Jñānāvatī
Chapter 35
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should plant roots of merit and apply themselves to practicing generosity through the Dharma or generosity through material things.
35.2 “Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas should dedicate that generosity through four prayers of dedication.
35.3 “What are the four dedication prayers? The first dedication prayer is: ‘I plant1178 the roots of merit of this generosity so that I may attain skills in methods, those skills in methods by which the buddha bhagavāns attained the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood.’
35.4 “The second dedication prayer is: ‘I plant the roots of merit of this generosity so that I may listen to those skills in methods from kalyāṇamitras, remember them, understand them, possess them, and recite them, and so that I will always be in the company of those kalyāṇamitras who will attain the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood.’
35.5 “The third dedication prayer is: ‘I plant the roots of merit of this generosity so that all may obtain the requisites that sustain life in the world, and so that these requisites may come together for me.’1179
35.6 “The fourth dedication prayer is: ‘I plant the roots of merit of this generosity so that I may attain an existence in which I take care of beings, taking care of them in two ways: taking care of them through the Dharma and taking care of them through material things.’
35.7 “Young man, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas dedicate those roots of merit through those four prayers of dedication. [F.121.a]
35.8 “Moreover, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who yearn for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, whether they are homeless renunciants or householders, should sincerely1180 serve, provide for,1181 and attend upon a bodhisattva mahāsattva who has correct conduct, good qualities, and wisdom.1182 If that bodhisattva mahāsattva bhikṣu who possesses this samādhi were to become ill, afflicted by a powerful illness, then they should eagerly cure him of the illness with their own flesh and blood. Young man, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who with the perfect higher motivation yearn for this samādhi and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood should fearlessly and confidently1183 give even their own flesh and blood so that the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu will be healed from his illness.
“Young man, this is how that teaching is to be understood.
35.9 “Young man, in a past countless eon—numerous, incalculable, countless eons ago—at that time and in those days, there was a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly enlightened buddha perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, a teacher of devas and humans, the Bhagavān Buddha Acintyapraṇidhānaviśeṣasamudgatarāja who had appeared in the world.
35.10 “Young man, before the end of the day on which he attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, he manifested incalculable, innumerable buddha emanations and guided countless beings, establishing them in the arhathood in which all outflows have ceased, [F.121.b] and he established countless beings in irreversible progress toward the highest, complete enlightenment. And then, before that day had ended, he passed into nirvāṇa.
35.11 “The Dharma of that Bhagavān who had passed into nirvāṇa remained for a hundred thousand quintillion years.
35.12 “Young man, in the last five hundred years before the Dharma of Bhagavān Acintyapraṇidhānaviśeṣasamudgatarāja finally came to an end, there were many bhikṣus who held the view of objective existence. They had no yearning, no aspiration for a sūtra like this and opposed it and attacked it. They harmed and even killed the bhikṣus who possessed this sūtra. They had attachment to gain and honor and therefore they killed thousands of bhikṣus who possessed a sūtra like this.
35.13 “Young man, at that time and in those days, King Jñānabala ruled over Jambudvīpa. He possessed the Dharma and had appeared because of his perfect prayers in previous lifetimes.
35.14 “Young man, at that time and in those days, in this Jambudvīpa there was a bhikṣu named Bhūtamati who possessed this sūtra. That dharmabhāṇaka went to the king’s palace and became a kalyāṇamitra who was altruistic, was compassionate, and wished to benefit others. The king never tired of gazing upon him and always longed to see him. He came to him for teaching and for discussions on the Dharma. He honored him, asked him questions, obtained answers, and was able to understand what was spoken.
35.15 “That dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu was wise in the behavior,1184 conduct, aspirations, natures, and propensities of beings. He knew the extent of the powers, strengths, and diligence of beings. He was wise in natures and propensities.1185 He was wise in implying the truth. He was also wise in giving answers without implied meaning. He had profound eloquence and was wise in the ways of guiding all beings. He spoke sincerely.1186 His face was free of frowns. [F.122.a] He remained in a state of greatness of mind. He was dedicated to great compassion. He could not be defeated by any opponent.
35.16 “Young man, at that time and in those days, King Jñānabala’s daughter was sixteen years old and she was beautiful, attractive, and charming. She had a lovely complexion, and was magnificent. Her name was Jñānāvatī. The bhikṣu Bhūtamati was her ācārya. He taught her the virtuous qualities, extolled them, delighted in them, and made her develop them.
