Three More Buddhas, Fascicle Eleven Complete
The first buddha's era passes, and a second appears in the very same forest — then a third, then a fourth. Great Majestic Light rises through each lifetime in turn: still a youth for the second buddha, a wheel-turning sage-king for the third, and finally a heavenly king for the fourth, each encounter deepening his realization through a new samādhi, dhāraṇī, or wisdom-light, until, at this fascicle's close, his own life in this world ends and he is reborn once more.
The Second Buddha
「諸佛子！汝等應知彼大莊嚴劫中，有恒河沙數小劫，人壽命二小劫。諸佛子！彼一切功德須彌勝雲佛，壽命五十億歲。彼佛滅度後，有佛出世，名：波羅蜜善眼莊嚴王，亦於彼摩尼華枝輪大林中而成正覺。爾時，大威光童子，見彼如來成等正覺、現神通力，即得念佛三昧，名：無邊海藏門；即得陀羅尼，名：大智力法淵；即得大慈，名：普隨眾生調伏度脫；即得大悲，名：遍覆一切境界雲；即得大喜，名：一切佛功德海威力藏；即得大捨，名：法性虛空平等清淨；即得般若波羅蜜，名：自性離垢法界清淨身；即得神通，名：無礙光普隨現；即得辯才，名：善入離垢淵；即得智光，名：一切佛法清淨藏。如是等十千法門，皆得通達。」
"Buddha's children! You should know that, within that great kalpa of adornment, there were kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and the human lifespan was two such minor kalpas. Buddha's children! That buddha, the Supreme Cloud of Sumeru, the Mountain of Every Merit, had a lifespan of five thousand million years. After that buddha's own parinirvāṇa, a buddha appeared in the world, named the King of the Pāramitā's Excellent Eye Adornment, who likewise accomplished true awakening within that same great forest of the Maṇi Flower's Branch-Wheel. At that time, the youth Great Majestic Light, beholding that Tathāgata accomplish true, perfect awakening and manifest his own power of spiritual transmutation, then attained the samādhi of buddha-recollection, named the Gateway of the Boundless Ocean-Treasury; he then attained a dhāraṇī, named the Deep Pool of the Dharma of Great Wisdom's Power; he then attained great compassion, named Universally Following Living Beings to Tame and Liberate Them; he then attained great pity, named the Cloud Universally Covering Every Domain; he then attained great joy, named the Treasury of the Majestic Power of the Ocean of Every Buddha's Merit; he then attained great equanimity, named the Equal Purity of the Dharma-Nature's Empty Space; he then attained the perfection of wisdom, named the Pure Body of the Dharma-Realm, Its Own Nature Free of Defilement; he then attained spiritual transmutation, named the Unobstructed Light Universally Manifest According to All; he then attained eloquence, named Excellently Entering the Deep Pool Free of Defilement; and he then attained wisdom-light, named the Pure Treasury of Every Buddha-Dharma. Such as these, ten thousand dharma-gateways, he thoroughly penetrated every one."
「爾時，大威光童子，承佛威力，為諸眷屬而說頌言：
「『不可思議億劫中，導世明師難一遇，
此土眾生多善利，而今得見第二佛。
佛身普放大光明，色相無邊極清淨，
如雲充滿一切土，處處稱揚佛功德。
光明所照咸歡喜，眾生有苦悉除滅，
各令恭敬起慈心，此是如來自在用。
出不思議變化雲，放無量色光明網，
十方國土皆充滿，此佛神通之所現。
一一毛孔現光雲，普遍虛空發大音，
所有幽冥靡不照，地獄眾苦咸令滅。
如來妙音遍十方，一切言音咸具演，
隨諸眾生宿善力，此是大師神變用。
無量無邊大眾海，佛於其中皆出現，
普轉無盡妙法輪，調伏一切諸眾生。
佛神通力無有邊，一切剎中皆出現，
善逝如是智無礙，為利眾生成正覺。
汝等應生歡喜心，踊躍愛樂極尊重，
我當與汝同詣彼，若見如來眾苦滅。
發心迴向趣菩提，慈念一切諸眾生，
悉住普賢廣大願，當如法王得自在。』」
At that time, the youth Great Majestic Light, sustained by the Buddha's own power, spoke a verse for the sake of his retinue, saying:
"'Across inconceivable hundreds of millions of kalpas, a bright guide of the world is rarely once encountered;
the living beings of this land have great, excellent benefit, for now they attain to behold a second buddha.
