A Vast Assembly Surrounds Well-Seen
Well-Seen's own walk through the forest is attended not by disciples but by named spirits of every kind — earth, wind, day, and night alike — each performing a distinct act, before Good-Wealth finally steps forward through this whole assembly to ask his own familiar question.
Eleven Named Spirits, Each Their Own Task
Beyond the general classes of gods and nāgas, eleven individually named spirits accompany Well-Seen's walk — one guiding his path by direction, one receiving his feet on lotus flowers, one breaking darkness with light, others raining flowers, revealing treasuries, and adorning the sky itself.
無量天、龍、夜叉、乾闥婆、阿脩羅、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽、釋、梵、護世、人與非人前後圍遶，主方之神隨方迴轉引導其前，足行諸神持寶蓮華以承其足，無盡光神舒光破闇，閻浮幢林神雨眾雜華，不動藏地神現諸寶藏，普光明虛空神莊嚴虛空，成就德海神雨摩尼寶，無垢藏須彌山神頭頂禮敬曲躬合掌，無礙力風神雨妙香華，春和主夜神莊嚴其身舉體投地，常覺主晝神執普照諸方摩尼幢住在虛空放大光明。
Measureless gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, Śakra, Brahmā, guardians of the world, humans and non-humans surrounded him on every side; the spirit of directions turned according to direction, guiding before him; earth-walking spirits held jeweled lotus flowers to receive his feet; the spirit of inexhaustible light extended light to break through darkness; the forest-spirit of the Jambū-banner rained down every kind of mixed flower; the earth-spirit of the unmoving treasury manifested every treasury of jewels; the space-spirit of universal light-adornment adorned empty space; the spirit of accomplished ocean of virtue rained down maṇi jewels; the Sumeru-spirit of the stainless treasury bowed his head in reverent homage, bending low with palms joined; the wind-spirit of unobstructed power rained down wondrous fragrant flowers; the night-spirit lord of spring's harmony adorned her own body and threw her whole body to the ground; and the day-spirit lord of constant awakening held a maṇi banner universally illuminating every direction, abiding in the sky, emitting great light.
足行諸神持寶蓮華以承其足 — earth-walking spirits held jeweled lotus flowers to receive his feet. Among eleven distinct acts of homage, this is the most physically intimate one — not light, flowers, or treasuries offered from a distance, but spirits placed directly beneath each footstep as Well-Seen simply walks.
Good-Wealth Steps Through the Crowd
Past this entire assembly of gods and named spirits, Good-Wealth approaches Well-Seen directly, bowing at his feet and asking, once again, how a bodhisattva learns to practice — the same question carried now to an eleventh teacher.
時，善財童子詣比丘所，頂禮其足，曲躬合掌，白言：「聖者！我已先發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，求菩薩行。我聞聖者善能開示諸菩薩道，願為我說：菩薩云何學菩薩行？云何修菩薩道？」
At that time, the boy Good-Wealth went to the monk's own place, bowed his head at his feet, bent low with palms joined, and said: "Noble one! I have already given rise to the mind of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, and seek the bodhisattva practices. I have heard that the noble one is skilled in revealing the bodhisattva path — I wish that you would explain to me: how does a bodhisattva learn the bodhisattva practices? How does a bodhisattva cultivate the bodhisattva path?"
Part 986 Complete
This continues chapter thirty-nine, 入法界品, in fascicle sixty-five. Part 987 turns to Well-Seen's own answer, opening with an admission of his youth before naming thirty-eight Ganges' sands of buddhas he has already served in this one lifetime.