A Hundred Blessings for Every Mark

Question: What is the intrinsic nature of the karma that ripens into the excellent bodily marks? Is it bodily karma, verbal karma, or mental karma? Answer: all three types of karma constitute its intrinsic nature, though mental karma predominates. Some say: only mental karma constitutes its intrinsic nature, not bodily or verbal karma. Why is this? Because this karma is intensely powerful, whereas bodily and verbal karma are comparatively dull. Question: does the karma that ripens into the excellent marks belong to the mental-consciousness ground, or to the five sense-consciousnesses? Answer: it belongs to the mental-consciousness ground, not to the five sense-consciousnesses. Why is this? Because this karma involves discrimination — it necessarily follows upon deliberate observation — whereas the five sense-consciousnesses lack discrimination, arising simply in accordance with the power of their objective sphere. Question: is the karma that ripens into the excellent marks attained through effortful practice, through the abandonment of afflictions, or is it innate?

Answer: it is attained only through effortful practice, not through the abandonment of afflictions nor innately. Why is this? Because this karma is necessarily attained, over the three incalculable eons of cultivating the perfections, within a body that has perfected the exertion of effortful practice and volitional attention. Some say: this karma is attained both through effortful practice and innately, but not through the abandonment of afflictions. Question: is the karma that ripens into the excellent marks accomplished through hearing, through reflection, or through cultivation? Answer: it is accomplished only through reflection, not through hearing or cultivation. Why is this? Because this karma is superior, it is not accomplished through hearing; because it is bound to the desire realm, it is not accomplished through cultivation. Some say: this karma is accomplished through both hearing and reflection, but not through cultivation. Question: in which realm does the karma that ripens into the excellent marks arise?

Answer: it arises in the desire realm, not in the other realms; in the human destiny, not in other destinies; on the continent of Jambudvīpa, not on the other continents. As for upon what kind of body it arises —

— it arises upon a male body, not a female one, and so on. As for at what time it arises: it arises when a Buddha has appeared in the world, not during a Buddha-less age. As for what object it takes as its condition: it arises by directly taking a Buddha as its condition, giving rise to a supreme resolve and aspiration; it does not take any other object as its condition. Question: are the thirty-two marks of the great being brought about by a single volition,

or by multiple volitions? Either way, what is the difficulty? If they are brought about by a single volition, how can a small amount of karma bring about many results — and how, then, is the statement in the Prajñaptiśāstra to be reconciled, where it says that a karma of such-and-such a kind brings about the mark of the flat, well-planted soles of the feet, and so on up to a karma of such-and-such a kind that brings about the mark of the fleshy protuberance on the crown of the head? If they are brought about by multiple volitions, then how, given that they belong to a single, undivided class of sentient being, can they be brought about as distinctly differentiated? Answer: some say: they are brought about by a single volition. Question: then how can a small amount of karma bring about many results? Answer: first it is drawn forth by a single volition,

and afterward brought to completion by multiple volitions; hence there is no difficulty. It is like a painter who first sketches an outline in a single color and afterward fills it in with many colors. Question: then how is the statement in the Prajñaptiśāstra to be reconciled? Answer: that treatise speaks of the completing karma, not of the drawing-forth karma; hence there is no difficulty. The thirty-two marks of the great being are the fruit of the karma that completes that class of sentient being, not the fruit of the karma that draws it forth. Some say: they are brought about by multiple volitions. Question: then how, given a single, undivided class of sentient being, can they be brought about as distinctly differentiated? Answer: at that time the bodhisattva is able to fix his mind singly upon one basis and one objective-support, yet, with respect to its mode of activity, multiple volitions turn within it. Among these, there is a volition able to bring about the mark of the flat, well-planted soles of the feet, and so on up to a volition able to bring about the mark of the fleshy protuberance on the crown of the head. According to this view, thirty-two volitions bring about the thirty-two marks of the great being, and each mark is then further brought to completion by many further karmas. Question: among the marks, which does the bodhisattva's arising of the thirty-two volitions bring about first? Answer: some say:

he first brings about the mark of the flat, well-planted soles of the feet, and afterward the other marks, because he first steadies his feet and only afterward extends to the rest. Some say: he first brings about the mark of the dark-blue eyes, because he first surveys the world with a compassionate gaze. According to this latter view: this is not fixed — whichever mark's conditions come together, that mark is brought about accordingly.

The thirty-two marks of the great being are as follows. First, the mark of the well-planted feet: the soles of the Buddha's feet are flat, neither concave nor convex; when he walks, the sole touches the ground evenly all over. For this reason the Buddha's footprints alone are distinct and clear, and even one who wishes, out of ill will, to erase them can never obliterate them. Among householders, whoever has this mark will surely become a wheel-turning king before whom all submit, ruling over the whole land; among renunciants, whoever has this mark will surely become a Dharma-king who instructs and guides all beings.

