正法華經

Chapter 8: PREDICTIONS FOR FIVE HUNDRED DISCIPLES

At that time, the Venerable Bân-nậu-văn-đà-ni Tử heard the Buddha, the Blessed One, expound adaptive transformations, reveal skillful means, and bestow predictions upon the shravakas that they would become Buddhas. Recalling the practices and vows he had established long ago, and contemplating once more the realms of the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, he attained what he had never experienced before. Joyful and exhilarated, he gave no thought to food or clothing. His body was comfortable and at ease, and he could not contain himself. His feelings toward the true Dharma were a mingling of sorrow and joy. He immediately rose from his seat, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and sincerely declared:

“World-Honored One, you are truly beyond compare and abide in what has never been known before. The Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, has employed skillful means that are exceedingly profound and impossible to describe fully. How numerous are the various dispositions in these worlds!

The World-Honored One has employed innumerable adaptive transformations and skillful means, revealing the meaning of wisdom according to each being’s capacity. Accommodating sentient beings, he teaches and transforms them, clearly distinguishing the true Dharma. The World-Honored One has explained to them the source of liberation and employed skillful means to deliver them.

The World-Honored One’s noble wisdom knows all our dispositions, aspirations, and deeds from the distant past until now. Therefore, he has presented parables and spoken of our former lives and our initial awakening of the aspiration.”

At that time, the Son of Fulfilled Vows bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, stood to one side facing the World-Honored One, and gazed upon his radiant countenance without blinking.

The Buddha said:

“Excellent! It is just as you have said. The Tathagata thoroughly perceives every path of practice leading to enlightenment and bestows predictions upon beings according to whether their capacities are deep or shallow. Thus, he instructs inferior followers of the shravaka Lesser Vehicle to eradicate lust, anger, and delusion and thereby attain rest, while guiding bodhisattvas toward unsurpassed wisdom.

“It is like a Dharma guide in ancient times who performed many charitable deeds. Taking pity on people who were poor and suffering, lacking food and clothing, unable even to obtain alms, and destitute of possessions, he caused a drum to be beaten and proclaimed throughout the land that anyone who wished might enter the sea in search of jewels. Everyone assembled, and the guide further said that those who did not cherish their own lives, did not cling to their parents, and had no concern for wives or children should enter the sea together to seek jewels.

Upon hearing this, most of the people departed. Only the poor and the beggars, those without clothing to cover themselves or possessions to sustain their lives, remained. Although they wished to seek jewels, they still hesitated and could not decide.

“Knowing this, the guide gathered them all and said that if they wished to enter the sea, they would be provided with clothing and provisions and would lack nothing. The poor rejoiced and immediately obeyed his words. Together they boarded a ship, observed the winds, raised the sails, and entered the great ocean. They encountered no great fish or reefs, nor were they disturbed by evil rakshasas, and they reached the dragon palace. They then asked the Dragon King for wish-fulfilling jewels, saying, ‘We are poor ordinary people who cannot provide ourselves with a comfortable livelihood. We beg the favor of your generosity so that we may bring relief everywhere.’ The Dragon King granted them according to their needs, and whoever wished could go and take a jewel.

“The guide gave the order, but few went to take the jewels, while many did not. Why? Their hearts remained fearful, for they thought that if they approached the Dragon King, they might not be able to return.

“At that time, the guide told them, ‘You are free to act as you wish.’ They all obtained gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, amber, mother-of-pearl, and agate, and each filled his ship. The guide ordered them to return to Jambudvipa. Obeying his command, they returned to their former land. Their families and fellow villagers came out to welcome them with food, drink, music, horses, and carriages. Together they made merry for seven days and seven nights before returning home.

“People asked what jewels they had obtained. The poor, unintelligent beggars had obtained only the seven treasures, whereas the guide’s wise companions had obtained wish-fulfilling jewels. The guide ascended a high tower, held a jewel in his hand, faced the four cardinal and four intermediate directions, as well as above and below, and said, ‘Through the merit of this jewel, may a rain of the seven treasures fall!’ Just as he had said, a rain of the seven treasures immediately descended throughout the entire land, filling every place. The other wise companions likewise traveled to other countries in all four directions and caused rains of the seven treasures to fall.

“The poor and unintelligent men lamented, ‘We entered the sea together, but regrettably we did not encounter such a thing.’ The guide told them, ‘I gave you the order, but you would not go and take one. What more do you seek now?’ They cast aside their seven treasures, assembled together, and returned to the sea to obtain wish-fulfilling jewels. They approached the Dragon King and requested the wish-fulfilling jewels. All obtained them, returned to Jambudvipa, and likewise caused rains of the seven treasures to fall.”

