co.

Table of Contents

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī is one of the core texts of the Mahāsannipāta collection of Mahāyāna sūtras that dates back to the formative period of Mahāyāna Buddhism, from the first to the third century ᴄᴇ. Its rich and varied narratives, probably redacted from at least two independent works, recount significant events from the lives, past and present, of the Buddha Śākyamuni and some of his main followers and opponents, both human and nonhuman. At the center of these narratives is the climactic episode from the Buddha’s life when Māra, the personification of spiritual death, sets out to destroy the Buddha and his Dharma. The mythic confrontation between these paragons of light and darkness, and the Buddha’s eventual victory, are related in vivid detail. The main narratives are interwoven with Dharma instructions and interspersed with miraculous events. The text also exemplifies two distinctive sūtra genres, “prophecies” (vyākaraṇa) and “incantations” (dhāraṇī), as it includes, respectively, prophecies of the future attainment of buddhahood by some of the Buddha’s followers and the potent phrases that embody the Buddha’s teachings and are meant to ensure their survival and the thriving of its practitioners.

ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Wiesiek Mical translated the extant parts from the Sanskrit and wrote the introduction. Timothy Hinkle compared the translation from the Sanskrit against the Tibetan translation and translated from the Tibetan the parts that are lost in the original Sanskrit.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of Twenty and family, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is gratefully acknowledged. They would like to dedicate their sponsorship to Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche.

The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī
from the Great Collection
h.

Homage

[F.187.b] [B1]10



h.­2

Homage to the one with the melodious voice of Mahābrahmā!


h.­3

Having paid homage to him, one should employ the dhāraṇī called unharmed by the assemblies of Māra. May I accomplish the following mantra:11

h.­4

Avāme avāme amvare amvare {TK4} parikuñja naṭa naṭa puṣkaravaha jalukha khama khaya ili mili kili mili kīrtipara mudre mudramukhe svāhā! {TK5}

4.

Chapter 4

4.­1

When the four great hearers were, as described before, in the great city of Rājagṛha collecting alms, they were rudely accosted by the māra youths who urged them, “Dance, monk! Sing, monk!” When, subsequently, the great hearers, running along the street, sang their verses with lyrics that describe the path to nirvāṇa, this great earth trembled. At that moment many hundreds of thousands of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, inspired with faith in the Blessed One’s instructions,215 said this, their faces awash with tears:

4.­2
“Though the excellent Dharma-leader abides in the state without sorrow,
The fine teachings of the victorious ones are in desperate straits.
If beings now see this nonsense directed at his disciples,
How will they come to have faith?” {4.1}
4.­3

Then, many hundreds of thousands of millions of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas,216 and rākṣasas, their faces bathed in tears, approached the Blessed One. Standing before him, they said:

4.­4
“Please consider, O Blessed One,
The predicament of your instructions at this moment. {TK97}
Do not neglect, O omniscient one,
The preservation of the practice thereof.” {4.2} {K87}
4.­5

The Blessed One replied:

“If so, I will go there myself,
And, having defeated Māra and his mounted forces,217
I will put the whole of humanity
On the road to the city of nirvāṇa.” {4.3}
4.­6

All those gathered there pleaded with one voice, “Do not go, O Blessed One! [F.217.b] Have you not said before that the domains of the blessed buddhas, the māras, and the nāgas, and of the acts they commit, are inconceivable? Among all these domains, that of the buddhas is preeminent. The Blessed One can, while sitting right on his seat, defeat tens of millions of māras, explain tens of millions of Dharma treatises, dry up the ocean of afflictions, tear up the net of wrong views, and submerge tens of millions of beings in the ocean of wisdom. The time is not right for the Blessed One to go now.”

4.­7

The Blessed One replied, “Even if all beings, however many there are in the inhabited realms, were to become māras, and if all the particles of dust, however many there are on earth, were individually mobilized by his power to advance toward me in order to take my life, they would not be able to harm even a single hair on my body. Whereas I, sitting on this very seat, would be able to defeat tens of millions of billions of māras, except for Māra himself along with his personal retinue.

4.­8

“I will go back so that the entire great city of Rājagṛha becomes adorned by the māras offering worship to me {TK98} with marvelous displays magically created by the power of Māra. I will use this event to inspire them with compassion, so that these māras, when supreme appreciation and faith are born in them, will create the roots of virtue necessary to realize unsurpassed and perfect awakening.” {K88}

4.­9

When the Blessed One was thus about to get up from his seat, Prabhāvaśobhanā, the guardian deity of Veṇuvana, stood in front of him with a tearful face and insisted:

“This is not the right time, O Blessed One, to enter
The city that is presently crawling with māras.
Each one of them is exceedingly fierce
And surrounded by ten million others, O leonine teacher! {4.4}
4.­10
“Wild with anger, [F.218.a] they brandish sharp weapons.
They bide their time, their disturbed minds bent on killing you.
You should not enter the city under any circumstances, O lord,
Lest you meet your own destruction,218 O kinsman of the world!” {4.5}
4.­11

When the Blessed One did, nevertheless, get up from his seat, the goddess of the monastery, Dyutimati, bowed her head to his feet and said:

“Five thousand evil ones
Are waiting with their weapons.
These cruel māras are expecting you;
You should not go today, O great sage!” {4.6}
4.­12

When the Blessed One did, nevertheless, walk out of the monastery, {TK99} the medicine goddess, Siddhimati, bowed her head to his feet and said:

