The Yakṣa and Gandharva Kings Testify
Beings whose own nature is to trouble and prey on others give the most striking testimony yet — yakṣa kings confessing that rākṣasas and kumbhāṇḍas among their own kind grew gentle enough to stop harming anyone at all, followed by gandharva kings whose own gift was simply inconceivable happiness.
Even Rākṣasas Grew Gentle
The yakṣa kings' testimony names a transformation stranger than any before it — not merely their own hearts softened, but the hearts of rākṣasas and kumbhāṇḍas, beings whose reputation is built on harming others, who stopped troubling anyone at all once loving-kindness arose in them.
復有十千夜叉王，於虛空中，以種種供具，恭敬供養此婆羅門及以善財，作如是言：「善男子！此婆羅門五熱炙身時，我及眷屬悉於眾生發慈愍心，一切羅剎、鳩槃荼等亦生慈心；以慈心故，於諸眾生無所惱害而來見我。我及彼等，於自宮殿不生樂著，即與共俱，來詣其所。時，婆羅門即為我等如應說法，一切皆得身心安樂，又令無量夜叉、羅剎、鳩槃荼等發於無上菩提之心。」
There were further ten thousand yakṣa kings, in the sky above, with every kind of offering implement, reverently making offerings to this brahmin and to Good-Wealth, who spoke these words: "Good son, when this brahmin was scorching his own body with the five fires, I and my own retinue all gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness and compassion toward every being, and every rākṣasa, kumbhāṇḍa, and the like likewise gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness; because of this mind of loving-kindness, they no longer troubled or harmed any being, and came to see me. I and they together felt no delight or attachment for our own palaces, and so, all together, came to his place. At that time, the brahmin taught the dharma for us just as was fitting, and every one of us attained peace and ease of body and mind, and further caused measureless yakṣas, rākṣasas, kumbhāṇḍas, and the like to give rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi."
於諸眾生無所惱害而來見我 — they no longer troubled or harmed any being, and came to see me. Every earlier testimony describes a heart already capable of loving-kindness simply being redirected. This is the first to describe loving-kindness arising in beings whose entire nature was built around causing harm — rākṣasas and kumbhāṇḍas, not gods or nāgas.
Inconceivable Happiness, Offered Without Explanation
The gandharva kings' own testimony is the briefest yet — no fear, no broken pride, no confession of past wrongdoing, only a plain report that the fire's light brought them a happiness beyond their own power to explain.
復有十千乾闥婆王，於虛空中，作如是言：「善男子！此婆羅門五熱炙身時，其火光明照我宮殿，悉令我等受不思議無量快樂，是故我等來詣其所。此婆羅門為我說法，能令我等於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提得不退轉。」
There were further ten thousand gandharva kings, in the sky above, who spoke these words: "Good son, when this brahmin was scorching his own body with the five fires, the light of that fire illuminated our own palaces, causing all of us to experience inconceivable, measureless happiness, and for this reason we came to his place. This brahmin taught the dharma for us, causing us to attain non-retrogression in anuttara-samyak-sambodhi."
不思議無量快樂 — inconceivable, measureless happiness. Gandharvas are traditionally the musicians of the heavens, beings already associated with delight rather than fear or pride. Their own testimony fits that character exactly — where others confessed terror or broken attachment, they simply report joy.
Part 971 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle sixty-four. Part 972 turns to ten thousand asura kings rising from the great ocean itself, kneeling in the sky with palms joined before this same brahmin.