35.17 “Young man, at that time and in those days, the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu developed widespread, black erysipelas on both his thighs, which did not respond to treatment and had no known cure, so that the physicians gave up trying to heal him. King Jñānabala with his harem, sons, daughters, and attendants, on learning that the bhikṣu was ill, wept and shed tears.
35.18 “Eighty thousand women, the inhabitants of the cities and towns, the people of the kingdom, the people of the market towns and the regions, the astrologers, ministers, and prime ministers, and the doorkeepers and attendants, hearing that the bhikṣu was ill, wept and shed tears and cried, ‘May this bhikṣu not die!’
35.19 “Young man, at that time and in those days, the goddess of King Jñānabala’s family since ancient times, who was always by his side, instructed the king in a dream, saying, ‘Great king, if fresh, unspoiled human blood1187 is applied to this bhikṣu’s erysipelas, and if fresh, untarnished human flesh is prepared with various flavors and given to him to eat, then this bhikṣu will be cured of his illness.’
35.20 When that night had passed and King Jñānabala awoke from his sleep he entered his harem and he described the dream to his harem, saying, ‘This is the kind of dream that I have had.’ [F.122.b]
35.21 “Young man, none of the women in the harem, the king’s wives, had the fortitude to provide that remedy for the bhikṣu.
35.22 “Princess Jñānāvatī also dreamed that kind of dream. When she awoke, she went into the harem and described the dream to her circle of mothers, but none of the women had the fortitude to provide that remedy for the bhikṣu.
35.23 “Then Princess Jñānāvatī became happy, delighted, thrilled, joyful, pleased, and glad, and made this resolution: ‘In that case I shall cut from myself the remedy, and as instructed will give him the fresh blood and fresh flesh. I am the youngest and least within the royal household, and my body, speech, and mind are untarnished. I seek untarnished wisdom, and therefore I shall offer my flesh and blood to the untarnished dharmabhāṇaka, so that I may heal this bhikṣu of his illness!’
35.24 “Then Princess Jñānāvatī returned to her own dwelling and, taking up a sharp knife and with her mind focused on the Dharma, she cut flesh from her own thigh. She prepared it, adding various excellent flavors. Bringing the blood, too, she went to her ācārya1188 and, seated before King Jñānabala, she applied the blood onto the black erysipelas and nourished the bhikṣu with the well-prepared meal.
35.25 “Then the bhikṣu, not knowing, unaware, and unsuspecting, ate that food. As soon as he had eaten it, the bhikṣu’s illness completely vanished and he was entirely cured of his illness. Freed from pain and happy, he taught the Dharma so that twelve hundred beings from among the harem and the assembled people from the land, towns, and countryside developed the aspiration to highest, complete enlightenment.
“King Jñānabala then recited these verses to his daughter: [F.123.a]
35.26
“ ‘Daughter, from where did you obtain this blood?
And from where did you obtain this human flesh?
Daughter, by your preparing this food
The dharmabhāṇaka has become healthy. {1}
35.27
“ ‘Was it from someone slain or who had died that you obtained
This flesh prepared with various flavors?
Daughter, where did you obtain this blood
That has freed him from this evil sickness?’ {2}
35.28
“The daughter listened to her father’s words
And Jñānāvatī then addressed him.
With no despondency, she spoke these words:
‘Listen, father, to what I have to say. {3}
35.29
“ ‘I too, father, had the dream
That was sent by the goddess.
Lord of the World, listen to me,
And understand its true meaning. {4}
35.30
“ ‘That goddess said to me
That whoever gives to the bhikṣu
The flesh and blood of a human
Will cure him of his evil illness. {5}
35.31
“ ‘I arose from my bed
And I entered the harem.
I then related my dream
To my superiors, my mothers. {6}
35.32
“ ‘I asked the servants who among them
Would be able to do this,
To make perfectly delicious
Human blood and flesh? {7}
35.33
“ ‘If that food is given to him
And if the blood is applied,
The bhikṣu will be freed
From this black erysipelas. {8}
35.34
“ ‘If we do not use this method,
If we do not apply this remedy,
This bhikṣu will soon die
Because of this illness that he has. {9}
35.35
“ ‘What being in the three existences
Would not give their flesh and blood?1189
What wise ones on seeing this
Would hold fast to their body? {10}
35.36
“ ‘Though I told the harem of this,
Not even one woman said she would give.
