Chapter 22, 23

Chapter 22: The 8 groups of protectors

At this time, the Tathagata speaks to the great Auspicious Heavenly goddess, that if there is any son or daughter of the lineage who has pure faith, and wants to make the inconceivable offerings to the Tathagatas in the three times, and also want to understand the profound practice of the Tathagata, that person must decidedly and whole-heartedly spread this king of Sutra, no matter where that person is. That person should speak about this Sutra to sentient beings, whether it is in towns, villages or mountains. As for those who listen to the Dharma, they should abandon all distracted thought and focus one’s sense, maintaining high concentration. At this time, the Tathagata speaks the following verses to the devas and the assembly

Towards the Tathagatas

If one wants to make supreme offerings (to them)

And also understand the profound realms (meaning)

Where the Tathagatas are abiding

Then, no matter where there is expounded

The Sutra of the Golden Light

That person should himself arrive at that place

Where this Sutra is expounded

This Sutra is inconceivable

It generates all kinds of merits

In the deep and wide sea of sufferings

It salvages all sentient beings

The Tathagata sees that this Sutra

Is excellent in the beginning, middle and end

All parts are very profound and hard to measure

Impossible to make an example of

Suppose the grains of sands in the Ganges river

The dust particles on the earth,

Number of droplets of water in the ocean

Rocks and stones that fill up the whole space

Even these can barely be used as an example.

To enter the nature of Dharma

One must listen to this Sutra:

On the nature of Dharma in the temples (nơi chùa tháp pháp tánh)

Only then can one skillfully enter (mới khéo được hội nhập)

In such temples and towers

One will see Me, the Sakyamuni Tathagata

With refined words and gentle thoughts

Expounding on this king of Sutra

If one can see that,

In countless inconceivable eons,

One will enjoy supreme bliss

In the world of human and devas

When one listens to this king of Sutra

Think as followed:

I have acquired a mass

Of inconceivable merits

Suppose there is a great fire

Hundreds of yojinas long

But if one has listened to this Sutra

One will walk right through the fire

Without any hesitance

Having arrived at the place where this Sutra is taught

And listened to this Sutra

All wicked deeds will be purified

Even nightmares are eliminated

When one has listened to this Sutra

One will be separated from all

Evil stars and malicious changes,

Ancient occult arts and evil forces.

Set up a high altar

As beautiful as a lotus

The priest who sits on it

Looks like a king of the ocean

Having set up the altar

One should teach this supreme Sutra

Also copy and recite,

Explaining the meaning of this Sutra

When the priest has left that altar

To travel to other places

On that altar, one can see various forms (magical forms)

Either the form of a priest

Still sitting on the high altar

Or the form of the Tathagata

Together with the Bodhisattvas

Or the form of the Universally Good bodhisattva

Or Gentle Garlands

Or the Compassionate one (Maitreya)

Sitting on that high altar

Or see various miraculous forms

Either see the forms of the devas

And just as quickly as one sees it

It disappears

If one sees such benign signs

Whatever one does, one will be successful

One’s virtues and merits will also be complete

Thus says the Tathagata. 

(This Sutra is?) Supreme and renowned

Capable of destroying all defilement

And repulsing foreign invaders

One will often emerge as victors in battles

One will have no nightmare

Even poisons will disintegrate

(And become ineffective on its own)

The power of this Sutra

Can eliminate all misdeeds committed

Through one’s speech, body and mind

One’s renown will spread wide and far

And one will abandon all kinds of enemies

(And be separated from seeing them).

Upon hearing one’s name

Even enemy’s forces will also repulse.

Not using weapons

One will rejoice in battles (đối trận sinh hoan hỷ)

The Brahma king and Indra

The four Heavenly Protectors of the world

And the Diamond Yaksa

The great general of Correct Understanding and Wisdom

The Naga king of the No-heat lake

Together with Sayetla

And the Kinara- god of music

Asura golden bird warriors (Tô la kim sí chủ)

The great Eloquence heavenly goddess

The great Auspicious heavenly goddess

The devas who stand on this side

Lead all other devas,

They often make offerings to the Tathagata

And the Supreme Dharma Treasure

Often rejoicing (in the Dharma)

And respecting this king of Sutra.

Devas such as these

Together think about and observe

The people who do virtuous deeds

(deeds that bring about merits)

And say like this:

Do regard these people

As the great virtuous ones, ones who have great merits.

With the roots of virtue of exerting efforts

They will be reborn among the devas.

For the purpose of listening to this king of Sutra

That person respectfully arrives at this place

And makes offerings to the temple, and stupas (Dharma towers)

Out of the respect for the Dharma

That person pities the sentient beings

And bring about great benefits to them

That person is the container

Of this profound king of Sutra.

