Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The political theology embedded in the Sūtra of Golden Light comes to life in this 45-minute reading by Geshe Pema Tsering. The Four Great Kings declare that rulers who honor the sūtra receive divine protection — and warn that neglect brings earthquakes, meteor showers, foreign invasion, and famine to their kingdoms. Geshe Pema then reads the goddess Sarasvatī’s vow to preserve a Dharma teacher’s eloquence and memory, followed by a detailed herbal bathing ritual — plant lists, mantras, and altar setup — for removing planetary and astrological afflictions. The goddess Sri’s chapter promises material abundance and good harvests to communities that support the sūtra, with specific invocation instructions. A closing dedication prayer names His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 03 S of GL 2002 04 12.mp3
UUID: 077c652c-826a-41bd-945f-e8b7a557a420
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Sūtra of Golden Light (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-04-12
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.1 minutes
Words: ~5,644
Then indeed, those numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of Tathagatas on all sides in the ten directions, and as many hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha fields as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, established each in his Buddha field at that time, at that moment, with one speech, with one voice, with one resounding sound spoke thus to the monk who was preaching the law on the seed of the law. You will come, good fellow, in future time to the seed of enlightenment. You will exhibit, good fellow, atop the excellent seat of enlightenment, sitting at the foot of the King of Trees, attainments of the powers of vows and austerities, blessed blessings, numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of difficult acts, the most distinguished in the whole triple world, surpassing those of all beings. You will thoroughly adorn, Goodfellow, the path of enlightenment. You will deliver, Goodfellow, all the triple thousand world spheres.
Sitting at the foot of the king of trees, Goodfellow, you will defeat the inconceivable army of Mara, a very terrifying aspect of supremely frightening appearance of variously disfigured form. On top of the excellent seat of enlightenment, Goodfellow, you will attain perfect enlightenment that is unequaled, calm, pure, profound, supreme. Seated, good fellow, upon the diamond seat that is firm in its noble strength, you will turn the wheel of the supreme law, which has been praised by all the Buddhas supremely profound twelve fold. You will strike, good fellow, the supreme drum of the law. You will blow, good fellow, the supreme conch of the law.
You will raise, good fellow, the great banner of the law. You will light, good fellow, the supreme lamp of the law. You will rain down, good fellow, the supreme great rain of the law. You will defeat, good fellow, numerous hundreds of thousands of afflictions. You will rescue, good fellow, numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of beings from the very terrifying ocean of great fear.
You will deliver, good fellow, numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of beings from the wheel of this cycle of existence. You will propitiate, good fellow, numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas. When this had been said, the four great kings spoke thus to the Lord. Out of compassion, dear Lord, for the king of men, who, seeing these innumerable present and future virtues in this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, has planted merit roots under thousands of Buddhas and seeing his acquisition of an unlimited heap of merit, we, dear Lord, the four great kings, with our armies and retinues, together with numerous hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, while in our own dwellings, as soon as we have been impelled by the perfumes of creepers of various perfumes and odors, we will, with invisible bodies, approach for the hearing of the law, the palace of that king of men, which has its holes free of swept up dust, well cleaned, well sprinkled with water of various perfumes, adorned thoroughly with various adornments. Brahma, lord of the world sphere, Shakra, king of gods, Sarasvatī, the great goddess, Sri, the great goddess, Prithvi, the great earth goddess, Samjneya, the great general of the Yakshas, twenty eight great generals of the Yakshas, Mahesh wara, the divine son, vajrapani, lord of the Yakshas, Manibhadra, the great general of the Yakshas, Hārītī, with her retinue of five hundred sons, Anavatapta, the king of the Nagas, Shagara the king of the Nagas, and numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of gods with invisible bodies will approach for the hearing of the law.
The palace of the king of men which has been adorned thoroughly with various adornments where their will have been provided for the preacher of the law, a seat of the law thoroughly adorned with various adornments and set high upon the flowers strewn earth. We, dear Lord, the four great kings with our armies and retinues with numerous hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, will be in agreement with all those. As soon as we have been satisfied by this nectar juice of the law from the giver of the gift of the supreme great law to the king of men who has as companion a spiritual friend who causes the attainment of good. We will give protection to that king of men. We will give deliverance, assistance, defense, peace, and welfare, and we will give protection to his palace, city, and region.
