Chapter 1 - Aśvarāja-varṇana

Aśvarājavarṇanaṃ Prathamaṃ Prakaraṇam
(Chapter one named Aśvarājavarṇanam )

Then Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhī addressed these words to the Bhagavat: ‘Bhagavat, I request that you teach what Samādhis Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ava-lokiteśvara has previously remained in.’

The Bhagavat said, ‘Noble son, they are like this: The samādhi named Creation, the samādhi named Illumination, the samādhi named Sublime Vajra, the samādhi named Sunlight, the samādhi named Dispersal(vastness), the samādhi named Armlet, the samādhi named Supreme Vajra Victory Banner, the samādhi named Ornament, the samādhi named King of Arrays, the samādhi named Seeing the Ten Directions, the samādhi named The Supreme Illumination the samādhi named of the Wish-fulfilling Jewel, the named Dharma Holder, the samādhi named Descending into the Ocean, the samādhi named Truly Bowing Down, the samādhi named Coiled at the Crown, the samādhi named Supreme Illumination by the moon, the samādhi named Many attendants, the samādhi named Divine Bright Earrings, the samādhi named Lamp of the Eon, the samādhi named Manifesting Miracles, the samādhi named Supreme Lotus, the samādhi named Extinguishing Avīci, the samādhi named Blazing, the samādhi named Divine circle, the samādhi named Drop of Amṛta, the samādhi named Circle of Light, the samādhi named Immersion in the Ocean, the samādhi named Door of the Celestial Palace,the samādhi named Cuckoo’s song, the samādhi named Scent of the Blue Lotus, the samādhi named Mounted, the samādhi named Vajra Armor, the samādhi named Elephant’s Delight, the samādhi named Lion’s Play, the samādhi named Unsurpassable, the samādhi named Subduing, the samādhi named Moon of High, the samādhi named Shining, the samādhi named Hundred Light Rays, the samādhi named Sprinkling, the samādhi named Brightening, the samādhi named Beautiful Appearance, the samādhi named summoning the Asuras, the samādhi named Meditation, the samādhi named Sum-moning Nirvāṇa, the samādhi named Great Lamp, the samādhi named king of Lamps, the samādhi named Liberation of sensation, the samādhi named creating Indestructibility, the samādhi named Facing the Deities, the samādhi named creating Union, the samādhi named Teaching Ultimate Truth, the samādhi named Lightning, the samādhi named Array of Names, the samādhi named Gaping Lion, the samādhi named Face of Arcturus, the samādhi named Approaching, the samādhi named Flash of Intelligence, the samādhi named Increasing Power of Mindfulness, the samādhi named Aspiration, the samādhi named Carriage of Victory, and the samādhi named Teaching the Path. ‘Noble son, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has those samādhis. In each of his pores there are a hundred thousand samādhis.’ Noble son, in that way, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has an incalculable accumulation of merit. Even the Tathāgatas do not have that kind of accumulation of merit, let alone a Bodhisattva.

‘Noble son, in the past, when I was a Bodhisattva named Siṃhalarāja, I was going to the island of Siṃhala with five hundred merchants. We were going to Siṃhala Island bringing much merchandise in chariots, in bags, baskets, and pots, carried by camels, oxen, donkeys, and so on, so as to go to villages, towns, suburbs, cities, and markets.’

‘I found an excellent ship that had been to Siṃhala Island many times. I asked the pilot, ‘Toward what lands are the winds blowing? Are the winds blowing toward Ratnadvīpa, or are the winds blowing toward Yavanadvīpa, or are the winds blowing toward the island of the Rākṣasīs?’ Then the pilot answered, ‘know this, lord: the breeze is blowing toward Siṃhala Island.’

Then we set sail in the great ship in the direction of Siṃhala Island, but the Rākṣasīs who lived on Siṃhala Island sent untimely winds that broke the great ship into pieces, and made those merchants fall into the water. By floating and swimming, the merchants finally reached the shore.