If one can enter through this Dharma door (Sutra)

One will merge with the nature of Dharma

As such, towards this Golden Light Sutra

One should whole-heartedly listen to

Only those who have made offerings

To countless Tathagatas

Will be able to listen to this Sutra

Thanks to the might of their roots of virtues

As such, the devas’ lords-

The great Eloquence heavenly goddess

The great Auspicious heavenly goddess

Together with the Four Heavenly kings

And countless Yaksas

Often divide themselves into 4 groups

To go to the 4 directions

And offer protection

Using their great might and power

Sun, moon and Indra

The god of water, fire, wind (and earth?)

Phesotno Yama

Great Eloquence, etc

And the Heavenly Protectors of the world

All use their courage, might and authority

To protect the person who upholds the Sutra

Day and night not leaving them.

The Forceful Yaksa king

Nalayin, Free and Independent (devas?)

The 28 Yaksa gods

Headed by the great General of Correct Understandin

And hundreds of thousands of Yaksa

All use their great power and supernatural abilities

To come to dangerous places

And protect the person who upholds the Sutra

Vajra, Yaksa king

Together with their 500 retinues

And the bodhisattvas

Will often protect.

Treasure king of the Yaksa lord

Together with the Satisfied Benign king

Khoangya, Kim ti la

Tandola Royal color

Each of these Yaksa kings

Together with their 500 retinues

Will arrive at the place

Where a person listens to this king of Sutra

To protect that person.

Exalted army, Gandarva

Boundary king, Often triumph

Pearl Scenes, and Pure Scenes (names)

And Bolisa king

The great Victor, great Black,

Tobanakisa

Banchica, Duong tuc

Together with the great Baya

Tieucu and the Dharma protector

Together with the Yihou king

Needle Hair and Sun limbs

Producing Treasures, these will all arrive to help

Dacu, Nacula, Canda, Yutrungthang

Xala and Snow Mountain

Together with Sada mountain

They all have great supernatural abilities

Having great strengths and courage

They all arrive to the place

Where that person upholds this Sutra

In order to protect

Anabadapda, Sayetra, Mucchan

Elayip, Nanda, small nanda

The Naga among (of) hundreds of thousand Nagas

They all have great supernatural abilities and authority

Together, they help the person who upholds this Sutra

Day and night, they will not leave him

Batri, Rakula, Timachatdala

Mauchichiembara

Great Diligent and Rejoice

And other Asura kings

Together with countless devas

Who have great strengths.

They will come to protect that person

The mother of god-Halidi

500 Yaksas

Come to protect that person

When he wakes up.

Chientra, Chientrali

Chientri female Yaksa

Gunde, Gutraxi

(Those are the ones who) steal away

The essential energy flows of sentient beings

Such gods, who have great supernatural abilities

Will come to protect the person upholding this Sutra

Day and night staying by his side

Countless daughters of devas

Led by the Great Eloquence goddess

All kinds of retinues

Led by the great Auspicious goddess

The goddess of this great continent

Gods of the forests, tree gods,

River gods, gods abiding in towers and temples

Etc. Such devas and gods

Will have great joy

And come to protect the person

Who recite the king of Sutra

If they see anyone who upholds (the Sutra)

They will increase the strength and lifespan

Authority, merits and good solemn forms

Of that person.

If any wicked stars or various planetary influences

Dare to harm that person

Even in nightmares

They will be dispersed and made to disappear

The goddess of this great continent,

Is fortified, and has great authority.

When she has received the power

From the Dharma taste of this king of Sutra

The Golden Light,

She will make the fertile soil layer

Which was in truth located very deep down

Absorbed (rise) upward to the surface

And make the soil of this great continent

Become rich and fertile

This great continent

Which is 68 countless yojinas deep

From the outermost layer of Vajra

The richness of the soil will still rise upward (thấm lên).

Also, one acquires a great mass of merits

When one listens to this king of Sutra

And also benefiting the devas

Helping these devas increase their might

Light and strengths

They (devas) will also be greatly joyous

All signs of decadence will disappear.

This continent in the South

With its tree gods, rice plant gods, fruit gods

Thanks to the might of this king of Sutra

They (the gods) will often rejoice

And will make rice plants,

And fruit bearing trees ripen

All flowers will bloom in great quantities

Fruit and seeds will have all good qualities

And they will abound in the whole continent.

All kinds of grass and small plants

Together with forest trees, plants in the gardens

Will bear beautiful flowers,

And their good scent

Often spreads to everywhere.

Various flower-bearing trees

Often ripen into much fruit

And the fruit they bear will be

Delicious and sweet

And all places will have this fruit.

Also in this great continent,

Countless daughters of Nagas

Often rejoice, and enter the ponds

And lakes together.

Pink lotus, white lotus

Blue lotus and white lotus bloom

These flowers cover the whole lake

And the lakes are all full of lotus.

