The Suvarnaprabhasa-sutra is a Buddhist text of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. The Golden Light Sutra was originally written in India in Sanskrit, translated by Dharmakṣema into Chinese. An important Mahayana sutra, it has been translated into Khotanese, Old Turkic, Tangut, Tibetan, Mongolian & Manchu. The name derives from where the bodhisattva Ruchiraketu dreams of a great drum that radiates a sublime golden light, symbolizing the Dharma, teachings of the Buddha. Fundamental message, which teaches that the 4 Guardian Gods protect the ruler who governs his country in the proper manner. The sutra also expounds the vows of the Hindu goddesses Sarasvati, Lakshmi & Drdha, the Earth Goddess, to protect any bhikkhu, or monk, who will uphold & teach the sutra. The main theme is the importance for leaders to be good examples for the kingdom. The sutra speaks in verse form about the disasters that befall a kingdom when its ruler does not uphold justice, & the benefits of kings who lead an exemplary life. The Guardian Kings, the 4 Guardian Kings have a dialogue with the Buddha, explaining in vivid detail all the benefits a kingdom will have if its ruler enshrines the essence of the sutra & offers daily praise. The sutra contains some elements of early tantra, the sutra describes 4 Buddhas who dwell in the 4 cardinal directions. These same 4 comprise later Buddhist mandalas in the same positions, such as the Matrix Mandala. The sutra won great esteem as a sutra for protecting the country, & often was read publicly to ward off threats. Its first reading as a court ceremony was around 660 AD, when the Tang Dynasty of China & Silla of Korea had defeated Baekche of Korea & were threatening Japan. In some languages the sutra is preceded by a confession taught Zhang Judao & a wife of an official, make an confession to the domestic animals they have killed & write the sutra & make a vow to these lives to early reincarnate into human realms.
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