the teaching of the direction that leads to leaving the unendurable misery of wrong views, and thereby the teaching of the unique path to omniscience, the teaching of the transcending of the path of the śrāvaka and pratyeka­buddha levels, the teaching of being unstained by anger or love toward those who show respect and those who disrespect, the teaching of nonengagement with the gateways to either saṃsāra or nirvāṇa, the teaching of the unceasing successive passage from one place to another such as the Tuṣita paradise, [F.100.a] the teaching of the unceasing succession of going to the bodhimaṇḍa and attaining complete buddhahood, and the ripening of beings for omniscience.

36.14He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanated bodies as numerous as the atoms in all buddha realms and visibly present in all worlds of beings. They were describing the completely good bodhisattva conduct and prayer; describing the special prayer for the perfect purification of the entire realm of phenomena; describing the purification of the entire ocean of world realms in each instant of mind; describing continuous service and offering to all the tathāgatas; teaching the continuous entry into the ocean of all the ways of the Dharma in each instant of mind; describing the continuous entry into the ocean of the ways of the realm of phenomena, which are as numerous as the atoms in the entire ocean of world realms, in each instant of mind; describing the continuous teaching of the purification of the path to omniscience while remaining resolutely throughout all future kalpas in all realms; describing continuous entry into the strengths of the tathāgatas in each instant of mind; teaching continuous entry into the ocean of all the ways of the three times; teaching the continuous manifestation of miraculous powers in all realms; and establishing all beings in omniscience through the teaching of bodhisattva prayer and conduct. [F.100.b]

36.15He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanated bodies as numerous as the minds of all beings, and in the presence of all beings teaching the limitless strength of the accumulation of omniscience; teaching the inexhaustible, indestructible, and everlasting strength of the mind that knows all phenomena; teaching the irreversible, nonregressive, invincible, ever-continuing, unsurpassable strength of the attainment of all bodhisattva conduct; teaching the bodhisattva strength that is unstained by any of the faults of saṃsāra; teaching the bodhisattva strength that disperses the entire army of Māra ; teaching the bodhisattva strength that is unafflicted by the stains of any of the kleśas; teaching the bodhisattva strength that disperses the mountain of all karmic obscurations; teaching the bodhisattva strength of great compassion that continues throughout all kalpas with unwearying bodhisattva conduct; teaching the bodhisattva strength that brings happiness to all beings by shuddering and shaking all buddha realms; teaching the bodhisattva strength that defeats all the hosts of māras and adversaries; and elucidating in the world the great strength of the wisdom of turning the Dharma wheel and thus ripening all beings for omniscience. [F.101.a]

36.16He saw, issuing forth from all her pores, clouds of emanated bodies, as numerous as the minds of all beings, which spread throughout the infinite realms of beings in the ten directions, teaching in accordance with the motivations and aspirations of beings the prowess of bodhisattva conduct and wisdom; teaching the wisdom that comprehends the ocean of all the realms of beings; teaching the wisdom that comprehends the ocean of the minds of all beings; teaching the wisdom that knows the ocean of the faculties of all beings; teaching the wisdom that comprehends the ocean of the conducts of all beings; teaching the wisdom that always knows the time for ripening and guiding all beings; teaching the wisdom that resounds throughout the entire realm of phenomena; teaching the wisdom that pervades everywhere, in each instant of mind, the ocean of all the ways of knowing the entire realm of phenomena; teaching the knowledge of the formation and destruction of the ocean of all world realms; teaching the knowledge of the basis, shape, and arrayed displays of all world realms; and teaching the knowledge of emanating offerings to all the tathāgatas, going into their presence, making offerings, rendering service, and possessing clouds of Dharma wheels. And by teaching in that way the practice of the perfection of knowledge, they were bringing happiness to beings, making their minds clear, creating joy, increasing aspiration, dispelling unhappiness, purifying the mind, [F.101.b] creating a faultless mind, clarifying the senses, creating the power of aspiration, and causing irreversible progress toward omniscience.