“If the lamp of the world perishes,
Alas, the path will be lost,
The Dharma methods will be destroyed,
And the ship of Dharma will sink. {4.7}
4.­13
“The exalted essence of the Dharma is waning in the entire world,
Which is overflowing with the fierce and vile afflictions.
I have some power over the earth and the power {K89}
To prevent the destruction of the Well-Gone One, the best of sages.219 {4.8}
4.­14
“There are many violent beings in this place intent on killing you.
Dedicated to evil ways, they are waiting with their sharp axes and swords.
Please heed my plea, O Well-Gone One, on how to protect the world.
Do not enter the city, O mountain with the ten strengths who has accomplished his journey!”220 {4.9}
4.­15

But the Blessed One set forth from the monastery courtyard. The tree goddess Dyutindharā, wailing most piteously, bowed her head to his feet and pleaded:

4.­16
“Lord! The moment that you‍—the sage who fulfills all wishes and accomplishes all aims‍—
Have perished, the entire threefold universe will be deprived of its eyesight.
Warriors with snake-like tongues and flaming mouths, armed with sharp swords and arrows,
Roam the sky above, intent on killing you. Do not go there now!” {4.10} {TK100}
4.­17

When the Blessed One approached the covered gate passage, the goddess thereof, Jyotivaruṇā by name, wailing in a loud voice, bowed her head to his feet and said:

4.­18
“In that fine city, there are twenty thousand [F.218.b] so-called brahmins.
They are looking for you, armed with flaming swords, knives, and arrows, and devoid of mercy.
Twenty thousand of them, pitiless and cruel even to one another,221
Are waiting not far from here to kill you. Please, do not go, O fair-faced one!” {4.11}
4.­19

When the Blessed One nevertheless entered the gate passage, the protector goddess of the city of Rājagṛha, Tamālasārā by name, {K90} crying out from the sky in a loud voice, hastily approached him, bowed her head to his feet, and warned:

4.­20
“What is more, O Blessed One, the road from here is overrun with lions, camels, and rutting elephants.
The māras have set up ambushes to endanger the monks.
Also, the followers of other religions are poised to eliminate you, the Teacher, from this earth.
Out of compassion for the gods and the nāgas, please don’t go, O lighted lamp with a thunderous voice! {4.12}
4.­21
“O blessed tamer of māras! The lords of humans, gods, serpentine beings, and kinnaras,
Disturbed by the possible destruction of your doctrine, have joined together.
Frightened, they chase the māras,
And also the magically created figures with grotesquely disfigured faces. {4.13}
4.­22
“Seeing the impending demise of the sacred Dharma, the calamities befalling the world, {TK101}
The sky with the light of the constellations all gone, and the unsteadiness of the sun and the moon,
Virtuous people cannot bear it; beating their heads,222
Dreading that the Well-Gone One may perish, they can only exclaim, ‘Alas! Woe is us!’ {4.14}
4.­23
“The sun of the doctrine is setting.
The meteor of the Dharma is fading out.
Death is trampling down upon the perfect Buddha.
The water of the Dharma is drying up. {4.15}
4.­24
“When the ruin of the followers
Of the sacred Dharma has approached,
There will be, in this world,
A proliferation of nonvirtuous māras.” {4.16} {K91}
4.­25

Seeing that the Blessed One would not turn back, the goddess shed even more tears and begged:

“Please have regard, O sage, for this entire world!
Do not go, O best of speakers, to your destruction today!
If you meet your doom in my city,
I would be forever blamed by the threefold universe. {4.17}
4.­26
“Heed my plea, O Guide, the best of beings!
Do not go to destruction in my city today,
But, out of compassion for beings, wait here,
Liberating them from the fear and [F.219.a] pain of rebirth! {4.18}
4.­27
“Remember your former pledge, O Thus-Gone One‍—
‘When I attain the ultimate state, may I become a savior
Of the many beings afflicted by great suffering!’
Give comfort, O supreme being, to all those who draw breath.223 {4.19}
4.­28
“Remain, O best of embodied beings, for many millions of eons! {TK102}
Alas! The naive are caught up in sense objects.
To give them peace, please show them the Dharma path leading to
The realization that the sense bases and faculties are empty by nature!” {4.20}
4.­29

But the Blessed One advanced farther along the gate passage. The earth goddess, Dṛḍhā, together with ten thousand other deities each endowed with great vigor, her face bathed in tears and hair disheveled, stood before the Blessed One with folded hands {K92} and pleaded:

4.­30
“Remember the gifts224 that you made in the past‍—
Your blood that would fill the four oceans;
Your head and bones, enough to form the Cakravāḍa range;225
Your eyes, numerous as the grains of sand in the Gaṅgā; {4.21}
4.­31
“Your various jewels, given away in the past;
And your sons, daughters, elephants, horses,
Houses, clothes, beds, food, drink,
And medicine needed by the sick. {4.22}
4.­32
“You offered supreme worship to the self-arisen ones,226
Carefully guarded your discipline,
Always applied yourself to forbearance and study,
And honored your mother and father. {4.23}
4.­33
“You practiced endless difficult austerities
And freed beings from their many afflictions.
In the past, at the very start, you made the following vow:
‘May I become a buddha who shows the absolute truth227 {4.24}
4.­34
“ ‘And saves humanity from the great ocean of suffering! {TK103}
May I teach the Dharma to the world!
May I uproot craving and the great fears!228
May I dispel all suffering! {4.25}
4.­35
“ ‘May I lead multitudes of beings to the city of fearlessness
By establishing them on the path to supreme awakening! {K93}
May I liberate those afflicted with much suffering229
And fulfill all the needs of beings!’230 {4.26}
4.­36
“Forgive those, O lord, who have strayed from the path
And commit evil in this world, ruining their learning and discipline.
Save them! Remember your vow!
Continue to teach the Dharma for many millions of eons! {4.27}
4.­37
“Ferry the beings, O lord, across the sea of suffering!
Wash them with the water possessed of the eight qualities!231
There is no being in the threefold universe
Who could be as eminent as you, O lord. {4.28} [F.219.b]
4.­38
“Liberated yourself, may you liberate the world as well!
Save the world from the ocean of the three realms,
For you are a buddha, and the sole kinsman of the world.
Remain forever and share the Dharma with others.” {4.29}
4.­39

