“O great goddess Shri, a devout son or daughter of noble family who wishes to make inconceivably great and extensive offerings of resources and articles to past, future and present buddhas, and who is keen to know the profound buddha sphere of past, future and present buddhas, should listen to this King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light with full conviction, concentrated mind and attentive ears at the place, monastery or forest retreat where this Sublime Golden Light is expounded fully.”
Then the Tathagata, the Transcendent Victor, spoke these verses to further elaborate this point:
He who wishes to make inconceivable offerings to all buddhas, and who wishes to know the profound sphere of tathagatas should go to the place – whether monastery or dwelling – where this sublime sutra is explained.
This sutra is inconceivable, for its ocean of virtue is without end; it frees every being from countless oceans of suffering.
I have not seen the beginning, middle, nor likewise this sutra’s end. This sutra is deeply profound, for there is nothing with which it compares: neither grains of sand in the Ganges, those on earth, in the oceans, nor atoms in the sky are its equal.
When entering the sphere of reality, he should go at that time, for inside there is a stupa whose nature is dharmadhatu, unchanging and profound.
Inside it, he will behold Buddha Shakyamuni expounding this sutra in a charming, melodic voice. There and then he will know this: anyone who hears this sutra gathers an inconceivable mass of merit; thus for astonishing, incalculable tens of millions of eons they will experience pleasures human and divine.
As soon as he enters that monastery or dwelling, his negative deeds will fall away. For those who are able to cross hundreds of leagues immured by pits of fire and endure acute hardship to hear this sutra, all bad dreams and evil signs, afflictions of planets and stars, dreadful spells and demons will immediately depart.
The moment he enters that monastery or dwelling, inside he should set up a throne resembling a lotus as revealed to him in a dream.
Seated upon that throne he should thoroughly teach this sutra. He should read what is written and likewise understand it.
When he comes down from this throne, although he may go to another place, miracles will be seen there upon that throne.
At times, the form of the Dharma preacher will be observed; at others, buddha and bodhisattva figures will be seen.
Sometimes the shape of Samanta-bhadra, likewise, the forms of Manjushri, and on occasion Maitreya too will appear upon that throne.
At times, only light will be seen; at times, there will be gods, appearing just for moments and turning invisible again.
Praised when seen, buddhas bring success in all places. Grain and signs of excellent fortune are magical creations of buddhas.
They ensure victory, glory and fame; turning back violent challengers, they crush foreign forces completely; laying battle foes in ruin, they bring victory in war. Pacifying all bad dreams, they annihilate negative actions and pacify all non-virtuous deeds.
The whole of this Jambu-dvipa will resonate with his fame. His enemies will be utterly routed; his foes will be vanquished in full.
He will abstain entirely from evil acts. Completely victorious in battle, he will be utterly without enemy and filled with supreme joy.
King Brahma, Shakra and the world protectors, also the lords of the Thirty-Three, Samjnaya, the chief conqueror, and Vajrapani, the yaksha lord, Anavatapta, lord of nagas, Sagara and the asura lords, the lords of the kinnaras, and likewise, the lords of garudas – these leaders and others and all the gods too will come to worship without end the inconceivable stupa of dharmadhatu.
As they see beings worthy of veneration they will be filled with intense delight. All the glorious lords of gods will speak thus to themselves and one another:
‘Behold all those bestowed with merit, excellence and glory! Men with pristine merit – their faith beyond belief – have arrived at this place to hear this profound sutra.
They revere the stupa of dharmadhatu. Inspired by compassion for the world they work for the welfare of beings. They are vessels for the essence of that Dharma which is profound.
By entering the sphere of reality into this sutra, they completely arrive. Those who hear the sublime virtue, The Sublime Golden Light, in previous times have pleased hundreds of thousands of buddhas.
Through these roots of virtue, those who have heard this sutra will be granted full protection in the four directions and in all places by the kings of gods and Sarasvati, likewise Shri and Vaishravana, by the four kings with hundreds of thousands of yakshas possessed of miraculous power and great strength.
Indra, Soma and Yama, Vayu, Varuna and Skanda, Vishnu and Sarasvati, Prajapati and Hutashana – these protectors of the world, who are powerful and outshine every foe, day and night will offer protection without fail to those who have heard this sutra.
Narayana and Maheshvara, the two powerful yaksha lords, those twenty-eight others led by Samjnaya and hundreds of thousands of yakshas possessed of great strength and supernatural power will offer protection from fear and terror to those who have heard this sutra.