We will give deliverance, assistance, defense, peace, and welfare, and we will deliver that region from all oppressions, misfortunes, and troubles If, dear lord, there should be any king of men into whose region this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of Sutras, should come. And if, dear lord, this king of men should not respect, reverence, honor those monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen who hold the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, should not satisfy, not duly reverence with this hearing of the law, this nectar juice of the law, as the four great kings and the numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of yakṣas, should not increase with great might these our divine bodies, should not produce in our prowess, energy, and power, should not increase in our bodies the brilliance, glory, and splendor we, dear lord, the four great kings with our armies and retinues, with numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of Yakshas, would neglect this region. We when we, dear lord, neglect the region, the groups of gods dwelling in all regions wouldn’t neglect this region. When the gods, dear lord, neglect the region, there will arise in that region various regional disturbances. There will be fierce disputes among kings.
The beings in all the regions will become quarrelsome. They will become argumentative and contentious. They will enter a dispute. Various illnesses due to planets will become manifest in their region. From the various directions, they will become manifest showers of meteors.
Planets and asterisms will become at variance with each other. Images of the sun will be seen at the rise of the moon. There will be eclipses of the moon and eclipses of the sun. In the midst of the sky, the sun and the moon will be continually afflicted by Rāhu. At all times, halos, the color of rainbows, will be visible in the sky.
There will be earthquakes. The wells in the earth disappearing will dry up. Rough winds will blow in the region. Fierce rains will arise. There will be oppressions by hunger in the region.
Foreign powers will destroy the region. The region will be uprooted, and those beings will have much trouble. That region will be in an unhappy state when, dear Lord, we, the four great kings with our armies and retinues, with numerous hundreds of thousands of yakṣas and the groups of gods dwelling in the regions neglect that region, there will arise in that region hundreds of these and similar variegated oppressions or thousands of oppressions. If, dear Lord, there should be any king of men who should be desirous of gaining great protection for himself, should be desirous of long experiencing various royal blessings, should be desirous of exercising his sovereignty with a mind given over to every blessing, should be desirous of making happy the beings in all regions, should be desirous of defeating all foreign armies, should be desirous of protecting its whole region for a long time, should be desirous of exercising his sovereignty according to the law, should be desirous of delivering his region from all fears, oppressions, misfortunes, and troubles, then that king of men, dear lord, must assuredly hear this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras. He must respect, venerate, reverence and honor those monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen who hold this who hold the chief Sutras.
We, the four great kings, with our armies and retinues, must be fully satisfied with this heaping up merits, from hearing of the law, with this nectar juice of the law. And these our divine bodies must be increased with great brilliance. Why is that? Because, dear Lord, that king of men must assuredly hear this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras. However, many, dear Lord, various mundane and supramundane treatises have been expounded by the Lord Brahma.
However, many various treatises have been by Shakra, king of the gods. However, many various mundane and super mundane treatises have been expounded for the sake of beings by various seers who possess the five kinds of supernatural knowledge. This excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, is superior and more outstanding. Dear lord, superior to and more outstanding than the hundreds of thousands of Brahma lords, numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of chakras, And all the hundreds of thousands of millions of seers possessing the five kinds of supernatural knowledge is the Tathāgata, who for the sake of beings expounds in detail of his excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras. So that king so that the kings of men in the whole of Jambudvipa will exercise their sovereignty, that all beings will be blessed, that one’s own region will be protected, guarded, that all regions will be unoppressed, free from enemies, that all foreign powers will be defeated and turned back, that those regions will become free from misfortunes, free from troubles, that the law in every region will be free from trouble, undefeated, For the great lamp of the law will be kindled and lit by those kings and men in their several regions.