The Buddha's body universally emits great light, his forms and marks boundless, utterly pure,
filling every land like clouds, extolling the Buddha's own merit in every single place.
Wherever that light illumines, all rejoice entirely, and whatever suffering living beings have is entirely extinguished,
each one caused to give rise to a reverent, compassionate mind — such is the Tathāgata's own sovereign function.
Sending forth inconceivable clouds of transformation, emitting a net of immeasurable, colored light,
filling every land of the ten directions entirely — this is what the Buddha's own spiritual transmutation manifests.
Within each and every pore, clouds of light are manifest, universally pervading empty space, sending forth a great voice,
and wherever there is darkness, none fails to be illumined; every suffering of the hells is entirely caused to be extinguished.
The Tathāgata's own wondrous voice pervades the ten directions, every language and voice entirely proclaimed within it,
according to the power of every living being's own past goodness — this is the great teacher's own function of spiritual transformation.
Within the immeasurable, boundless great ocean of the assembly, the Buddha manifests within it entirely,
universally turning the inexhaustible, wondrous Dharma-wheel, taming every living being entirely.
The Buddha's own power of spiritual transmutation is without any bound, manifest within every land entirely,
the Well-Gone One's wisdom thus unobstructed, accomplishing true awakening for the benefit of living beings.
All of you should give rise to a joyful mind, leaping up in delight, love, and utmost reverence;
I shall go together with you to that very place — beholding the Tathāgata, every suffering is extinguished.
Give rise to the mind that turns and dedicates itself toward bodhi, with compassionate care for every living being,
abide entirely in Samantabhadra's own vast vow, and you shall attain sovereign mastery like the King of the Dharma.'"
「諸佛子！大威光童子說此頌時，以佛神力，其聲無礙，一切世界皆悉得聞，無量眾生發菩提心。時，大威光王子，與其父母，并諸眷屬，及無量百千億那由他眾生，前後圍遶，寶蓋如雲遍覆虛空，共詣波羅蜜善眼莊嚴王如來所。其佛為說法界體性清淨莊嚴修多羅，世界海微塵等修多羅而為眷屬。彼諸大眾，聞此經已，得清淨智，名：入一切淨方便；得於地，名：離垢光明；得波羅蜜輪，名：示現一切世間愛樂莊嚴；得增廣行輪，名：普入一切剎土無邊光明清淨見；得趣向行輪，名：離垢福德雲光明幢；得隨入證輪，名：一切法海廣大光明：得轉深發趣行，名：大智莊嚴；得灌頂智慧海，名：無功用修極妙見；得顯了大光明，名：如來功德海相光影遍照；得出生願力清淨智，名：無量願力信解藏。「時，彼佛為大威光菩薩而說頌言：
「『善哉功德智慧海，發心趣向大菩提，
汝當得佛不思議，普為眾生作依處。
汝已出生大智海，悉能遍了一切法，
當以難思妙方便，入佛無盡所行境。
已見諸佛功德雲，已入無盡智慧地，
諸波羅蜜方便海，大名稱者當滿足。
已得方便總持門，及以無盡辯才門，
種種行願皆修習，當成無等大智慧。
汝已出生諸願海，汝已入於三昧海，
當具種種大神通，不可思議諸佛法。
究竟法界不思議，廣大深心已清淨，
普見十方一切佛，離垢莊嚴眾剎海。
汝已入我菩提行，昔時本事方便海，
如我修行所淨治，如是妙行汝皆悟。
我於無量一一剎，種種供養諸佛海，
如彼修行所得果，如是莊嚴汝咸見。
廣大劫海無有盡，一切剎中修淨行，
堅固誓願不可思，當得如來此神力。
諸佛供養盡無餘，國土莊嚴悉清淨，
一切劫中修妙行，汝當成佛大功德。』」
"Buddha's children! When the youth Great Majestic Light spoke this verse, through the Buddha's own spiritual power, his voice was unobstructed, and every world entirely heard it, and immeasurable living beings gave rise to bodhicitta. At that time, Prince Great Majestic Light, together with his father and mother, and every retinue, and immeasurable hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of living beings, surrounding him before and behind, jeweled canopies like clouds covering the whole of empty space, together went to the place of the Tathāgata, the King of the Pāramitā's Excellent Eye Adornment. That buddha, for their sake, taught the sūtra of the Dharma-Realm's Own Nature, Pure Adornment, with