A Bodhisattva Arrives from the West
The third arrival brings the most elaborate offering yet: ten distinct kinds of cloud, each one shaped like Mount Sumeru, made variously of incense, fragrant water, blazing light, and maṇi jewels that manifest entire narratives — every buddha's own past causes, and the practices every bodhisattva has carried out.
Clouds Shaped Like Mount Sumeru
Each of the ten clouds raised here shares the same form — the towering shape of Mount Sumeru itself — while differing entirely in what it is made of, moving from simple incense and fragrant water toward maṇi jewels that manifest the past deeds of every buddha and the practices of every bodhisattva.
西方過不可說佛剎微塵數世界海外有世界，名：摩尼寶燈須彌山幢，佛號：法界智燈。彼佛眾中有菩薩，名：普勝無上威德王，與世界海微塵數菩薩俱，來向佛所，悉以神力興不可說佛剎微塵數種種塗香燒香須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數種種色香水須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數一切大地微塵等光明摩尼寶王須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數種種光焰輪莊嚴幢須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數種種色金剛藏摩尼王莊嚴須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數普照一切世界閻浮檀摩尼寶幢須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數現一切法界摩尼寶須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數現一切諸佛相好摩尼寶王須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數現一切如來本事因緣說諸菩薩所行之行摩尼寶王須彌山雲、不可說佛剎微塵數現一切佛坐菩提場摩尼寶王須彌山雲，充滿法界。至佛所已，頂禮佛足，即於西方化作一切香王樓閣，真珠寶網彌覆其上，及化作帝釋影幢寶蓮華藏師子之座，以妙色摩尼網羅覆其身，心王寶冠以嚴其首，與其眷屬結跏趺坐。
At that time, in the west, beyond an ocean of worlds as numerous as unspeakably many fine motes of dust in every buddha-land, there was a world named Maṇi-Jewel Lamp Sumeru Banner, whose buddha was named Dharma-Realm Wisdom Lamp. In that buddha's own assembly there was a bodhisattva named Universally Victorious Unsurpassed Awesome-Virtue King, who, together with bodhisattvas as numerous as fine motes of dust in an ocean of worlds, came toward the place where the Buddha was, raising up through spiritual power alone: unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of every kind of anointing incense and burning incense; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of every kind of colored fragrant water; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of maṇi jewel kings whose light equals every mote of dust across the whole earth; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of banners adorned with every kind of blazing wheel of light; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, adorned with every kind of colored vajra-treasury maṇi king; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of jambūnada-gold maṇi jewel banners universally illuminating every world; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of maṇi jewels manifesting the entire dharma-realm; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of maṇi jewel kings manifesting the major and minor marks of every buddha; unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of maṇi jewel kings manifesting every tathāgata's own past causes and conditions, proclaiming the practices every bodhisattva has carried out; and unspeakably many clouds shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of maṇi jewel kings manifesting every buddha seated at the site of awakening — filling the entire dharma-realm. Having arrived where the Buddha was, they bowed in reverence at his feet, and then, in the west, conjured a pavilion that was king among every kind of fragrance, covered above with nets of pearls, together with a lion-seat of jeweled lotus-treasury shaped like Śakra's own reflected banner; covered their own bodies with nets of wondrously colored maṇi gems; adorned their own heads with crowns of mind-king jewels; and sat down cross-legged there together with their own retinues.
現一切如來本事因緣說諸菩薩所行之行摩尼寶王須彌山雲 — a cloud shaped like Mount Sumeru, made of maṇi jewel kings manifesting every tathāgata's own past causes and conditions, proclaiming the practices every bodhisattva has carried out. Ninth among the ten clouds, this one is not made of any physical substance at all, but of narrative itself — an entire, ongoing account of causes and practices held complete within a single jewel.
Part 840 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle sixty. Part 841 turns to the north, where a bodhisattva arrives raising ten kinds of cloud made entirely of heavenly garments.