The Mani Jewel makes its first appearance in the Pali Nikāyas where it is mentioned as one of the seven treasures owned by a "wheel-turning king".
The Mahasudhassana Sutta in the Digha Nikaya describes the Mani Jewel (maṇi-ratna) as follows: "It was a beryl, pure, excellent, well-cut into eight facets, clear, bright, unflawed, perfect in every respect.
It was said to be originally owned by the God Indra, but it fell to the earth during a war with the Asuras, allowing whoever possess it to have their wishes granted.
Depictions of the Bodhisattvas Ksitigarbha and Avalokiteshvara sometimes show them holding this Cintamani, indicating their ability to fulfill the wishes of sentient beings.
He accomplishes this by comparing how each school would interpret the Mani Jewel metaphor used in the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment discussed above.
The essay primarily comments on the phrase of the Tang dynasty Chinese monk Xuansha Shibei, who wrote that "the ten-direction world is one bright jewel".