36.17In the same way that he saw beings being ripened in worlds through the teaching of the practice of the perfections, he saw the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā proclaiming all the bodhisattva Dharmas: the initial accumulation of developed motivation; the methods for serving and venerating kalyāṇamitras; approaching the feet of tathāgatas and making offerings to them and attending them; every method for practicing good qualities; making the most difficult of gifts through the practice of the perfection of generosity; the methods for training in the perfection of correct conduct; all the methods for giving up the great power of kingship, retinues, and great power over enjoyments and becoming a renunciate; all the accomplishments of patience in the domain of vows of discipline and great asceticism that are difficult to undertake in this world; all resolute engagement in the bodhisattva vows of discipline; the ocean of the qualities of firm bodhisattva commitments; the endurance of the bad actions, bad speech, and bad thoughts of all realms of beings; the endurance of harm to the body and the mind; the patience of the nonperishing nature of the Dharma; the patience of belief in all Dharmas; [F.102.a] the patience of realizing the nature of the Dharma; the diligence for engaging in undertaking omniscience; the diligence for accomplishing all the qualities of buddhahood; the practice of the perfection of diligence; the accumulation of the perfection of meditation; dedication to the perfection of meditation; the pure practices that accomplish the perfection of meditation; the miraculous powers from the attainment of bodhisattva samādhis; the entry through an ocean of samādhi gateways; the practices of the perfection of meditation; the accumulation of the perfection of wisdom; the ways of purifying the sun disk of great bodhisattva wisdom; the ways of accumulating the clouds of great wisdom; the accumulations of the great treasure of wisdom; the ways of analyzing the great ocean of wisdom; dedication to purification and skill in great methods; the bodies from the perfection of great bodhisattva prayers; the accomplishment of the perfection of great prayers; the practice of the perfection of great prayers; the dedication in the past to the perfection of great prayers; [F.102.b] the great accumulations for attaining the perfection of strength; the conditions for the perfection of strength; the great ocean of the ways of the perfection of strength; the teaching of the perfection of strength; the dedication in the past to the perfection of strength; the practice of the perfection of knowledge; the ways of the perfection of knowledge; the ways of the purification of the perfection of knowledge; the direction of the perfection of knowledge; following the perfection of knowledge; the vastness of the perfection of knowledge; absorption in the ways of the perfection of knowledge; focusing on the ways of the perfection of knowledge; following the vastness of the perfection of knowledge; the pervasion of the perfection of knowledge; the extent of the perfection of knowledge; the assemblage of the perfection of knowledge; dedication in the past to the accomplishment of the perfection of knowledge; the arrangement of the arising of entry into the classification of the kinds of practice of the perfection of knowledge; possessing the ways of absorption in the perfection of knowledge; seeking the knowledge of Dharma that encompasses what is Dharma and what is not Dharma; seeking the knowledge of karma; seeking the knowledge of realms; [F.103.a] seeking the knowledge of kalpas; seeking the knowledge of times; seeking the knowledge of the occurrence of buddhas; seeking the knowledge of buddhas; seeking the knowledge of the bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the arising of bodhisattva motivation; seeking the knowledge of the presence of bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the arising of bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the setting-forth of bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of prayers; seeking the knowledge of the Dharma wheels of bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the analysis of the Dharma by bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the ways of the sea of Dharma of the bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the ocean of Dharma of the bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the turning of the Dharma wheel of the bodhisattvas; seeking the knowledge of the treasure of the Dharma of the bodhisattvas; and seeking the knowledge of the state of the Dharma of the bodhisattvas. Clouds of bodies of beings of various colors emitted from each of the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā’s pores ripened beings through all the limitless and centerless bodhisattva practices endowed with the perfection of knowledge.

36.18They were like this: he saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the Śuddhāvāsa devas of the Akaniṣṭha, Sudarśana , Sudṛśa, Atapa, and Avṛha paradises issuing forth and ripening beings. [F.103.b]

In the same way, he saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the devas in the Bṛhatphala, Puṇya­prasava, and Anabhraka paradises issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.19He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the devas in the Śubhakṛtsna, Apramāṇa­śubha, and Parītta­śubha paradises issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the devas in the Ābhāsvara, Apramāṇābha, and Parīttābha paradises issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.20He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the devas in the Mahābrahma, Brahmapurohita, and Brahmapārṣada paradises issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the deva king Vaśavartin and his devas and apsarases issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.21He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the deva king Sunirmita and his devas and apsarases issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the deva king Saṃtuṣita and his devas and apsarases issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.22He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the deva king Suyāma and his devas and apsarases issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the deva king Śakra and his devas and apsarases issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.23He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the gandharva king Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his male gandharvas and female gandharvas issuing forth and ripening beings. [F.104.a]

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the kumbhāṇḍa king Virūḍhaka and his male kumbhāṇḍas and female kumbhāṇḍas issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.24He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the nāga king Virūpākṣa and his male nāgas and female nāgas issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the great yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa and his male yakṣas and female yakṣas issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.25He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the kinnara king Druma and his male kinnaras and female kinnaras issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the mahoraga lord Sumati and his male mahoragas and female mahoragas issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.26He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the garuḍa lord Mahā­bala­vega­sthāma and his male garuḍas and female garuḍas issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the asura lord Rāhu and his male asuras and female asuras issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.27He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the Dharma king Yama and his male yamas and female yamas issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the lord of humans and his male humans and female humans issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.28Thus he saw clouds of bodies that were like those of all the beings that appear in all existences issuing forth and ripening beings. [F.104.b]

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of śrāvakas, pratyeka­buddhas, and ṛṣis issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.29He saw clouds of bodies that were like the devas of the realms of wind, water, and fire issuing forth and ripening beings.