Second, the mark of the thousand-spoked wheel: on the soles of both of the Buddha's feet there is a pattern like a wheel of a thousand spokes, complete with hub and rim, perfectly distinct and skillfully wrought. Even Viśvakarman, the deva of skilled craft, however much he exerted his mind, could not replicate it, and had to fashion something different instead. Why is this? Because what that deva fashions is drawn forth by an unobscured-neutral cognition, whereas this mark is drawn forth by a purely undefiled karma. Furthermore, what that deva makes is drawn forth by an innate cognition, whereas this mark is drawn forth by a cognition of superior, effortfully cultivated practice. Furthermore, what that deva makes is drawn forth by a cognition trained in a single lifetime, whereas this mark is drawn forth by a cognition trained over countless lifetimes.

Third, the mark of slender, long fingers: the Buddha's fingers are slender and long, rounded and gradually tapering, with joints that do not show coarsely, set close together without gaps, evenly and well arranged, lustrous and full.

Fourth, the mark of the round, long heel: the Buddha's heel is rounded, long, well-formed, broad, and straight.

Fifth, the mark of soft hands and feet: the Buddha's hands and feet are as soft as tūla-cotton.

Sixth, the mark of webbed hands and feet: between the Buddha's fingers and toes there is webbing, like the feet of a royal goose. When closed, the webbing does not show, yet there is no wrinkling or slackness; when spread open, it becomes visible, yet there is no cramping or tautness.

Seventh, the mark of the level, full instep: the Buddha's instep is rounded and full, sloping evenly toward the toes and straight on both sides, matching the heel in proportion; when he treads, the foot does not spread. The sole of his foot is the color of a red lotus; the inner edge of the webbing is patterned like a painted tree; the nails are the color of red-copper leaf; the outer edge of the webbing is the color of true gold; the fine hairs are dark-blue and glossy like vaiḍūrya. Thus the Buddha's two feet are like jeweled sandals, adorned with a multitude of gems, subtly luminous.

Eighth, the mark of aiṇeya, antelope-like calves: the Buddha's calves and shins are rounded and straight, tapering evenly downward, like the calves of an aiṇeya deer-king.

Ninth, the mark of the hidden, sheathed male organ: the Buddha's organ is hidden and sheathed like that of a stallion king. If this is so, how do those to be converted come to see it? Some say: the Blessed One, out of compassion for them, skillfully reveals it. Some say: the Blessed One conjures an elephant or a horse whose sheathed organ is especially wondrous and tells those to be converted, "Mine is like that one."

Tenth, the mark of the fully proportioned body: the Buddha's body is fully proportioned like a nyagrodha tree — the span from navel to crown matches the span from navel to feet.

Eleventh, the mark of body-hairs that lie slanting upward. Twelfth, the mark of a single hair growing from each pore. Thirteenth, the mark of body-hairs that curl to the right: each pore of the Buddha's body produces a single hair, dark-blue in color like vaiḍūrya, glossy, curling to the right, with the tip lying upward. The reason each single pore produces only a single hair is that, in his time as a bodhisattva, he never spoke the Dharma in a confused or disorderly way.

Fourteenth, the mark of the true-gold-colored body: the Buddha's body is the color of true gold, its splendor eclipsing every gold-light in the world so that it no longer appears — just as, in the present age, the light of the iron and such that ordinary people use is eclipsed beside the gold used in the present age; the gold used in the present age is eclipsed beside the gold used in the Buddha's own lifetime; the gold used in the Buddha's lifetime, brought beside the Jambūnada gold-dust found by the great ocean along the routes of wheel-turning kings, is eclipsed; that gold-dust, brought beside the gold of the seven gold mountains, is eclipsed; the gold of the seven gold mountains, brought beside the gold of Mount Sumeru, is eclipsed; the gold of Mount Sumeru, brought beside the adornment-gold of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, is eclipsed; and so on in succession, up to the adornment-gold of the Nirmāṇarati heaven being eclipsed beside the adornment-gold of the Paranirmita-vaśavartin heaven; and that adornment-gold, brought beside the gold of the Buddha's own body, is likewise eclipsed and its splendor no longer appears. Therefore the golden color of the Buddha's body is supreme, eclipsing the golden color of the entire world.

Fifteenth, the mark of a constant halo one fathom across: a light is always present surrounding the Buddha's body, extending one fathom on every side, shining constantly day and night.

Sixteenth, the mark of fine, smooth skin: the Buddha's skin is so fine and smooth that dust and water do not cling to it, like vaiḍūrya or a lotus leaf. Even were the Buddha to tread upon a mountain of dust while the vairambhaka wind blew and scattered it about, there is no possibility that even a single speck of dust would adhere to the Buddha's body or to the soles of his feet.

Seventeenth, the mark of the seven full parts —

— namely, seven parts of the Buddha's body are full and slightly more rounded than the rest of the body: the two hands, the two feet, the two shoulders, and the nape of the neck — these are the seven parts.

Eighteenth, the mark of the broad, full, upright body: the Buddha's body is broad, full, and upright, neither stooped nor bent, nor leaning to either side; it is dignified, graceful, and full.