That the dwellings of all the deities will be filled with gods and divine retinues. That we, the four great kings, with our armies and retinues, and the numerous hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, and the multitudes of gods in the whole of Jambudvipa will be satisfied and propitiated. That these are divine bodies who will increase in brilliance, that they will be produced in our bodies great prowess, strength, energy. That brilliance, glory and splendor will enter our body in greater measure, that the whole of Jambudvipa will become plentiful, happy and full of many people and men. That the beings in the whole of Jambudvipa will be blessed who experience various pleasures, that beings during numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of eons will experience inconceivable, most exalted blessings.
We’ll have meetings with the Lord Buddhas. And in future time, we’ll be fully enlightened in supreme and perfect enlightenment. All this now is due to the Lord, the Tathāgata, the arhat, the fully enlightened one. For with great blessing from the power of compassion, surpassing hundreds of thousands of millions of Brahma Lords, with the Tathāgata knowledge that is unmatched and surpasses the divine knowledge of hundreds of thousands of millions of and with the blessings from asceticism, surpassing various numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of groups of seers, all possessing the five kinds of higher knowledge. The lord, the the fully enlightened one has in detail expounded here in Jambudvipa, this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, for the sake of all beings.
Whatever mundane or super mundane royal duties, royal textbooks, and royal acts have gone forth in the whole of Jambudvipa, by which these beings will be blessed. All those have been reviewed, expounded, and set forth here in the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras, by the Lord, the Tathāgata, the arhats, the fully enlightened one. For this reason, dear Lord, for this cause, the king of men must assuredly hear respectfully, honor respectfully, and worship respectfully this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras. When this had been said, the Lord spoke thus to the four great kings. Therefore, the four great kings with their armies and retinues will assuredly show great zeal for the sake of protecting those kings of men who here reverence and honor this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras.
And oh great kings, they will sustain those monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen who hold the chief sutras and the acts of the Buddha. They will form Buddha acts here in this world of gods, men and the asuras. They will expound in detail this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras. Assuredly, you, the four great kings, must give protection, must give defense, deliverance, assistance, peace, and welfare to those monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen who hold the chief sutras so that the monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen who hold the chief sutras may be protected, unoppressed, without misfortunes and troubles, happy minded, in order to explain in detail to beings this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras. Then indeed the great king Vaishravana, the great king Dhritarashtra, the great king Virūḍhaka, and the great king Virupaksha rose from their seats, covered one shoulder with their robes, put on their upper garment, placed their right knee on the ground, placed their hands in the gesture of reverence, in the direction of the Lord, bowed down and at that time face to face, praise the Lord with these becoming verses.
Buddha, your body is pure as the moon. Buddha, you have the brilliance of the rays of a thousand suns. Buddha, your eyes have the pure brilliance of a lotus. Buddha, your excellent teeth are flawless as lotus fibers. Buddha, your virtues are like the ocean, a mine of numerous jewels.
Buddha, you are like the ocean full of the water of knowledge, complete with hundreds of thousands of meditations and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings and teachings. Buddha, your feet bear the mark of the wheel whose belly is all embracing and which has a thousand spokes. Your hands and feet are adorned with a net. The net on your feet is like that on the feet of a lord of geese. We worship you, Buddha, as the lord of mountains, pure as gold like the golden mountain.
Buddha, we worship you as the lord of mountains. You, Buddha, who have all the virtues like Meru. We worship you, purest Buddha, who are equal to the sky, resembling the moon, like the moon reflected in the water. The Tathāgata moon resembling illusion or a mirage. Then indeed the lord addressed the four great kings in verses.
This best king of sutras, the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa of the ten powered Buddhas must be protected with firmest vigor by you, world protectors. Since this this sūtra is profound and gives blessings to all beings, may it long go forth in this Jambudvipa for the sake of the welfare and blessings of the beings. By in a triple thousand, great thousand world sphere, all the woes of the evil states, the woes of beings and hells are removed. And here in Jambudvipa, may all the kings in Jambudvipa, with great joy in their hearts, protect their regions according to the law. By it, this Jambudvipa may become peaceful, plentiful, and enjoyable, and all beings in the whole of Jambudvipa will be blessed.
