Sutra on the Causes and Conditions of the Great Sovereign Deva

Translated by Dharma Master Shi Hu, a Tripitaka Master from the Western Regions, Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service, Acting Junior Supervisor of

Thus I have heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of the Benefactor of the Solitary, in the kingdom of Shravasti. At that time, the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, at mealtime, put on his robe and took his bowl. With the power of diligence, he exercised his great supernormal abilities, emitting countless rays of light. This light, golden in color, shone everywhere throughout space. He also used his miraculous powers to transform his body—now large, now small; now one, now many—like a blazing fire. He traveled to Mount Kunlun. The mountain peaks were like snow. At the top of the mountain, the ground was adorned with gold, silver, crystal, pearls, agate, coral, and mani gems of many kinds. There were palaces there, splendidly adorned with all kinds of precious treasures. In the center of these was a great palace of Ishvara (the sovereign god), two yojanas wide and five yojanas high, blazing with light. Sixty great spirits constantly guarded it. Hundreds of thousands of heavenly maidens surrounded it from all sides, producing seven kinds of music. On the four sides of the palace were seven halls, each one kroshe in width, all decorated with the seven precious things. On each side were also bathing pools, filled with pure, sweet nectar. In these pools grew white lotuses and kumuda flowers, shining like the white moon in the sky; these were adorned with gold, silver, and mani gems. The Great Lord Ishvara and his consort Uma were seated together on a lion throne. All the gods constantly surrounded them, paying homage and making offerings. Suddenly, the lord heard the sound of a lute and *vina*. The melody was subtle and exquisite. Hearing it, he became attached and captivated, his mind utterly confused.

At that time, the venerable Mahamaudgalyayana heard the music, yet with fearlessly virtuous roots, he calmed his mind, remaining free from attachment, unmovable like the wondrous Mount Sumeru rising from the great ocean. Practicing with sublime diligence, he received offerings from all beings in the world, adorned with dignified appearance and complete in deportment, holding his alms bowl in hand. Suddenly, Queen Uma saw him and, filled with doubt, said to the heavenly prince, "Who is this person? He wears the dharma robe with dignified serenity, his faculties subdued and demeanor perfected, radiant like the rising sun, steady and unmoving like Mount Sumeru?"

Tian, after hearing this, observed the venerable one and then said: "Heavenly Queen, do you recognize him?"

The Heavenly Queen replied, "I have never seen it before, nor do I know of it now."

"The Great Lord of Freedom said: 'This is a disciple of the Buddha, one who has great blessings and has gone beyond desire. He is able to break through all faults, teach and transform beings, and bring them peace and happiness. He has come here merely to beg for food.'"

Upon hearing these words, Goddess Uma addressed the Heavenly King, saying: "What is that teacher like? What appearance and characteristics does he possess? What virtues, powers, and extraordinary qualities does he have? I wish to hear about this."

Isvara said: "That person’s teacher, over the course of three countless eons, sought great enlightenment and broadly cultivated blessings and strength. In this world, he did what was difficult to do, practicing the perfection of generosity—offering food, drink, clothing, bedding, medicine, gold, silver, jewels, servants, carriages, cities, towns, and even great treasures and royal thrones. He once gave his own wife, children, and sons to Brahmins, but in his heart there was not even a speck of greed or affliction, nor even the name of attachment. Moreover, out of compassion for beings, he gave away his head, eyes, marrow, brain, nose, tongue, and body flesh, without even a trace of pain or suffering, nor any false reputation. He practiced true generosity, seeking the great power and fruit of enlightenment, and fully perfected the perfection of generosity.

Again, for three countless eons, to confront various kinds of sense objects, he practiced the perfection of moral discipline, firmly upholding precepts. Through the power of moral conduct, he constantly received offerings from gods and humans.

Furthermore, to handle the inequality of enemies and friends and the differences in favorable and adverse circumstances, he practiced the perfection of patience. With the eightfold path, he tamed his mind, gladly enduring and bringing his mind to equanimity.

Again, for the three types of beings—superior, average, and inferior—out of compassion, benefit, and joy, he practiced the perfection of diligence, striving and advancing diligently day and night.

Further, fearing that his mind might scatter, wander, and regress, he practiced the perfection of concentration, making his mind settled, peaceful, and at ease.

Again, to generate wisdom, he read, recited, and analyzed subtle and wonderful scriptures, practicing the perfection of wisdom. Thus, for three countless eons, he practiced the six perfections, seeking the wisdom of all-knowing. Now he has attained the full fruit of Buddhahood, subdued all demon kings, realized the principle of tranquility, and achieved a subtle and wondrous body and mind, endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent features, adorned with golden radiance, and a circle of light like the sun. He is unrivaled in the three realms, has escaped the difficulty of samsara, and is at ease and liberated."

When the great heavenly lord Maheshvara finished speaking, the goddess Uma heard his words with renewed joy. She reflected that the great fruits attained through practices such as generosity had now become clear and comprehensible to her. Then she asked him further: "With regard to your divine self—what virtuous deeds and practices did you cultivate in the past to achieve your present state? Please grant me the gift of your joy, and for my sake, speak of this briefly."

