“Furthermore, I expound the Teaching to sentient beings by means of the operation of ten thousand spheres of mental command, with the attention on the greatness of Buddha in this way. I expound the Teaching to sentient beings by means of the operation of ten thousand spheres of mental command, beginning with the sphere of mental command called absorption in the ocean of all truths, the sphere of mental command of light of remembrance of all buddhas, the sphere of mental command containing light illumining the ocean of deeds of all sentient beings, the sphere of pure mental command of absorption in the ocean of all means of liberation, the sphere of mental command uttering the names of all buddhas, the sphere of mental command of absorption in manifestation of the ocean of past vows of all buddhas, the sphere of mental command of swift turning of the attention to all truths, and the sphere of mental command called light of absorption in omniscience.
“Moreover, I teach sentient beings with wisdom consisting of learning, wisdom consisting of thinking, and wisdom consisting of practice. I teach sentient beings about the process of one existence, and I teach sentient beings about the processes of all existences. I teach about the ocean of names of one buddha, I teach about the oceans of names of all buddhas. I teach about one ocean of worlds, I teach about all oceans of worlds. I teach about the ocean of predictions of enlightenment of one buddha, I teach about the oceans of predictions of enlightenment of all buddhas. I teach about the ocean of audiences of one buddha, I teach about the oceans of audiences of all buddhas. I teach about the cycle of teachings of one buddha, I teach about the oceans of cycles of teachings of all buddhas. I teach about one scripture, I teach about the scriptures containing the cycles of teachings of all buddhas. I teach about one gathering of an audience of a buddha, I teach about the oceans of audiences of all buddhas. I teach about one thought of omniscience, I teach about the oceans of all elements of determination for enlightenment. I teach about one vehicle of emancipation, I teach about the oceans of all vehicles of emancipation. I teach sentient beings in untold ways such as these.
“Entry into the oceans of those who arrive at Thusness, identical to the structures of the reality realm, taking care of sentient beings in the highest spiritual way of expounding the Teaching to them, living by the practice of universally good enlightening beings for endless eons, I cultivate this enlightening liberation of entry into the profound miracle of pleasing sound, by expanding it in every moment of consciousness, by the means of actualizing the sphere of liberation; and I pervade all realms of reality in every moment of thought with each means of actualizing the sphere of liberation.”
Sudhana said, “This enlightening liberation is marvelous. How long ago did you attain it?”
The goddess said, “Many eons ago there was world called Multitude of Cities of Spiritual Lights, set on a network of lofty fragrant jewel mountains, as many as atoms in four continents, arrayed with lotus flowers intoning the past vows of all buddhas, composed of multitudes of jewels produced by the deeds of all sentient beings, shaped like a huge lotus, pure with some defilement, encircled by as many masses of flowers as atoms in a mountain, adorned by lofty polar mountains of fragrant jewels, as many as atoms in a polar mountain, and with as many sets of four continents as atoms in a polar mountain. On each continent were untold trillions of cities.
“In that world there was an age called Pure Light, in which there arose as many buddhas as atoms in a polar mountain. In the middle of the world was a set of four continents called Resplendent Banner, in the middle of which was a metropolis called Omnipresent Jewel Flower Light, not too far from which was an enlightenment site called Image of the Abode of a Spiritual Sovereign. At that site a buddha named Illuminating King Voicing the Ocean of All Truths arose, the first of the buddhas of that age. At that time there was a monarch named Radiantly Pure Countenance, who received from that buddha a scripture called Ocean of All Truths and followed it.
