The Names of the Tathāgata Begin

At that time, the World-Honored One, within the awakening-site of the Araṇyaka Dharma in the country of Magadha, having just accomplished true awakening, sat within the Hall of Universal Light upon the lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury. His wondrous awakening was fully complete, and the two conducts were forever severed; he had penetrated the markless Dharma, and abided in the very abode of a buddha; he had attained the equality of every buddha, and reached the place without any obstruction; his Dharma could not be turned back, and his every conduct was unobstructed; he had established the inconceivable, and universally beheld the three periods of time. He was together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, none of whom were anything but bound to buddhahood in their very next birth, all of whom had come together, gathering from other directions, universally and excellently contemplating the realm of every living being, the Dharma-realm, the realm of worlds, the realm of nirvāṇa, the recompense of every karmic fruit, the sequence of every mental conduct, the meaning of every text, the mundane and the transcendent, the conditioned and the unconditioned, and the past, present, and future.

At that time, the bodhisattvas had this thought: "If the World-Honored One would look upon us with pity, we pray that, according to what we delight in, he would open and reveal the buddha-land, the buddha's own abode, the buddha-land's adornment, the buddha's own Dharma-nature, the buddha-land's purity, the Dharma the Buddha teaches, the buddha-land's own essence and nature, the Buddha's majestic virtue, the buddha-land's accomplishment, and the Buddha's own great bodhi — just as every buddha, every World-Honored One, of every world of the ten directions does, in order to bring every bodhisattva to accomplishment, in order to cause the lineage of the Tathāgata to never be severed, in order to rescue and protect every living being, in order to cause every living being to forever leave behind every affliction, in order to thoroughly understand every conduct, in order to proclaim every dharma, in order to purely remove every defilement, in order to forever sever every net of doubt, in order to uproot every hope and expectation, in order to extinguish and destroy every place of love and attachment — teaching the bodhisattva's ten abodes, ten practices, ten dedications, ten treasuries, ten grounds, ten vows, ten samādhis, ten spiritual penetrations, and ten crowns, and teaching the Tathāgata's own ground, the Tathāgata's own domain, the Tathāgata's own spiritual power, the Tathāgata's own conduct, the Tathāgata's own power, the Tathāgata's own fearlessness, the Tathāgata's own samādhi, the Tathāgata's own spiritual transmutation, the Tathāgata's own sovereign mastery, the Tathāgata's own unobstructedness, the Tathāgata's own eye, the Tathāgata's own ear, the Tathāgata's own nose, the Tathāgata's own tongue, the Tathāgata's own body, the Tathāgata's own mind, the Tathāgata's own eloquence, the Tathāgata's own wisdom, and the Tathāgata's own supremacy. We pray that the Buddha, the World-Honored One, would likewise teach this for our sake!"

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing the thought in the minds of the bodhisattvas, each according to their own kind, manifested spiritual transmutation for their sake. Having manifested this spiritual transmutation: to the east, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named Golden Color, whose buddha was named Unshakable Wisdom. Within that world, there was a bodhisattva named Mañjuśrī, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the east, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. To the south, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named Wondrous Color, whose buddha was named Unobstructed Wisdom. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Awakening, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the south, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. To the west, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named Lotus-Flower Color, whose buddha was named the Wisdom That Extinguishes Darkness. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Wealth, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the west, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. To the north, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named the Color of the Campaka Flower, whose buddha was named the Wisdom of Dignified Bearing. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Treasure, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the north, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. To the northeast, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named the Color of the Utpala Flower, whose buddha was named the Wisdom of the Bright Mark. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Merit, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the northeast, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. To the southeast, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named Golden Color, whose buddha was named the Wisdom of the Ultimate. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Vision, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the southeast, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. To the southwest, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named Jeweled Color, whose buddha was named the Wisdom of the Supreme. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Diligence, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the southwest, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. To the northwest, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named Vajra Color, whose buddha was named the Wisdom of Sovereign Mastery. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Dharma, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, to the northwest, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. Below, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named the Color of Crystal, whose buddha was named the Wisdom of Brahmā. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Wisdom, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, below, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it. Above, past worlds as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, there was a world named Equal Color, whose buddha was named the Wisdom of Contemplation. There was a bodhisattva there, named Foremost in Virtue, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in ten buddha-lands, came to the Buddha's own place, and, having arrived, made obeisance, and then, above, conjured a lion-throne of the Lotus-Treasury, and sat cross-legged upon it.