He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the devas of oceans, rivers, mountains, forests, harvests, herbs, trees, and earth issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.30He saw clouds of bodies that were like those of the devas of parks, cities, the bodhimaṇḍa, the day, the night, space, directions, those who walk on legs, and all those who have bodies issuing forth and ripening beings.

36.31In the same way, he saw clouds of bodies that were like Vajrapāṇi issuing forth, spreading throughout the ten directions, being present before beings throughout the extent of the ways of the realm of phenomena, and ripening beings.

36.32He saw, beginning with the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā’s first accumulation of the development of the aspiration to enlightenment, the unbroken succession of the accomplishment of a virtuous mind in her past lifetimes; the constant succession of praising the aspiration to enlightenment; the constant succession of passing away and obtaining a rebirth; the constant succession of the possession of a body; the constant succession of the wheel of names; the constant succession of going to a kalyāṇamitra; [F.105.a] the constant succession of honoring the appearance of a buddha; the constant succession of acquiring the sentences and syllables of the Dharma; the constant succession of the motivation to practice the bodhisattva path; the constant succession of attaining samādhi; the constant succession of seeing buddhas through having attained samādhi; the constant succession of the expanding vision that sees the realms; the constant wheel of the knowledge of the succession of the kalpas; the constant succession of the knowledge that comprehends the realm of phenomena; the constant succession of seeing the natures of beings; the constant succession of knowing the successive passing and rebirth of beings who are within the ocean of the ways of the realm of phenomena; the constant succession of understanding pure divine hearing; the constant succession of the gateways for entering into the continuum of looking into the minds of the entire realm of beings; the constant succession of gateways for first entering divine sight; the constant succession of the first perception through divine hearing; the constant succession of the first knowledge of the minds of other beings; the constant succession of the first knowledge of the memory of the previous lifetimes of herself and others; [F.105.b] the constant succession of the first conditions for attaining miraculous activity through being established in the absence of existence; the constant succession of spreading the prowess of miraculous powers throughout the directions; the constant succession of attaining bodhisattva liberations; the constant succession of realizing the inconceivable ways of an ocean of bodhisattva liberations; the constant succession of the miraculous manifestations of bodhisattva samādhi; the constant succession of bodhisattva prowess; the constant succession of bodhisattva domination; the constant succession of gaining the title of bodhisattva; the constant succession of entering the bodhisattva path; and the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā’s constant succession of bodhisattva knowledge all issued from all her pores as clouds of emanated bodies that he then saw teaching the Dharma to beings.

36.33He saw them declaring it, elucidating it, revealing it, communicating it, categorizing it, expanding upon it, enumerating it, giving instruction on it, making it known, and accomplishing it.

36.34He saw some teaching the Dharma through speech from the sound of shaking in a domain of wind, [F.106.a] some through speech from the sound of crashing waves on a mass of water, some through speech from the sound of the roaring flames of a fire, some through speech from the sound of a roaring ocean, some through speech from the sound of the rumbling of an earthquake, some through speech from the sound and noise of great mountains striking against and buffeting one another, some through speech from the melodious sound of the shaking of the cities of the devas, some through speech from the sound of divine aerial palaces buffeting one another, some through the speech of the lords of the devas; some through the speech of the lords of the nāgas, some through the speech of the lords of the yakṣas, some through the speech of the lords of the gandharvas, some through the speech of the lords of the asuras, some through the speech of the lords of the garuḍas, some through the speech of the lords of the mahoragas, some through the speech of the lords of the kinnaras, some through the speech of the lords of the humans, some through the speech of the lords of the Brahmā devas, some through the speech of the songs of the apsarases, some through speech from the playing of divine music, some through speech sounding from precious jewels, and some through the speech of all the various classes of beings, describing to beings the scope of the liberation of the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā.

36.35In the same way, he saw clouds of bodhisattva bodies with various kinds of bodhisattva speech and clouds of emanated tathāgatas, with the ways of the aspects of voice of the different kinds of speech of each tathāgata and describing to all beings the range of the liberation of the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā, including the first occurrence of developing the aspiration to enlightenment and the accumulation of accomplishments. [F.106.b]

36.36He saw that each of those clouds of emanated forms purified, in each instant of mind, an anabhilāpyānabhilāpya of buddha realms in the world realms in the ten directions.

36.37He saw them liberating an infinite ocean of beings from all the sufferings of the lower realms.

