佛說八部佛名經

Thus indeed have I heard: At one time, the Buddha, together with one thousand two hundred and fifty great bhikṣus and immeasurable bodhisattvas, came to dwell in the Garden of Nāḍa's Daughter, in the city of Vaiśālī.

At that time there was a son of an elder named Sujāta who came from within the city to the Garden of Nāḍa's Daughter. He bowed his head at the feet of the Buddha, circumambulated him three times to the right, then withdrew to one side, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha: "I have something I wish to ask. I respectfully beg the Great Sage to grant his consent, and only then shall I dare to speak."

The Buddha said to Sujāta:

– According to whatever you wish to ask, the Tathāgata will discriminate and explain it fully!

Having received the Buddha's consent, Sujāta then addressed the Buddha:

– Yes indeed! O Deva among Devas[1]! Are there any Buddhas who, having cultivated their original vows and attained perfect enlightenment, appear in this world expounding the scriptures of the Way? May the Great Sage[2] speak the names of those Buddhas, so that when we have heard them we may uphold and retain them, with utmost sincerity and reverence, faithfully accepting what He says; and that we may further bow our heads in homage and take refuge, proclaiming their merit, so that we no longer meet with calamities and do not enter the three evil paths[3]. When one hears the names of the Buddhas, then humans and non-humans shall have no opportunity to do harm. When one is at the magistrate's court, if one recites the names of the Buddhas one shall not be wrongly sentenced nor robbed of one's property; one's disposition shall be firm and resolute, fearless, and one shall obtain victory in peace and safety. In the midst of battle, reciting the names of the Buddhas, one shall not be wounded by weapons nor struck by arrows; yakṣas, the various ghosts, the various devas, nāgas, and spirits shall not dare to disturb one; lions, tigers, wolves, wild beasts, and venomous creatures shall be unable to harm one."

The Buddha said to Sujāta:

– Listen attentively and reflect well, and I shall expound for you the means to protect yourself, to eliminate calamities, so that you shall no longer have fear and shall ever obtain peace and joy.

Sujāta accepted the Buddha's instruction and listened with reverence.

The Buddha taught:

– In the eastern direction of this realm there is a world called Anāgha (Without Affliction), where the Buddha is named Tathāgata Worthy-of-Aspiration-and-Sincerity, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is at present expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Furthermore, in the eastern direction there is a world called Insurmountable, where the Buddha of that realm is named Tathāgata Firm-Progress-Liberating-Auspicious-Meaning, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is at present expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Furthermore, in the eastern direction there is a world called Auspicious Peace, where the Buddha of this realm is named Tathāgata Contemplating-Bright-Merit, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is at present expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Furthermore, in the eastern direction there is a world named Without Anger and Resentment, where the Buddha of this realm is named Tathāgata Compassionate-Hero-Tranquil-Foremost, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is at present expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Furthermore, in the eastern direction there is a world called Staff-Removed, where the Buddha of this realm is named Tathāgata True-Nature-Supreme-Foremost, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who at present is expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Furthermore, in the eastern direction there is a world called Blazing-Foremost, where the Buddha of this realm is named Tathāgata Mindful-of-Beings-Acclaimed-Supreme-Foremost, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is at present expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Furthermore, in the eastern direction there is a world called Wondrous-Radiant-Blazing-Foremost, where the Buddha of this realm is named Tathāgata Valiant-Foremost-Soaring-Above-Sumeru, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is at present expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Furthermore, in the eastern direction there is a world called Delight-and-Joy, where the Buddha of this realm is named Tathāgata Victorious-Scholar-Acclaimed-Supreme-Foremost, the Truly Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is at present expounding the scriptural Dharma.

Suppose there is a person who from afar hears the names of these Tathāgatas in the eastern direction, and faithfully accepts them, with utmost sincerity and reverence contemplates them, keeps them in mind, upholds and recites them. The moral discipline, wisdom, and Dharma of the Buddhas are fundamentally equal. The buddha-lands of those Buddhas are adorned with marvelous and pure virtues, lofty and beyond compare, free of dust and defilement, free of the calamity of the impurity of women, and likewise free of the disasters and sufferings of the five turbidities[4] and the perils of the three evil paths[5]; the ground there has no sand, gravel, stones, thorns and brambles, ditches and gullies, or pits and holes.