At that time, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, sustained by the Buddha's own power, universally beheld the whole assembly of bodhisattvas, and spoke these words: "These bodhisattvas are utterly rare indeed! Buddha's children! The buddha-land is inconceivable; the buddha's own abode, the buddha-land's adornment, the buddha's own Dharma-nature, the buddha-land's purity, the Dharma the Buddha teaches, the Buddha's own appearance, the buddha-land's accomplishment, and the Buddha's own unsurpassed, perfect awakening are all inconceivable. Why is this so? Buddha's children! Every buddha of every world of the ten directions, knowing that the delight and desire of every living being is not the same, teaches the Dharma and tames them according to what is fitting for each — and it is thus, reaching even the whole extent of the Dharma-realm and the realm of empty space.

"Buddha's children! The Tathāgata, throughout every set of four continents within this Sahā world, has every kind of body, every kind of name, every kind of form and mark, every kind of length of life, every kind of measure of lifespan, every kind of place, every kind of faculty, every kind of place of birth, every kind of verbal karma, and every kind of way of being contemplated, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! The Tathāgata, within this set of four continents, is variously named: Every Aim Accomplished, or named the Full and Perfect Moon, or named the Lion's Roar, or named Śākyamuni, or named the Seventh Sage, or named Vairocana, or named the Gautama Clan, or named the Great Śramaṇa, or named the Supreme, or named the Guide... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the east of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Excellent Protection. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: Vajra, or named Sovereign Mastery, or named Possessing Wisdom, or named Hard to Overcome, or named the King of Clouds, or named Free of Contention, or named Able to Be Lord, or named the Mind's Own Joy, or named Without Equal, or named Severing Discourse... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the south of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Hard to Endure. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: Śakra, or named the Renown of the Jewel, or named Free of Defilement, or named True Speech, or named Able to Tame, or named Fully Endowed with Joy, or named of Great Renown, or named Able to Benefit, or named Boundless, or named the Supreme... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the west of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Intimate Wisdom. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: the Water-Deva, or named Delighting to Behold, or named the Supreme King, or named the Tamed Deva, or named True Wisdom, or named Reaching the Ultimate, or named Joy, or named the Wisdom of the Dharma, or named the Task Already Accomplished, or named Excellently Abiding... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the north of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Possessing the Lion. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: the Great Sage, or named Ascetic Practice, or named the World-Honored, or named the Supreme Field, or named Omniscience, or named Excellent Intent, or named Purity, or named Airāvaṇa, or named the Supreme Giving, or named Attained Through Ascetic Practice... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the northeast of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Wondrous Contemplation. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: Taming Māra, or named Accomplishment, or named Ceasing and Extinguishing, or named the Worthy Deva, or named Free of Desire, or named Supreme Wisdom, or named the Mind's Own Equality, or named Unable to Be Surpassed, or named the Voice of Wisdom, or named Rarely Appearing... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the southeast of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Joy and Bliss. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: Utmost, Majestic Dignity, or named the Gathering of Light and Flame, or named Universal Knowing, or named the Secret, or named Liberation, or named Abiding Securely in Nature, or named Conduct According to the Dharma, or named the King of the Pure Eye, or named Great, Valiant Strength, or named the Power of Diligence... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the southwest of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Utterly Firm and Secure. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: Abiding Securely, or named the King of Wisdom, or named Full and Complete, or named Unmoving, or named the Wondrous Eye, or named the Crowned King, or named the Sovereign Voice, or named Giving Everything, or named Upholding Every Sage, or named Supreme Sumeru... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! To the northwest of this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Wondrous Ground. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: the Universal, or named Light and Flame, or named the Maṇi Topknot, or named Worthy to Be Remembered, or named the Unsurpassed Meaning, or named Forever Joyful and Blissful, or named Pure in Nature, or named Full and Complete Light, or named the Long Arm, or named Abiding in the Root... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! Below this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Flame's Wisdom. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: Gathering Roots of Goodness, or named the Lion's Mark, or named Fierce, Sharp Wisdom, or named the Golden Flame, or named Every Good Friend, or named the Ultimate Voice, or named Bringing Benefit, or named Reaching the Ultimate, or named the True Deva, or named Universally Supreme... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way.

"Buddha's children! Above this set of four continents, there is next a world, named Upholding the Ground. The Tathāgata, within it, is variously named: Possessing Wisdom, or named the Pure Face, or named the Wisdom of Awakening, or named Foremost, or named the Adornment of Conduct, or named Giving Rise to Joy, or named the Mind's Own Fulfillment, or named Like a Blazing Fire, or named Upholding the Precepts, or named the Single Path... Such as these, their number ten thousand, causing every living being to know and see him each in their own distinct way."