The bhikṣu is beloved and he is beloved by me,
So I gave him my flesh and blood for the sake of enlightenment. {11}
35.37
“ ‘Those who seek enlightenment, peace, and freedom from misery
Have no devotion to their body or dependence on it;
Of themselves they cherish not even an atom,
And are not saddened to give themselves away. {12}
35.38
“ ‘When the harem heard those words, [F.123.b]
They were all perplexed.
None of them had the fortitude
To take on such an act. {13}
35.39
“ ‘Then I developed the intention
That I would provide the food for the bhikṣu,
Cutting off pieces of my own flesh
And using for lotion my own blood. {14}
35.40
“ ‘I cut into my own thighs
And obtained the flesh and blood.
I myself cooked the pieces of flesh
And added various flavorings. {15}
35.41
“ ‘In the presence of my father
I gave to the sick bhikṣu
The meal of human flesh
And the lotion of blood. {16}
35.42
“ ‘Lord of men, listen to my words!
Sovereign, there not being any human flesh,
I cut the flesh from my own thighs,
And having cooked it gave it to the dharmabhāṇaka. {17}
35.43
“ ‘It was for the sake of the highest enlightenment
That I accomplished this great purpose with my body.
The bhikṣu is cured and returned to health
And I have created immeasurable merit.’ {18}
35.44
“The king inquired of his daughter,
‘How did you cut the flesh from your body?
Daughter, when you engaged in creating this remedy,
Did you not suffer from physical pain?’ {19}
35.45
“The wise and fearless princess replied to him,
‘King, lord of the earth, listen!
Having listened, understand correctly
The inconceivable ripening of karma. {20}
35.46
“ ‘Father, through having done bad actions,
Beings fall into dreadful hell.
They lose their flesh, and again have flesh.
See the inconceivable result of actions! {21}
35.47
“ ‘Through bad karma they have no flesh or blood,
And in an instant they again have flesh and blood.
Therefore, needless to say that, because of good karma,
Through aspiration flesh and blood will be created. {22}
35.48
“ ‘I had no pain when I cut my flesh.
When the blood flowed I did not become dizzy.
Even if I were to cut off all of my flesh,
The body of the Dharma would have no wound or cut. {23}
35.49
“ ‘Feeling perfect joy in the Dharma,
I cut the flesh to be given from my thighs.
I had no suffering because of the wounds, [F.124.a]
And my body became as it was before. {24}
35.50
“ ‘Father, just like a fig-tree flower is only seen
A few times in many millions of eons,
This dharmabhāṇaka is just like that,
Seen rarely in this Jambudvīpa. {25}
35.51
“ ‘Just as humans never tire of gazing
Upon shining Jambu River gold,
Devas and humans never tire of gazing
In that way upon this dharmabhāṇaka. {26}
35.52
“ ‘Just as a thirsty man is freed from thirst
When he drinks clear water,
In the same way wise dharmabhāṇakas
Free beings of thirst with the nectar of Dharma. {27}
35.53
“ ‘This my flesh and blood that I bestowed
Upon the bhikṣu who was afflicted by illness
Eliminated the dharmabhāṇaka’s erysipelas,
And I thus respectfully rendered homage to the Buddha. {28}
35.54
“ ‘I gave of my own flesh
To the learned one with correct conduct,
Who is a holder of this supreme samādhi.
May I obtain from him this Dharma! {29}
35.55
“ ‘Just as the fragrant aroma of the incense
Of yellow sandalwood and red sandalwood1190
Spreads throughout the ten directions,
So, too, does the aroma of the dharmabhāṇaka. {30}
35.56
“ ‘Just as Meru is seen from every direction,
And seeing its beauty brings joy
And it illuminates, shining in all directions,
In that way the dharmabhāṇaka is like Meru. {31}
35.57
“ ‘Just as when a wise man rebuilds
A stūpa that has fallen into ruin,
His having faith in that stūpa
Is the cause for it to be rebuilt, {32}
35.58
“ ‘Likewise, this stūpa of the Dharma was ill
And I cured it by applying blood.