Nineteenth, the mark of a lion's upper body: the Buddha's chest is well-proportioned, square, broad, and majestic, like the upper half of a lion king's body.

Twentieth, the mark of full, rounded shoulders: the Buddha's shoulders are full and rounded, beyond what any wrestler or mighty strongman could match.

Twenty-first, the mark of standing upright with the hand able to touch the knee: standing evenly upright, the Buddha can extend his hand and touch the wheel of his own knee.

Twenty-second, the mark of a lion's jaw: the Buddha's jaw is broad and handsome like that of a lion king.

Twenty-third, the mark of having forty teeth. Twenty-fourth, the mark of teeth that are even and close-set. Twenty-fifth, the mark of bright white, lustrous teeth: the Buddha has forty teeth, all perfectly even, with gaps between them no wider than a hair's breadth; their color is bright white and radiant, gleaming like the Himalayan snow-king. Question: other people have only thirty-two teeth, yet it is said their bodies contain one hundred and three bones; the Buddha has forty teeth — why, then, is it also said that his body contains one hundred and three bones, with no increase? Answer: in other people the skull is formed of nine separate pieces joined together, whereas the Blessed One's skull is a single, continuous piece; hence both alike total one hundred and three bones.

Twenty-sixth, the mark of obtaining the supreme taste: because the Buddha's tongue-faculty is pure, whatever food or drink he takes is transformed into a supreme flavor. Some say: on the Buddha's tongue-faculty there are seeds of every delightful, exquisite, and supreme flavor found in the world; when bitter, sour, or similar substances reach the tongue-faculty, these seeds mix in and transform them so that all become supreme in flavor. Some say: the Tathāgata's tongue-faculty has such a power that, when food or drink reaches it, whatever in it is delightful and exquisite gives rise to tongue-consciousness, while whatever is coarse and unpleasant does not. Some say: within the Buddha's throat there are two founts like milk; whenever he eats or drinks, this "milk" flows out and mingles with the food, making it all supreme in flavor. Yet in every one of these accounts it is because the tongue-faculty is pure that the flavor is made superior — this explanation should be accepted as correct.

Twenty-seventh, the mark of the broad, long tongue: the Buddha's tongue is thin and soft; extended broad and long, it covers his face up to the hairline at the ears, and, drawn back into the mouth, it causes no obstruction there.

Twenty-eighth, the mark of dark-blue eyes: the Buddha's eyes are long and broad, their color a pure dark blue like the petal of a blue lotus.

Twenty-ninth, the mark of eyelashes like a royal bull's: the Buddha's eyelashes are arranged handsomely and well, like those of a bull-king.

Thirtieth, the mark of the uṣṇīṣa: the crown of the Buddha's head, formed of bone and flesh grown together, is the size of a closed fist, dark-blue, round, and of extraordinary beauty.

Thirty-first, the mark of the white ūrṇā between the brows: between the Buddha's brows there is a white curl of hair half a fathom in length, coiling to the right, luminous and translucent.

Thirty-second, the mark of the Brahmā-voice: within the Buddha's throat there is a wondrous great element able to produce a delightful, harmonious Brahmā-voice, like that of the kalaviṅka bird, together with a deep, resonant sound like the thunder of Indra's drum. Such a voice possesses eight excellent qualities: first, profundity; second, harmoniousness; third, clarity; fourth, pleasantness to the ear; fifth, penetrating the heart; sixth, evoking joy; seventh, ease of comprehension; eighth, freedom from causing weariness.

Question: what is the meaning of "mark"? Answer: the meaning of "emblem" is the meaning of "mark"; the meaning of "excellence" is the meaning of "mark"; the meaning of "auspicious omen" is the meaning of "mark."

Question: why are the marks of the great being exactly thirty-two, neither more nor fewer? The Venerable Pārśva said: were there either more or fewer, doubt would arise either way; thirty-two alone does not contradict the characteristic of the Dharma. Some say: thirty-two is a number universally acknowledged in the world as auspicious;

hence there is neither increase nor decrease. Some say: if thirty-two marks adorn the Buddha's body, he is then supreme and without equal in the world; were there fewer, something would be lacking, and were there more, it would become disordered — either way it would no longer be exquisite, hence exactly this number. Just as the Buddha's teaching of the Dharma cannot be increased or decreased, so too are the Buddha's marks: there is nothing deficient that could be added, and nothing in excess that could be removed. Question: where are the eighty minor marks located?

Answer: they are located in the spaces between the marks, following and turning along with them, adorning the Buddha's body to make it utterly exquisite. Question: do the marks and the minor marks not obscure or overshadow one another?

