The Prophecy of the Girl Candrottara

The Prophecy of the Girl Candrottara (Skt. Candrottarādārikāvyākaraṇa; Tib. བུ་མོ་ཟླ་མཆོག་ལུང་བསྟན་པ།, Wyl. bu mo zla mchog lung bstan pa) tells of how in Vaishali, a daughter is born to the wealthy Licchavi couple Vimalakirti and his beautiful wife, Vimala. At their daughter’s birth, she speaks eloquently in verse, and gives forth a brilliant golden-coloured light that surpasses even the light of the moon, thus earning her the name Candrottara (“Surpassing the Moon”). All around the city, men are besotted with the idea of marrying her. To defuse the situation, the girl promises to go out into the city after seven days and choose a husband. Before this she takes the eight-branched purification vows, whereupon a lotus with an emanation of a thus-gone one seated upon it miraculously appears in her hand. The emanation tells her about the Buddha Shakyamuni, and she resolves to meet him. When she leaves the house on the seventh day, she is mobbed by a crowd of would-be suitors. She evades them by rising into the air, and from there delivers a teaching on the futility of lust and desire. She then calls upon the crowd of men to join her in going to meet the Buddha. On the way, they meet Shariputra and other elders. The elders question her and are impressed by the profundity and eloquence of her answers. When she arrives in the presence of the Buddha himself, numerous bodhisattvas ask her further questions. The Buddha is delighted by her answers, and after she makes the aspiration to seek awakening for the benefit of all beings, he smiles. When Ananda asks what his smile means, the Buddha predicts her future awakening.

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The Tibetan translation of this sutra can be found in the General Sutra section of the Tibetan Dergé Kangyur, Toh 191

• English translation: The Prophecy of the Girl Candrottarā