Chapter 14: The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma

14.1“Indeed, Śāntamati, some gods and humans thought that the conquest of the māras had immeasurable differences in this way, while some thought that Māra was not approaching in any way at all. Some thought the Bodhisattva was seated upon a mat of grass, while some saw the Bodhisattva seated upon a lion’s seat resting on a splendid arrangement of lotus flowers made of jewels. Some saw the Bodhisattva situated upon the surface of the earth, while some saw the Bodhisattva seated upon a lion’s seat situated in the vault of the sky. Some saw the tree of awakening as the king of trees, the sacred fig tree; some saw it as the divine Pārijāta tree; some saw it as the divine Kovidāra grove. Some saw the tree of awakening as entirely made of jewels. Some gods and humans saw the tree of awakening as being equal in height to a palm tree, and they saw the lion’s seat as equal to half the height of a palm tree. Some saw the tree of awakening as being equal in height to seven palm trees, and they saw the lion’s seat to be equal in height to three and a half palm trees. Some saw the tree of awakening to be eighty-four thousand leagues in height and the lion’s seat to be forty-two thousand leagues in height.

14.2“Now, some gods and humans saw the Bodhisattva conquering Māra. Some saw only one māra. Some saw a vast army of māras. Some saw the Bodhisattva making child’s play out of defeating Māra. Some saw the bodhisattva up in the vault of the sky at the same time as he was awakening to supreme awakening while being seated upon the lion’s seat at the base of the tree of awakening. Indeed, Śāntamati, bodhisattvas have immeasurable capacity. The particular conditions and qualities of those who have gone to the supreme point of the seat of awakening have appeared in truly immeasurable ways. [F.156.b]

14.3“What is more, Śāntamati, when the Bodhisattva had gone to the supreme point of the seat of awakening, an immeasurable, incalculable number of bodhisattvas, whose past actions were in the same category as his own, came from immeasurable, incalculable worlds throughout the ten directions, and they urged him on by uttering words to him. They said the word ‘fearlessness,’ and the word ‘security,’ and the words ‘happiness’ and ‘bliss.’ They said the words ‘haste’ and ‘speed.’ They said the word ‘bravo!’ They urged him on by uttering the words ‘success,’ ‘valor,’ ‘good man,’ ‘irreversible one,’ ‘nourishment,’ ‘auspicious,’ ‘no more pain,’ ‘no fatigue,’ ‘past motivation,’ ‘unfailing effort,’ ‘cheerfulness,’ ‘rock-solid as a vajra,’ ‘the child’s play of a good man,’ ‘benefit,’ ‘connecting with awakening in a single moment,’ ‘the knowledge of an omniscient one,’ and ‘complete awakening.’

14.4“In this way, Śāntamati, the bodhisattvas who had gathered there from the worlds throughout the ten directions cheered on the Bodhisattva who had gone to the supreme point of the seat of awakening with thousands of different words of encouragement. They performed various forms of worship, and they extolled him with hymns of various sorts. The Bodhisattva’s past actions were done well, and thus the bodhisattvas who had gathered there from the worlds throughout the ten directions cheered on the Bodhisattva who had gone to the supreme point of the seat of awakening and they worshiped him. Nevertheless, he did not feel any affection for them, nor did he feel any anger toward the army of māras.

14.5“Being free of affection and anger, Śāntamati, and with the wisdom that is connected with awakening in a single moment of thought, the Bodhisattva then awakened fully to that which should be known, to that which should be seen, to that which should be attained, to all that to which one should be fully awakened‍—that is, complete awakening. [F.157.a]

14.6“Moreover, Śāntamati, when the Realized One had achieved awakening, an immeasurable and incalculable number of blessed buddhas from throughout the ten directions extended their right hands to him, and they asked him, ‘Is your body not tired?’ And they asked, ‘Have you become awakened to the tireless state?’ and, ‘Have you become awakened to the state of ease?’ ‘Have you become awakened completely to what is self-arisen?’ ‘Have you awakened to what is not hindered?’ And they asked him, ‘Have you awakened through the knowledge of sameness?’ ‘Have you awakened through omnipresent knowledge?’ ‘Do you have as your scope what is unadulterated?’ ‘Are you wearing the armor of great compassion?’ ‘Have you made sure the lineage of the Three Jewels remains unbroken?’ And they asked him, ‘Have you gained mastery over all things?’

14.7“In this respect, those beings whose spiritual faculties had reached maturity were aware of the activity of the realized ones, whereas those beings whose spiritual faculties were still immature were unaware of it.

14.8“Moreover, Śāntamati, once the Realized One had attained awakening he experienced the happiness that finds pleasure in the Dharma for seven nights without closing his eyes. He also gazed at the tree of awakening without closing his eyes. Hundreds of thousands of gods also worshiped him, sang songs of praise to him, and bowed down before him. Hundreds of thousands of apsarases also worshiped him, sang songs of praise to him, and bowed down before him. When they saw the Realized One’s demeanor, they also conceived the aspiration for unsurpassable, perfect, and complete awakening.