Answer: they do not. The marks and the minor marks bring each other out in turn, just as flowers in a forest bring out the beauty of the trees; the Buddha's body is adorned with marks and minor marks in just this way. It is also like a golden mountain inlaid with a multitude of gems — thus is the Buddha's body of extraordinary majestic splendor, because the Tathāgata's body is supremely clear and pure, like a mirror —

— all auspicious objects appear reflected within it. It is like a mirror of Cīna that has been polished to perfection: whatever objects, near or far, all appear reflected in it. The Buddha's body is just the same. For this reason, all māras and tīrthikas who harbor ill will, upon coming into the Buddha's presence, cannot but gaze up at him in reverence; beholding him, they never tire, and they depart circumambulating him to the right. Question: does the bodhisattva adorn his body out of attachment and conceit regarding it? Answer: it is not so. Question: how then should this be understood? Answer: the bodhisattva adorns his body with the marks and minor marks in order to subdue those in the world who, relying on arrogance over their own physical beauty, refuse to accept conversion, so as to cause them to accept it.

Furthermore, it is to make manifest that every dharma possessed by the Buddha is supreme — that is, his physical beauty, strength, lineage, retinue, renown, wealth, and mastery, together with his wisdom, insight, and virtues, are all supreme. Were it not so, no one would have faith in and accept the Dharma he teaches; hence the bodhisattva adorns his body. Furthermore, it is in order to serve as the supporting vessel for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Why is this? Because supreme merit and virtue must necessarily rely upon a supreme body. As it were, the future reality of that unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening itself speaks to the bodhisattva, saying:

"If you wish me to dwell within your body, first make your body pure and supreme, adorning it with the marks and minor marks; if you do not, I too will be unable to arise within your body." It is like a man who wishes to take a king's daughter in marriage and welcome her into his house: she secretly sends a messenger to tell him, "If you wish me to come to your house, you must first sweep and cleanse it, removing all filth and impurity, and hang silk banners and canopies, burn incense, and scatter flowers in every kind of adornment — only then may I go there; if you do not, I too will be unable to come to your house." For this reason the bodhisattva adorns his body. Question: after the bodhisattva has created and augmented the karma that ripens into the excellent marks, in the interim — for instance, at a time when he becomes a wheel-turning king — is it the very karma he has cultivated that ripens into the excellent marks which brings about the fruit of those marks, or is it some other karma? Answer: some say: it is precisely the cultivated karma that ripens into the excellent marks, because the efficacy of this karma is so vast that, even were he to remain a wheel-turning king down to the present, the force of that karma would still not be exhausted. According to another view: it is some other karma. Why is this? Because the bodhisattva cultivates the karma that ripens into the excellent marks entirely in order to experience its supreme fruit in his final body, not to make use of it beforehand. Rather, it is by that karma serving as a dominant condition for the arising of other wholesome karmas that the fruit of the marks of a wheel-turning king is brought about. It is like a wealthy elder possessed of many treasures: the priceless jewel among them is not brought out for use beforehand, while the lesser-valued items are exchanged as occasion requires. It is the same in this case. Question: what difference is there between the thirty-two marks obtained by the bodhisattva and the marks of a wheel-turning king? Answer: what the bodhisattva obtains excels in four respects: first, it is more resplendent; second, more distinct; third, more complete; fourth, it is obtained in the proper location on the body. Furthermore, it excels in five respects: first, it is obtained in the proper location;

second, it is of the utmost beauty; third, its pattern-form is profound; fourth, it accords with supreme wisdom; fifth, it accords with the abandonment of afflictions. Question: after the bodhisattva has created and augmented the karma that ripens into the excellent marks, before he reaches his final body, are there distinguishing signs by which sentient beings can recognize him? Answer: there are. Namely: he is born into a noble family, of dignified and handsome appearance, possessed of a manly body with all faculties complete; he attains recollection of past lives and deep faith in cause and effect; he delights in extensive learning and reveres the true Dharma; his wisdom and insight are keen, and he possesses supreme eloquence; his disposition is gentle and pliant, his speech harmonious and refined; whatever he undertakes he carries through with resolve and never with retreat or discouragement; upon seeing others suffer, he cannot bear it and must go to their rescue; whatever he cultivates, there is nothing he does not dedicate to bodhi; he delights in acting for the benefit of sentient beings, without seeking any reward in return. These are called the marks of that bodhisattva.

Question: as the sūtras say, each single mark of the Buddha is adorned by a hundred blessings — what are these hundred blessings? Answer: here, a hundred distinct volitions are called the hundred blessings.

