Part 619 of the collection · Fascicle 48 of 80 · 如來十身相海品第三十四 · T279 · Chapter complete

The Ocean of Marks Complete

Six final marks — the insteps, the surrounding area, and the toe-tips of both feet — close the catalogue that began with the crown, and Samantabhadra sums the whole with a single closing sentence: ninety-seven marks in all, though he names them as being as numerous as motes of dust in ten lotus-treasury world-oceans.

Translator: Ru-Yi Meditation Center Status: Part 619 — marks ninety-two through ninety-seven, chapter complete Source: Taishō T279 (Śikṣānanda, Tang, 695–699 CE)

The Instep, Surrounding Area, and Toe-Tips

The final six marks move across each foot a second time — the instep, the flesh surrounding it, and the tips of the toes — before Samantabhadra closes the catalogue with a single summary sentence.

Chinese Source

如來右足趺有大人相,名:示現一切莊嚴光明雲,眾寶所成,極妙莊嚴,放閻浮檀金色清淨光明,普照十方一切法界,其光明相猶如大雲,普覆一切諸佛道場,是為九十二。如來左足趺有大人相,名:現眾色相雲,以一切月焰藏毘盧遮那寶、因陀羅尼羅寶而為莊嚴,念念遊行諸法界海,放摩尼燈香焰光明,其光遍滿一切法界,是為九十三。如來右足四周有大人相,名:普藏雲,因陀羅尼羅金剛寶以為莊嚴,放寶光明充滿虛空,於中示現一切諸佛坐於道場摩尼寶王師子之座,是為九十四。

Ru-Yi Translation

The instep of the tathāgata's right foot has a mark of a great being named Cloud of Manifesting Every Adornment and Light, formed of every jewel, adorned in the most sublime manner, emitting the pure light of Jambu-river gold color, universally illuminating every dharma-realm of the ten directions, its light and form like a great cloud, universally covering the seats of awakening of every buddha. This is the ninety-second. The instep of the tathāgata's left foot has a mark of a great being named Cloud of Manifesting Every Colored Form, adorned with the Vairocana jewel that is a treasury of every moon-flame, and with sapphire jewels, traveling the ocean of every dharma-realm in thought after thought, emitting the fragrant flame light of a maṇi lamp, that light pervading and filling every dharma-realm. This is the ninety-third. Surrounding the tathāgata's right foot there is a mark of a great being named Cloud of Universal Treasury, adorned with sapphire and vajra jewels, emitting jeweled light that fills empty space, displaying within it every buddha seated at the seat of awakening upon a lion-throne of maṇi king jewels. This is the ninety-fourth.

Chinese Source

如來左足四周有大人相,名:光明遍照法界雲,摩尼寶華以為莊嚴,放大光明充滿法界平等一相,於中示現一切諸佛及諸菩薩自在神力,以大妙音演說法界無盡法門,是為九十五。如來右足指端有大人相,名:示現莊嚴雲,甚可愛樂閻浮檀清淨真金以為莊嚴,放大光明充滿十方一切法界,於中示現一切諸佛及諸菩薩無盡法海種種功德、神通變化,是為九十六。如來左足指端有大人相,名:現一切佛神變雲,不思議佛光明、月焰普香、摩尼寶焰輪以為莊嚴,放眾寶色清淨光明,充滿一切諸世界海,於中示現一切諸佛及諸菩薩演說一切諸佛法海,是為九十七。「佛子!毘盧遮那如來有如是等十華藏世界海微塵數大人相;一一身分,眾寶妙相以為莊嚴。」

Ru-Yi Translation

Surrounding the tathāgata's left foot there is a mark of a great being named Cloud of Light Illuminating the Dharma-Realm Everywhere, adorned with maṇi jeweled flowers, emitting great light that fills the dharma-realm, equal and of a single form, displaying within it the sovereign spiritual power of every buddha and bodhisattva, expounding with a great and wondrous sound the inexhaustible dharma-gates of the dharma-realm. This is the ninety-fifth. The tip of the tathāgata's right toes has a mark of a great being named Cloud of Manifesting Adornment, adorned with the most delightful, pure true gold of Jambu-river, emitting great light that fills every dharma-realm of the ten directions, displaying within it the manifold merits and spiritual transformations of the inexhaustible ocean of dharma of every buddha and bodhisattva. This is the ninety-sixth. The tip of the tathāgata's left toes has a mark of a great being named Cloud of Manifesting the Spiritual Transformations of Every Buddha, adorned with inconceivable buddha-light, moon-flame universal fragrance, and a wheel of maṇi jeweled flame, emitting the pure light of every jeweled color, filling every ocean of worlds, displaying within it every buddha and bodhisattva expounding the ocean of dharma of every buddha. This is the ninety-seventh. "Sons of the Buddha! Vairocana Tathāgata possesses marks of a great being such as these, as numerous as motes of dust in ten lotus-treasury world-oceans; each and every part of his body is adorned with the wondrous marks of every jewel."

Reading note — Ru-Yi Meditation Center

如是等十華藏世界海微塵數大人相 — marks of a great being such as these, as numerous as motes of dust in ten lotus-treasury world-oceans. Samantabhadra numbers the marks he has just finished describing at ninety-seven, yet his own closing words describe them as dust-mote-numerous — the ninety-seven named here are offered as representative instances drawn from a number the sutra itself treats as beyond counting, the same rhetorical gesture used throughout this sutra's numeral lists.

Chapter 34 Complete — 如來十身相海品

This completes chapter thirty-four, 如來十身相海品 ("The Ocean of Marks of the Tathāgata's Ten Bodies"), spoken in its entirety by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva. Fascicle forty-eight continues without a break into chapter thirty-five, 如來隨好光明功德品 ("The Chapter on the Merit and Light of the Tathāgata's Minor Marks"), which Part 620 will begin.