sūtras equal to the fine motes of dust in a world-ocean as its retinue. That whole great assembly, having heard this scripture, attained pure wisdom, named Entering Every Pure Skillful Means; attained a ground, named Light Free of Defilement; attained the wheel of pāramitā, named Revealing the Delight and Adornment of the Whole World; attained the wheel of increasingly vast conduct, named the Boundless, Pure Vision Universally Entering Every Land; attained the wheel of conduct hastening forth, named the Banner of Light of the Cloud of Blessing and Virtue Free of Defilement; attained the wheel of realization entered according, named the Vast Light of the Whole Ocean of Dharma; attained the profound conduct of hastening forth, turned, named the Great Adornment of Wisdom; attained the ocean of wisdom of consecration, named the Effortless Cultivation of the Utmost, Wondrous Vision; attained the great light of clear revelation, named the Universal Illumination of the Reflected Image of the Ocean of the Tathāgata's Own Merit; and attained the pure wisdom of bringing forth the power of vow, named the Treasury of Faith and Understanding of Immeasurable, Powerful Vow. At that time, that buddha spoke a verse for the sake of Great Majestic Light Bodhisattva, saying:
"'Excellent, ocean of merit and wisdom, you have given rise to the mind that hastens toward great bodhi,
you shall attain the Buddha's own inconceivability, universally becoming a place of refuge for living beings.
You have already brought forth the great ocean of wisdom, able to thoroughly understand every dharma entirely,
you shall, through skillful means hard to conceive, enter the Buddha's own inexhaustible domain of conduct.
Having already beheld the cloud of every buddha's merit, having already entered the inexhaustible ground of wisdom,
the ocean of skillful means of every pāramitā — you, of great renown, shall attain it fully.
Having already attained the gateway of skillful means and total retention, and also the gateway of inexhaustible eloquence,
every kind of conduct and vow entirely cultivated, you shall accomplish great wisdom without equal.
You have already brought forth the ocean of every vow, you have already entered the ocean of every samādhi,
you shall be endowed with every kind of great spiritual transmutation, the inconceivable dharma of every buddha.
The ultimate Dharma-realm, inconceivable, your vast, profound mind already pure,
you universally behold every buddha of the ten directions, and the adorned ocean of every land, free of defilement.
You have already entered my own conduct toward bodhi, the ocean of skillful means, my own original deeds in ages past,
just as I cultivated and purified them, so too have you awakened to this wondrous conduct entirely.
Within immeasurable lands, each and every one, I made offering to the ocean of every buddha in every kind of way,
and just as that practice attained its fruit, so too you behold this adornment entirely.
The vast ocean of kalpas is without any exhaustion, cultivating pure conduct within every land,
firm vows, inconceivable — you shall attain this very spiritual power of the Tathāgata.
Making offering to every buddha, exhausting it entirely without remainder, adorning and purifying every land completely,
cultivating wondrous conduct throughout every kalpa, you shall accomplish buddhahood's own great merit.'"