What are the hundred volitions? That is, just as when the bodhisattva creates and augments the karma for the mark of the well-planted feet: first he gives rise to fifty volitions that cultivate and refine his bodily vessel, making it pure and pliant; next he gives rise to a single volition that properly draws it forth; and afterward he again gives rise to fifty volitions that bring it to completion. It is like a farmer who first prepares the furrows and ridges, then sows the seed, and afterward covers and irrigates it with manure and water — it is just the same in this case. Just as the karma for the mark of the well-planted feet is adorned by a hundred such volitions, so too is it for the karma of the mark of the fleshy protuberance on the crown of the head, and so on for all the rest. It is for this reason that it is said, each single mark of the Buddha is adorned by a hundred blessings. Question: what are the fifty volitions? Answer: based on each of the ten courses of karma there are five volitions. That is, based on the course of abstaining from killing there are five volitions: first, the volition of abstaining from killing; second, the volition of exhorting others to abstain; third, the volition of praising that abstention; fourth, the volition of rejoicing in it; fifth, the volition of dedication — that is, dedicating what one has cultivated toward bodhi. And so it is likewise up to right view. These are called the fifty volitions. Some say:

based on each of the ten courses of karma, one gives rise to five grades of wholesome volition — inferior, middling, superior, surpassing-superior, and utmost-superior — just as in the mixed cultivation of dhyāna. Some say: based on each of the ten courses of karma one gives rise to five volitions: first, purity of the preparatory stage; second, purity of the fundamental stage; third, purity of the concluding stage; fourth, not being harmed by discursive thought; fifth, being sustained by mindfulness. Some say: taking a single mark of the Buddha as condition, one gives rise to fifty successive moments of a volition never before cultivated, arising in unbroken continuity. Question: as for these hundred blessings, what is the measure of each single one? Answer: some say: if a karma is able to bring about the position of wheel-turning king, exercising sovereign mastery over the four great continents — that is the measure of one blessing. Some say: if a karma is able to bring about the position of Śakra, lord of the devas, exercising sovereign mastery over the two heavenly hosts — that is the measure of one blessing. Some say: if a karma is able to bring about the position of the king of the Paranirmita-vaśavartin heaven, exercising sovereign mastery over all the heavenly hosts of the desire realm — that is the measure of one blessing. Some say: if a karma is able to bring about the position of the great Brahmā king, exercising sovereign mastery over the first dhyāna heaven together with the heavenly hosts of the desire realm — that is the measure of one blessing. Some say: the blessing of Mahābrahmā, lord of the Sahā world-system, in entreating the Tathāgata to turn the wheel of the Dharma — that is the measure of one blessing.

Question: at the time he entreats the Buddha, Brahmā's mind is unobscured-neutral and bound to the desire realm — how then can this be called a blessing? Answer: some say: while dwelling in the Brahmā world,

when about to come and make his entreaty, he first gives rise to a wholesome mind such as this: "I shall bring about great benefit for sentient beings by entreating the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma" — at that very moment he is said to have attained that Brahmā-blessing. This should not be accepted as correct. Why is this? Because a thing is not already accomplished before it has been done. According to this other view: after Brahmā has made his entreaty to the Buddha, he returns to his Brahmā palace; later, when the Blessed One turns the wheel of the Dharma, the earth-deities are the first to proclaim it, and the sound travels on in succession until it reaches the Brahmā palace. Having heard it, the Brahmā king rejoices and congratulates himself, giving rise to a pure and sincere mind of rejoicing — it is only then that he is said to have accomplished this blessing. Some say: at the time a world-system comes into being, the dominant force of the karma of all sentient beings, able to bring about a trichiliocosm — that is the measure of one blessing. Some say: excepting bodhisattvas close to the stage of Buddhahood, the karma of all remaining sentient beings capable of bringing about the fruit of wealth and happiness — that is the measure of one blessing. Some say: each measure of blessing here should be illustrated by an analogy. Suppose that all sentient beings were born blind, and there were one sentient being who, through great skillful means, caused them all to gain sight — the blessing of that being is the measure of one blessing. Furthermore, suppose that all sentient beings had drunk poison and were confused and dying, and there were one sentient being who caused the poison to be removed from them all and their minds to awaken — the blessing of that being is the measure of one blessing. Furthermore, suppose that all sentient beings were bound and fettered, on the verge of having their lives cut off, and there were one sentient being who caused them all to be released and to obtain life at once — the blessing of that being is the measure of one blessing. Furthermore, suppose that all sentient beings had broken their precepts and corrupted their views, and there were one sentient being able to cause them all, at the same time, to be perfect in precepts and in view — the blessing of that being is the measure of one blessing. Comment: all such statements represent nothing but expressions of pure and sincere aspiration, skillful means for praising the measure of the bodhisattva's blessing, yet none of them attain the actual truth of the matter. As for the true meaning: each single measure of blessing that the bodhisattva gives rise to is immeasurable and boundless, because, once the bodhisattva has accumulated and perfected the pāramitās over three incalculable eons, the resolve and aspiration thereby drawn forth are supremely vast; only a Buddha can know this, and it is beyond the reckoning of anyone else. Such vast and measureless blessing, complete and full to a hundred, adorns a single mark, and so on in succession until all thirty-two marks are each complete with a hundred blessings. Because the Buddha adorns himself with these thirty-two marks, each with its hundred blessings, together with the eighty minor marks that adorn his body, he is therefore the most honored and supreme among gods and men.