The Blessed One, however, proceeded farther along the gate passage. At that moment many hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and rākṣasas, their faces bathed in tears, flew through the sky, imploring him:

4.­40
“First, during the time of peace, we saw well-gone ones
Who trained their students well,
Instructing them in the Dharma in full
Without being blocked in the manner it is happening now. {4.30} {K94}
4.­41
“This teacher, one of great intelligence, {TK104}
Has attained the self-arisen state during the degenerate period.
He, the lord of sages, has taught the Dharma in this world,
Which is obscured by the afflictions, for the sake of bringing beings to maturity. {4.31}
4.­42
“While this leonine speaker remains here,
One billion evil ones
Are bringing ruin upon the Dharma.
Do not enter the city today, O valiant Buddha!” {4.32}
4.­43

Another goddess warned:

“The former victors, engaged for the sake of the world’s welfare,
Turned the wheel of the Dharma in just one place.
This one, however, preaches wherever he travels.232
There is a risk that calamity will befall him in such places!” {4.33}
4.­44

Another goddess said:

“This leader, out of compassion, has wandered around
And has benefited beings in great measure.233
My only concern, however, is that today
He might perish in this city.” {4.34}
4.­45

Under these circumstances, many hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas descended from the sky above with forlorn expressions on their tear-soaked faces. Arraying themselves before the Blessed One, they acted in many different, self-harming ways.

4.­46

Some pulled out their hair. Some cast off their adornments. Some {K95} threw away their parasols, banners, and flags. Some threw themselves on the ground. Some took hold of the Blessed One’s feet. Some wailed most piteously. Some beat their breasts {TK105} with their hands. Some, standing at the Blessed One’s feet, spun in circles like the madgu234 bird. Some, standing in front of the Blessed One with folded hands, bowed to him and recited praises. [F.220.a] And some showered upon him flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, scented oils, clothes, adornments, golden thread, strings of pearls, and fine cloth. Some others, numbering tens of millions, chanted the following in a single loud voice:

4.­47
“You have practiced many austerities
For the great benefit of the world.
Now that your time here is limited,
Please be equanimous. Stay! Don’t leave! {4.35}
4.­48
“Your buddha activity, O faultless one, has been accomplished only in part.
Only a few gods and humans have been called to witness you.
You should remain, teaching the Dharma for a long time to come,
Thus delivering beings from the ocean of the threefold existence. {4.36}
4.­49
“There are many beings practicing good conduct.
With their good seeds ripening, they have become vessels for the elixir of the Dharma.
You should feel compassion for them and teach them235 the meaning.
You should deliver the pitiful world from the river of suffering. {4.37}
4.­50
“You should show the right path
To those who have lost their way in the wilderness of saṃsāra
And have strayed into the thick forest of various destinies. {K96}
You should deliver them with words of the supreme noble Dharma. {4.38} {TK106}
4.­51
“Your most marvelous and wonderful act of compassion
Was the turning of the wheel of the sublime Dharma.
Please remain for a long time, O most intelligent one!
Let humankind not be deprived of a protector!” {4.39}
4.­52

Another goddess said:

“Should the Guide perish,236
The entire world will be rendered blind.
The eightfold path‍—the cause of the threefold liberation‍—
Will not exist in this world in any way whatsoever. {4.40}
4.­53
“We have carefully planted virtuous seeds
Sprung from body, speech, and mind,
And are thus now surrounded by every type of comfort.
May this spring of merit not be lost!” {4.41}
4.­54

Now many hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of gods from the Pure Abode gathered together and said:

“Do not fret! The Sage, one of vast intellect,
Will not come to grief of any kind,
Even though tens of millions of māras have arrived on earth.
This virtue is clearly evident to us. {4.42} [F.220.b]
4.­55
“The terrifying army of Māra has battalions stretching all around for thirty-six leagues, primed to move swiftly and with devastating force,
Armed with barbed missiles, scimitars, and enormous swords, and making a lot of raucous sounds. {TK107}
Having now advanced as far as the seat of awakening, it has now approached its own demise.
Today it will instantly become terrified of Siddhartha;237 how then could it create obstacles for the one whose fame has spread far and wide?” {4.43} {K97}
4.­56

Another goddess said in tears:

“This army consisted in the past of a single māra and wasn’t very strong.
But now, tens of thousands of millions of māras strong, it is very powerful. {4.44}
I fear that the leader of the world will meet his doom,
And that after his demise, this world will spiral into darkness.” {4.45}
4.­57

Then Śakra, Brahmā, and the world protectors clasped the feet of the Blessed One and pleaded:

“Remain here, O holy one! Please follow the advice, O champion of compassion,
Of the two of us, inferior to you in intelligence.
Many tens of millions of gods are afflicted with profound anguish.
Please besprinkle them now with the nectar of Dharma!” {4.46}
4.­58

The Blessed One then looked at the entire congregation, eyes wide with loving kindness, and uttered the following words to comfort them, his voice as sweet as Brahmā’s:

“Don’t fret! You must not be afraid now!
Not even all the māras together, riding upon their mounts,
The whole lot of them, would be able to trouble
A single hair of mine, let alone my whole body. {4.47}
4.­59
“I will console the entire world today
And will always teach the Dharma on this earth. {TK108}
To those who have lost their way,
I will duly divulge it with lucid instructions.238 {4.48} {K98}
4.­60
“In the past I performed many difficult austerities
And distributed food and drink in abundance,
As well as many houses and much medicine.
Who would be able to harm me today? {4.49}
4.­61
“I gave away horses, chariots, and elephants;
So also ornaments and adornments,
Female and male servants, cities and kingdoms.
Who would be able to harm me today? {4.50}
4.­62
“For the benefit of beings I gave away
My wives, sons, daughters, and other family members,
As well as the royal power desired on earth and my royal lineage.
How then could my body be destroyed today? {4.51}
4.­63
“I gave my head, both my eyes, ears, nose, [F.221.a]
Hands and feet, flesh, skin, and blood.
I even gave my own life for the embodied beings in this world.
Who, then, would be able to hurt me? {4.52}
4.­64
“With my own hands, I presented huge offerings to many
Tens of millions of buddhas, worshiping them with devotion.
I always delighted in practicing discipline, study, and acceptance.
Who, then, would be able to injure me today? {4.53}
4.­65
“I formerly practiced difficult austerities
With my mind completely focused in absorption.
If there was no anger in my mind even when my body was being butchered, {TK109}
Who would be able to hurt me today? {4.54} {K99}
4.­66
“With my afflictions pacified, I am a fully self-controlled buddha
With my mind full of love for all beings.
I have no envy, harshness, or anger.
No one will be able to stand in my way today. {4.55}
4.­67
“I have gained victory over the entire army of Māra
And defeated many tens of millions of māras.
I will definitely liberate you from saṃsāra,
So don’t be afraid. Why would I not enter the city? {4.56}
4.­68
“Any buddhas dwelling, for the sake of beings,
In the ten directions,
I will engage them here,
Along with the bodhisattvas with great magical powers.239 {4.57}
4.­69
“I will completely fill all the buddha fields.
There, I will institute merit and wisdom.
And when those buddhas are properly abiding,240
I will fulfill the intentions of the buddhas. {4.58}
4.­70

On that occasion, infinite and innumerable hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and human and nonhuman beings applauded the Blessed One by exclaiming, “Homage to the one endowed with infinite diligence who has the power to work miracles and wonders! Homage, homage to the Blessed Buddha who is thus endowed! {TK110} The world and its gods have been comforted by the Blessed One, and the followers of Māra defeated. The filth of the afflictions that bind beings to existence has been dispelled. {K100} The mountain of their arrogance has been split asunder. The tree of birth [F.221.b] has been cut down, the sun of death241 turned to powder, the darkness of ignorance dispelled, the followers of other religions brought to have faith, the four rivers dried up, the torch of the Dharma lit, and the path to awakening shown.

4.­71

“Beings have been established in acceptance and gentleness, caused to playfully abide in the bliss of meditation, and made to realize the four truths of the noble ones. The world and its gods have been ferried across the ocean of births by the most compassionate, blessed teacher. Sentient beings have been transported to the city of fearlessness.”

4.­72

Then the gods and humans worshiped the Blessed One with sundry flowers, incense, perfume, garlands,242 ornaments, and adornments and swept the road for his sake. They covered it243 in celestial cloth, calico, and flowers, including celestial flowers such as mandārava and great mandārava, pāruṣaka and great pāruṣaka, mañjuṣaka and great mañjuṣaka, and roca and great roca, as well as blue, red, and white lotus flowers. In the places where the Blessed One would put his feet {TK111} on the road, they conjured up, on either side, trees made of the seven precious gems, and adorned them with celestial cloth,244 calico, and hand, ear, and head adornments. Between the trees, they conjured up celestial lotus ponds with cool and sweet water, completely limpid and free of turbidity. These were filled with water possessing eight qualities245 and adorned all around with the seven precious gems.

4.­73

In the space above, they held up parasols made from the seven precious gems, banners, flags, golden thread, and strings of pearls. They sent showers of dust made of gold, silver, and beryl, and the powders of aloeswood, crape jasmine, white sandalwood, and benjamin, and the leaves of the tamāla tree. {K101} They sprinkled powdered gośīrṣa and uragasāra sandalwood upon the road. They also adorned the entire firmament with golden thread, strings of pearls, [F.222.a] and loose jewels and pearls, as well as various other ornaments. Outside the city the gods and humans decorated the road in order to worship the Blessed One, while inside, the māras and their retinues created beautiful magical displays in order to worship him.

4.­74

At this time the Blessed One entered the absorption called becoming indestructible and, immersed in it, proceeded on his way down the road. {TK112} He advanced on the road assuming various physical forms and features with their corresponding modes of deportment. Those beings who were devoted to Brahmā and capable of being guided by him saw the Blessed One walking in the form of Brahmā. Those who were capable of being guided by Śakra, Nārāyaṇa, Maheśvara, the Four Great Kings, a universal monarch, the master of a castle, a great sage,246 a monk, a princely youth, a woman, a lion, an elephant, a nāga, or an asura saw the Blessed One in that respective form. Those who were devoted to and capable of being guided by rabbits saw the Blessed One with the form and features of a rabbit, advancing on the road in the manner of a rabbit. Those capable of being guided by buddhas saw the Blessed One with the form and features of a buddha, advancing on the road in the manner of a buddha. All these beings walked along close together with folded hands, one after the other, bowing and singing praises.