The Buddha said: "O Sujāta! If there is a person who can reverently uphold and recite the names of those Buddha World-Honored Ones, proclaiming them far and near—who rises in the first watch of the night to walk in meditation, chanting and reciting the names of the Buddhas, and in the middle watch and the last watch of the night likewise rises, single-mindedly abiding in peace, casting aside all that is useless, contemplating and cultivating the Dharma—then this practitioner's virtuous conduct shall daily advance, and he shall come to no harm whatsoever."

The Buddha said to Sujāta: "You should have faith in and delight in this Sūtra of the Names of the Eight Buddhas. By means of this Dharma the Buddha instructs the people of noble lineage to keep it in mind, not to cast it aside or forget it, but to cultivate it diligently—then they shall behold eight thousand Buddhas."

Sujāta, hearing the Buddha's instruction, then offered precious flowers worth eight thousand taels of gold, scattering them in offering upon the World-Honored One. He bowed his head at His feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, then withdrew and sat to one side.

At that time, the deva Śakra came forward from within the assembly and addressed the Buddha: "Yes indeed! O Great Sage! I have received the names of these eight Buddhas, and I have also recited them and kept them in mind. Yes indeed! O Deva among Devas! I shall diligently practice this Sūtra of the Honored Names of the Buddhas in Eight Sections, single-mindedly keeping it in mind, not parting from it whether eating or sleeping, cherishing and revering it, holding it to be a supreme treasure beyond compare."

The Buddha said to the Deva Lord: "Therefore, when the devas and the asuras do battle together, if there is fear in one's heart of being captured, then one should call to mind the names of the Tathāgatas, and one shall no longer have fear. Why is this? Suppose there is a person who proclaims and praises the scripture of the Names of the Tathāgatas in Eight Sections—this is to bestow the deed of fearlessness.

To proclaim the title of the scripture of the Tathāgatas is to meet with no calamity of scorching heat.

To transmit the essential meanings of the scripture that speaks of the names of the Tathāgatas is to proclaim an age of peace and abundance.

To transmit the title of the scripture of the Buddhas is to proclaim words of peace and safety that dispel great calamity.

To transmit the title of the scripture of the Buddhas is to proclaim the principle of the stillness and tranquility of meditative absorption.

To transmit the title of the scripture of the Buddhas is to be free of all fear.

To propagate this scripture that records the names of the Buddhas is to sleep in peace and safety and to awaken in joy, with no fear of the calamities of kings and officials, of water and fire, or of robbers and thieves; foes and creditors will of their own accord turn away; the various kinds of ghosts and spirits, rākṣasas, demons and goblins, wraiths, malevolent sprites, and curse-ghosts will none of them dare to oppose one.

If one enters the mountains, rivers and streams, mountain caves, deserted roads, and forking paths, then bandits and robbers will of their own accord not appear; lions, tigers, wolves, boars, bears, snakes, and cobras will all withdraw and hide of their own accord. Why is this? Because the virtuous conduct of the Buddhas, the most honored, is higher than Mount Sumeru, their wisdom deeper than the rivers and seas, their insight vaster than empty space; they walk alone within the three realms[6] with none to equal them, and the beings of the ten directions are all delivered."

When they had heard the Buddha's teaching, the elder's son Sujāta, the deva Śakra, the assembly of bhikṣus, the people in the assembly, and even the devas, the nāgas and spirits, the asuras[7], and the people of the world all rejoiced; they paid their respects and then withdrew.

Notes:

[1] Deva among Devas 天中天: refers to the Buddha.

[2] Great Sage 大聖: an honorific title of the Buddha.

[3] Three evil paths 三塗: the Hells, the Hungry Ghosts, and the Animals.

[4] Five turbidities 五濁: 1. the turbidity of the kalpa; 2. the turbidity of views; 4. the turbidity of afflictions; 3. the turbidity of beings; 5. the turbidity of lifespan.

[5] Three evil paths 三塗: 1. the path of fire, 2. the path of blood, 3. the path of the sword.

[6] Three realms 三界: the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the formless realm.

[7] Asura 阿須倫: The old translation is asura, asurun, asora. It is translated as "Without Severance," meaning of ugly appearance. It is also called "Without Wine," meaning the karmic retribution of being without wine. The newer rendering is asuraka, translated as "Non-Deva," referring to that class of beings who possess spiritual power and palaces but whose bodily form is not equal to that of the devas. They are the spirits who frequently do battle with Śakra. They are one of the ten kinds of beings, one of the Six Paths, and one of the Eight Classes of Devas and Nāgas.