The Chandra Sutra
I prostrate before the Three Jewels!
Thus have I heard.
The Blessed One was dwelling in the city of Champa, on the banks of the Chankramana Pond. At that time, Rahu, the lord of the asuras, completely obscured the entire lunar disk with his radiance.
Then the deity dwelling within the lunar disk—filled with fear, trembling, and despondency—went to where the Blessed One was staying. Upon arriving, the deity bowed its head at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side. Seated there, the deity addressed the Blessed One with verses of supplication:
Fully and utterly liberated Buddha, heroic "Vira"! I prostrate before you!
Facing harm, I ask you to grant me refuge! Arhat, Sugata, Honored One of the World! Luna takes refuge in you! O Buddha—and all who cherish the cosmos with their whole heart—deliver Luna from Rahu!
The Blessed One said:
O Rahu! The Moon dispels the darkness! It illuminates the clear firmament with its radiance! It abides in clarity, whiteness, and perfect purity! Do not hold it back in the void!
Release this beacon for living beings at once!
Then Rahu, in great haste—sweating, overcome by fear, and utterly exhausted like a sick man—released the lunar disk. Then the great son of Vairochana saw Rahu, the lord of the Asuras, release the lunar disk with even greater haste. Upon seeing this, he immediately addressed Rahu with these verses:
Why, Rahu—covered in sweat and gripped by fear, like a sick man in a state of exhaustion—do you release the Moon so hastily?
[The answer was:]
For the Buddha proclaimed this verse: "Had I not released the Moon, my head would have split into seven pieces, and even had I survived, I would have known no happiness!"
The great son of Vairocana said:
Oh, how wondrous is the appearance of Buddhas who behold the Truth! No sooner do they utter these verses than Rahu releases the Moon without delay!
Thus concludes the Chandra Sutra.
Translated by Lama Dondrub Dorje Tulku.