This king of sutras must be listened to by that king of men who has affection for his domain, affection for the welfare of himself, and affection for his royalty and dominion. This king of sutras causes the destruction of foreign enemies, routs foreign armies, removes the greatest fears and misfortunes, causes the greatest good, like the jewel tree that gleams, produces all virtues, and stands in the good ground. So this king of sutras must be viewed by those who desire the virtues of the kings, just as one who is oppressed by heat finds in cold, icy water relief from thirst. So may this king of sutras provide the lords of men with virtues and blessings. Like a jewel box in the palm of hand, which is a mine of every jewel, so is the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, to multitudes of kings.
This king of sutras has been honored by multitudes of gods, paid homage to by the king of the gods and protected by the four world protectors who possess great magic powers. For this king of sutras has been continually watched over by the Buddhas in the ten directions. The fully enlightened ones congratulate one who expounds this sūtra. Hundreds of thousands of Yakshas protect the region in the ten directions where they hear this king of sutras with joyful mind, happy. There are inconceivable multitudes of gods in Jambudvipa.
May all these multitudes of gods hear this sūtra joyfully. Through hearing this law, they obtained mighty brilliance and prowess and they were caused to increase with great might their divine bodies. Then indeed, when the four great kings had heard these and similar verses in the presence of the lord, they became amazed, astonished, delighted. Impelled in just a moment by the force of the law, they shed tears. With their bodies erect, with all their limbs quivering, endowed with inconceivable joy, happiness and gladness, they bestowed on the lord the vimana flowers.
Having bestowed and scattered them, they rose up from their seats, covered one shoulder with their robes, placed their right knees on the ground, made the gesture of reverence in the direction of the lord and spoke thus to the lord. We, the four great kings. Each king with his retinue of five hundred yakṣas will be continually attached to the monk who preaches the law for the sake of honoring and protecting that preacher of the law. So ends the sixth chapter, the chapter on the four great kings in the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras. Chapter seven.
Chapter seven, chapter on Sarasvatī. Then indeed Sarasvatī, the great goddess, covered one shoulder with her robe, placed her right knee on the ground, made the gesture of reverence in the direction of the lord, and spoke thus to the Lord. Our dear Lord, the great goddess Sarasvatī, will contribute eloquence for the sake of adorning the speech of the monk who preaches the law, and I will bestow on him the Dharani. I will arrange the substance of his speech so that he is well spoken. I will give great illumination of knowledge to the monk who preaches the law.
Whatever words or letters from this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, may have been lost or forgotten, I will supply this monk who preaches the law with all these well spoken words and letters. And I will bestow on him, a Dharani, for the sake of preventing the loss of his memory, so that this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, may long go forth in the Jambudvipa for the welfare of those beings who have planted merit roots under the thousands of Buddhas, so that it may not soon disappear. So that numerous beings having heard this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa king of sutras may have inconceivable acute wisdom, so that they may obtain an inconceivable heap of knowledge, so that they may obtain good fortune and prosperity in this life, so that they may gain helpful living in an unlimited heap of merit, so that they may become skilled in various expedients, so that they may become learned in all the textbooks, so that they may obtain success in the performance of various arts. I will explain the act of bathing attended by spells and medicaments for the sake of the monk who preaches the law and for the sake of those beings who listen to the law.
All the oppressions caused by planets, asterisms, birth or death, the oppressions caused by strife quarrels, foul tumors and disorders, evil dreams or the god Vinayaka, all kataputanas and vitalas may be completely removed. Medicaments and spells with which the learned bathe. One, Vaksha, Gaurasarshapa, Sarshapa, Sirisha, Samyaka, Sami, Indrahasta, Mahabhaga, Jatamansa, Sarsapa, Nalada, Kushtha, Suvarmala, Kushira, Nagasara. One should pound these when Pushya is the asterism into equal portions and one should consecrate the powder a hundred times with the following spell. So Sukrita kri Kamala Janakarati, Hamakarati, Indrajali, Sakhadripasadri, Nark, Utraku, Kobila, Kabilamati, Silamati, Sandy, Duhumanamapati, Siri Siri, Satashita Hail.
