爾時師子勇猛雷音菩薩白文殊師利言：「仁者發菩提心來為幾時耶？」
At that time, Thunderous Voice Lion Courage Bodhisattva asked Mañjuśrī, “How long ago did the Venerable generate bodhicitta?”
文殊師利言：「止。善男子！莫生妄念。若有於無生法中說如是言：『我發菩提心。我行菩提行。』為大邪見。善男子！我都不見有心發向菩提。以不見心及菩提故，是故無發。」
Mañjuśrī said, “Stop! Good son! One must not give rise to such deluded thoughts. If, regarding the non-arising of dharma, someone says something like, ‘I generate bodhicitta.’ or ‘I practice practices,’ this is a greatly erroneous view. Good son! The ‘I’ part does not see there being any mind (citta) generating awakening (bodhi). Because there is no seeing mind or awakening, for that reason there is no generating.”
師子勇猛言：「文殊師利！都不見心，是何句義？」
Lion Courage said, “Mañjuśrī! The part that does not see mind, what is the meaning of this?’
文殊師利言：「善男子！是都不見，說名平等。」
Mañjuśrī said, “Good son! It is the part that does not see explained as being named equanimity.”
又問：「云何說為平等？」
[Lion Courage] further asked, “What is explained as equanimity?”
答言：「善男子！如是平等以種種性皆無所有，彼彼諸法故說。一味說者，所謂離故，無染無淨、不斷不常、不生不滅、無我無受、不取不捨。如是說法，不念我說亦無分別。善男子！於此平等法中了知修行，是名平等。復次善男子！若菩薩入此平等，都不見有種種界若一若多，於平等中不見平等，於相違中不見相違，以彼本來性清淨故。」
[Mañjuśrī] replied saying, “Good son! Equanimity such as this is so called because all the kinds of natures are entirely without existence, and all the various phenomena (dharmas) are described as being of a single flavor. That which is described as being of a single flavor is without defilement or purity, is neither fleeting nor permanent, is neither arising nor ceasing, is without self and without possession, is neither grasping nor letting go. Dharma explained like this does not think I explain and is without differentiation. Good son! To cultivate practice within an understanding of this equanimous dharma is what is called equanimity. Furthermore, good son! If bodhisattvas enter this equanimity, there is no seeing there being all differing kinds of realms, whether one or many, no seeing equanimity within equanimity, no seeing opposition within opposites by the purity of their original nature.”
爾時師子勇猛雷音菩薩白佛言：「世尊！此文殊師利不肯自說發心久近。此諸大眾皆樂欲聞。」
At that time, Thunderous Voice Lion Courage Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World Honored One! This Mañjuśrī will not say how long ago he generated [bodhi]citta. This great assembly would like to hear.”
佛言：「善男子！文殊師利是甚深忍者，於甚深忍中菩提及心皆不可得，以不可得是故不說。然善男子！我今當說文殊師利發心久近。
The Buddha said, “ Good son! Mañjuśrī is one who is profoundly patient. Within such profound patience, awakening nor mind can not be found (or attained). There being nothing to find, for this reason he does not say. And so, good son! I will now explain how long ago Mañjuśrī generated [bodhi]citta.
善男子！過去久遠過七十萬阿僧祇恒河沙劫，有佛名雷音如來、應、正等覺出現于世。在於東方去此過七十二那由他佛剎，有世界名無生，彼雷音如來於中說法。諸聲聞眾有八十四億那由他，諸菩薩眾二倍過前。
Good son! In the past, as many kalpas ago as seven hundred thousand asaṃkhyeyas times that of the sands of the Ganges River, there was a buddha named Thunderous Voice, Thus Come One, Worthy One, Rightly Awakened One manifest in the world. To the East, past Seventy two nayutas of Buddha Fields there was a world named ‘Unarisen’ (Anutpāda), wherein that Thunderous Voice Thus Come One was explaining the Dharma. There were eighty four billion nayutas of Voice Hearers, and twice as many bodhisattvas.