The Third Buddha
「諸佛子！波羅蜜善眼莊嚴王如來入涅槃已，喜見善慧王尋亦去世，大威光童子受轉輪王位。彼摩尼華枝輪大林中第三如來出現於世，名：最勝功德海。時，大威光轉輪聖王，見彼如來成佛之相，與其眷屬，及四兵眾，城邑、聚落一切人民，并持七寶，俱往佛所，以一切香摩尼莊嚴大樓閣奉上於佛。時，彼如來於其林中，說菩薩普眼光明行修多羅，世界微塵數修多羅而為眷屬。爾時，大威光菩薩，聞此法已，得三昧，名：大福德普光明；得此三昧故，悉能了知一切菩薩、一切眾生，過、現、未來，福、非福海。」
"Buddha's children! After the Tathāgata, the King of the Pāramitā's Excellent Eye Adornment, entered nirvāṇa, King Delighting to Behold Excellent Wisdom soon likewise passed from the world, and the youth Great Majestic Light received the throne of a wheel-turning king. Within that same great forest of the Maṇi Flower's Branch-Wheel, a third Tathāgata appeared in the world, named the Ocean of Supreme Merit. At that time, Great Majestic Light, the wheel-turning sage-king, beheld that Tathāgata's own mark of buddhahood accomplished, and, together with his retinue, and the four divisions of his army, and every citizen of city, town, and village, and bearing the seven jewels, together went to the Buddha's own place, offering up to the Buddha a great pavilion adorned with every fragrant maṇi. At that time, that Tathāgata, within that very forest, taught the sūtra of the Bodhisattva's Universal Eye's Light and Conduct, with sūtras as numerous as the fine motes of dust in a world as its retinue. At that time, Great Majestic Light Bodhisattva, having heard this Dharma, attained a samādhi, named the Great Blessing and Virtue's Universal Light; through attaining this samādhi, he was able to thoroughly understand the ocean of blessing and non-blessing of every bodhisattva and every living being, past, present, and future."
「時，彼佛為大威光菩薩而說頌言：
「『善哉福德大威光，汝等今來至我所，
愍念一切眾生海，發勝菩提大願心。
汝為一切苦眾生，起大悲心令解脫，
當作群迷所依怙，是名菩薩方便行。
若有菩薩能堅固，修諸勝行無厭怠，
最勝最上無礙解，如是妙智彼當得。
福德光者福幢者，福德處者福海者，
普賢菩薩所有願，是汝大光能趣入。
汝能以此廣大願，入不思議諸佛海，
諸佛福海無有邊，汝以妙解皆能見。
汝於十方國土中，悉見無量無邊佛，
彼佛往昔諸行海，如是一切汝咸見。
若有住此方便海，必得入於智地中，
此是隨順諸佛學，決定當成一切智。
汝於一切剎海中，微塵劫海修諸行，
一切如來諸行海，汝皆學已當成佛。
如汝所見十方中，一切剎海極嚴淨，
汝剎嚴淨亦如是，無邊願者所當得。
今此道場眾會海，聞汝願已生欣樂，
皆入普賢廣大乘，發心迴向趣菩提。
無邊國土一一中，悉入修行經劫海，
以諸願力能圓滿，普賢菩薩一切行。』」
At that time, that buddha spoke a verse for the sake of Great Majestic Light Bodhisattva, saying:
"'Excellent, Great Majestic Light of Blessing and Virtue, you have now come to my own place,
pitying and caring for the ocean of every living being, giving rise to the great vow-mind of supreme bodhi.
For the sake of every suffering living being, you give rise to great compassion, causing them to be liberated,
becoming the refuge upon which the deluded multitude depends — this is called the bodhisattva's own skillful means.
If there is a bodhisattva able to be firm, cultivating every supreme conduct without weariness or laxity,
the most supreme, unsurpassed, unobstructed understanding — such wondrous wisdom shall that one attain.
The one of blessed light, the one of blessed banner, the one of blessed abode, the one of the ocean of blessing —
whatever vow Samantabhadra Bodhisattva possesses, this very Great Light of yours is able to enter into.
You, through this vast vow, are able to enter the ocean of every inconceivable buddha,
and the ocean of blessing of every buddha, without any bound, you are able, through wondrous understanding, to behold entirely.
Within every land of the ten directions, you behold immeasurable, boundless buddhas entirely,
and the ocean of every deed those buddhas practiced in ages past — all of this you behold entirely.