Having made a magic circle with cow dung, one should strew loose flowers, and one should place honey in a gold vessel and in a silver vessel. One should put there four men clad in armor and place four beautifully adorned maidens bearing pots. One must continually scatter incense of Indian bdellium, play the five kinds of musical instruments, and thoroughly adorn the goddess with umbrellas, flags, and banners. At intervals, one must place mirrors, arrows and spears. Then one must make one’s boundary line.
Next one must begin what has to be done. One must begin to make one’s boundary line in the course of uttering the spell. So Arake nehile mile gile kihile hail. After one has bathed behind image of the Lord, one should assure peace for the bathing by uttering the following spell. So sagaate, bigate, bigetabhati, hail.
May the asterisms in the four directions protect one’s life. May the oppressions caused by asterisms or birth be removed, the onsets of spheres caused by heaps of acts, cruel fears produced by the confusion of the Sami, mi, sami, hail. Sukhate, bigate, hail. Sukhate, nate, hail. Sagarasambhava, upbattaya, hail.
Skandamatraya, hail. Nila khandati, hail. May my magic words succeed. At that act of bathing for the sake of the monk who preaches the law, for the sake of those who listen to the law, and of those who write it down, I myself will go there. Together with a whole multitude of gods, I will cause the removal of every disease in that village, city, district, or dwelling.
I will remove all oppressions caused by planets, quarrels, strife, asterisms, and birth. Oppressions caused by evil dreams or the god Vinayaka, chakodas and vitalas so that evil so that there may be helpful living for those monks, nuns, laymen or laymen, laywomen who hold the chief sutras that they may obtain escape from the cycle of existence and may become non returners in supreme and perfect enlightenment that they may quickly awaken before supreme and perfect enlightenment. Then indeed the Lord offered congratulations to the goddess Sarasvatī. Bravo, bravo, great goddess Sarasvatī. You have come for the welfare of many men, for the blessings of many men, since you have spoken such words concerning spells and medicaments, and the goddess Sarasvatī did worship at the lord’s feet and sat down on one side.
And indeed, the teacher and expounder, Kauṇḍinya the Brahmin, called the goddess Sarasvatī. Sarasvatī, the great goddess, is worthy of worship, possesses great asceticism, famous in all worlds, a giver of boons of great virtues. Dwelling on a peak beautiful, clad in a grass garment, wearing grass clothing, she stands on one foot. All the gods assembled and spoke these words to her. Let loose your tongue.
Speak to beings of fine speech. So be it. Mure, Chire, Abhaji, Abhajabhati, Hingule, Pinjalabhati, Manguse, Marishi, Samathi, Dasamathi, Agri Magri, Tārā, Sitara, Kabhati, Chikiri, Siri, Miri, Mariki, Pranaya, Loka Yashti, Loka Sresti, Loka Priya, Siti Prita, Pimanukuti, Sukhikari, Aprati Hathi, Aprati Hathi, Hathi, Namooki, Namooki, Mahadebi, Aprati, Gurana, lamaskrama. May my insight be unobstructed. May my knowledge prosper in such as textbooks versus magic doctrinal books, poems, so be it.
Mahaprabhabha, Hili Hili Mili Mili. May it go forth for me by the power of the blessed goddess Sarasvati. Karate kayire kayirabhati hiri meli hiri hiri. I invoke the great goddess by the truth of the Buddha, by the truth of the law, by the truth of the assembly, by the truth of Indra, by the truth of Varuna. Whatever truth speakers there are in the world, by the truth speaking of those truth speakers, I invoke the great goddess.
So heli heli heli heli mi ri heli mi ri, may it go forth for me homage to the blessed great goddess Sarasvatī. May the words of my spell succeed. Hail. Then the teacher and expounder, Kundinia the Brahmin, praised Sarasvatī, the great goddess, in these verses: May all the hordes of Buddhas hear me. I will praise the goddess whose face is supremely, extremely beautiful, who among women in the worlds of gods, Gandavas and the lords of Asuras is the supreme chief excellent goddess.