“After that buddha passed away, the king left home and preserved the buddha’s teachings. At the time of the ending of the teaching, when it was divided into a thousand sects, with a thousand different explanations of the doctrine, and uninterrupted degeneracy of the age was imminent, in order to shake up the people shrouded by the barriers of afflictions and contentious quarrelsome mendicants, who were not seeking the virtues taught by the buddha but were wholly devoted to enjoyment of sense objects, addicted to talk of kings and thieves, addicted to talk of women, lands, and seas, addicted to materialistic thought and conversation, the renunciant king, a true follower of the religion, warned them, ‘Alas! The torch of the great teaching, which was developed over many eons, is going to die out.’ Then he rose into the sky to the height of seven palm trees, emanated clouds of flames of infinite colors, produced great networks of multicolored lights from his body, extinguished the burning of afflictions in the world with multicolored light, and directed infinitely many sentient beings toward enlightenment. The buddha’s teaching was thereby rekindled and remained in the world for another sixty thousand years.
“At that time there was also a nun named Light of Projections of the Wheel of the Teaching. She was the daughter of that king Radiantly Pure Countenance, and she had a retinue of a hundred thousand nuns. Hearing that rousing speech and seeing that great miraculous performance, she and her retinue had been inspired to seek enlightenment. Furthermore, those hundred thousand nuns became irreversible in progress toward supreme perfect enlightenment: they attained a concentration called ‘coming into existence in the presence of those who have arrived at Thusness,’ and they attained a mental command called ‘adamantine light of the teachings of all buddhas,’ and a perfection of wisdom called ‘entry into the principles of the ocean of all truths.’ The nun Light of Projections of the Wheel of the Teaching attained a concentration called ‘lamp illumining the source of the teachings of all buddhas,’ as well as this subtle, gentle enlightening liberation ‘entry into the profound miracle of pleasing sound,’ after which all the miracles of the buddha Illuminating King Voicing the Ocean of All Truths became visible to her.
“What do you think—was the king of that time, who went forth into the teaching of the buddha Illuminating King Voicing the Ocean of All Truths, followed the buddha’s teaching, sustained the teaching after the buddha’s demise when it was dying out, and kindled the torch of the teaching, anyone else? You should not see it this way. It was none other than Samantabhadra, the universally good enlightening being, who was that king Radiantly Pure Countenance. And do you think the king’s daughter, who became a nun, accompanied by a hundred thousand nuns, was anyone else? Do not see it that way. It was I myself who was that nun at that time. I preserved the teaching of that buddha, and I made those hundred thousand nuns irreversible in their progress toward supreme perfect enlightenment, I established them in the concentration ‘coming into existence in the presence of those who have arrived at Thusness,’ I established them in the mental command ‘adamantine light of the teachings of all buddhas’ and the perfection of wisdom ‘entry into the principles of the ocean of all truths.’
“After that I learned from a buddha named Light of the Peak of Knowledge of the Mountain of the Undefiled Teaching, then Crest of Light, then Multitudes of Lights of the Sun of the Teaching, then Sound of Explanation of the Ocean of the Teaching, then Light of the Sphere of Knowledge of the Sun of the Teaching, then Cloud of Banners Marked by the Flowers of the Teaching, then Supreme Brilliance of the Mass of Lights of the Teaching, then Moon of Light of the Depth of the Principles of the Teaching, then Mine of All Images Arising from Knowledge of the Teaching, then Crowned with the Treasury of Knowledge, then King Imbued with the Glory of the Highest Mountain, then Paragon of Universal Knowledge, then Paragon of Energy in All Good Practices, then Multitude of Lights of Spiritual Jewel Flowers, then Supreme Depth of the Light of Peace, then Moon Radiating Images of Eyes of Light, then Ocean of Brilliance of the Flames of Knowledge, then Sphere of Skill of Universal Knowledge, then Light of Knowledge of the Nadir and Zen
