The Past Chapter 21
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should entertain no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities.758 They should have few involvements, avoid bad companions, rely on kalyāṇamitras, have an inquiring nature, unrelentingly seek the Dharma, have the Dharma as their goal, desire the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, obtain the Dharma, and practice the Dharma in accord with the Dharma. They should perceive every buddha and bodhisattva as the teacher. They should with joy and veneration perceive as the teacher the person from whom they hear this Dharma teaching.
21.2 “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who adopt and follow this Dharma teaching of entertaining no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities will quickly display unending confidence of speech. They will accomplish759 the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. They will realize the profound Dharma of the Buddha. They will be like a light that dispels the darkness of perplexity, uncertainty, and doubt of the people of the world and the devas.”
21.3 Then at that time, in order to relate this Dharma teaching of entertaining no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities, he spoke to the youth Candraprabha these verses that told of the past.760
21.4
“In the past, in this world named Jambudvīpa,761
There were two excellent sons762 who were not heedless.
They entered homelessness in the teaching of a sugata,
And dwelt like rhinoceroses in a grove of trees. {1}
21.5
“They had miraculous powers and had attained the four dhyānas,
They were very learned and skilled in composing poetry and texts, [F.72.a]
They had mastered levitating up into the air,
And they could travel freely through the sky. {2}
21.6
“They were engaged in conversation
In that cool grove of trees
That was filled with a variety of beautiful flowers
And attended by flocks of varieties of birds. {3}
21.7
“A king who was pursuing a deer
Heard their voices and entered that grove.
The monarch saw the two dharmabhāṇakas
And with the greatest joy he approached them. {4}
21.8
“They addressed each other agreeably
And the king sat down before them.
The king’s multitudinous army
Of sixty quintillion soldiers approached. {5}
21.9
“Then both of those dharmabhāṇakas
Said to the king, ‘Listen, Kṣatriya!763
It is very difficult to reach supreme buddhahood.
Monarch, always be careful! {6}
21.10
“ ‘Life is always passing and never stays.
It passes as quickly as a mountain stream.
From the torment of illness, misery, and aging
You have no other refuge than good actions.764 {7}
21.11
“ ‘Supreme king,765 be a protector of the Dharma.
Guard the teaching of the one with ten strengths
In this utterly terrible time of degeneration.
Remain on the side of Dharma, supreme king!’ {8}
21.12
“Thus the wise ones at that time
Gave much advice to that sovereign,
Following which the monarch, with the other six quintillions,766
Developed the aspiration to enlightenment. {9}
21.13
“When the supreme king had heard the Dharma,
He was joyful, very happy, and enraptured
With those who had spoken it so gently and pleasantly,
And bowed down to their feet before departing. {10}
21.14
“Under that king there were many other bhikṣus
Who desired gain and who entered homes.
When he saw how dissimilar was their conduct
The king did not show them respect. {11}
21.15
“The teacher of the teaching had passed away
And this was the time of the latter years.
There were very few worthy recipients in Jambudvīpa,
And there were present many who were without self-control. {12}
21.16
“The many bhikṣus, who were desirous and greedy,
Yearned for acquisitions, held the view of objective reality, [F.72.b]
And had fallen away from the Sugata’s teaching,
At that time repeatedly urged the king to action. {13}
21.17
“ ‘You must kill those two dharmabhāṇakas.
They are tīrthikas who are teaching nihilism.
Among those who have adopted that practice for a long time
There are none who have attained nirvāṇa. {14}
21.18
“ ‘They deny karma, they deny ripening;
Those imposters teach that there are no skandhas.
Your Majesty, banish them from the land
And then the Dharma will remain for a long time.’ {15}
21.19
“When he had listened to what they had to say,
The elephant-like king became distrustful.
‘I shall kill these two dharmabhāṇakas.
I must not leave them alone, for that would be harmful.’767 {16}
21.20
“The king was attended by a goddess768
Who had practiced with him in a previous lifetime.
She was wise and had benefited him for a long time,
And at this time she said to the sovereign king, {17}
21.21
“ ‘Kṣatriya,769 do not think in this way
Because of what bad associates have said.
Do not kill770 those two wise dharmabhāṇakas
Because of what bad associates have said. {18}
21.22
“ ‘Lord of men, do you not remember even a little
Of what they said to you in the forest grove?
In this perfectly terrible time of degeneration,
Remain on the side of Dharma, elephant-like king!’ 771 {19}
21.23
“The king, inspired by those true words,
Did not abandon the teachings of the jinas.772
But the king had a cruel brother
Who was persuaded by those around him.773 {19b–20a}774
21.24
“They told him, ‘The king, your brother, is wicked;
He has no joy in being alive.775
Those two bhikṣus possess dreadful spells.
With those spells they can fly through the sky.776 {20}
21.25
“ ‘Having heard this we have come to you,
To tell you all that has occurred.
Quickly kill those dreadful magicians,
Or afterward you will be filled with regret.’ {21}
21.26
“Then the king’s brother777 put on his armor,
Under the influence of those bad associates.
The king’s brother, encircled by his entire army,
Came to the forest where the two bhikṣus dwelt. {22}
21.27
“The nāgas and yakṣas that lived in that forest
Knew the intention of the king’s dreadful, cruel brother [F.73.a]
And hurled upon them a rain of bricks and stones
That killed the king’s brother and his army. {23}
21.28
“See how the life of the king’s cruel brother came to an end
Because he listened to what bad associates said.
Those who were angry at the dharmabhāṇakas
Took rebirth sixty times in the Avīci hell. {24}
21.29
“Those numerous bhikṣus who believed in reality
And drove the kṣatriya king to action
Experienced the sufferings of hell
For countless billons of rebirths. {25}
21.30
“The goddess who influenced the king
And protected the dharmabhāṇakas
Saw buddhas as numerous as sand grains in ten million Ganges,
Made offerings to them, and engaged in practice. {26}
21.31
“The multitudinous six quintillion men,
Who with the king had heard the Dharma
And developed the aspiration to enlightenment,
Became buddhas in numerous different realms. {27}
21.32
“Their lifespans were many millions of eons.
They had inconceivable, unequaled wisdom.
They all taught this excellent samādhi,
And then those supreme humans passed into nirvāṇa. {28}
21.33
“Having heard this unsurpassable teaching
On the accumulation of correct conduct, purity, qualities, and wisdom,
You must practice intently, without distraction,
And quickly attain the wisdom of buddhahood.778 {29}
21.34
“Look upon us, you tathāgatas in the ten directions,
Who have peaceful minds and compassionate, loving eyes.
You are the refuge and protection for all beings.
Send down your rain of Dharma upon the world.779 {30}
21.35
“Do not think that those two young men,
Those perfect sons,780 were anyone else:
Dīpaṃkara was at that time one of them,
And I was the second dharmabhāṇaka. {30a}
21.36
“At that time Maitreya was the king781
Who listened favorably to the Dharma.
And you, young man, at that time,
Were the wise goddess who wished to help. {30b}
21.37
“At that time, Devadatta
Was the king’s brother,
Influenced by the acquisitive bhikṣus [F.73.b]
Who said, ‘Kill those two dharmabhāṇakas.’ ” {30c}
21.38
Conclusion of the twenty-first chapter, “The Past.”