Then five hundred Rākṣasīs took on the form of maidens, and with a great cry came down to the shore. They gave us cotton robes. We put them on, wrung our clothes dry, and went to sit under a large magnolia tree. Seated, we talked among ourselves, asking each other what we should do, but we agreed that there was nothing we could do, and we became silent.

Then the Rākṣasīs came to us and said, ‘You who are not masters of a house, become masters. You who have no refuge, obtain a refuge. You who have no home, obtain a home. These will be your homes supplied with food. These will be your homes supplied with drink.

These will be your gardens for you to enjoy. These will be your bathing pools for you to enjoy.’ After the Rākṣasīs said that, each one took a merchant home to be the master of her house. The senior Rākṣasī took me home to be the master of her house. She satisfied me with food that had perfect, divine flavours. Having satisfied me with food, she frolicked with me, and in this way I was perfectly satisfied with human pleasures. Two or three weeks passed in that manner. Then one night as I was lying in bed, I was astonished to see that the lamp was laughing. I had never seen or heard before of a burning, laughing lamp. I asked it, ‘Why are you laughing? ‘It answered, ‘This is one of the Rākṣasīs who live on Siṃhala Island. She is going to kill you.’ Then I asked it, ‘How do you know she is a Rākṣasī?’ It answered, ‘If you don’t believe me, take the road south and follow it. You will come to a high fortress without windows or doorways. There are innumerable merchants, many of whom have been eaten, with only the bones left and thrown in there. Some are alive. Some are dead. If you don’t believe me, follow that road. Follow that road and observe. Then you will believe me.’

Then I made the Rākṣasī enter the sleep named Ignorance’s Net, and I went out at night, armed with a sword that glowed like moonlight. I took the road that led south, and followed it until I eventually came to an iron fortress. I walked around it, but couldn’t find a door. However, there was a magnolia tree beside the iron fortress, and so I climbed up it. I made the sound of spitting, and the merchants inside who heard me said, ‘Great head merchant, know this! We have been thrown into this iron fortress. Each day a hundred men are taken and eaten. When they’ve been eaten, their bones are scattered around the iron fortress.’ That is how they described what had happened to them. I climbed down the magnolia tree and went quickly back up the southern road.

When I returned to the house, the lamp asked me, ‘Head merchant, did you see? You should tell me honestly now’. I answered, ‘I saw,’ and then asked it, ‘What can I do?’ The lamp said, ‘Lord, I have a way by which you can comfortably and happily leave Siṃhala Island and see Jambudvīpa once more.’ Then it said to me, ‘There is a divine king of horses named Bālāha who has compassion for the desolate and destitute. Bālāha, the king of horses, eats the herb named sarvaśetāna, rolls back and forth on the golden sand, shakes his body, and then asks, ‘Who is going to cross over to the far shore?’ You should then say, ‘Lord, I am going to cross over to the far shore.’ After the lamp told me this, I went to lie down next to the Rākṣasī. She awoke and asked me, ‘Noble son, why is your body cold?’

I answered, ‘I went outside the town to defecate and urinate. That’s why my body has become cold.’ And so she went back to sleep. At sunrise I got up and said to all the merchants, ‘Come with me. We are going outside the town.’ Then we all left the town. When we were outside the town, got together at a place to rest, I asked them, ‘How affectionate are your wives toward you?’ Some said, ‘She is very loving toward me.’ Some said, ‘She takes care of me with food that has perfect, divine flavors.’ Some said, ‘She provides me with all kinds of clothes.’ Some said, ‘She gives me diadems, earrings, and necklaces.’ Some said, ‘I don’t have to do any physical work.’ Some said, ‘She cares for me with sandalwood, musk, and camphor.’ After the merchants told me these things, I said to them, ‘It’s not right for us to be attached to Rākṣasīs in this way.’ When they heard me say this, they were disturbed and asked, ‘Great head merchant, is it true that they are the Rākṣasīs who live on Siṃhala Island?’ I answered, ‘It’s true, and it’s true. By the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, they are not humans. They are Rākṣasīs.’ The merchants then asked me, ‘What can we do? Do you have a plan for us?’ I said to them, ‘On Siṃhala Island there is Bālāha, the king of horses, who has compassion for the desolate and destitute. He eats the herb called sarvaśetāna, rolls back and forth on the golden sand, shakes his body, and then asks three times, ‘Who is going to cross over to the far shore? Who is going to cross over to the far shore? ‘Who is going to cross over to the far shore?’ We should go to him. The merchants then asked, ‘On what day should we go?’ I answered, ‘We should definitely leave in three days’ time. Each person should prepare provisions for the journey.’