14.9“Moreover, Śāntamati, when the Realized One had attained awakening, the Four Great Kings approached him bearing alms bowls. Just as they came from this world of four continents, in the same way four billion more great kings from a billion more worlds with four continents also approached the Realized One, and they were bearing alms bowls, too. In this regard, Śāntamati, the Realized One accepted these four billion alms bowls, [F.157.b] and having accepted them he made them into a single alms bowl through the force of his empowering authority. Still, each of the great kings had the thought, ‘The Realized One has accepted my alms bowl! The Realized One will eat from my alms bowl!’ As a result of the joy and pleasure they felt at this very thought, they all became unable to be turned back from unsurpassable, perfect awakening.

14.10“Moreover, Śāntamati, once the Realized One had attained awakening, the merchants Trapuṣa and Bhallika, and another sixty thousand gods, approached the Realized One carrying his first meal, and gave it to him. They had made the prior vow, ‘We will be the first to provide the Realized One with a meal.’ Once they had provided the Realized One with his first meal, they became unable to be turned back from unsurpassable, perfect awakening as a result of the joy and pleasure they felt at this very act.

14.11“Indeed, Śāntamati, when he had gone to the supreme point of the seat of awakening, the Bodhisattva worked for the benefit of beings even before he had achieved the knowledge of an omniscient one, and once he had achieved awakening, the Realized One worked for the benefit of beings even before he turned the wheel of the Dharma, and he did so to a great extent. It isn’t that he only did so from the time when he first conceived the aspiration for awakening until he reached the seat of awakening. In this way, too, Śāntamati, one should understand that by the very act of being seated for awakening‍—just by that very act‍—a bodhisattva works for the benefit of immeasurable beings.

14.12“Moreover, Śāntamati, when the Realized One had attained awakening, Brahmā Śikhin vanished from the Brahmā world and, accompanied and preceded by six million eight hundred thousand gods from the Heaven of Brahmā’s Assembly, he appeared right in front of the Blessed One. He bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One and walked around him seven times, keeping him on the right, and entreated the Blessed One, ‘Teach the Dharma, Blessed One, so that the wheel of Dharma may be set in motion! Teach the Dharma, Sublime One! There are beings who are worthy recipients of the Dharma. They will understand the Dharma taught by the Realized One!’ [F.158.a] He did this, too, as a result of the vow he made in the past at the time when he was the son of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra: ‘I will entreat all the realized ones who attain awakening in the Fortunate Eon to turn the wheel of Dharma.’

14.13“Now, Śāntamati, if one were to think that Brahmā Śikhin was the only one who entreated the Realized One to turn the wheel of Dharma, and no one else did too, then one should not see it in that way. The reason is that just as Brahmā Śikhin entreated him, the Realized One was likewise being entreated by one billion other brahmās. One billion śakras and one billion bodhisattvas were also entreating the Blessed One to turn the wheel of Dharma.

14.14“When the Blessed One had settled upon the place where he would turn the wheel of Dharma, Brahmā Śikhin prepared the lion’s seat for the Blessed One at the Deer Park at Sage Landing in Vārāṇasī. It was forty-two thousand leagues tall, endowed with the finest of all features, multicolored, and beautiful to behold as it rested upon the surface of the earth. Just as Brahmā Śikhin prepared a lion’s seat for the Realized One, lion’s seats were likewise prepared for the Realized One by one billion other brahmās, one billion śakras, and one hundred billion bodhisattvas along with their retinues. They were also multicolored, beautiful to behold, and endowed with the finest of all features.

14.15“Now, Śāntamati, the Blessed One went to the Deer Park at Sage Landing in the great city of Vārāṇasī, and once he had arrived there he made it appear that he sat down upon every single one of those lion’s seats. In this regard, each and every one of the śakras, brahmās, lokapālas, and bodhisattvas thought, [F.158.b] ‘The Realized One is seated upon my lion’s seat! Seated upon my lion’s seat, he will set the wheel of Dharma in motion!’ As a result of the joy and pleasure they felt at this very thought, they all became unable to be turned back from unsurpassable, perfect awakening.

14.16“As soon as the Blessed One sat upon those lion’s seats, at that precise moment infinite and limitless worlds throughout the ten directions trembled and were pervaded by a great light. Now, at that moment the Blessed One settled into a state of meditative concentration known as infinite range. As soon as the Blessed One had settled into that meditative concentration of infinite range, at that precise moment the worlds throughout this cosmos of a billion worlds became level like the palm of one’s hand, and the beings in the hell realms, the animal realms, the realms of Yama, the human realms, and the god realms throughout the cosmos of a billion worlds were all transfixed in bliss. Not a single being was troubled by passion, hatred, or ignorance, nor were they troubled by any of the afflictions. Their minds were filled with love for one another, and they thought of one other as their mothers and fathers.

