Accordingly, the Shravakas, Bodhisattvas, gods, human, demi-gods, garudas, and so on, in their eight sets of individuals, gathered like clouds. They focused their minds one-pointedly, joined their palms together, and with their eyes unwavering, they gazed upon the visage of the Transcendent Conqueror. Out of interest in being taught the sacred Dharma, they prayed.

Then, the Transcendent Conqueror, at the time of later afternoon, arose from his state of meditative absorption. Beholding the numerous assembled retinues, he spoke these verses:

The Powerful King of Sutras:

If you listen to it, it is extremely profound,

And if you thoroughly investigate it, it is profundity itself.

This Sublime Golden Light I shall expound.

 

The Buddhas of the Four Directions

Through bestowing blessings, have consecrated it:

Akshobhya in the eastern direction,

Ratnaketu in the southern direction,

Amitabha in the western direction,

And Dundubhisvara in the northern direction.

 

In order to extinguish all misdeeds,

There is this sublime auspicious discourse

That exhausts all negative karma,

Bestows all happiness,

Eradicates all suffering,

Is the foundation of the state of omniscience,

And is well-adorned by all resplendence.

Granting blessings, this I shall proclaim.

 

Sentient beings whose senses are defective,

Whose life-spans are exhausting or are degenerating,

Who are without abundance and what they desire,

Whom the gods have turned against,

Who are hated by their loved ones,

Who are endangered by planetary influences and the like,

Who are not harmonious with one another,

Who are afflicted by a decline in material wealth,

Who are stricken by grief and misery,

Who are in fear, or in poverty,

Who have inauspicious planetary and constellational influences or curses,

Who are threatened by intolerable negative spirits,

Or who see bad dreams

Following grief and fatigue,

Should bathe well, render themselves clean

And listen to this sublime Sutra.

 

Should those with virtuous intent and pure mind

Adorn themselves well in clean garments,

And listen to this Sutra -

The profound experiential domain of the Buddhas -

Then through the awe-inspiring power of this sutra,

The afflictions of all living creatures,

The likes of which are extremely unbearable,

Will be forever pacified.

 

They will be offered protection

By none other than the Guardians of the Universe themselves,

Together with their ministers and powerful lords of assembly;

By myriads of billions of yakshas,

By the Great Goddess Sarasvati,

By the Goddess Who Dwells in the Nairanjana [River],

By Hariti, Mother of Bhutas,

By the Earth Goddess Dridha,

By the Brahma Kings and by God Kings,

By the incredibly powerful Kings of Nagas,

By Kings of Kinnaras and Kings of Demi-Gods,

And likewise by the Kings of Garudas.

 

They, with their clans and might, will arrive,

Together with their mounts,

And without distraction day and night

Will offer protection to those beings.

 

I will fully expound this Sutra on the profound,

The Buddhas’ dimension of experience,

The secret of all Buddhas,

Difficult to find in billions of eons.

 

Those who hear this sutra,

Those who cause others to hear it,

Those who rejoice in it,

And those who make offerings to it,

Will have offerings made to them for billions of eons

By gods and nagas,

Humans and kinnaras,

Demi-gods and yakshas.

 

For beings whose merit has declined,

The store of their merit

Will grow to become limitless, and likewise, beyond measure

And inconceivable.

 

Intensely shall they be cared for

By the Buddhas of the ten directions,

And also by the Bodhisattvas

Engaged in the profound.

 

Clad well in clean garments,

Wearing pleasantly-scented clothes,

Settling firmly in a mind of love,

Without distraction, one should make offerings.

 

Render the mind spotless,

Put forth effort to make it expansive,

And make the mind intensely clear:

Then listen to this sublime Sutra.

 

Those who listen to this Sutra,

Will be eminent among humans,

Will attain well a human existence,

And will live a life of fortune.

 

Those into whose ears

This sublime discourse resounds

Will have their roots of virtue refined,

And numerous Buddhas will praise them.

 

FROM THE EXALTED POWERFUL KING OF SUTRAS, THE SUBLIME GOLDEN LIGHT, THIS WAS THE PREAMBLE, AND THE FIRST CHAPTER.

 
Translated from the Tibetan by the Sugatagarbha Translation Group.