If there is one who abides in this very ocean of skillful means, they shall certainly attain entry into the very ground of wisdom;
this is following and according with the learning of every buddha, and shall definitively accomplish omniscience.
You, within the ocean of every land, across an ocean of kalpas as numerous as motes of dust, cultivate every conduct,
and the ocean of every conduct of every Tathāgata — once you have learned it entirely, you shall accomplish buddhahood.
Just as you behold, throughout the ten directions, every land-ocean utterly adorned and pure,
so too shall your own land be adorned and pure likewise — this is what one of boundless vow shall attain.
Now this very ocean of the assembly at the awakening-site, having heard your vow, gives rise to delight and joy,
all entering Samantabhadra's own vast vehicle, giving rise to the mind that turns and dedicates itself toward bodhi.
Within each and every boundless land, entering entirely to cultivate practice across an ocean of kalpas,
through the power of every vow, able to fulfill perfectly every conduct of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.'"
Across three buddhas now, the pattern has held with almost architectural regularity: a buddha appears in the same forest, Great Majestic Light beholds him, attains a named realization, speaks or receives a hymn, and a sūtra is taught to the gathered assembly. What changes each time is only his own station in the world — youth, then crown prince, then wheel-turning sage-king — never the forest, never the underlying pattern of encounter. Fazang's reading of this repetition treats it as the sūtra's own argument for how a bodhisattva path actually accumulates: not through a single decisive transformation, but through the same essential encounter recurring across an entire lifetime and beyond, each recurrence adding depth rather than starting over.
A Fourth Buddha, and a New Birth
「諸佛子！彼摩尼華枝輪大林中，復有佛出，號：名稱普聞蓮華眼幢。是時，大威光於此命終，生須彌山上寂靜寶宮天城中，為大天王，名：離垢福德幢，共諸天眾俱詣佛所，雨寶華雲以為供養。時，彼如來為說廣大方便普門遍照修多羅，世界海微塵數修多羅而為眷屬。時，天王眾聞此經已，得三昧，名：普門歡喜藏。以三昧力，能入一切法實相海。獲是益已，從道場出，還歸本處。」
"Buddha's children! Within that same great forest of the Maṇi Flower's Branch-Wheel, there further appeared a buddha, named the Renown Universally Heard, Banner of the Lotus-Flower Eye. At this time, Great Majestic Light's life at this place came to its end, and he was born atop Sumeru, within the heavenly city of the Tranquil, Jeweled Palace, as a great heavenly king, named the Banner of Blessing and Virtue Free of Defilement, and, together with the whole host of devas, went to the Buddha's own place, raining down clouds of jeweled flowers as an offering. At that time, that Tathāgata, for their sake, taught the sūtra of Vast Skillful Means, the Universal Gateway's Universal Illumination, with sūtras as numerous as the fine motes of dust in a world-ocean as its retinue. At that time, the host of heavenly kings, having heard this scripture, attained a samādhi, named the Universal-Gateway's Treasury of Joy. Through the power of this samādhi, they were able to enter the ocean of the true mark of every dharma. Having gained this benefit, they left the awakening-site, and returned to their own place."
The fourth buddha's appearance is told almost in passing, and Great Majestic Light's own death gets a single clause — "at this time, Great Majestic Light's life at this place came to its end" — before he is already reborn as a heavenly king attending this new buddha. Nothing marks the death as a rupture; it is simply the next transition in a sequence that has already crossed several lifetimes without pause. This is the sūtra's own quiet demonstration of what it has been asserting throughout this entire arc: that a single bodhisattva's continuity of practice runs straight through what looks, from any single lifetime's vantage, like an ending.
Part 33 Complete — Fascicle Eleven Complete
This closes Part 33 and fascicle eleven: the sūtra's sixth chapter, "The Chapter on Vairocana" (毘盧遮那品第六), begun in Part 31 — the world Supreme Voice, the great forest at its center, and a single bodhisattva's path traced across four buddhas and at least two lifetimes, from crown prince to wheel-turning king to heavenly king, each encounter adding a new realization while the same forest, the same pattern of beholding and teaching, remains constant beneath every change of form. Fascicle twelve continues this same narrative.