Question: over how long a time is the karma that ripens into the excellent marks cultivated to completion? Answer: for the most part it is cultivated to completion over a hundred great eons, with the sole exception of the bodhisattva Śākyamuni. Because the bodhisattva Śākyamuni was of such extreme diligence, he leapt over nine great eons, so that he cultivated it to completion in only ninety-one eons, and thereby attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. How did this come about? As the sūtra relates: in the past there was a Buddha named Tiṣya, also called Puṣya, who had two bodhisattva disciples diligently cultivating pure conduct — one named Śākyamuni, the other named Maitreya.

At that time that Buddha observed which of the two disciples' faculties would ripen first, and truly knew that Maitreya's would ripen first and Śākyamuni's — "the Able and Silent One" — afterward. He further observed which of the two disciples' converted sentient beings' faculties would ripen first, and truly knew that those converted by Śākyamuni would ripen first. Having known this, he reflected:

"How, then, shall I bring it about that their capacities and occasions come together to meet? Yet to cause a single person to ripen swiftly is easy, whereas to cause many people to ripen at once is not." Having had this thought, he told Śākyamuni: "I wish to wander in the mountains; you may follow along." At that time the Buddha took up his sitting-mat and went on ahead along the path; having reached the mountain, he entered a grotto of vaiḍūrya, spread out his sitting-mat, sat cross-legged, and entered the concentration of the fire-element, experiencing wondrous joy and bliss for seven days and nights, his majestic radiance blazing forth. Śākyamuni, shortly after, likewise went up the mountain, searching everywhere for the Buddha, like a calf seeking its mother, wandering about, until at last he came before that grotto-chamber, and suddenly beheld the Buddha, his bearing dignified and solemn, his radiance blazing and brilliant. With single-minded sincerity and fervent devotion, his joy and admiration became unbearable; in the midst of walking he forgot to set down his raised foot, and gazed up reverently at the Blessed One's countenance without letting his eyes leave it for even a moment, for seven days and nights. With a single verse he praised that Buddha, saying:

"In heaven and earth, in this world's chamber of vast learning, in celestial palaces gone beyond, in the ten directions there is none like him; O foremost of men, bull among men, great renunciant — searching earth, mountain, and forest, everywhere, he has no equal."

Having praised him thus, Śākyamuni leapt over nine eons, and attained supreme awakening ahead of Maitreya. Question: a bodhisattva close to the stage of Buddhahood must surely have attained mastery, unprecedented and skillful, over names, phrases, and syllables — he ought to have praised the Buddha with a variety of verses and different modes of expression. Why, then, over seven days and nights, did he praise the Buddha with only a single verse? Answer: at that time the bodhisattva's resolve and aspiration were so intense that he did not attach importance to varying his verse; had he altered it, his resolve and aspiration would not have remained pure and undivided. Furthermore, at that time the bodhisattva feared distraction: were the verses to differ, his mind would likewise vary accordingly — how then could he attain a single, unbroken stream of mind? Furthermore, the bodhisattva wished to demonstrate that his mind was without weariness, able, within a single verse, to give rise ever anew to a supreme resolve and aspiration. Question: why is it that for the bodhisattva Maitreya his own faculties ripen first and those he converts ripen afterward, whereas for the bodhisattva Śākyamuni it is the reverse? Answer: the bodhisattva Maitreya greatly benefits himself and only slightly benefits others, whereas the bodhisattva Śākyamuni greatly benefits others and only slightly benefits himself; for this reason, in both cases, the ripening of their own faculties does not coincide with that of those they convert. Question: as the sūtra says, the bodhisattva cultivates the four pāramitās to completion only after passing through three incalculable eons — what kind of eon is meant here? Answer: some say it is an intermediate eon; some say it is the eon of formation; some say it is the eon of destruction. According to this latter view, it is a great eon — one accumulates such great eons up to a single asaṃkhyeya, and in this way cultivates to completion over three asaṃkhyeyas. Question: how can the measure of this eon-asaṃkhyeya be known? Answer: some say: taking a great eon as the unit,

one accumulates this unit up to a hundred thousand, which is called a lakṣa; up to a hundred times a hundred thousand, which is called a koṭi; a hundred thousand koṭi is called a nayuta; a hundred thousand nayuta is called a bimba; a hundred thousand bimba is called a kaṅkara — beyond this point the number exceeds the reach of arithmetical cognition, and it is at this point beyond reckoning that the measure of one eon-asaṃkhyeya is named. The measure of the second and third eon-asaṃkhyeyas is likewise. Some say: taking a great eon as a single unit, one accumulates this unit up to a hundred thousand, called a lakṣa; up to a hundred times a hundred thousand, called a koṭi; a hundred thousand koṭi is called a koṭi-koṭi; a hundred thousand koṭi-koṭi is called an aṭaṭa-koṭi; a hundred thousand aṭaṭa-koṭi is called an aṭṭaṭa-koṭi.

