An Eighteenth Teacher, Named Great Light
King Never Satisfied's own confession closes on the same note as every teacher before him, and Good-Wealth's journey south — through real wilderness this time, without rest — carries him to Wondrous Light city, where an eighteenth teacher, King Great Light, is said to dwell.
An Illusion Beyond His Own
Even a king able to manifest illusory suffering to save beings names something greater still — bodhisattvas whose acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas lets them see every world, every practice, and every dharma as illusion, reflection, and dream all at once.
「善男子！我唯得此如幻解脫。如諸菩薩摩訶薩得無生忍，知諸有趣悉皆如幻，菩薩諸行悉皆如化，一切世間悉皆如影，一切諸法悉皆如夢，入真實相無礙法門，修行帝網一切諸行，以無礙智行於境界，普入一切平等三昧，於陀羅尼已得自在；而我云何能知能說彼功德行？「善男子！於此南方，有城名：妙光；王名：大光。汝詣彼問：菩薩云何學菩薩行、修菩薩道？」時，善財童子頂禮王足，遶無數匝，辭退而去。
"Good son, I have attained only this liberation of being like an illusion. As for the great bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, who have attained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, who know that every destiny of existence is entirely like an illusion, that every bodhisattva practice is entirely like a transformation, that the entire world is entirely like a reflection, and that every dharma is entirely like a dream, who have entered the unobstructed dharma-gate of the true mark, who cultivate every practice of Indra's net, who move through every domain with unobstructed wisdom, who universally enter every samādhi of equality, and who have already attained sovereign mastery over dhāraṇī — how could I possibly know or speak of their own meritorious practice? Good son, to the south of here, there is a city named Wondrous Light; its king is named Great Light. You should go to him and ask: how does a bodhisattva learn the bodhisattva practices, and cultivate the bodhisattva path?" At that time, Good-Wealth bowed his head at the king's feet, circumambulated him countless times, and took his leave and departed.
Through Wilderness, Without Rest
Holding the king's illusion-teaching in mind the whole way, Good-Wealth's journey to Wondrous Light city costs him real hardship again — and his joy on finally arriving is described in an unusually long list of everything he hopes to hear.
爾時，善財童子一心正念彼王所得幻智法門，思惟彼王如幻解脫，觀察彼王如幻法性，發如幻願，淨如幻法，普於一切如幻三世起於種種如幻變化，如是思惟。漸次遊行，或至人間城邑、聚落，或經曠野、巖谷、險難，無有疲懈，未曾休息。然後乃至妙光大城，而問人言：「妙光大城在於何所？」人咸報言：「妙光城者，今此城是，是大光王之所住處。」時，善財童子歡喜踊躍，作如是念：「我善知識在此城中，我今必當親得奉見，聞諸菩薩所行之行，聞諸菩薩出要之門，聞諸菩薩所證之法，聞諸菩薩不思議功德，聞諸菩薩不思議自在，聞諸菩薩不思議平等，聞諸菩薩不思議勇猛，聞諸菩薩不思議境界廣大清淨。」作是念已，入妙光城。
At that time, Good-Wealth, with a single-pointed mind, held rightly in mind the illusion-wisdom dharma-gate that king had attained, reflecting on that king's liberation of being like an illusion, contemplating that king's illusion-like dharma-nature, giving rise to illusion-like vows, purifying illusion-like dharmas, and universally bringing forth every kind of illusion-like transformation throughout the illusion-like three times — reflecting in this way. Journeying onward by stages, sometimes arriving at human cities, towns, and villages, sometimes passing through wilderness, cliffs, valleys, and dangerous places, he never grew weary or lax, and never once rested. Only then did he at last reach the great city of Wondrous Light, and asked the people: "Where is the great city of Wondrous Light to be found?" The people all answered him: "As for Wondrous Light city, this very city here is it, and it is where King Great Light dwells." At that time, Good-Wealth, joyful and leaping for joy, thought thus: "My good spiritual friend is within this city — I shall now surely be able to personally behold him, and hear of the practices bodhisattvas carry out, hear of the gates by which bodhisattvas find their way out, hear of the dharma bodhisattvas have realized, hear of bodhisattvas' own inconceivable merit, hear of bodhisattvas' own inconceivable sovereign freedom, hear of bodhisattvas' own inconceivable equality, hear of bodhisattvas' own inconceivable courage, and hear of bodhisattvas' own inconceivable domain, vast and pure." Having thought this, he entered Wondrous Light city.
普於一切如幻三世起於種種如幻變化 — universally bringing forth every kind of illusion-like transformation throughout the illusion-like three times. Good-Wealth does not simply accept King Never Satisfied's own explanation and move on — he actively practices seeing through the same illusion-like lens himself, turning the previous teacher's liberation into his own meditation before he has even reached the next city.
Part 1019 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle sixty-six. Part 1020 describes Wondrous Light city itself in full — its seven-layered moats, its seven vajra ramparts each given its own name, and the towers of gold, silver, and lapis lazuli filling it within.