14.17“Moreover, as soon as the Blessed One settled into the meditative concentration of infinite range, at that precise moment immeasurable and incalculable bodhisattvas from throughout the ten directions came to hear the Dharma from the Blessed One. At the same time, all the mighty and distinguished gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and superhuman beings throughout the cosmos of a billion worlds also drew near to the Blessed One to hear the Dharma from the Blessed One. Indeed, Śāntamati, at that moment there was not a single spot of ground here in this cosmos of a billion worlds, not even one so small in size as the very tip of a hair from a horse’s tail, [F.159.a] that was not occupied by mighty and distinguished beings there to hear to the Dharma from the Blessed One.

14.18“At that point, knowing that a great assembly was gathered there, the Blessed One emerged, mindful and alert, from that state of meditative concentration. Emerging from that state, he looked upon the entire world with the eye of a realized one, directed by great compassion, and he turned the wheel of the Dharma that had not been turned before for ascetics and brahmins as well as for anyone in this world who is in accord with the Dharma. Moreover, Śāntamati, the Realized One turned the wheel of Dharma in such a way that all beings were satisfied according to their own thoughts and motivations, and so that the beings gathered in the assembly understood the declaration of the Dharma to be speaking to each of them personally. When the Blessed One turned the wheel of Dharma, immeasurable and incalculable bodhisattvas came from throughout the ten directions to hear it, and thousands upon millions upon billions of gods formed a great gathering of deities from the desire realm and the form realm.

14.19“In this respect, Śāntamati, when the Blessed One pronounced the statement, ‘Kauṇḍinya, the eye is impermanent,’ the beings there who could be trained by the word suffering heard ‘the eye is suffering.’ Those who could be trained by no self heard ‘the eye is not self.’ Those who could be trained by emptiness heard ‘the eye is empty.’ Those who could be trained by calm heard ‘the eye is calmed.’ Those who could be trained by withdrawal heard ‘the eye is withdrawn.’ Those who could be trained by groundlessness heard ‘the eye is groundless.’ Those who could be trained by baselessness heard ‘the eye is baseless.’

14.20“Those who could be trained by illusion heard ‘the eye is like an illusion.’ Those who could be trained by dream heard ‘the eye is like a dream.’ Those who could be trained by moon reflected in water heard ‘the eye is like the moon reflected in water.’ Those who could be trained by mirror image heard ‘the eye is like a mirror image.’ Those who could be trained by echo heard ‘the eye is like an echo.’ [F.159.b] Those who could be trained by thus characterized by emptiness, groundlessness, desirelessness, being unconditioned, not being born, and not arising heard ‘the eye is characterized by emptiness, groundlessness, desirelessness, being unconditioned, not being born, and not arising.’

14.21“Those who could be trained by dependent arising heard ‘the eye is dependently arisen,’ and they also heard, ‘As is the case with the eye, so, too, the other senses up to and including the mind are dependently arisen.’ They heard, ‘In the same way, the objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, as well as mental objects are empty.’

14.22“Some heard about the impermanence of the aggregates, some about the impermanence of the element s, and some about the impermanence of the sense spheres. Some heard about the impermanence of the aggregates, but not about the impermanence of the element s. Some heard about the impermanence of the element s, but not about the impermanence of the aggregates.

14.23“Some were liberated by the word suffering. Some were liberated by the word origin. Some were liberated by the word cessation . Some were liberated by the word path.

14.24“Some heard a talk about the applications of mindfulness. Some heard a talk about the right efforts. Some heard a talk about the foundations for superhuman power. Some heard a talk about the spiritual faculties. Some heard a talk about the powers. Some heard a talk about the constitutive factors of awakening. Some heard a talk about the path. Some heard a talk about calm abiding. Some heard a talk about deep insight. Some heard a talk about causal dependence. Some heard a talk connected to the disciples. Some heard a talk connected to the Vehicle of the Solitary Buddhas. Some heard a talk connected to the Great Vehicle. [F.160.a]

14.25“Indeed, Śāntamati, the Realized One turned the wheel of Dharma in such a way that all beings were satisfied according to their own thoughts and motivations. Indeed, Śāntamati, not even the monk Śāriputra would be able to calculate the benefit done for beings when the Realized One turned the wheel of Dharma, even if he were to spend one hundred years working on the calculation of the benefit for those beings. What more could be said by other beings?”

14.26While this teaching was being given on the Blessed One’s turning of the wheel of Dharma, and the child’s play he made of the severe ascetic practices, the journey to the seat of awakening, the conquest of Māra, the splendid array, and the lion’s roar, eighty-four thousand beings conceived the aspiration for unsurpassable and perfect awakening, and immeasurable beings were brought to maturity by means of the three vehicles.

14.27This was the fourteenth chapter, “The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.”