Saraswati by name has members that have piles of adornments of various virtues. Her eyes are broad. She is brilliant in merit. She is full of the virtues of pure knowledge. She is beautiful like a variety of jewels.
I will praise her by reason of her distinguished virtues of excellent speech, because she causes excellent supreme success, because of her famous teaching, because she is a mine virtues, because she is pure and supreme, because she is brilliant as a lotus, because her eyes are fair and excellent, because her residence is beautiful, because her appearance is beautiful, because she is thoroughly adorned with inconceivable virtues, because she resembles the moon, because her splendor is pure, because she is a mine of knowledge, because of the superiority of her mindfulness, because she is the best of lionesses, because she is a vehicle for men, because she is adorned with eight arms, because her appearance is like that of the full moon, because of her heartening speech, because of her soft voice, because she is endowed with profound wisdom, think, worshipped in the abode of the multitude of Buddhas, hail. I bow down to this goddess. May she give me a special store of virtues. May she grant me success in every act. May she continually protect me in the midst of enemies.
If one rises up in the morning and pure utters these complete syllables and full words, one obtains all desires, wealth, and grain, and one gains splendid, noble success. So ends the seventh chapter, the chapter on Sarasvatī in the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras. CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER ON SHRI. Then indeed the great goddess Sri spoke thus to the Lord, I, dear Lord, the great goddess Sri will give zeal to that monk who preaches the law. As well as such equipment as garments, begging bowl, bed, seat, and medicines to deal with illness and other excellent equipment so that the preacher of the law may be provided with every equipment and he may have no lack.
He may be sound in mind. He may pass night and day with a happy mind. He may take up from the excellence of Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras, various words and letters. He may examine them so that for the welfare of those beings who have planted merit root under thousands of Buddhas this excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras, may long go forth in Jambudvipa may not quickly disappear and beings may hear the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras and may during numerous, hundreds of thousands of millions of eons experience inconceivable divine and human pleasures that famine may disappear and plenty may be manifest That beings may be blessed with the supply of human blessings, may meet the Tathagatas and in future time may awaken to supreme and perfect enlightenment that all the woes of hell, animals and the world of Yama may be fully cut off. There was a Tathagatas, arhats, fully enlightened one named Ratnakusumagunasagaravaiduryakanakagiri Suvarnakanakraprabhasari where the great goddess Sri planted a merit root.
When she now watches over any direction, surveys any direction, approaches any direction, in that direction numerous hundreds of thousands of millions of beings will be blessed with the supply of every blessing, will have no deficiency. Those beings will be replete with every equipment with food, drink, wealth, grain, gold, jewels, pearls, beryl, conchs, crystal, coral, gold, silver and other items. By the power of the great goddess Sri, homage must be done to the Tathagatas. Perfumes, flowers and incense must be offered. One must thrice utter the name of the great goddess Sri.
One must offer her perfumes, flowers and incense. One must walk around scattering juices. For him there will grow a great heap of corn. There this is to be said. The earth saver grows in the earth.
The deities rejoice continually. The deities of the fruits, crops, shrubs, bushes and trees make the crops grow in brilliant condition. The name of the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras must be uttered. Those beings the great goddess Sri will watch over. For them she will create great good fortune.
The great goddess Sri was dwelling in a palace at Adhakavati in the excellent park Punya Kusumaprabha in the abode named Suvarṇaprabhāsa of the seven jewels. Whatever man should be desirous of increasing his heap of corn, he should thoroughly purify his house, bathe well, clothe himself in pure white garment and wear well perfumed clothing. Doing homage he should thrice utter the name of the Lord. Ratnakusumagunasagaravaiduryakanakagiri Suvarnakanakraprabhasari the Tathagatas, arhat, fully enlightened one. With the help of the great goddess Sri worship is to be done to that Tathāgata.
Flowers, incense and perfume must be offered. One must walk around scattering various juices. One must thrice utter the name of the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras. The word of truth must be spoken. Homage must be done to the great goddess Sri.