善男子！彼時有王名曰普覆，七寶具足王四天下，正法理化為法輪王。而於八萬四千歲中，以衣服飲食宮殿臺觀僮僕給侍一一殊妙，恭敬供養雷音如來及諸菩薩、聲聞大眾。其王親族中宮婇女王子大臣，唯務供養餘無所作，雖經多歲初無疲倦。過是已後，其王獨在靜處思惟：『我今已集廣大善根，而猶未定所迴向處，為求帝釋、大梵天王、轉輪王耶？為求聲聞、辟支佛耶？』作是念已，空中諸天告言：『大王！勿起如是狹劣之心。何以故？王之所集福德甚多，當發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。』善男子！時普覆王聞是語已，歡喜念言：『我今於此決定不退。何以故？天知我心而來告我。』善男子！爾時彼王與諸大眾八十億那由他百千眾生，往詣雷音佛所，頂禮雙足，右遶七匝，曲躬恭敬合掌向佛，而說頌曰：
Good son! At that time there was a king named ‘Ubiquity’ (Ākāśa, ‘Space’), replete with the seven treasures, king of the four continents, ruling by the reason of Correct Dharma as a Dharma Wheel King. For eighty-four thousand years he venerated and made offerings of clothing, sustenance, food and drink, palaces, towers, attendants, and assistants, everything most excellent and wonderful to Thunderous Voice Thus Come One and all the bodhisattvas and great gathering of Voice Hearers. Among his royal family, the empress, princesses, princes, and ministers, all they did was make offerings, going on for years without tiring. After all this, that King alone in a quiet place thought, ‘I have now accumulated many great good roots, but I have not yet decided where to transfer them, towards being a Śakra (devānām Indra), a Brahma heavenly king, a wheel-turning sage king? Towards being a Voice Hearer, a solitary buddha?’ After having this thought, all the devas in the sky said, ‘Great king! Do not bring about such inferior, narrowmindedness. For what reason? The king, having accumulated such a great amount of merit should generate anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi-citta.’
Good son! After King Ubiquity heard these words he was joyful and thought, ‘I will not regress from this certainty. Why? Devas (or Heaven) know my mind, that is why they came to speak to me,’
Good son! At that time, that king, along with a great assembly of eighty billion nayutas of sentient beings went and bowed their heads to the feet of Thunderous Voice Buddha, circumambulated seven times to the right, bowed respectfully, and joined their palms toward the Buddha and said:
我今問最勝， 願當為我說。 云何得成就， 最上人中尊？
I now ask the Supremely Honored One, Hoping he will explain for me, How one can attain perfection, As a supremely honored one among humans?
世間所依止， 我已廣供養， 以不決定心， 未知迴向處。
To the Refuge of the World, I have made vast offerings, With an uncertain mind, I never knew where to transfer [them].
已修廣大福， 當何所迴向？ 為求梵天位、 帝釋轉輪王、
Having cultivated vast, great merit, How should they be transferred? To seek the position of a Brahma god, A Śakra, or a wheel turning king,
為求於聲聞、 及以辟支佛？ 我發此念時， 空中天告我：
To seek becoming a Voice Hearer, Or a solitary buddha? When I generated these thoughts, Gods from the sky said to me:
大王汝勿起， 狹劣迴向心， 為一切眾生， 當興廣大願， 利益世間故， 應發菩提心。」
Great king, you should not give rise To a narrowminded transference, For all sentient beings, You should make a broad, great vow For the benefit of the world, And should generate bodhicitta.
我今請世尊， 於法自在者， 願說菩提心， 發起之方便。
I now request the World-Honored One, The Sovereign One over all dharmas (Dharmêśvara), Wishing for an explanation of bodhicitta, The expedient (upāya) of generating its coming to be.
發菩提心已， 當得如牟尼。 唯願兩足尊， 為我具宣說。』
Having generated bodhicitta, To attain as the Muni [has], Only wish for the Honored among Gods and Humans, Explain it all for me!
「爾時雷音如來為普覆王而說頌曰：
Then Thunderous Voice Thus Come One replied to King Ubiquity explaining:
大王汝諦聽， 我當次第說。
Great King, listen attentively, I will explain step by step.
一切因緣法， 隨根欲所行， 如其所有願， 得如是果報。
All conditioned phenomena (dharmas), Are in accord with the conditions (saṃskāra) of the desires of the faculties; As they wish, The fruit (results) attained are like this.
我亦於往昔， 發起菩提心， 為諸眾生故， 願當作利益。
In my past lives, I also Generated bodhicitta, For all sentient beings Wishing it for their benefit.
如我所作願， 如昔所發心， 得不退菩提， 意願速圓滿。
As I wished, As I had generated citta, I attained non-regressing (avaivartika) bodhi, The minds wishes quickly fulfilled
大王應堅固， 修習於諸行， 汝當得廣大， 無上佛菩提。』
Great King, be steadfast In cultivating all conditioning (saṃskāra habits), And you will attain the broad, great, Unsurpassable awakening (bodhi) of a buddha.
「時普覆王聞佛所說，歡喜踊躍得未曾有，於眾會前大師子吼，而說頌曰：
When King Ubiquity heard the Buddha’s explanation he was more delighted than he had ever been. Before the assembled gathering he made the great Lion’s Roar and then spoke in verse saying:
今對一切眾， 發大菩提心。 為一一眾生， 誓盡未來際，
Now, before the entire assembly, I generate great bodhicitta, For each and every sentient being Vowing until the end of all time
受無量生死， 而作大饒益， 備修菩薩行， 救諸眾生苦。
To take on immeasurable lives and deaths, Thereby performing great benefits, Cultivating the practices of bodhisattvas, Rescuing all sentient beings from suffering.