4.­75

At that time, the sage Jyotīrasa, who lived next to the Himalayas, {K102} spurred on by Māra,247 arrived in the vicinity of the gates of the great city of Rājagṛha, along with his retinue of five hundred. [F.222.b]248When he saw the Blessed One proceeding down the road in the form, features, color, shape, deportment, and style of a sage, and the many billions of gods {TK113} diligently venerating him, he had the following thought:

4.­76

“Truly, this man is a great sage with tremendous power. He is worthy of veneration and both gods and humans are venerating him. His entire body is ornamented with the marks of merit. I can see that he is a learned preceptor. I would like to check to see which of the two of us is elder and more learned. So, I will go before him and inquire about his caste, family lineage, dwelling place, and ascetic discipline.”

4.­77

Then the sage Jyotīrasa gazed upon his retinue and announced:

“There is one who is educated, honest, disciplined, venerable, and worthy of veneration.
He possesses wisdom and the meaningful Dharma‍—this supreme sage fully knows the path of acceptance.
You all should join him, offering him respectful veneration,
And listen to the man of such qualities delivering his well-spoken doctrine that ends saṃsāra.” {4.59}
4.­78

All the young brahmins in his retinue pledged with one voice that they would do as their preceptor had instructed. The sage Jyotīrasa and his retinue then went to the Blessed One. Standing before the Blessed One, they joined their palms and asked, “Who are you?”

The Blessed One answered, “I am a brahmin.”

4.­79

“What is your family lineage?”

“I am of the Gautama family lineage.”

“What is your ascetic discipline?”

“My ascetic discipline is the threefold liberation.”

4.­80

“What is your practice?”

“I practice suchness, the ultimate reality.”

“How long has it been since you went forth?”

“I have gone forth {TK114} since ignorance arose.”

4.­81

“Great Sage, can you explain the Vedic teachings of astrology?”

The Blessed One responded, “When one is free from superimposition, everything is the same. [F.223.a] So from that perspective, what is the point of worldly knowledge?”

“It delights the learned,” replied the sage.

4.­82

“Where do the stars abide?” asked the Blessed One.

The sage answered, “There are said to be the twenty-eight constellations that are supported by, and follow, the sun and the moon. In relation to the measurement by fingers,249 there are thirty-eight. Using this measurement by fingers, there are twelve fingers lengthwise within the body where the stars abide. With one measure of a finger at the brain in the head and one measure of a finger at the soles of the feet, there are a total of fourteen such fingers within the body. What exists at those locations does not change into anything else. Thus, the way one is follows the star under which one is born. What else is there? Let me explain. Please listen, Great Sage!

