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(1) At that time the Buddha was preaching the law in the grove of Amrapali. Then suddenly the earth was seen broad and magnificent and the whole assembly became tinted with golden colour.

(8) At that time there was in Vaisali a son of a wealthy merchant named Ratnakuta, [heap of treasure]. He came to worship the Blessed One together with five hundred sons of other wealthy merchants, each bringing a canopy adorned with seven precious jewels. They all worshipped the Blessed One touching his feet with their faces, each offering his own canopy to the lord. Then the supernatural power of the Blessed One, acting upon these jewelled canopies, transformed them into one mighty canopy, covering the whole three thousand great Chiliocosms, and on the canopy was seen manifested in all its details, every feature of the worlds.

(8) Then Ratnacchatra [the king] with his kinsfolk, honoured the Tathagata Bhaishajyaraja dedicating a dwelling to him during five kalpas; when those five kalpas had elapsed, he spoke to his thousand princes and said: ‘Ye should also honour the Buddha with profound mind even as I do.”

(59) At that time, when the Buddha showed the pureness of this land, five hundred sons of wealthy merchants led by Ratnakuta, attained to acquiescence in the uncreated Dharma, and eighty-four thousand men cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment.

(9) Then those thousand princes according to their father’s command honoured the Tathagata Bhaishajyaraja during five kalpas dedicating a dwelling to him and other things. There was one among those princes named Candracchatra who [one day] sat alone and thought to himself: ‘ Can any homage be superior to this [homage] ?’ Then through the supernatural power of that Buddha there appeared in the sky a deity who declared: ‘No homage is superior to homage to the law.’

(6) Then Gautama went to the king's place, and when he had come to him, the king offered him proper respect. In the morning the king went out on his way to the assembly . The king said to him: 'Sir, Gautama, ask a boon of such things as men possess.' He replied: 'Such things as men possess may remain with you. Tell me the speech which you addressed to the boy.'

(1) THUS it was heard by me. At one time the Blessed One dwelt at Vaisali, in the grove of Amrapali, together with eight thousand great Bhikshus and thirty-two thousand Bodhisattvas. These Bodhisattvas were well known to the world; they were endowed with profound wisdom and fundamental duties, and supported by the power of all the Buddhas ; they were the maintainers of the true law which they preached, like the roaring of a lion, for the protection of the law-fortress ; their names were heard in all the ten quarters; though not requested they made themselves advisers of all people, giving them peace; transmitting and elevating the Three Treasures they rendered them immortal; conquering the Evil Ones and repressing all the heresies; they were all pure and undefiled, ever free from all the hindrances, and their minds were abiding in unimpeded emancipation; they were never interrupted in their recollection, meditation, self-control, and eloquence; they were endowed with [the virtues of] Charity, Discipline, Patience, Energy, Meditation, Wisdom, and Capacity for devising Skilful Means; they attained to recognition in the law which is uncreated and unobtainable; they were obedient to [the doctrine of all the Buddhas] in rolling the Wheel which never turns back; comprehending the nature of things, they were acquainted with the capacity of all beings; they could never be excelled by any, as they attained to the state of fearlessness ;

(7) Buddha again spoke to the king of deities: “Once in the past immeasurable Asamkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha called Bhaishajyaraja, a Tathagata, an arhat, one who is perfect in knowledge, and a Sugata, knower of the world, an incomparable one, the tamer of men, teacher of gods and men, Buddha and Bhagavat. The world was called Mahavyuha. The length of life of that Buddha was twenty shorter kalpas. There were thirty-six million nayutas of disciples and twelve millions of Bodhisattvas. O Indra, king of deities, at that time there was a Cakravartin king named Ratnacchatra endowed with the seven treasures, who was the lord of four worlds. There were born of him a thousand princes who were all comely, courageous, and able to repress their enemies.

(55) At that time the Buddha touched the earth with his toes, and, lo, all the three thousand great Chiliocosms were seen adorned with many a hundred-thousand precious jewels, as the Treasure-adorned land of the Treasure-adorned Buddha possessing countless qualities; the entire assembly finding each seated upon a jewelled lotus-flower praised the Buddha saying that such had never before been seen.

(7) Then Buddha spoke to Sariputra and said; “There is a land called Abhirati; the Buddha there is called Akshobhya. This Vimalakirti comes from that land and is born here.”

