The Buddha Ascends to the Summit of Mount Sumeru
Fascicle sixteen opens a new movement in the sūtra: without ever leaving the foot of the bodhi tree, the Buddha ascends to the summit of Mount Sumeru, where Śakra has adorned his own palace with a throne of ten thousand tiers. Śakra welcomes him with a hymn recalling the ten buddhas of the past who once graced this very hall — and the chapter closes as ten wisdom-named bodhisattvas gather from worlds beyond counting to witness it.
Without Leaving the Tree, the Buddha Ascends
The chapter opens with a paradox the sūtra treats as perfectly ordinary: the Buddha, still seated beneath the bodhi tree in every Jambudvīpa throughout the ten directions at once, simultaneously ascends to the summit of Mount Sumeru, where Śakra has prepared a throne of ten thousand tiers, adorned with golden nets, jeweled canopies, and the light of ten thousand lamps.
爾時，如來威神力故，十方一切世界，一一四天下閻浮提中，悉見如來坐於樹下，各有菩薩承佛神力而演說法，靡不自謂恒對於佛。
爾時，世尊不離一切菩提樹下，而上昇須彌，向帝釋殿。
時，天帝釋在妙勝殿前遙見佛來，即以神力莊嚴此殿，置普光明藏師子之座，其座悉以妙寶所成：十千層級逈極莊嚴，十千金網彌覆其上，十千種帳、十千種蓋周迴間列，十千繒綺以為垂帶，十千珠瓔周遍交絡，十千衣服敷布座上，十千天子、十千梵王前後圍遶，十千光明而為照耀。爾時，帝釋奉為如來敷置座已，曲躬合掌，恭敬向佛而作是言：「善來世尊！善來善逝！善來如來、應、正等覺！唯願哀愍，處此宮殿！」
爾時，世尊即受其請，入妙勝殿；十方一切諸世界中，悉亦如是。爾時，帝釋以佛神力，諸宮殿中所有樂音自然止息，即自憶念過去佛所種諸善根而說頌言：
At that time, through the Tathāgata's own awesome spiritual power, throughout every world in all ten directions, within the Jambudvīpa of each and every one of the four continents, the Tathāgata was seen entirely, seated beneath the very same tree, with a bodhisattva present in each place who, receiving the Buddha's own spiritual power, proclaimed the Dharma — and there was none who did not consider themselves to be forever in the Buddha's own presence.
At that time, the World-Honored One, without ever leaving the foot of the bodhi tree anywhere, ascended to the summit of Mount Sumeru, heading toward Śakra's own palace.
At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, beholding the Buddha's approach from afar, before the Hall of Wondrous Victory, at once, by his own spiritual power, adorned that very hall, and set within it a lion-throne of the treasury of universal light, that throne made entirely of wondrous treasures: ten thousand tiers, its adornment utterly complete; ten thousand golden nets spread over it entirely; ten thousand kinds of curtains and ten thousand kinds of canopies arranged all around it in rows; ten thousand silken sashes hanging down as pendants; ten thousand jeweled necklaces strung and interwoven throughout; ten thousand garments spread out upon the throne itself; ten thousand young gods and ten thousand Brahmā kings surrounding it before and behind; and ten thousand lights shining and illumining it. At that time, Śakra, having thus prepared and set out the throne for the Tathāgata, bent his own body low, joined his palms together, and, with reverence, facing the Buddha, spoke these very words: "Welcome, World-Honored One! Welcome, Well-Gone One! Welcome, Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly and Fully Awakened One! We only beg that you, out of compassion, would dwell within this very palace!"
At that time, the World-Honored One at once accepted his invitation, and entered the Hall of Wondrous Victory; and throughout every world in all ten directions, it was entirely so as well. At that time, Śakra, by the Buddha's own spiritual power, caused every musical sound within his own palace to spontaneously come to rest, and, calling to mind for himself the wholesome roots he had once planted at the place of buddhas past, spoke this verse, saying:
Śakra Recalls the Ten Buddhas of the Past
Śakra's own welcome takes the form of a hymn naming ten buddhas of ages past, each one, in turn, declared the most auspicious presence this very hall has ever held — a formula repeated ten times, once for each buddha, without variation in its closing refrain.
「迦葉如來具大悲，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
拘那牟尼見無礙，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
迦羅鳩馱如金山，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
毘舍浮佛無三垢，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
尸棄如來離分別，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
毘婆尸佛如滿月，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
弗沙明達第一義，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
提舍如來辯無礙，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
波頭摩佛淨無垢，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。
然燈如來大光明，諸吉祥中最無上，
彼佛曾來入此殿，是故此處最吉祥。」
"Kāśyapa Tathāgata, fully endowed with great compassion, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Kanakamuni, whose vision is unobstructed, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Krakucchanda, like a mountain of gold, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Viśvabhū Buddha, free of the three stains, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Śikhin Tathāgata, free of all discrimination, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Vipaśyin Buddha, like the full moon, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Puṣya, who fully understands the ultimate truth, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Tiṣya Tathāgata, whose eloquence is unobstructed, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Padma Buddha, pure and free of stain, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious.
Dīpaṃkara Tathāgata, of great radiance, is, among every auspicious thing, the most unsurpassed; that buddha once came and entered this very hall, and it is for this reason that this place is the most auspicious."