4.­83
“Those who have a mole on the right side of their face
At the location of four fingers,250
A black beard, and ruddy hue
Are born under the constellation Kṛttikā. {4.60}
4.­84
“They will have wealth and fame,
They will be learned, and their glory will spread.
These are the signs of those
Who are born under Kṛttikā. {4.61}
4.­85
“Those who have a mole
At the location of four fingers251
Are born under the constellation Rohiṇī. {TK115}
They will be knowledgeable and constantly delight in the Dharma. {4.62}
4.­86
“Learned and with abundant wealth,
Beautiful in all respects,
Heroic and always victorious,
They will defeat all their enemies. {4.63}
4.­87
“Whoever has a mark resembling fire
At the location half a finger from252 the neck
Is born under the constellation Mṛgaśirā
And will be heroic and wealthy. {4.64}
4.­88
“Whoever has a mole on the left side,
At the location of half a finger,253
Is born under the constellation Ārdrā
And will be angry and foolish, but wealthy. {4.65}
4.­89
“Those who have moles in the left armpit
Are born under the constellation Punarvasū.
They will have wealth and be rich in grain,
Yet their mental resources will be limited. {4.66}
4.­90
“Yet you, born under the constellation Puṣyā,
Have the finest marks.
On the palms of your hands there are wheels
That beautify you like the sun. {4.67}
4.­91
“All the hair on your head
Twists upward to the right.
Your body is of equal proportions.
You, O leader, have tamed your afflictions. {4.68} [F.223.b]
4.­92
“With a mark at the heart center resembling fire, {TK116}
Those born under the constellation Āśleṣā will crave violence.
Their discipline will be corrupt, and they will trouble their companions.
They will delight in sexual misconduct. {4.69}
4.­93
“Those who have a mole resembling a pea,
Whether down low, on the front, or on the back,
Are born under the constellation Maghā.
They will be wealthy and disciplined religious people. {4.70}
4.­94
“Those who have birthmarks
On both the left and right of the navel
Are born under the constellation Pūrvaphalgunī
And will be stingy and have a short life. {4.71}
4.­95
“Those who have a mole
Four fingers below the navel
Are born under the constellation Uttaraphalgunī.
Wealthy and disciplined, upon death they will go to the higher realms. {4.72}
4.­96
“Those born under the constellation Hastā
Will have a red mole on the buttocks.
They will thieve, deceive, and defraud.
Their merit is trifling and their intelligence meager. {4.73}
4.­97
“Those who have a mole on their penis
Are definitely
Born under the constellation Citrā.
Their preference will be for song and dance. {4.74}
4.­98
“Those who have a yellow mole,
Either above or below the penis,
Are born under the constellation Svāti. {TK117}
They are not learned, but desirous and often angry. {4.75}
4.­99
“Those who, at one finger of both thighs,254
Have a red mole
Are perfect lords born under the constellation Viśākhā
And will be attended by men and women, {4.76}
4.­100
“Learned and brave, defeating their enemies,
Always enjoying a pleasant life,
Modest, intelligent, and reliable.
Having died, they will be reborn in the higher realms. {4.77}
4.­101
“Those who have a mole like a pea
At one finger of both thighs255
Practice discipline and are born under the constellation of Anurādhā.
They have both Dharma and enjoyments. {4.78}
4.­102
“Those who have a mole underneath their thighs
Are born under the constellation Jyeṣṭhā.
They are ugly, short-lived, and corrupt in discipline.
They are neither ethical nor compassionate. {4.79}
4.­103
“Those who have, on both knees,
Small birthmarks
Are charismatic people born under the constellation Mūlā.
They will swiftly destroy their own homes.256 {4.80}
4.­104
“Those born under the constellation Pūrvāṣāḍhā
Have moles on their kneecaps.
They practice charity and desire the Dharma path.
At death, they go to the higher realms. {4.81}
4.­105
“Those born under the constellation Uttarāṣāḍhā {TK118}
Have moles on their elbows.
In that regard, they are intelligent,
Wealthy, and loving toward others. {4.82}
4.­106
“They who have moles on both elbows
Are born under the constellation Śravaṇā.
They are always wealthy, healthy, and loving toward others. [F.224.a]
At death, they go to the higher realms. {4.83}
4.­107
“Those who have black moles on their calves
Are born under the constellation Dhaniṣṭhā.
They will have little anger or desire.
They will have no wealth, but they will be wise. {4.84}
4.­108
“Those who have black moles
At the finger measure257 on their calves
Are born under the constellation Śatabhiṣā.
They are foolish and will end up drowning. {4.85}
4.­109
“Those who have something like a scar at the finger below their calves
Are born under the constellation Pūrvabhadrapadā.
They are foolish and prone to injure others,
Are destitute, and often steal. {4.86}
4.­110
“Those who have moles throughout their finger measures
Are born under the constellation Uttarabhadrapadā.
They are generous, disciplined, mindful,
Knowledgeable, fearless, and compassionate. {4.87}
4.­111
“Those who have tiny moles
On both their legs
Are born under the constellation Revatī.
They are ill-mannered and become barbers. {4.88} {TK119}
4.­112
“Those who have black moles
On their thumb joints
Are always vital and healthy
And born under the constellation Aśvinī. {4.89}
4.­113
“Those who have moles on the soles of their feet
Are born under the constellation Bharaṇī.
They are loveless and have the character of killers and executioners.
When they die, they go to the hell realms. {4.90}
4.­114
“Those who undertake particular types of conduct
Bear these astrological signs.
It is consciousness that leads beings
Around the universe.” {4.91}
4.­115

The Blessed One then said:

“Childish beings whose experience is conceptual
Can be attached to anything.
They are deluded and spiritually immature.
They live in their heads and catch infectious diseases. {4.92}
4.­116
“Dogs, snakes, turtles,
And various other kinds of animals,
And anyone born under the constellation Puṣyā,258
Do not experience well being. {4.93}
4.­117
“Just as you have acquired
Absorption, magical powers, and freedom,
I myself am all-seeing,
So why don’t you ask me your questions?” {4.94}
4.­118

The sage Jyotīrasa showered the Blessed One with flowers {TK120} and was deeply pleased. He then inquired:

“O sage in human form
Who is replete with the finest marks,
Given that I do not know your ancestry,
I would like to know if you are a god or a man. {4.95}
4.­119
“When your speech and voice are heard,
They are like those of Mahābrahmā.
The actions you take and the manner in which you behave
Resemble the sages of yore. {4.96}
4.­120
“Sage, how are you so excellent,
Such that I’ve never seen or heard of anyone like you before? [F.224.b]
Please tell me who your teacher was,
And what your ancestry is!” {4.97}
4.­121

The Blessed One answered:

“I am not concerned with high or low.
Whoever is stuck with such designations
Binds themselves to all manner of suffering‍—
They are not fitting vessels for freedom. {4.98}
4.­122
“My lineage is the six perfections.
With them I destroy brahmins with the six superknowledges,
Those who preach the six sources of joy,259
And the six faculties. {4.99}
4.­123
“I have the knowledge that understands the three phenomena.260
My conduct is the threefold liberation.
I went forth at the moment
That I developed the mind of awakening. {4.100}
4.­124
“I do not focus on any signs‍— {TK121}
Indeed I cultivate signlessness.
I am a perfect buddha,
Teaching the absence of being, life principle, and self. {4.101}
4.­125
“I have fully cultivated the emptiness
Of the three sensations and the three formations.
My wisdom has reached the far shore.
Nothing is communicated by my words. {4.102}
4.­126
“Anyone who is unattached like space
And arouses the mind set upon awakening
Will achieve the perfect strength of patience,
As well as wisdom. {4.103}
4.­127
“Awakening is not difficult to find
For one who does not engage with phenomena,
Has no desire for karmic ripening,
And does not contradict suchness. {4.104}
4.­128
“If one contemplates the ultimate reality
Without fixating on phenomena
Or adhering to high or low,
One will become a thus-gone one. {4.105}
4.­129
“There are no characteristics or marks.
If one abandons such reference points,
And does not get involved with any phenomenon,
One will become a thus-gone one. {4.106}
4.­130
“Give up specific characteristics!
Abandon all doubt in your mind!
Expand your knowledge like space!
You must become a buddha like me!” {4.107} {TK122}
4.­131