They promised they would and returned to town, each to their own home. The rākṣasī asked me, ‘Are you tired? Are you weary? Have you seen the delightful gardens and the delightful bathing pools?’ I answered, ‘I haven’t seen any.’

The rākṣasī then said, ‘Noble son, in this Siṃhala Island there are pleasing gardens of all kinds that are completely filled with flowers, and there are many hundreds of bathing pools.’ I said, ‘I will go to those gardens and the various flower-filled pools in three days’ time. I will gather beautiful flowers there and then return. Therefore you should prepare good traveling provisions for me.’ She said, ‘Noble son, I will do so.’ I contemplated my predicament, thinking, ‘These Rākṣasīs will kill us if they find out.’ I remained silent, contemplating this predicament. The Rākṣasī served me good food, and as I ate it, I sighed. The Rākṣasī asked me, ‘Noble son, why did you sigh?’ I said to her, ‘The people of Jambudvīpa and my homeland are so pleasant.’ The rākṣasī said, ‘Noble son, what would you do in your homeland?

In this Siṃhala Island you have a home with food, a home with drink, a home with clothes, a variety of delightful gardens, and a variety of delightful bathing pools. Enjoy these divine pleasures. Why be sorrowful in Jambudvīpa?’ I said nothing in reply. That day passed, and on the second day, my provisions of good food were quickly prepared. Everyone had made his preparations, and at dawn on the third day we all left the city, coming out through its gate. When we were outside, we agreed that not one of us would turn to look back at Siṃhala Island. After we had made that agreement, we hurried as quickly as we could, and eventually reached the location of Bālāha, the king of horses. Bālāha, the king of horses, was enjoying the sarvaśetāna herb. When he had finished enjoying it, he rolled back and forth on the golden sand and shook his body. When he shook his body, the island of Siṃhala shook.He asked three times, ‘Who is going to cross over to the far shore? Who is going to cross over to the far shore? Who is going to cross over to the far shore?’ Then the merchants said, ‘We are going to cross over to the far shore.’

Bālāha, the king of horses, said to us, ‘None of you must look back at Siṃhala Island. None of you must turn your eyes toward Siṃhala Island.’ We agreed to do as he said. Then first I alone mounted him, and then the five hundred merchants mounted him. When we were all mounted, the Rākṣasīs who lived on Siṃhala Island came running after us, making a great clamor, weeping and wailing pitifully. Hearing the noise, the merchants turned round and looked back at them, and when they did so they fell headlong into the water. When they had fallen into the water, the Rākṣasīs pulled them out and ate them. I arrived in Jambudvīpa alone. When we reached the shore, I circumambulated Bālāha, the king of horses, three times, bowed to him, and departed. I journeyed toward my home and eventually arrived there. My father and mother embraced me and wept, and their tears dissolved their cataracts so they regained their sight. Then I sat with my parents and told them everything that had happened. My parents said, ‘Son, we have got you back alive. We do not need wealth. We only need a walking stick for when we are old; someone to guide us on the path when we are blind; someone to make food offerings to us when we have died; and someone to be our protector when we are dead. Son, you have brought us delight like a cooling breeze.’ That is what my parents said to me. Sarvanīvaraṇ-aviṣkambhin, those are the sufferings I experienced when I was a head merchant.

Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, it was like this: Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara was Bālāha, the king of horses, and he rescued me from the fear of death.

‘Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, it is like this: I cannot calculate Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara’s accumulation of merit, but I can say just a little about his pores.

End of the Chapter One named Aśvarājavarṇanam.