In the vast, boundless expanse of the sky, a being was born—mysterious and wondrous, possessing three bodies. There, in that limitless space, he remained, subtle and elusive, like sound echoing through the air, like the wind itself, or the beating of wings. Within that infinite sky, he fashioned a magnificent city. This city was adorned with fourteen grand avenues and arranged in threefold divisions, a marvel of cosmic architecture. Its beauty was unparalleled: garlands of forests and lush gardens encircled it; playful peaks rose within, and strings of pearls wove through its expanse. Seven sparkling pools glimmered throughout, adding to its splendor. The city shone with the radiance of twin lamps—one cool, one warm—casting their gentle light over the bustling paths that ran upward and downward, alive with the constant movement of merchants and travelers. In this exceedingly vast city, the ruler—the mysterious king—brought forth groups of inhabitants, each charming and well sheltered. He placed some of these beings above, some below, and some in the middle. Some would perish slowly, others vanish in an instant. The city itself was shrouded by dark coverings, adorned with nine gates, swept constantly by powerful winds, and furnished with countless windows. Inside, five brilliant lamps illuminated the halls, supported by three pillars of white wood. The surfaces gleamed, smooth and soft, and the streets teemed with life. By the power of illusion, this king created mighty yakshas—fierce guardians who watched over the city, always terrifying in appearance. As the waves of enclosure moved through the city, the ruler himself wandered within, indulging in various amusements, flitting from place to place like a bird in its nest. With his three bodies, he dwelled among the inhabitants, accompanied by the yakshas, delighting in play and then swiftly departing again. Sometimes, when his mind grew restless, he would long to visit a city not yet created, his desire unwavering. Possessed by this wish, as if driven by an unseen force, he would rise and rush forth, arriving in a city as wondrous as if crafted by gandharvas. At other times, when his mind was dull, he would wish for destruction, and by this very thought, he would perish at once. Yet, like a great wave rising from the water, he would swiftly arise again, acting with vigor before lapsing once more into sluggishness. Through his own actions, he sometimes became distressed, lamenting, “What shall I do? I am ignorant, I am unhappy,” and he would grieve. Yet, joy too would arise—sometimes swelling abundantly within him, like a river overflowing with the rains of monsoon. He would drink, frolic, move, stretch, quiver, shine, and sometimes not shine at all. This radiant one, glorious and powerful, was like a king, lord of the earth, stirred by the wind as the lord of waters. Then, on a great night in Jambudvīpa, a son approached his father, who sat serenely at the tip of a kadamba branch, his heart pure and tranquil. The son asked, “Father, who is this being, renowned as self-arisen, of excellent form among kings? What is the meaning of all that you have spoken to me? Please tell me the truth. Where does creation occur? Where does it go? Your words seem contradictory—they confuse me.” The father replied gently, “Listen, my son, and I will tell you the truth, so you may understand the essence of this cycle of worldly existence. This structure of worldly life, arising from the unreal and having no true substance, is as I have described. The supreme arises from space; intention is called self-arisen. It is born by itself and dissolves by itself. All this world appears as its very own form; it is born when that arises, and when that ceases, it perishes. Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, Rudra, and all the others are but its limbs, just as branches belong to a tree or peaks to a mountain. In the empty sky, this threefold world-city is fashioned by that very power, which attains the state of the Creator through the sequence of appearances. Here, within this city, are spread out the worlds and the fourteen cosmic spheres, along with forests, groves, and a succession of beautiful gardens. Here, too, are the playful peaks—Sahya, Mandara, Meru—and the radiances of coolness and heat, the moon and sun, the two lamps of wind and fire. Rivers flow here, carrying pearls that rise like the crests of waves stirred by the sun’s rays, and garlands of genuine pearls shift and shimmer. There are pools filled with waters of sugarcane juice, milk, and more, adorned with gems, jewels, lotus sprouts, submarine fires, lotuses, and surrounded by the seven great oceans. Below on earth and above in the sky reside virtue, vice, wealth, and splendor; here, too, are the buying and selling among humans, gods, and yakshas. Within this very world, in this city, the sovereign of imagination has created wondrous bodily coverings for his own play. Some, named celestials, are stationed above; others, such as humans and serpents, reside below. Moved by the mechanism of wind, these bodies of flesh and clay move about; some are adorned with white bones and wood, variously smeared with skin—smooth or unclean. Some perish after a long time, while others are quickly destroyed. Their coverings are fashioned in shining, dark, or pale hues. Each is endowed with nine doors—ears, eyes, nose, and more—and made hot or cold by the constant movement of the vital wind. They are fitted with groups of air-windows: ears, nose, mouth, and palate; with limbs like arms and others as passageways; and with the five lamps of the senses. Within these bodies, by the power of illusion and imagination, O wise one, the great goblins of ego are fashioned—beings so fearsome that even the supreme light is daunted. Inside these bodily coverings, together with those great goblins of ego, he plays excessively with what is unreal, all arising from the unreal.” Thus, the father revealed the mystery of existence, the play of creation and dissolution, and the wondrous city of the self-arisen one, so that his son might understand the profound truth behind all that appears and disappears in this world.