261Immediately after the Blessed Buddha had spoken these verses, the sage Jyotīrasa and his retinue saw the Blessed One transform into the form, features, and deportment of a buddha as their previously accumulated roots of virtue became activated. The sage Jyotīrasa then attained a state of absorption such that, sitting like the bodhisattva Peak of the Victory Banner, he was able to see into all states of absorption without depending on any other factors. Through all these forms of absorption, [F.225.a] his state became such that nobody could take it away from him. He attained the bodhisattva absorption called Ratnaketu.262

4.­132

The great sage, holding a flower263 in his folded hands, then praised the Blessed One with the following verses: {K103}

4.­133
“O protector of the world worthy of infinite praise! A confirmed speaker of truth!
You have illuminated the entire world with the light from your eye of wisdom.264
For the benefit of beings, you always elevate your courage and loving kindness.265
O best of beings, leader free from attachment, I prostrate to you today!266 {4.108}
4.­134
“With your golden color and glow of golden light, your cooling qualities
Help inspire the causes that lead to the attainment of awakening in all beings.267
By turning the wheel of the Dharma,268 you split the mountain of the afflictions {TK123}
And perfect the supreme conduct and the causes of understanding awakening. {4.109}
4.­135
“O great physician, the best of beings adorned with auspicious marks,
Guide, please explain today how the essence of a being becomes buddha.269
May I tear apart the net of craving;270 when I am saved, may I save the world!
Please tell me, O best of humans,271 when will I become a buddha? {4.110}
4.­136
“I will ferry beings across the river of suffering, free them from the ocean of existence,
And establish them on the path to the undefiled bliss of nirvāṇa.
I beg any buddhas living in the ten directions, ocean-like with their vast qualities,
To be my witness‍—for I commit my mind to awakening.272 {4.111} {K104}
4.­137
“ May the suffering of all beings
Touched by violent, rough, and unbearable pain be pacified today
By the power of merit accumulated by me in the three times with my body, speech, and mind.
May all beings attain the bliss of the buddhas and find lasting nirvāṇa.273 {4.112}
4.­138
“May the maladies of all beings be quelled and the waters of afflictions dried up!
May they obtain wisdom and sound sense faculties!274 {TK124}
May I swiftly liberate, through the brilliant splendor of my merit,275
All the beings overwhelmed by suffering, cut down by death!276 {4.113} [F.225.b]
4.­139
“May all beings, each and every one of them, attain an ocean of qualities!
May they be satisfied with knowledge, limitless merit, and all pleasures!
May they attend to the abandoning of negativities and the view of equality!277
May they all remember their previous births and practice the Dharma! {4.114}
4.­140
“May they all cross to the other shore of the ocean of existence on the raft of Dharma!
May all reach the far shore of Dharma! May all become buddhas!
May the rain of the Dharma fall and then remain for immeasurable eons!
May all beings be bathed in the water from this Dharma cloud!278 {4.115} {K105}
4.­141
“Whatever subtle transgressions I have committed with my body, speech, and mind,
I humbly confess, begging all the buddhas to be my witness!
May I never again commit such deeds inspired by evil views! {TK125}
May I see such inconceivably supreme beings always before me!279 {4.116}
4.­142
“Whatever little merit I have accumulated I dedicate to awakening.
For the sake of beings, I will perform any action and endure any suffering.
I will bring all beings onto the supreme path of awakening.
For eons I will purify buddha fields, wisdom, and the ocean of beings.280 {4.117}
4.­143
“May I reach the place where I touch awakening and attain purification.
May my whole retinue be purified and abide on the level of acceptance.
O leonine speaker, may I attain the five superknowledges.
O leader with your unimpeded wisdom and omniscience, please make my prophesy!281 {4.118}
4.­144
“If I should become a buddha, a paragon of all the qualities of buddhahood in this world,
May I cast loose flowers upon you and shade you with a parasol!282
May the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and the rest of the people be my witness,283
And may the Earth,284 trembling, bow her head to your feet.”285 {4.119} {K106} {TK126}
4.­145

Then the sage Jyotīrasa cast the flowers he had just spoken of upon the Blessed One, and they became a single parasol floating above the crown of his head. When he saw this, satisfying feelings of tremendous and extraordinary joy and pleasure arose in Jyotīrasa’s mind. [F.226.a] He fell to his knees and touched the Blessed One’s feet. As soon as he did so, the entire great trichiliocosm286 shook in six different ways. The hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of beings who were there became so moved287 that they beheld a vision.288

4.­146

Those beings who were capable of being guided by elephants perceived the Well-Gone One in the form of an elephant. They were overjoyed. When they saw the flowers cast by the great sage transformed and floating in the sky as a parasol and the earth shaking, {TK127} they fell to the Blessed One’s feet in amazement. Those who were capable of being guided by buddhas all perceived the Blessed One in the guise of a buddha and were wonderstruck.289

4.­147

When the Blessed One then emerged from his absorption, becoming indestructible, those beings who were capable of being guided by buddhas290 felt joyous and exhilarated on seeing him emerge and showered him with all the flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, scented oils, clothes, ornaments, and adornments they had. For this occasion, the Blessed One,291 addressing Jyotīrasa, uttered the following stanzas: {K107}

4.­148
“O great sage! Rise up and listen as I am making a prediction.
The guide is making your prediction of awakening.
Through unequaled power, the earth shook
And flowers became a parasol floating in the sky.292 {4.120}
4.­149
“You will become the best of two-legged creatures,
A powerful buddha and instructor who teaches to benefit the world,
One of infinite merit, vast as the sky,
The best in the threefold universe, and a lamp for the world.” {4.121}
4.­150