Chapter Fourteen Opens: The Ten Wisdom Bodhisattvas Assemble
With the same praise repeated by every Śakra throughout the ten directions, the Buddha enters the hall and sits cross-legged — and the fourteenth chapter, "Verses of Praise at the Summit of Mount Sumeru" (須彌頂上偈讚品第十四), opens as ten bodhisattvas, each bearing a name built on "wisdom," gather from ten distant worlds to witness it.
如此世界中，忉利天王以如來神力故，偈讚十佛所有功德；十方世界諸釋天王，悉亦如是讚佛功德。爾時，世尊入妙勝殿，結跏趺坐。此殿忽然廣博寬容，如其天眾諸所住處；十方世界，悉亦如是。
爾時，佛神力故，十方各有一大菩薩，一一各與佛剎微塵數菩薩俱，從百佛剎微塵數國土外諸世界中而來集會，其名曰：法慧菩薩、一切慧菩薩、勝慧菩薩、功德慧菩薩、精進慧菩薩、善慧菩薩、智慧菩薩、真實慧菩薩、無上慧菩薩、堅固慧菩薩。所從來土，所謂：因陀羅華世界、波頭摩華世界、寶華世界、優鉢羅華世界、金剛華世界、妙香華世界、悅意華世界、阿盧那華世界、那羅陀華世界、虛空華世界。各於佛所淨修梵行，所謂：殊特月佛、無盡月佛、不動月佛、風月佛、水月佛、解脫月佛、無上月佛、星宿月佛、清淨月佛、明了月佛。是諸菩薩至佛所已，頂禮佛足；隨所來方，各化作毘盧遮那藏師子之座，於其座上結跏趺坐。如此世界中，須彌頂上，菩薩來集；一切世界，悉亦如是，彼諸菩薩所有名字、世界、佛號，悉等無別。爾時，世尊從兩足指放百千億妙色光明，普照十方一切世界須彌頂上帝釋宮中，佛及大眾靡不皆現。
Just as, within this world, the King of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, through the Tathāgata's own spiritual power, praised in verse the merit of these ten buddhas — so too did every Śakra, king of the gods, throughout every world of the ten directions, likewise praise the Buddha's own merit in this very way. At that time, the World-Honored One entered the Hall of Wondrous Victory, and sat there cross-legged. This hall suddenly became vast and spacious enough to hold the entire multitude of gods and all their own dwelling-places; and throughout every world of the ten directions, it was entirely so as well.
At that time, through the Buddha's own spiritual power, in each of the ten directions there was one great bodhisattva, each one together with bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine motes of dust in a buddha-land, who came together in assembly from worlds beyond lands as numerous as the fine motes of dust in a hundred buddha-lands. Their names were: Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva, All Wisdom Bodhisattva, Supreme Wisdom Bodhisattva, Merit Wisdom Bodhisattva, Diligent Wisdom Bodhisattva, Wholesome Wisdom Bodhisattva, Intelligent Wisdom Bodhisattva, True Wisdom Bodhisattva, Unsurpassed Wisdom Bodhisattva, and Firm Wisdom Bodhisattva. The lands they came from were: the Indra-Flower World, the Padma-Flower World, the Jeweled-Flower World, the Utpala-Flower World, the Diamond-Flower World, the Wondrous-Fragrance-Flower World, the Delightful-Flower World, the Aruṇa-Flower World, the Nārada-Flower World, and the Empty-Space-Flower World. Each of them had cultivated pure practice at the place of a buddha, namely: Distinctive Moon Buddha, Inexhaustible Moon Buddha, Unmoving Moon Buddha, Wind Moon Buddha, Water Moon Buddha, Liberation Moon Buddha, Unsurpassed Moon Buddha, Constellation Moon Buddha, Pure Moon Buddha, and Clearly Understanding Moon Buddha. When these bodhisattvas had arrived at the Buddha's own place, they bowed their heads to the Buddha's own feet; and, according to the direction from which each had come, each conjured a lion-throne of the Vairocana treasury, and sat upon that very throne, cross-legged. Just as, within this world, the bodhisattvas gathered together atop the summit of Mount Sumeru, so too was it, entirely, throughout every single world; and the names, worlds, and buddha-titles of all of those bodhisattvas were, in every case, exactly the same, without any difference at all. At that time, the World-Honored One emitted, from the toes of both his feet, a wondrous-colored light of hundreds of thousands of millions of hues, universally illumining, throughout every world of the ten directions, the very palace of Śakra atop the summit of Mount Sumeru, so that the Buddha and the great assembly were, without exception, made entirely visible.
The chapter's opening paradox — the Buddha ascending to Mount Sumeru without ever leaving the bodhi tree — is not treated as a puzzle to be solved but simply as how presence works at this sūtra's own scale, the same principle chapter fourteen's flower-adornment samādhi and fascicle fifteen's dragon-cloud both already demonstrated: one undivided reality, appearing wherever it is needed, without division or diminishment. Note, too, the naming pattern of the ten assembling bodhisattvas here — "Dharma Wisdom," "All Wisdom," "Supreme Wisdom," and so on — distinct from the "首" (Foremost-in-X) bodhisattvas of chapter 10's dialogues, though built on the same principle of naming a figure for the specific virtue they represent. These ten will each, in turn, offer their own hymn in the chapter that follows.
Part 68 Complete
This closes Part 68 and the sūtra's thirteenth chapter, "Ascending to the Summit of Mount Sumeru" (昇須彌山頂品第十三). Part 69 opens the fourteenth chapter's own sequence of hymns, beginning with Dharma Wisdom Bodhisattva's own verse.