Vajrapani, lord of the yakshas, along with five hundred yakshas too and every bodhisattva will offer protection to those who have heard this sutra.
Mani-bhadra, lord of yakshas, likewise, Purna-bhadra, Kumbhira and Atavaka, Pingala and Kapila too – each yaksha lord along with five hundred yakshas will offer protection to those who have heard this sutra.
Chitra-sena, the gandharva, Jinarshabha, king of conquerors, Mani-kantha and Nikantha, and Varsha-adhipati too, Mahagrasa and Mahakala, along with Suvarna-kesha, Panchika and Chagala-pada, Mahabhaga, Pranalin and Dharmapala, Markata and Vali, Suchiroma and Surya-mitra, likewise Ratnakesha, Maha-pranalin and Nakula, along with Kama-shreshtha and Chandana, Nagayana and Haimavata, and likewise Satagiri – these powerful beings who overwhelm every foe, will offer protection with their supernatural feats to those who have heard this sutra.
Anavatapta, the lord of nagas, likewise Sagara too, both Muchi-linda and Elapatra, Nanda and Upana-andaka, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of nagas possessed of supernatural power, will offer protection from all fear and terror to those who have heard this sutra.
Bali, Rahu and Namuchi, Vema-chitra and Samvara too, Prahlada and Khara-skandha, and likewise the asura lords accompanied by hundreds of thousands of asuras possessed of great strength and supernatural power will offer protection from all fear and terror to those who have heard this sutra.
Hariti, the mother of bhutas, along with her five hundred sons will offer protection to them, whether they are standing, sitting or asleep.
Chanda and Chanda-lika, likewise Yakshini Chandika, Kunti and Kuta-danti – the one who steals the glow of beings – those who are powerful, who overwhelm others, possessed of supernatural power, will offer protection in all four directions to those who have heard this sutra.
Sarasvati, leading innumerable goddesses, likewise, Shri and so forth, deities of fruit, forest and crops, those who dwell in stupas, trees and parks, the wind deity and every deity here, these goddesses and the Earth Goddess herself, their minds overflowing with joy, will offer protection to those who have heard this sutra.
They will bring longevity, complexion, and strength to these beings; with excellence, merit and glory they will be adorned. They will pacify afflictions of planets and stars, abolish misfortune, wrong deeds and nightmares.
The Earth Goddess herself, powerful and always profound, is fully satisfied by the essence of The King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light.
The potency of the earth, six million, eight hundred thousand leagues as far as the vajra base will greatly increase. Going down a full one hundred leagues this potent savor will penetrate. Through the power of hearing this sutra, returning upwards again, it will cause the surface to entirely shine.
All these gods and goddesses too will be satisfied by the essence of the King of Glorious Sutras, The Sublime Golden Light.
They will have radiant complexion, be peaceful, satisfied and immensely strong; pleased by varied tastes, the deities of fruit, crops and forest in all of Jambudvipa will be filled with profound joy.
Delighted by this sutra’s essence, they will ensure the growth of fruits and crops, assortments of various flowers and multitudes of stately fruit trees.
Every park, all forests and all fruit-bearing trees will bloom with flowers giving off fragrant scents. On this earth will grow every kind of forest and bush, adorned with flowers and laden with fruit.
In all of Jambu-dvipa, innumerable naga maidens – their minds immensely filled with joy – will approach lotus pools and plant there many lotuses, night bloom, blue and white.
The sky will be pristine without smoke and masses of clouds; free of darkness and dust, every direction will shine bright with light.
The thousand rays of the sun, beautiful with lattice light, profoundly deep in illumination, will blithely rise in that land.
The noble sun, the son of gods residing in a palace of Jambu-nada gold, will be deeply satisfied by this sutra. With great delight, the lordly sun will rise in Jambudvipa with limitless lattices of rays shining upon every land.
The moment it rises, it sends forth shafts of rays, awakening the lotuses abounding in various pools.
To satisfy the whole of the earth the sun will fully ripen various flowers, fruit and medicinal plants in the whole of this Jambu-dvipa.
The sun and the moon too will then shine with unknown glory. The stars, the wind and the rain will perfectly come.
The whole of Jambu-dvipa will have an excellent year; in the place this sutra is kept there will always be plenty.
This ends the fourteenth chapter, the Chapter on Protection called Refuge of the Yakshas, from the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light.