Jyotīrasa, the bodhisattva great being, then asked, “In what buddha field will I turn the wheel of the Dharma?” [F.226.b] {TK128}293

The Blessed One replied,294 “In countless eons, you will appear in a buddha field to the north called Extensive Scent of Flowers. This buddha field will be arranged just as the present-day world of Sukhāvatī is. You will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in this buddha field. You will be a thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha, someone learned and virtuous, a well-gone one, a knower of the world, a charioteer who guides beings, an unsurpassed being, and a teacher of gods and humans. You will be known as the blessed buddha Immaculate Fragrant Star of Bright Splendor. Your lifespan will extend to an intermediate eon. There will be no hearers or solitary buddhas in your buddha field; it will be a realm exclusive to bodhisattva great beings. You will only give Great Vehicle teachings there.”

4.­151

When the assembly that had amassed there heard the prophecy of the bodhisattva great being Jyotīrasa, they exerted themselves in venerating the Blessed One. The five hundred young brahmins and ninety-two trillion other beings there developed the mind directed toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening. They achieved the bodhisattva absorption called not forgetting the mind of awakening.

4.­152

This concludes the chapter on the sage Jyotīrasa, the fourth in the “Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī.” {K108} {TK130} [B5]

c.

Colophon

c.­1
Because of the special merit that I have accumulated when refining, with all my devotion, care, and a joyous mind,
The text of this Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī‍—the dhāraṇī that removes great fear‍—
May this entire world obtain in this very moment this Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī
Adorned with words of the Sage’s doctrine, clear in meaning, and resplendent with great qualities!

Tibetan Translators’ Colophon

c.­2

This sūtra was translated by the Indian preceptor Śilendrabodhi and the translator-editor Yeshé Dé. It was later standardized in line with the new terminological register.

ab.

Abbreviations

D Tibetan Degé edition
G Gilgit manuscript
K Kurumiya 1978 (page numbers entered in braces, e.g. {K26} denotes page 26)
TK Kurumiya 1979 (page numbers entered in braces, e.g. {TK26} denotes page 26)
b.

Bibliography

Primary literature (manuscripts and editions)

Sanskrit

Dutt, Nalinaksha, ed. Gilgit Manuscripts. Vols. 1–4. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1984.

Kurumiya, Yenshu, ed. Ratnaketuparivarta: Sanskrit Text. Kyoto: Heirakuji-shoten, 1978.

Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī‍—the Gilgit manuscript. National Archives of India, New Delhi.

Tibetan

’phags pa ’dus pa rin po che tog gi gzungs shes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Toh 138, Degé Kangyur vol. 56 (mdo sde, na), folios 187.b–277.b.

’phags pa ’dus pa rin po che tog gi gzungs shes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 56, pp. 509–734.

Kurumiya, Yenshu, ed. ’Dus Pa Chen Po Rin Po Che Tog Gi Gzungs, ’Dus Pa Chen Po Dkon Mchog Dbal Zes Bya Ba’i Gzungs: being the Tibetan translation of the Ratnaketu Parivarta. Kyoto: Heirakuji-shoten, 1979.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan[/lhan] dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Narthang Catalog (bka’ ’gyur dkar chag ngo mtshar bkod pa rgya mtsho’i lde mig). Narthang Kangyur vol. 102 (dkar chag), folios 1.a–124.a.

Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.

Translations and secondary literature:

Braarvig, Jens (1993). Akṣaya­mati­nirdeśa­sūtra. Vol. 2, The Tradition of Imperishability in Buddhist Thought. Oslo: Solum Verlag, 1993.

‍—‍—‍—(1985). “Dhāraṇī and Pratibhāna: Memory and Eloquence of the Bodhisattvas.” The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 8, no. 1: 17–29. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1985.

Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.

Lamotte, Étienne. The Treatise of the Great Virtue of Wisdom of Nāgārjuna (Mahā­prajñā­pāramitā­śāstra). Translated from the French by Karma Migme Chodron, 2001.

Mak, Bill M. “Ratnaketu-parivarta, Sūryagarbha-parivarta, and Candragarbha-parivarta of Mahā­sannipāta­sūtra (MSN): Indian Jyotiṣa through the lens of Chinese Buddhist Canon.” Paper presented at the World Sanskrit Conference, New Delhi, January 8, 2012.

Miller, Adam T. “To Feel Like We Feel: Reading the Precious Banner Sūtra as Affective Regime.” PhD dissertation. University of Chicago, 2022.

‍—‍—‍—(2013). “The Buddha Said That Buddha Said So: A Translation and Analysis of ‘Pūrvayogaparivarta’ from the Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī Sūtra.” MA thesis. University of Missouri-Columbia, 2013.

Miller, Robert, et al., trans. The Chapter on Going Forth (Pravrajyāvastu, Toh 1-1). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

Negi, J. S. Bod skad daṅ Legs-sbyar gyi tshig mdzod chen mo. Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary. Sarnath: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1993.

Skilling, Peter. “From bKa’ bstan bcos to bKa’ ’gyur and bsTan ’gyur.” In Transmission of the Tibetan Canon: Papers Presented at a Panel of the 7th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Graz 1995, edited by Helmut Eimer, 87–111. Vienna: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1997.

Ui, Hakuju. A catalogue-index of the Tibetan Buddhist canons (Bkaḥ-ḥgyur and Bstan-ḥgyur). Sendai: Tōhoku Imperial University, 1934.