Overall Teaching

All kinds of devas praise the Buddha and make offerings to him.

Summary

1. The devas from the pure realms circumambulate the Buddha, shower him with flowers, and praise him in many ways emphasizing in particular how he can awaken the world and reveal their suffering. Then they prostrated to the Buddha.

2. Then the luminous devas did the same, praising in particular his voice with its melodiousness and how he has attained a mass of love since he made his vow under Buddha Dīpaṅkara. Then they prostrated to the Buddha.

3. Similarly, the Brahma devas did the same, emphasizing the Buddha’s luminous, stainless wisdom. Then they prostrated to the Buddha.

4. Then the sons of Māra on the side of righteousness did the same and spoke about how their demonic horde was vanquished by him, and how immovable he was beneath the bodhi tree and how he gave up all of his pleasures for Buddhahood.

5. Then the devas from the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations did the same and praised the Buddha’s joyousness, his knowledge of others’ conduct, and how he can be a supreme refuge for beings in this world.

6. Then the devas from the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations did the same, emphasizing how he outshines the splendour of all beings and things in the world, how he has subdued faculties.

7. Then the devas from Tuṣita praise him, draping him in a patchwork of divine garments, inviting him to turn the wheel of Dharma and liberation beings from existence.

8. Then the devas from the Yāma heaven praise him, having offered flowers, garlands, and perfumes. They note how he endured great hardship and how no one else is equal to these offerings.

9. Then the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three praise him, emphasizing how they go for refuge in him, how he had infinite perseverance and how he is a field of merit for beings.

10. Then the devas from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings offer many kinds of flowers, and they praise the Buddha’s voice and appearance, and how his speech allows all beings to attain liberation.

11. Then the devas of the sky paid homage to the Buddha, adorning the whole sky with a net of jewels, offering many kinds of jewel banners and parasols to the Buddha. They praise how the Buddha’s mind has no confusion and how all these offerings are like rivers flowing into an ocean, not harming the celestial mansions, and how the Buddha is not overwhelmed by these offerings.

12. Then the devas of the earth strew the earth with flowers, perfume the water, and then praise the Buddha. They emphasize how firm his vajra hand position (mudra) is, and how the world gains a great gift by having him on it. They dedicate the roots of virtue of him coming onto their land to awakening.