He saw them establishing realms of beings, without limit or center, in the good fortune of devas and humans.

36.38He saw them freeing an ocean of beings, without limit or center, from the ocean of saṃsāra.

He saw them establishing an ocean of beings without limit or center on the śrāvaka and pratyeka­buddha levels.

36.39Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, saw them bringing, in each instant of mind, an ocean of beings, without limit or center, to the level of the ten strengths.

36.40He heard them, contemplated them, scrutinized them, comprehended them, understood them, knew them, followed them, fathomed them, and was resolved as to their equality.

36.41This was because of the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā’s having become an appropriate vessel for the completely good bodhisattva conduct, her supremacy through the miracles of the bodhisattva liberation called the vast banner of inconceivable, completely good joy, her corresponding practice in the past, her being blessed by the blessings of the tathāgatas, and the ripening of her countless roots of merit.

36.42Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, who had attained the illumination of an ocean of the power of great bodhisattva joy, who had been blessed by all the tathāgatas in the ten directions, [F.107.a] placed his hands together in homage and praised the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā with these appropriate verses:

36.53Having praised the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā with those verses, Sudhana asked, “Goddess, how long has it been since you entered into attaining the highest, complete enlightenment? Goddess, how long has it been since you attained the bodhisattva liberation called the banner of the power of vast, stainless, completely good joy?”

36.54The night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā recited these verses to Sudhana, the head merchant’s son:

36.140“Noble one, do you think that the cakravartin king, that sovereign, who at that time, in that time, [F.112.a] was established in the unbroken lineage of the family of the buddhas is anyone else? Noble one, do not see him in that way. Mañjuśrī Kumāra­bhūta was at that time, in that time, that king, that sovereign, who was the cakravartin, established in the unbroken lineage of the family of the buddhas. The night goddess who awoke me was an emanation of the bodhisattva Samanta­bhadra.

36.141“Noble one, what do you think? If you think that Bhadramati, the precious woman who was the queen of the cakravartin in that time, at that time, was anyone else, do not see her in that way. At that time, in that time, I was Bhadramati, the precious woman who was the queen of the cakravartin. I was awoken by that night goddess and inspired by her to go see the Buddha.

36.142“Noble one, I developed in that one existence the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment. In that way, through the power of that development of aspiration, I have, throughout kalpas as numerous as the atoms in a buddha realm, never fallen into rebirth in the lower realms but have always continuously depended on existence as a human or deva, and in all those existences I have seen tathāgatas. Finally, through just seeing the Bhagavat Arhat Samyak­saṃbuddha Ratna­śrī­pradīpa­guṇa­ketu, I attained the bodhisattva liberation called the banner of the power of vast, stainless, completely good joy. When I had attained it, I took on this kind of form in order to ripen and guide beings.

36.143“Noble one, I know only this bodhisattva liberation called the banner of the power of vast, stainless, completely good joy. How could I know the conduct or describe the qualities of bodhisattvas who, at the feet of all the tathāgatas [F.112.b] in each instant of mind, attain a great ocean of the power for setting out upon omniscience; who, in each instant of mind, have completed the attainment of an ocean of great prayers within all the entrances for setting out upon omniscience; who, in each instant of mind, are skilled, through the ways of making an ocean of prayers, in accomplishing a domain of conduct in future kalpas; who are skilled in accomplishing, within each conduct, as many bodies as there are atoms in all buddha realms; who are skilled in pervading, with each body, the entire ocean of different ways in the realm of phenomena; who are skilled in manifesting, in each ocean of different ways in the realm of phenomena, a perceivable conduct of the body that accords with the dispositions of beings throughout all the buddha realms; who are skilled in comprehending, in each ocean of different ways in the realm of phenomena, an ocean of tathāgatas, without limit or center, within all the atoms of a realm in all realms; who are skilled in comprehending each tathāgata’s miraculous tathāgata manifestations that pervade the entire extent of the realm of phenomena; who are skilled in comprehending each tathāgata’s accomplishment of gathering the accumulation of bodhisattva conduct in past kalpas; who are skilled in obtaining and possessing each tathāgata’s vast wheel of the Dharma; and who are skilled in comprehending the ocean of the different ways of miraculous manifestations by the tathāgatas in the three times?

36.144“Depart, noble one. In this circle of the Tathāgata’s assembly, not far from me, there is the goddess of the night named Samanta­sattva­trāṇojaḥ­śrī. [F.113.a] Go to her and ask her, ‘How should a bodhisattva train in bodhisattva conduct? How should a bodhisattva practice it?’ ”

36.145Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, bowed his head to the feet of the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā, circumambulated the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā many hundreds of thousands of times, keeping her to his right, and, looking back again and again, departed from the night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā. [B7]