Then the Great Self-Master said: "Now listen carefully, and I will tell you. My Queen! In countless countless eons past, I made offerings and gave gifts at the feet of the Great Silent Sage, cultivated merit, upheld precepts, and nurtured wisdom. Since that time I have attained the reward of sovereignty, and within eight successive lifetimes have gained eight kinds of mastery. Life after life I gave gifts, upheld precepts, and practiced austerities, seeking mastery and autonomy, seeking the liberation of desire and pleasure, and even the final ultimate peace. Such happiness is likewise. Therefore, through giving, observing with wisdom, and single-mindedly guarding and cultivating without interruption, this is achieved." Having spoken thus, the Great Self-Master took a golden bowl filled to the brim with a hundred flavors of exquisite fragrant rice, and went before Maudgalyayana, presenting it with sincere reverence.

The Venerable Maudgalyayana took the bowl of rice and rose into the sky to return. The god Maheshvara, possessing the power to recall past lives, spoke to him: "Honorable Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana! Pause for a moment and listen carefully to what I say. It is only after an immensely long time that a Buddha appears in this world. I recall my past lives clearly, when I ruled over this great earth as its sovereign, controlling the coming and going of all things in existence. I commanded the three realms as their teacher, and none could rival me. Listen to this: focus your mind fully and go directly to the Fragrant Snowy Mountain."

Then the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, wielding his miraculous powers, flew through the air to the Fragrant Intoxicating Mountain. On one side of that mountain there was a sacred pool, called Celestial Water, in which he bathed. After bathing, he sat down on the Fragrant Intoxicating Mountain and opened his golden alms bowl. The rice within was extraordinary, perfect in color and aroma, having transformed into celestial food. After Maudgalyayana had eaten, a heavenly maiden suddenly appeared and offered him pure water. He accepted it, purified his body in five parts, and sat upon the mountain, focusing his mind and entering deep meditative concentration.

He reflected: "The Great God Maheshvara said, 'It takes an extremely long time for a Buddha to appear in the world.'" Through a thousand lifetimes, he could not know. Through a hundred thousand lifetimes, he still could not know. Through countless millions and hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, he could not know either.

Rising from his samadhi, he went to Mount Mahendra and entered deep concentration but still could not know. He entered the cave on the peak of Mount Mahendra and meditated, yet still could not know. Then he traveled to seventy different mountains, contemplating through meditation, but still could not know. He also went to thirty-two continents, sitting in silent contemplation, but could not know.

Maudgalyayana said: "The wisdom-born words of the Great God Maheshvara—those of lesser hearers and Pratyekabuddhas cannot comprehend them either." Then, with single-minded sincerity, he addressed the Elder Shariputra: "Venerable One, listen carefully! I saw the Great God Maheshvara on the peak of Mount Kunlun, and he told me: 'After an extremely long time, a Buddha appears in the world.' I have been unable to understand the meaning of these words. You, Venerable One, possess great wisdom, penetrating deeply into the subtle and profound. You even know the exact number of raindrops in a three-year and three-month rain, the droplets in the four great oceans, and the minds of all beings on the four great continents. Such a wise Son of the Buddha should be able to comprehend the meaning of these words. Out of compassion, please briefly reveal it to me."

At that time, the elder Shariputra heard these words and entered a deep meditative state. For hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, he pondered this matter but could not comprehend it. Then the elder Mahakashyapa said to Shariputra: "The principles spoken by the Great Sovereign God are profound and subtle, most difficult to fathom. Only by attaining the power of a Buddha can you truly understand them. To try and grasp them through your own power alone is like measuring Mount Sumeru with a blade of grass."

The Venerable Mahakasyapa then reflected to himself: "Only the Buddha, with his vast wisdom, can see events from the distant past as clearly as if they were held in the palm of his hand—even those that pass in the blink of an eye, like a flash of lightning or a fleeting moment."

Then Mahākāśyapa, with a clear and stainless voice, said to Mahāmaudgalyāyana, "If the Great Sovereign God (Maheśvara) were to perform a ritual act, no one in the human realm or the heavens would understand it—only the unequaled All-Knowing Wisdom, which surpasses the three realms, could truly comprehend it. Why? Because the World-Honored Buddha, through hundreds of thousands of millions of Ganges-river-sands worlds, thoroughly understands the dispositions and mental actions of all beings—past and present—whether superior, middling, or inferior, just as clearly as if seeing something in the palm of His hand. This is called All-Knowing Wisdom."

At that time, the elder Mahamaudgalyayana, Shariputra, and Mahakashyapa together approached the place where the Buddha was. They circumambulated the World-Honored One, prostrated themselves at his feet with full sincerity and reverence, and then withdrew to sit to one side.

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing their thoughts, looked around with a gentle smile. The great Mahamaudgalyayana then praised the Buddha's virtues, saying:

"The Buddha's face is radiant and dignified, like a golden lotus in full bloom. His compassionate countenance is joyful and serene, his blessings profound, his teeth even and close-set, his body supremely wondrous. He emits great light—blue, yellow, red, and white—illuminating the entire world, brightening every mountain, river, and dark valley without exception. Even if hundreds of thousands of millions of suns and moons were gathered together, their light could not compare. He proclaims the pure and cool taste of the Dharma, nourishing the Three Realms, so that all sentient beings may benefit."

After thus praising the Buddha, he bowed respectfully and said:

"World-Honored One! On one occasion, I took my alms bowl and went to the palace of the great lord Maheshvara to beg for food. When the great lord Maheshvara saw me with my bowl, he gave alms according to the Dharma and said to me: 'It is only after an extremely long time that a Buddha appears.' I have never been able to grasp the meaning of these words. The Buddha possesses all-knowing wisdom—in all the worlds, countless as the Ganges' sands, he clearly knows the different minds and actions of sentient beings as if seeing them in the palm of his hand. His tongue is broad and long, covering his face. I only ask the Sage to resolve my doubts."