從今若違誓， 起於貪欲心， 及慳嫉怨恨， 則誑十方佛。
From now on, if I break this vow, Giving rise to an angry or greedy mind, Or stingy, or envious, resentful or mad, Then I will have deceived the Buddha of the Ten Directions.
又我從今日， 乃至成菩提， 常當學諸佛， 修行於梵行， 隨順淨戒律， 遠離諸過咎。
Also from this day forward, Until achieving bodhi, I will always study the Buddhas, Cultivating the practices of brahmacarya, Being in accord with the pure precepts, And swiftly transcending all transgression.
又我於菩提， 亦不願速證， 當盡未來際， 廣利諸群生，
I will also, in regard to bodhi Not wish to realize it swiftly, Until the end of the future, Broadly benefiting all beings.
嚴淨諸佛剎， 無量不思議， 當令我名號， 普聞十方界。
Adorning all buddha-fields Immeasurable, inconceivable, The roar of my name shall be heard Universally throughout the realms of the Ten Directions
我今自授記， 決定當成佛， 志樂勝清淨， 於此固無疑。
I now predict of myself, That I am certain to become a Buddha, With pure, superior resolve In this, I am firmly without doubt.
我當淨三業， 不令起諸惡， 我以此真實， 成佛人中尊。
I will purify the three karmas And cause no evil to arise, By this Reality I will Become a Buddha, an honored one among human beings
若此心真實， 地當六種動， 若我語誠諦， 無有虛妄者， 當使虛空中， 音樂自然奏。
If this mind (citta) is Really Real, May the ground shake in six ways, If what I say is Truly True, Not something false and vacuous, May there be from within vacuous space (the sky), The sound of music spontaneously playing.
若我無諂曲， 及以怨恨心， 由此真實故， 當雨曼陀花。
If I am without flattery or deception, Nor with a hateful mind, Then due to this Reality, May it rain mandāra flowers
「時普覆王說此頌已，心誠實故，十方億剎六種震動，於虛空中奏諸音樂、雨曼陀羅花。時二十億眾生隨從王者，皆大歡喜而自慶言：『我等當得最上菩提。』即學彼王發菩提心。」
“When King Ubiquity had said these verses, because his mind with Truly Real, billions of buddha-fields in the Ten Directions shook in six ways, from the sky the sound of music spontaneously played, and it rained mandārava flowers. (the coral-tree; erythrina indica). Then, two billion of the king’s attendants rejoiced and said to themselves with delight, ‘We shall attain supreme, unsurpassable bodi,’ and studied that king’s generating bodhicitta.”
佛告大眾：「爾時普覆王者，豈異人乎？今文殊師利菩薩是也。彼於往昔過七十萬阿僧祇恒河沙劫初發菩提之心，次過六十四恒河沙劫得無生法忍，能具足菩薩十地、如來十力，佛地諸法悉皆圓滿，而未曾起一念之心：『我當得佛。』
The Buddha said to the great assembly, “King Ubiquity of that time, who was that person? They are today’s Mañjuśrī bodhisattva. In the past, as many kalpas ago as the incalculable sands of seven hundred thousand Ganges Rivers and more, he first generated bodhicitta. Then, after kalpas as numerous as the sands of sixty-four Ganges Rivers he attained the patient tolerance of the birthlessness, was able to complete the Ten Stages of the Bodhisattva, the Ten Power of a Thus Come One, completely fulfilling all the dharmas of the Buddha Stage, yet never gave rise to a single thought, ‘I will become a Buddha.’”
「善男子！爾時二十億眾生，隨逐彼王於雷音佛所發菩提心者，皆由文殊師利勸發，令入布施持戒忍辱精進禪定智慧，今並證得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，轉大法輪作佛事已而般涅槃。文殊師利皆悉供養彼諸如來，亦皆護持彼諸佛法。唯有一佛號地持山，在此下方過四十恒河沙剎土，其佛世界名曰地持。亦有無數諸聲聞眾，佛壽無量于今現在。」說此文殊師利宿緣之時，眾中七千眾生發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
“Good Son! At that time, twenty billion sentient beings who attended on that king and generated bodhicitta in the presence of Thunderous Voice Buddha were all persuaded by Mañjuśrī to enter dāna-śīla-kṣānti-vīrya-dhyāna-prajñā and they have all now attained anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi, have turned the great Dharma Wheel, done the doings of a Buddha and have then entered parinirvana. Mañjuśrī has made offerings to all those Thus Come Ones, and has protected and upheld all the Buddha Dharma. There is (only) one buddha called ‘Earth Upholder’, below here past as many lands as the number of sands of forty Ganges Rivers, where that buddha’s world is called ‘Earth Upholder’. There are also incalculable numbers of Voice Hearers, and the Buddha’s lifespan is immeasurable and he is here right now.’”
When the circumstances of Mañjuśrī’s past were explained, seven thousand beings from among the assembly generated anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi citta.