The Tathāgata's Appearance Begins
Light from between the Buddha's eyebrows circles the assembly and enters the crown of a bodhisattva named Wondrous Virtue Born of the Tathāgata's Nature — who rises, robes bared at the right shoulder, kneeling with palms joined, and asks in verse who among the assembly could truly and fully expound the tathāgata's own profound domain.
Light Enters the Bodhisattva's Crown
A light named for the very chapter now beginning circles the ten directions and enters a single bodhisattva, whose verse petition asks the question this chapter exists to answer: who can truly speak of the tathāgata's own domain?
爾時，世尊從眉間白毫相中放大光明，名：如來出現，無量百千億那由他阿僧祇光明以為眷屬。其光普照十方盡虛空法界一切世界，右遶十匝，顯現如來無量自在，覺悟無數諸菩薩眾，震動一切十方世界，除滅一切諸惡道苦，映蔽一切諸魔宮殿，顯示一切諸佛如來坐菩提座成等正覺及以一切道場眾會；作是事已，而來右遶菩薩眾會，入如來性起妙德菩薩頂。時，此道場一切大眾身心踊躍，生大歡喜，作如是念：「甚奇希有！今者如來放大光明，必當演說甚深大法。」爾時，如來性起妙德菩薩於蓮華座上，偏袒右肩，右跽合掌，一心向佛而說頌言：
At that time, the World-Honored One, from the mark of the white curled hair between his eyebrows, emitted great light named The Tathāgata's Appearance, attended by measureless hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas of asaṃkhyeyas of lights. That light universally illuminated every world of the ten directions, throughout the entirety of empty space and the dharma-realm, circling ten times to the right, displaying the tathāgata's measureless mastery, awakening countless assemblies of bodhisattvas, shaking every world of the ten directions, extinguishing the suffering of every evil destiny, eclipsing every palace of every māra, and revealing every buddha tathāgata seated at the seat of awakening, having attained perfect and complete awakening, together with every assembly at every seat of awakening; having done this, it then circled to the right around the assembly of bodhisattvas, and entered the crown of the bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue Born of the Tathāgata's Nature. At that time, every being in that assembly, body and mind leaping up, gave rise to great joy, and thought thus: "How extraordinary, how rare! The tathāgata now emits great light — he must surely be about to expound a profound and great dharma." At that time, the bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue Born of the Tathāgata's Nature, upon a lotus-flower seat, baring his right shoulder, kneeling on his right knee with palms joined, single-mindedly facing the Buddha, spoke in verse, saying:
「正覺功德大智出，普達境界到彼岸，等於三世諸如來，是故我今恭敬禮。
已昇無相境界岸，而現妙相莊嚴身，放於離垢千光明，破魔軍眾咸令盡。
十方所有諸世界，悉能震動無有餘，未曾恐怖一眾生，善逝威神力如是。
虛空法界性平等，已能如是而安住，一切含生無數量，咸令滅惡除眾垢。
苦行勤勞無數劫，成就最上菩提道，於諸境界智無礙，與一切佛同其性。
導師放此大光明，震動十方諸世界，已現無量神通力，而復還來入我身。
決定法中能善學，無量菩薩皆來集，令我發起問法心，是故我今請法王。
今此眾會皆清淨，善能度脫諸世間，智慧無邊無染著，如是賢勝咸來集。
利益世間尊導師，智慧精進皆無量，今以光明照大眾，令我問於無上法。
誰於大仙深境界，而能真實具開演？誰是如來法長子？世間尊導願顯示！」
"The merit of perfect awakening gives rise to great wisdom, universally reaching every domain and arriving at the further shore, equal to every tathāgata of the three times — for this reason I now bow in reverence.
Having already ascended the shore of the markless domain, he displays a wondrous, adorned body of marks, emitting a thousand lights free of defilement, shattering the armies of every māra entirely.
Every world there is throughout the ten directions is entirely shaken without exception, and yet not a single sentient being has ever been made afraid — such is the majestic spiritual power of the well-gone one.
The nature of empty space and the dharma-realm is equal, and he is already able to dwell securely in this way; every being that breathes, however countless, is thereby caused to extinguish evil and remove every defilement.
Through austerities and diligent toil across countless kalpas, he accomplished the most supreme path of awakening; toward every domain his wisdom is unobstructed, sharing the very same nature as every buddha.
The guiding teacher emits this great light, shaking every world of the ten directions; having displayed measureless spiritual powers, it has now returned once more to enter my own body.
Able to learn well within the dharma of certainty, measureless bodhisattvas have all gathered here; causing me to give rise to a mind that asks of the dharma, for this reason I now petition the king of dharma.
This assembly here is entirely pure, well able to deliver every world; their wisdom boundless and free of defilement, such worthy and excellent ones have all gathered together.
O honored guiding teacher who benefits the world, your wisdom and diligence both measureless, you now illuminate the great assembly with light, causing me to ask of the unsurpassed dharma.
Who, within the great sage's own profound domain, is truly able to fully disclose and expound it? Who is the tathāgata's own eldest son in the dharma? O honored guide of the world, may you reveal it!"
如來性起妙德菩薩 — the bodhisattva Wondrous Virtue Born of the Tathāgata's Nature. This bodhisattva's very name anticipates the chapter's own title, 如來出現品; the light the Buddha emits is itself named identically to the chapter, and it is this specific bodhisattva, whose name already carries "arising from the tathāgata's nature," who receives it and is moved to ask who can expound that same arising — name, light, and question all converging on one theme before a single word of the teaching itself has been spoken.
Part 636 Complete
This begins chapter thirty-seven, 如來出現品, in fascicle fifty. Part 637 continues as the Buddha emits a second light, from his mouth this time, in answer to the question just asked.