ith, then Lamp Blooming with Flames, then Supreme Lion of Knowledge, then Supreme Light of the Universal Sun, then Lofty Mountain Adorned with Precious Characteristics, then Complete Reflection of the Course of the Sun, then Radiant Moon of Awareness of the Nexus of Realities, then Multitude of Beauties of the Blossoming of the Lotus of the Teaching, then Universal Light of the Solar Orb of the Marks of Distinction, then Glorious Voice of the All-Illumining Teaching, then Adamantine Lion of Practical Wisdom, then Heroic Paragon of Universal Knowledge, then Embodiment of the Flowering of the Lotus of the Teaching, then Ocean of Splendor of Flowers of Virtue, then Mass of Light from the Pinnacle of Spiritual Treasures, then Multitude of Lights from the Summit of Knowledge, then Light of Jewels Bearing All Facets of the Teaching, then Glorious Moon of Awareness at the Pinnacle of Enlightenment, then Moon Glowing with the Fire of the Torch of the Teaching, then All-Reflecting Crown, then Lamp Emblematic of the Body of the Teaching, then Multitude of Representations of the Adamantine Ocean, then Clouds of Glory of Lofty Repute, then Radiant Moon of Sandalwood, then Fiery Light of Flowers of Universal Beauty, then Light Shining on All Beings, then Beautiful Calyx of the Lotus of Virtue, then King Shining with Fragrant Flames, then Lotus of Logic, then Shining with Magnificent Marks of Greatness, then Universally Renowned, then Polar Mountain of Light of Impartial Knowledge, then Glory of Light of the Citadel of Religion, then Majestic As a Forested Mountain, then Shining Clarity of Universal Light, then Sound of the Ocean of the Teaching, then Energy Arisen from the Undertaking of All Spiritual States, then Foremost Light of Universal Knowledge, then Resplendent with Superior Qualities, then Represented by the Lance of Spiritual Power, then Brilliant Sound of the Wheel of the Teaching, then Light of Knowledge and Wisdom Crowned with Radiant Virtue, then Glorious Moonrise of the Wheel of the Teaching, then Enlightened Paragon Illumining the Lotus of the Teaching, then Jewel Lotus Full of Light, then Lamp of Myriad Peaks of Jewel Radiance, then Flower of Pure Knowledge of Universal Vision, then Vast Treasury of Lights, then King Crowned with a Halo of Light Beams, then Crested with Myriad Virtues, then Mass of Manifestations of the Pinnacle of Religion, then Energy of Enormous Virtue, then Lamp of Myriad Suns of Truth, then King Acclaimed As a Source of Teaching, then Multitude of Sets of Teachings, then Light Representative of the Awareness of Enlightened Knowledge, then Radiant Moon Aware of the Sphere of Realities, then Magnificent As a Mountain of Gold and Jewels, then Topknot of Myriad Spheres of Light of All Truths, then Flaming Light of the Wheel of Teaching, then Lofty Majesty, then Myriad Lights of the Torch of All-Sided Energy, then Light of Vast Crowning Wisdom Sealed by Concentration, then Beautiful Jewel Light, then Voice of Arrays of Jewels from the Light of the Teaching, then Powerful Light in the Sky of Reality, then Moon Adorned with Marks of Greatness, then Flashing Cloud on a Mountain of Light, then Light in the Unobstructed Sky of Reality, then Body Blossoming with the Beauty of the Marks of Greatness, then Supreme Splendor and Voice of the World Ruler, then Light and Sound of Concentration on All Truths, then Mine of Initiatory Sounds, then Sound of the Ocean of Blazing Flames of the Teaching, then Light of Reflections of the Appearances of Past, Present, and Future, then Shining Light of the Highest Splendor of the Sphere of the Teaching, then Powerful Light in the Realm of Reality, then Lion Manifesting the Ocean of All Concentrations, then Light of Total Knowledge, then Lamp of the City of Reality with the Light of Universal Wisdom.
“In that age Pure Light, as many buddhas as atoms in the polar mountain appeared, beginning with these. The last of them was a buddha named Supreme Lamp of Knowledge Lighting the City of the Reality Realm. I served all those buddhas, from the first to the last, and I listened to their teachings, and left society to delve into all their teachings. I kept all their instructions in mind, and from all of them I attained this enlightening liberation of entry into the profound miracle of pleasing sound, by various methods of attainment, and I matured infinitely many sentient beings in the presence of all those buddhas. Since then I served all the buddhas that have emerged in as many eons as atoms in a buddha-land by putting their teachings into practice. Thenceforth I have been awake in the midst of beings asleep in the slumber of nescience during the night of mundane routines; I have guarded the city of their minds, removed them from the city of the triple world, and settled them in the city of the way of omniscience.