a hundred thousand aṭṭaṭa-koṭi is called an ayuta; a hundred thousand ayuta is called an 'ayuta-part'; a hundred thousand ayuta-parts is called a nayuta; a hundred thousand nayuta is called a 'nayuta-part'; a hundred thousand nayuta-parts is called a kumuda; a hundred thousand kumuda is called a 'kumuda-part'; a hundred thousand kumuda-parts is called a padma; a hundred thousand padma is called a 'padma-part'; a hundred thousand padma-parts is called a kamala; a hundred thousand kamala is called a 'kamala-part'; a hundred thousand kamala-parts is called a naḍita; a hundred thousand naḍita is called a 'naḍita-part'; a hundred thousand naḍita-parts is called a tuṭi; a hundred thousand tuṭi is called a 'tuṭi-part'; a hundred thousand tuṭi-parts is called an apapa; a hundred thousand apapa is called an 'apapa-part'; a hundred thousand apapa-parts is called an aṭaṭa; a hundred thousand aṭaṭa is called an 'aṭaṭa-part'; a hundred thousand aṭaṭa-parts is called an ugra; a hundred thousand ugra is called an 'ugra-part'; a hundred thousand ugra-parts is called a bala; a hundred thousand bala is called a 'bala-part'; a hundred thousand bala-parts is called a vagra. From this point onward the number exceeds the reach of arithmetical cognition, and it is at this point beyond reckoning that the measure of one eon-asaṃkhyeya is named; the measure of the second and third eon-asaṃkhyeyas is likewise. Some say: it is called 'asaṃkhyeya' precisely because it is beyond the reach of arithmetical cognition; yet there is a sūtra that speaks of sixty numerical terms, among which one term is named 'asaṃkhyeya' — when the accumulation of great eons reaches this term, it is called one eon-asaṃkhyeya. As that sūtra says: there is a number with nothing beyond it, which begins as 'one'; ten of these make 'ten';

ten tens make a 'hundred'; ten hundreds make a 'thousand'; ten thousands make a pravāda; ten pravāda make a lakṣa; ten lakṣa make an atilakṣa; ten atilakṣa make a koṭi; ten koṭi make a madra; ten madra make an ayuta; ten ayuta make a 'great ayuta'; ten great ayuta make a nayuta; ten nayuta make a 'great nayuta'; ten great nayuta make a pranayuta; ten pranayuta make a 'great pranayuta';

ten great pranayuta make a kaṅkara; ten kaṅkara make a 'great kaṅkara'; ten great kaṅkara make a bindala; ten bindala make a 'great bindala'; ten great bindala make an akṣobhya; ten akṣobhya make a 'great akṣobhya'; ten great akṣobhya make a vivāha; ten vivāha make a 'great vivāha'; ten great vivāha make an utsaṅga; ten utsaṅga make a 'great utsaṅga'; ten great utsaṅga make a vāhana; ten vāhana make a 'great vāhana'; ten great vāhana make a tiṭibha; ten tiṭibha make a 'great tiṭibha'; ten great tiṭibha make a hetu; ten hetu make a 'great hetu'; ten great hetu make a karabha; ten karabha make a 'great karabha'; ten great karabha make an indra; ten indra make a 'great indra'; ten great indra make a samāpta; ten samāpta make a 'great samāpta'; ten great samāpta make a gati; ten gati make a 'great gati'; ten great gati make a nimbarajas; ten nimbarajas make a 'great nimbarajas';

ten great nimbarajas make a mudrā; ten mudrā make a 'great mudrā'; ten great mudrā make a bala; ten bala make a 'great bala'; ten great bala make a saṃjñā; ten saṃjñā make a 'great saṃjñā'; ten great saṃjñā make a vibhūta; ten vibhūta make a 'great vibhūta'; ten great vibhūta make a balākṣa; ten balākṣa make a 'great balākṣa'; ten great balākṣa make an asaṃkhyeya. Beyond this there are yet eight more numerical terms, which together with the foregoing make sixty terms in all; and it is when the accumulation of great eons reaches this fifty-second term, 'asaṃkhyeya,' that it is called one eon-asaṃkhyeya. The second and third eon-asaṃkhyeyas are likewise. Some say: the Venerable Śāriputra, by means of the fourth dhyāna, gave rise to the supernormal faculty of recollecting former abodes, and, taking as his condition as much of the past as this faculty could reach, that span constitutes the measure of one eon-asaṃkhyeya; the measure of the second and third eon-asaṃkhyeyas is likewise. This view should not be accepted. Why is this? Because the measure of an eon-asaṃkhyeya is not within the range of the recollective faculty of Śāriputra or others like him. Here, it may rather be said that the measure of the three eon-asaṃkhyeyas is entirely within the range of Śāriputra's recollective faculty; it should not be said that the extent of the eons his faculty can reach constitutes the measure of one eon-asaṃkhyeya. Some say: the measure of the three eon-asaṃkhyeyas is distinguished according to the practice of giving. That is: at the time when the bodhisattva, although practicing generosity, is not yet able to give up every possession or to give every field, up to that point is called the first eon-asaṃkhyeya. At the time when the bodhisattva is able to practice generosity and is also able to give up every possession, but not yet able to give every field,

