“Good men! Innumerable, inconceivable, asamkya kalpas ago, there lived a Buddha called Sun-Moon-Light, the Tathagata, the Deserver of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Man of Wisdom and Practice, the Well-Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Man, the Controller of Men, the Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-Honored One.

What will be plainly spoken of from now on is simply what happened in the remote past, [Mañjuśrī] is going to describe what really happened. It is the story of the Buddha Sun-and-Moon Glow.

The Thus Come One (Tathāgata) preached freely in accordance with his aims; thus it is referred to as Immeasurable. But here just “ten” attributes are mentioned. Why [ten]? Ten represents the full and ultimate number (or infinity), with the implication that the li of the Thus Come One is perfect and faultless and that the Tao is omnipresent; hence, [the word] ten is employed.

What does [the title] “Thus Come One” (Tathāgata) mean? Although the myriad dharmas are different from each other, they are one and in a [mysterious] way the same. [Why did] the coming of the Sagely body [take place]? He has come [in incarnated form] to transform the myriad creatures; hence, the title Thus Come One.

[Deserver of Offerings] The fertile fields of ‘the utmost Tao’ can produce wonderful fruits. With both external marks (laḳṣaṇa) and ties (saṁyojana?) dispelled, he can be called [worthy of] offerings.

[Perfectly Enlightened One] There is no place that knowledge does not permeate: it is “universal.” This knowledge is not depraved; it is “right” (or correct).

[Man of Wisdom and Practice] When the actions (karman) of body, mouth, and mind are in conformity with knowledge, there is what can be called enlightenment and conduct. [The word] perfect means that as his wisdom is universal, his knowledge and conduct, too, must be complete and perfect.

[Well-Gone ] [The Buddha’s] existence and disappearance provided beings with immeasurable benefits. His trace was exhausted under ‘the twin trees.’ He was then “gone” for [the good of] beings, and beings benefited from this. How can it not be “well”?

[Knower of the World] What does [the title] [the one who] understands the world (lokavid) mean? The five aggregates (pañcaskanda) are what make up the World. The Thus Come One came to the world and untied the bonds and knots.

[Unsurpassed Man] The man is lofty; the path [to him] is cut off (or [his] Tao is absolute). No one can stand equal with him.

[Controller of Men] It is hard to regulate evils, and the immature and woeful [deeds caused by] body and mouth. The Buddha can suppress them and regulate beings. He thus can be called regulator.

[Teacher of Gods and Men] Having completely mastered the wondrous technique of regulation, he can be the teacher of gods (devas) and men.

[Buddha, the World-Honored One] Buddha refers to awakening. He was awakened and enlightened to [the truth of] birth and death. Armed with the previous ten virtues, his general title [representing all his virtues] is Buddha, World-Honored One.