“I just know this enlightening liberation of entry into the miracle of pleasing sound, which stops mixed-up worldly talk and does not use duplicitous speech, ultimately leading to truth. How can I know the practice or tell of the virtues of the enlightening beings who have unobstructed knowledge of the essential nature of all speech, who command awareness of all realities in each moment of thought, who comprehend the utterances of all beings, who are familiar with the patterns of thought of all beings, who know the ways of classification and naming of all things, who are masters of the ocean of mental command of all truths, who are skilled in producing teachings adapted to the mentalities of all beings, who endeavor to guide all beings to perfection—how can I know their accomplishment in taking care of all beings, or know their efforts applied to undertaking the supreme works of enlightening beings, their attainment of subtle knowledge of enlightening beings, their multifaceted powers of the mine of practice of enlightening beings, or their accession to the lion throne of those who tell of the deeds of enlightening beings? Why do I say this? They are people of truth who have entered mental command of all stages of the Teaching.
“Right here in the presence of Vairocana Buddha there is a night goddess named Sarvavrikshapraphullanasukhasamvasa, who is sitting next to me. Ask her how an enlightening being is to learn omniscience and how one is to practice so as to lead all sentient beings to omniscience.”
Then the night goddess Sarvanagararakshasambhavatejahshri spoke these verses to Sudhana, further illustrating the enlightening liberation entering into profound miracles of pleasing sound:
Profound and hard to see is the liberation of enlightening beings,
Like space, entering everywhere;
They see the buddhas of all times,
Infinite, throughout the cosmos.
They attain endless liberations born of virtue and knowledge,
Of inconceivable nature, immeasurable:
Increasing unimpeded momentum in all directions,
They plunge into the paths of benevolence in all times.
Many eons ago there was a world
Called Cities of Spiritual Lights:
In that glorious world
Was a brilliant age called Pure Light.
In that age was an unbroken succession of buddhas,
As many as atoms in the polar mountain.
Illuminating King Voicing the Ocean of All Truths
Was the first buddha of the age,
Supreme Lamp of Knowledge Lighting the City of the Reality Realm
Was the last of those buddhas:
I visited and served them all,
And joyfully heard their teachings.
I saw the golden light of the first buddha,
Illuminating King Voicing the Ocean of All Truths,
Like the polar mountain resplendent with the thirty-two marks,
And seeing him I determined to become a buddha.
As soon as I saw that buddha there arose
My first aspiration to buddhahood, full of power,
By means arising from the progress of omniscience,
As pure as space, of the nature of Thusness.
Thenceforth seeing all the buddhas throughout all times,
And all the multitudes of enlightening beings,
And all the myriad worlds and sentient beings there,
I produced an ocean of ambrosia of goodwill.
I determined to pervade all lands,
Showing my body differently to sentient beings according to their mentalities,
To illumine and stir all the lands
And develop the beings to maturity.
I went and saw the second b
uddha,
And the buddhas in the oceans of lands in the ten directions,
In as many lands as atoms in an ocean of lands,
And finally saw the last buddha of that age.
I went and served all the buddhas,
Lamps of the world, that appeared
In as many ages as atoms in all worlds,
That I might purify this liberation.
Then, having attained this enlightening liberation of entry into the profound miracle of pleasing sound, having entered an ocean of infinitely various media of concentration, his mind having developed an immense ocean of means of sustained attention, illumined with the great mystic knowledge of enlightening beings, having entered an ocean of great joyful intelligence, his mind expanded with a vast ocean of ecstasy, Sudhana praised the night goddess with these verses:
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