Flowers and incense must be offered. One must walk around scattering various juices. By the power of the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, king of sutras, at that time the great goddess Sri will watch over that house and she will make increase the great heap of his corn. One who desires to invoke the great goddess Sri must recollect the following magic spells: Homage to all the Buddhas, past, present and future. Homage to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Homage to the Bodhisattva beginning with Maitreya. When homage has been done to those I employ the following magic spell. May this magic spell succeed for me. So be it. These are the magic words for lawful consecration of the head.
The words of complete success, the words whose meaning cannot deceive. As for one who in the midst of beings pursues his career with blameless merit roots, uttering and maintaining the magic spells for seven years observing the Sabbaths by keeping the eight moral precepts having done worship morning evening to all the Lord Buddhas with flowers perfume and incense in order to fulfill the omniscience of himself and of all beings. May all his wishes succeed, may quickly succeed. Having made his house pure or his monastery or forest retreat or having made a circle of cow dung he must offer perfumes, flowers and incense. He must provide a pure seat.
He must go to a place best drawn with flowers. Then at the moment the great goddess Sri will enter and stay there. Thereafter in that house, village, city, settlement, monastery or forest retreat no one at all will cause deficiency. They will be replete with all the equipment, gold, jewel, wealth or grain, blessed with supply of every blessing. Whatever merit routes are performed, the great goddess Sri must be given the chief share of them all.
As long as he lives she will remain there. She will not hesitate and all the desires will be fulfilled. So ends the eighth chapter, the chapter on Sri, the great goddess in the excellent Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras. Chapter on the maintenance of the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Homage to the Lord Ratna Shikhin the Tathāgata. Homage to Tathāgata Vimalojvalara Ratnasamprabhasekah. Homage to the Tathāgata Suvarnacandrabhasa. Homage to the Tathagatas Tathagatas Suvarnaprabha Suvarnaratnakara Chakrakuta. Homage to the Tathagatas.
Suvarnacandraprabha Ratnaketu. Homage to the Tathagatas Mahapradipa. Homage to the Tathagatas Ratnaketu. The bodhisattva name Suvarnagarba. The bodhisattva named Sadāprarudita.
The bodhisattva named Dharmodgata. In the east the Tathāgata named Akṣobhya. In the south the Tathāgata named Ratnaketu. In the west the Tathāgata named Amitābha. In the north the Tathāgata named Dundubhishvara.
Whoever holds recites explain these Tathagatas names and Bodhisattva names. In the excellence of Suvarṇaprabhāsa, King of Sutras he will always be mindful of his births. So ends the ninth chapter, the chapter on the maintenance of the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. So then we can just dedicate all the merits from tonight’s first part of the reading of this sūtra. We dedicate all the merits accumulated by ourselves here today, all seated together with all the Bodhisattvas, for all of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings for three times, all accumulated together dedicating as if in a dream, dedicating by remembering the dependently arisen nature of these actions.
And dedicating first for the long lives of our most precious and holy immaculate teachers, especially in his holiness, the Dalai Lama, incomparable protector of all Buddha’s teachings. In the land of snows. You are the source of all happiness and good, all powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso. Please remain until saṃsāra ends. And dedicating as well, you know, for the long lives and the health and success of all all of his holy wishes and the long life success and fulfillment of all holy wishes of all our other holy precious teachers, especially our most glorious protector, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Lama Yeshe, and other holy beings who guide us on the paths.
May we never be separated from all our holy teachers in this life and at the time of our death, in the bardo, and in all future lives. And may we never be separated from the teachings, especially bodhicitta. And in this way, you know, maybe actualize the path of bodhicitta and being able to be of benefit to the various beings of all the six realms, just as the previous Tathagatas and Bodhisattvas, and may we fulfill all their prayers and deeds. May supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not yet arisen may arise and grow and may that which has risen and never diminish but increase more and more. And may I quickly become an awakened spiritual teacher and lead each and every sentient being to that enlightened state through this skillful action.