With veneration for the Dharma, with my own flesh
I have lit the lamp for Jambudvīpa. {33}
35.59
“ ‘If this bhikṣu had passed away,
The words of this samādhi would have been
Forever silenced for the beings in this world.
By healing him, this samādhi will be obtained. {34}
35.60
“ ‘This bhikṣu is a protector of the whole world,
And gives sight to the blind world.
With the king of medicines he even heals
Desire, anger, and ignorance. {35} [F.124.b]
35.61
“ ‘He always has a mind that is vast,
The extent of his conduct is immeasurable,
He is learned in words and their definite meaning,
And he cannot be defeated by opponents. {36}
35.62
“ ‘I have no fear that I will fall into lower realms,
And I will not again become a woman
Throughout thousands of millions of eons,
As I have performed a supreme service for the dharmabhāṇaka.’ ” {37}
35.63
At this point, the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, when the princess had heard this Dharma of the bodhisattva, which is marvelous, wonderful, and very difficult to practice, in order to serve the sick dharmabhāṇaka for whom there was no medicine, she used her own flesh and blood to heal him. Even the gift of just one finger will be a service to the stūpa of the Dharma for beings.”
35.64
Thereupon the Bhagavān gave a detailed teaching on that account of the past by chanting the following extensive verses to the youth Candraprabha:1191
35.65
“The one who makes an offering of a single toe
Gains excellent merit that is millions of times greater
Than that from offering to the guides
Jewels filling buddha realms as numerous as the Ganges sands. {38}
35.66
“After that girl had passed away
She saw ten thousand million buddhas.
She entered homelessness in all their teachings
And obtained the supreme peace of this samādhi. {39}
35.67
“When all those supreme humans
Had passed into nirvāṇa
As bodhisattvas,1192 unafflicted,
She always maintained homelessness. {40}
35.68
“She practiced celibacy within the teachings
Of the tathāgata Dīpaprabha.1193
Never again reverting to being a woman,
She became a dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu. {41}
35.69
“Maitreya was Jñānabala, the ruler of men,
Who always maintained the supreme Dharma.
Dīpaṃkara was that dharmabhāṇaka,
And I was then that princess. {42}
35.70
“Akṣobhya, when he was practicing bodhisattva conduct,
Was at that time the ancient goddess of the family,
Who was the attendant of sovereign Jñānabala
And revealed the dream to the king.1194 {i} [F.125.a]
35.71
“Because of my longing for this samādhi,
Avoiding all wickedness
I served that dharmabhāṇaka
With my flesh and my blood. {43}
35.72
“Those who wept when they saw the bhikṣu
Afflicted by the agony of his illness
Became irreversible in their progress in all their lifetimes
And were never reborn into the lower existences. {44}
35.73
“They never had illness of the eyes,
No illness of the head, no illness of the ears,
No illness of the nose, no illness of the tongue,
And never any illness of the teeth. {45}
35.74
“Those who attended the sick monk
Became always very attractive,
Their bodies shining with splendor and majesty,
Adorned by the vivid thirty-two signs of hundreds of merits. {46}
35.75
“They have entered homelessness in my teaching
And in future times when the supreme enlightenment is vanishing
They will obtain the treasure of the tathāgatas,
And see ten thousand million buddhas. {47}
35.76
“Having obtained this supreme enlightenment,
They will always keep it and venerate it.
And having accomplished great benefit for beings,
They will see the supreme human, Akṣobhya. {48}
35.77
“When they have heard this unsurpassable conduct
They will attain the superior, unworldly joy.
When they hear of my past conduct
They will make vast offerings to the buddhas. {49}
35.78
“When wise bhikṣus with correct conduct are seen
They should always be served with sincerity.
Forsaking harshness and anger,1195
Always serve the bhikṣu dharmabhāṇakas. {50}
35.79
“Forsaking aggression and wrath,
Make offerings to my sons, the protectors of the Dharma.
Do not be blind for many millions of eons
And fall into the lower existences and experience suffering. {51}
35.80
“Those who are malicious toward each other
Will not be protected by correct conduct, or by learning.
They will not be protected by dhyāna or by solitude,
Nor by generosity or offering to buddhas.” {52}
35.81
Conclusion of the thirty-fifth chapter, “Jñānāvatī.”