— or is able to give every field but not yet able to give up every possession — up to that point is called the second eon-asaṃkhyeya. At the time when the bodhisattva is able to practice generosity, and is able both to give up every possession and to give every field, up to that point is called the third eon-asaṃkhyeya. Some say: the measure of the three eon-asaṃkhyeyas is distinguished according to the Buddhas the bodhisattva encountered and served. That is: in the distant past, at a time when the human lifespan was a hundred years, there was a Buddha named Śākyamuni who appeared in the world, born into the kṣatriya Śākya clan. His mother was named Mahāmāyā, his father Śuddhodana, and his son Rāhula; his city was called Kapilavastu, home of all the Śākya clans; his attendant disciple was named Ānanda, and his foremost pair of disciples were named Śāriputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana. At that time the world was rife with the five corruptions,

and beings were oppressed by birth, old age, and death, benighted in folly and darkness, with none to guide them. That Buddha, the Blessed One, by the power of his compassionate vow, appeared in their midst, and with ever-increasing diligence converted and guided sentient beings without ever pausing to rest. Because of this, he was afflicted by wind, and had an ailment in his shoulders and back.

At that time there was a potter named Prabhāsa. The Buddha, knowing the time had come, said to his attendant Ānanda: "My body is now afflicted and unwell."

"You may go to the potter Prabhāsa's house and ask for sesame oil and warm water, to anoint and bathe me with." The attendant respectfully assented, and went to the potter's house. Standing before Prabhāsa, he greeted him with kind words and, by way of skillful approach, praised the Buddha's manifold virtues — his supreme moral discipline, concentration, and wisdom; his thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks; his perfect halo blazing with splendor; his unobstructed wisdom and insight; his unhindered eloquence. He further told Prabhāsa: "Such is the Blessed One that, had he not gone forth, he would have become a wheel-turning king ruling over the four continents, and I and all of you and all the world would be his servants. Yet now he has renounced such kingship, gone forth, and practiced austerities, and attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, endowed with omniscient wisdom and insight, having severed every net of doubt, and able to resolve every uncertainty and fathom the depths of every question and discourse. He regards all sentient beings as though they were his only child. At present he is dwelling not far from here; yet, for the sake of rescuing you and others from suffering, he ever travels the roads, and has been afflicted by wind, his shoulders and back grown weary and strained."

It is for this reason — needing oil and warm water — that I have come to call upon you. Might you be willing to give some?" Upon hearing this, Prabhāsa leapt up in joy and exclaimed in wonder, "How can there be such virtue in the human world!" He replied at once to the venerable one: "Sir, please return for now; I shall myself go at once to the Buddha's place, as swiftly as life allows." Before long, Prabhāsa had prepared fresh sesame oil and warm, fragrant water and carried them to the Buddha. The Buddha, seeing him from afar, and in order to let him plant wholesome roots, removed his outer robes, keeping only his inner garment, and sat upon a stool awaiting him. When Prabhāsa arrived, he gave rise to a pure and sincere mind, and with reverent skill anointed the Buddha's shoulders and back with the oil he had brought, massaging and kneading them, and then bathed and washed them with the warm, fragrant water. The Buddha's affliction from the wind was thereupon released and cured. With a compassionate, gentle voice he comforted and reassured Prabhāsa. Hearing this, Prabhāsa rejoiced and made a vow, saying: "May I in the future attain Buddhahood, with a name, a retinue, a time, a place, and disciples exactly like those of the Blessed One now, without any difference." It should be understood that this potter was none other than the bodhisattva Śākyamuni; because of his original vow, his name and the rest are now unchanged from what they were then. From the time he made this vow before that Buddha, up until he encountered and served the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin, is called the completion of the first eon-asaṃkhyeya. From this point onward, up until he encountered and served the Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara, is called the completion of the second eon-asaṃkhyeya. From this point onward again, up until he encountered and served the Tathāgata Viśiṣṭadarśin, is called the completion of the third eon-asaṃkhyeya. After this, he further cultivated the karma of the excellent marks for ninety-one eons, and it was only when he encountered and served the Buddha Kāśyapa that this was finally brought to completion.

Some say: there are three kinds of asaṃkhyeya: first, the eon-asaṃkhyeya; second, the birth-asaṃkhyeya; third, the wondrous-practice-asaṃkhyeya. The eon-asaṃkhyeya is: taking a great eon as a single unit, accumulating it up through lakṣa and koṭi, proceeding in succession until one passes beyond the count of vagra. The birth-asaṃkhyeya is the fact that within each single eon one passes through countless births. The wondrous-practice-asaṃkhyeya is the fact that within each single eon one cultivates countless wondrous practices. It is by means of these three kinds of asaṃkhyeya, on this account, that supreme awakening is realized. This view should not be accepted as correct. As for the true meaning: here it is said only that, having passed through three eon-asaṃkhyeyas, the cultivation of practice is brought to completion.