The might of this king of Sutra

Will make space pure, bright and clear

All clouds and fogs will be dispersed

Everywhere, there is light

The Sun projects light

That is clear and brilliant

Thanks to the might of this Sutra

Bright light will spread to all places

The might of this Sutra

Helps and supports the king

Enable him to use pure gold

To construct his palace

The sun god will joyfully

Look at this great continent

And he often brings great light

To shine brightly everywhere.

As a result, in this great continent

With its lotus lakes and ponds

Light will shine in correct time

And flowers will all bloom.

In this great continent

Fruit and medicinal herbs

Will all become ripen and mature

Exact in their manners

And abound the whole continent

Thanks to the might of this king of Sutra

Wherever the sun and moon shine to

Stars will follow their due courses

Winds and rains will be well adjusted and regular.

In the whole Jambudvipa world,

All nations are rich and joyful.

The nation that has this king of Sutra

Is many times superior to other places

Wherever this Sutra of the Golden light is expounded

And there are people who explain and recite (the Sutra)

That place will obtain such benefits (as mentioned)

At this time, when the great Auspicious heavenly goddess, together with many devas, etc. has listened to the Tathagata, they all greatly rejoice, one-mindedly protect the king of Sutra and those who uphold the king of Sutra, so that these people will not be sorrowful, and will attain great peace and joy.

Chapter 23: Making a prediction of future Buddha

At this time, when the Tathagata has spoken vividly of the Dharma in the assembly, Buddha wants to make a prediction for the Gentle Garland bodhisattva and his two sons, Silver Garland and Silver light, that they will attain Unsurpassed Enlightenment. At this time, there are 10000 sons of devas, led by the Supreme Light son of devas who arrived from the Heaven of the 33; they bowed down to Buddha’s feet and stood on one side, listening to the Dharma of the Tathagata.

The Tathagata says to the Gentle Garland Bodhisattva, in the future, countless of eons, in the world system called Golden Light, you will become a Tathagata, called Golden Treasure Mountain King, sufficient with the twelve names. When the Tathagata Golden Treasure Mountain King has entered into Nirvana, and the Dharma has also been exhausted, your elder son, Silver Garland will inherit His place, right in that world system, and will become a Tathagata, known as the Golden Garland Light Tathagata, sufficient with the 10 names (appellations), and that world system will be renamed into Pure Garland. After the Tathagata Golden Garlad Light has entered into Nirvana, and the Dharma has also been exhausted, you youngest son- Silver Light will, right in that world system, inherit His place, and become a Tathagata, called The Golden Light Tathagata, sufficient with the 10 appellations.

When the 10000 devas’ sons have heard the prediction of the 3 great bodhisattvas, before, they have also heard of the supreme king of Sutra, their mind becomes greatly joyful, as pure and clean as space. The Tathagata knew that these 10000 devas’ sons have matured their roots of virtues, as such, Buddha also makes a prediction for them. Devas’sons, in the  future, countless of eons, you will attain Unsurpassed Enlightenment in the world system called Supreme cause of dara Exalted Garland, with the same lineage, and the same name. That name is Yim muc Pure Lotus (Utpala) Scent Mountain Tathagata, sufficient with the 10 appellations. The 10000 Tathagatas will appear in the world one after another.

At this time, the Bodhi upholding goddess asks, Blessed One, these 10000 devas’ sons have just arrived from the Heaven of the 33 to listen to the Dharma from the Tathagata, why do you make a prediction that they will become Buddha? Blessed One, I have never heard of these devas practicing the 6 paramitas and other arduous practices like other bodhisattvas, such as giving away arms and legs, head, eyes, marrows, brains, relatives, wife and children, elephants, horses, chariots, servants, palaces, gardens, gold and silver, lapis, agate, nacre, corals, amber, jewels, white jewels, food, clothes, things to rest on, medicinal herbs to countless Tathagatas. Yet bodhisattvas ought to do so for countless eons; only after that can one be predicted the Unsurpassed Enlightenment. Blessed One, for what reasons, and under which practice, after sowing which roots of virtues do the devas receive the prediction from the Tathagata, just as soon as they have come down from the Heaven of the 33? Pray the Blessed One please explain for us, and clear away our doubts

The Blessed One says to the Bodhi upholding goddess: if one only considers what you say, which is that only those who have sowed great roots of virtues, and diligently cultivated arduous practices will be predicted. However, these devas here have abandoned the joy and desire in the heavenly palaces to come here and listen to the Golden Light Sutra. Having listened to this Sutra, they whole-heartedly respect It. Their mind is as clear as lapis, and stainless. They have also listened to the prediction of the 3 great bodhisattvas. They also have the factors of vows and righteous practices that they have cultivated for a long time in the past. As such, the Tathagata makes a prediction that they will attain the Unsurpassed Enlightenment. When the Bodhi upholding goddess have listened to the Tathagata explain as above, he joyfully accepts