(5) Then Vimalakirti, the wealthy householder, asked Manjusri : “ Thou hast been to countless asamkhyeya countries, even tens of thousands of millions ; in what country is the lion-throne endowed with the most excellent qualities ? ” Manjusri replied : “ O Sir, after passing through countries equal in number to the sands of the river Ganga, there is in the eastern quarter a world named Sumerudhvaja, and there a Buddha called Sumerupradiparaja now dwells. His body is eighty thousand Yojanas in height, and his lion-throne is also eighty thousand Yojanas in height, the most excellent in adornment.”

(21) Buddha spoke to Sariputra and said: “Hast thou seen the Abhirati world and the Buddha Akshobhya?” He replied: “O Blessed One, verily I have seen them; may all beings obtain the pure land even as the land of the Buddha Akshobhya, and obtain the supernatural power even as that of Vimalakirti. O Blessed One, we have received so great a privilege that we could see this man and make ourselves acquainted with him and honour him;

(1) At that time, there dwelt, in the great city of Vaisali, a wealthy householder named Vimalakirti. Having done homage to the countless Buddhas of the past, doing many good works, attaining to the acquiescence of the eternal law, he was a man of wonderful eloquence, exercising supernatural powers, obtaining all the Dharanis, arriving at the state of fearlessness, repressing all evil enmities, reaching the gate of profound truth, walking in the way of wisdom, acquainted with the necessary means, fulfilling the great vows, comprehending the past and future of the intentions of all beings, understanding also both their strength and weakness of mind, ever pure and excellent in the Way of the Buddha, remaining loyal to the Mahayana, deliberating before action, following the conduct of Buddha, great in mind as the ocean, praised by all the Buddhas, revered by all the disciples and all the gods such as a Sakra and Brahman king, the lord of this world,

(6) He said: * You should know me, my dear, as such, that whatsoever I myself know, I have told all to you. But, come! Let us go there and take up studentship.' e Go yourself, Sir.' So Gautama went forth to where [the place] of Pravahana Jaibali was. He brought him a seat, and had water brought; so he made him a respectful welcome. Then he said to him: £A boon we offer to the honorable Gautama! '

(2) Ananda asked the Buddha, “O Blessed One, for what reason is such an auspicious omen that this earth is seen broad and magnificent, and why has the -whole assembly become tinted with golden colour?” The Buddha spoke to Ananda and said: “It is for this reason that Vimalakirti and Manjusri, revered and surrounded by the whole assembly, intend to come here, by first producing this auspicious owen.”

(3) Janaka, [king] of Videha, sacrificed with a sacrifice at which many presents were distributed. Brahmans of the Kurupaiicalas were gathered together there, In this Janaka of Videha there arose a desire to know which of these Brahmans was the most learned in scripture. He enclosed a thousand cows. To the horns of each ten padas [of gold] were bound.

(15) Buddha again spoke to Indra, the king of deities, and said: “ Candracchatra the prince, having heard such doctrines as these from the Buddha Bhaishajyaraja, attained to acquiescence in meekness; then he having removed the jewelled raiment and ornaments from his body, offered them to Buddha and spoke to him saying: ‘ O Blessed One, after the complete passing of Tathagata I will pay homage to the law and protect the true law; I pray that thou through thy power, wouldst show me thy compassion and raise me that I may be able to repress the enmity of evil and realise the life of a Bodhisattva.’

(6) Buddha then said to Sudatta a son of a Wealthy merchant: “ Go thou to Vimalakirti to inquire after his health.” Sudatta replied to Buddha and said: “ I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health, and why ? I remember once at my father’s house, I performed a great charity festival for full seven days, offering food to all Sramanas, Brahmans and heretics as well as to the poor, the humble, the suffering, and beggars. When the period of seven days expired, Vimalakirti came into the assembly and said to me: ‘ O son of the wealthy merchant, the great charity festival should not be conducted in such a manner as thou hadst. Thou shouldst conduct a charity festival of spiritual gifts. What have we to do with the bestowal of material wealth ? ’ I inquired : ‘ Sir, What is the spiritual charity festival ? [He replied :] ‘ The spiritual charity festival is not in succession but all simultaneously. It is to look after the welfare of all beings at one and the same time. This is called the spiritual charity festival.’ ‘ What does it mean ? ’ ‘ For the sake of enlightenment thou shouldst cherish the thought of mercy. For the sake of salvation thou shouldst cherish the thought of great compassion. For the maintenance of the true law thou shouldst cherish the thought of joy. For the attainment of knowledge thou shouldst dwell in the thought of impartiality. Removing all covetousness, virtue of charity should be practised. To teach the trespassers of morality, rules of discipline should be observed. Possessing the doctrine of selflessness cherish the Kshanti Paramita. Being far above the forms of body and mind cherish the Virya Paramita. Obtaining the form of Bodhi cherish the Dhyana Paramita. Obtaining omniscience cherish the Prajna Paramita. Teaching beings [the thought of] emptiness should be cherished. Not abandoning the created things cherish [the thought of] formlessness. Manifesting human birth cherish [the thought of] non-action. For the maintenance of the true law, necessary means should be cherished. To save all beings cherish the four deeds of acceptance. To revere all beings cherish the means of removing arrogance. On the foundation of the body, life and wealth, the threefold law of permanency should be established. In the sixfold remembrance memory should be exercised. Cherish the sincere mind in the possession of the sixfold peace. Abide with the right living practising the true law. Be near to the intelligent and the holy with a pure and joyous mind. Cherish the thought of self-control without hating the wicked. Cherish the profound mind practising the way of mendicants. Cherish the thought of readiness to hear practising according to the doctrine. Establish the quiet hermitage there abiding in peace. Be seated in meditation following the wisdom of Buddha. Set up thy place of holy work liberating all beings from bondage. Accumulate merits being endowed with splendour and purifying the Buddha-land. Follow judgment knowing the thoughts of all beings and preaching the law according to each one’s need. Follow the discriminating intelligence knowing how all things being far beyond either giving or taking enter the domain of the one form. Bring forth all goodness exterminating all passion, every obstacle and all wickedness. Bring forth all causes which help the law of enlightenment possessing all intelligence and all goodness. O noble youth, thus is the ceremony of gifts of spiritual things. If a Bodhisattva performs the ceremony of gifts of spiritual things he is called a. great giver and he is also the cause of the merits of all the worlds.’ “ O Blessed One, when Vimalakirti had spoken thus, two hundred Brahmans all cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment. My mind then obtained purity, and praised him saying that I had never heard the like before, and bowed to him touching his feet, and took from my neck a necklace worth a hundred thousand [gold pieces J and presented it to him; but he would not accept it. Then I said : ‘ Sir, I pray only that thou wouldst accept my gift and do with it as thou pleasest. Vimalakirti then accepting the necklace, divided it into two parts, and offered one part to the meanest beggar in the assembly and the other to the Tathagata Durdharsha. All the assembly saw the Tathagata Durdharsha of the land of light, and also saw the necklace on that Buddha transformed into a jewelled terrace supported by four columns, and adorned on all sides and even transparent and visible. Then Vimalakirti manifesting this miraculous power said : ‘ When a giver with equanimity gives even to the meanest beggar, he is like the Tathagata himself, in his stock of merits there is no trace of discrimination, his great compassion is like [that of the Tathagata], and he expects no reward, then this is called the perfecting the spiritual gift.’ Then all in the city even to the meanest beggar seeing his miraculous power and hearing his speech awakened the thought of supreme enlightenment. Therefore I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health.” Thus all the Bodhisattvas each relating his story, praised the words of Vimalakirti, and declared themselves unworthy to go and inquire after his health.

(27) Then Ratnakuta, son of a wealthy merchant, having uttered these verses spoke to the lord and said: “ O Blessed One, these five hundred sons of wealthy merchants have cherished the thought of obtaining supreme enlightenment and wish to hear about the pureness of the land of the Buddha; I only pray this, that the Blessed One preach the way to the pure land, which the Bodhisattvas ought to walk.”

(24) “ Again, in the nadir, passing through the countries equal in number to the sands of the river Ganga, he may take a Buddha-land [among them], and deposit it anywhere, at any height, passing through the countries equal in number to the sands of the river Ganga, as if he was lifting a leaf of the date with a needle, no disturbance being caused thereby in the land.