The Buddha said:

“To awaken the aspiration for unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment and seek to deliver all beings is like the guide entering the great ocean. Taking pity on the destitute and leading them into the sea means expounding the sutras and Dharma for all sentient beings. Observing the winds, raising the sails, and entering the great ocean means studying adaptive wisdom. The three perils of the sea signify emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. Although the sea is merely birth and death, the wish-fulfilling jewel is obtained there. This means attaining the Tathagata’s boundless Dharma body.

“Those who followed and obtained wish-fulfilling jewels are shravakas and bodhisattvas who have awakened the vast aspiration and attained the fruit of non-arising. The lowly and impoverished people who gathered enough of the seven treasures to fill their ships signify those who attain the seven factors of enlightenment. Returning to their villages and being welcomed by their relatives signifies people from the ten directions coming to receive the teaching.

Ascending the high tower, holding the jewel, and facing the eight directions and above and below signifies attaining Buddhahood and delivering beings throughout the ten directions. The wise men who went to other lands and caused rains of the seven treasures to fall signify going to other regions and becoming Supremely Perfectly Enlightened Ones. The poor who regretted their choice and returned together to the sea signify the shravakas who hear the Buddha teach that there is only one vehicle and not two vehicles, and who then awaken the aspiration to seek unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment.

Later they will become Buddhas, all bearing the same title.”

At that time, the Buddha spoke these verses:

The Buddha addressed the bhikshus:

“Do you see this shravaka, the Son of Fulfilled Vows? Among the assembly of bhikshus, he is foremost in expounding the Dharma. He illuminates and praises the merit of the Buddhas, expounds the true Dharma, and diligently encourages and assists others. When he hears the Buddha teach the Dharma, he recites, accepts, retains, and proclaims it. To those who have not heard it, he gives detailed instruction without indolence or neglect. He extensively explains its meaning, resolves difficulties, and answers the fourfold assembly without weariness. He illuminates the pure conduct and causes everyone to rejoice. Apart from the Tathagata and the great bodhisattvas, no one equals the Son of Fulfilled Vows in eloquently resolving doubts.

“Bhikshus, what do you think? Do not suppose that this Son of Fulfilled Vows has become a shravaka and received the Dharma only from me. Do not think so. He has attended upon nine billion Buddhas and received the essence of the true Dharma from those World-Honored Ones. Within their assemblies, he constantly proclaimed the meaning of the sutras, distinguished the wisdom of emptiness, and remained unattached in mind. When expounding the sutras, he never hesitated. He comprehended everything and was never obstructed. He was always wholeheartedly devoted and possessed spiritual powers like those of the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, and the bodhisattvas. Throughout his life, he practiced only pure conduct.

“The assembly of shravakas all trusted him, and through skillful means he rescued and benefited them. Among countless billions of hundreds of thousands of kinds of sentient beings, he taught and transformed immeasurable and innumerable beings, causing them all to awaken the aspiration for unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment. Wherever he went, he appeared among ordinary people, revealed the great path, and caused them to establish firm faith in the Buddha. He cultivated all practices and always purified the Buddha lands through his own person, acting appropriately to teach and transform sentient beings. Before every Perfectly Enlightened One, he appeared as an attendant.

“Now, in my lifetime, he is foremost in expounding the Dharma. Whenever he receives the true Dharma, none can easily equal him in discussion and exposition. In the future Auspicious Kalpa, when a thousand Buddhas appear in the world, he will again make offerings to those World-Honored Ones and will likewise be foremost in expounding the Dharma. He will constantly explain and illuminate the teaching for immeasurable and boundless kinds of sentient beings, encouraging and transforming them without limit, and causing them to awaken the aspiration for unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment.

“After diligently completing the practices of the bodhisattva path, in innumerable kalpas to come he will become a Buddha named Dharma-Radiant Splendor Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer in Accordance with the Dharma, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. He will become a Great Sage in this very land.

“At that time, as many three-thousand-great-thousand worlds as there are sands in the Ganges will form a single Buddha land. Its ground will be made of the seven treasures and will be level as the palm of a hand. There will be no mountains, hills, ravines, caves, thorns, gravel, or stones. Towers and monasteries made entirely of the seven treasures will stand closely together on every side. Seen from afar, they will be as beautiful as the palaces of the devas. The heavenly realms will be visible from the world, and the world will be visible from the heavens; devas and humans will travel back and forth and associate with one another.

“In that land there will be none of the ninety-six schools or the sixty-two views with their surrounding arrogance. All beings will be born by transformation and not from women. They will all cultivate pure conduct. Everyone will possess majestic virtue and, through great spiritual powers, will fly through the air. Their aspirations will always be diligent, their deeds complete, their wisdom penetrating, and their complexions golden-purple, displaying the thirty-two marks of a great person.

“The people of that land will always have two kinds of food: first, the food of Dharma; second, the food of meditative joy. Innumerable hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of bodhisattvas will all attain spiritual powers and thoroughly discern difficult principles. The shravakas in that land will all attain noble practices, cultivate the eight gates of liberation, possess extraordinary and skillful means, shine with renown and virtue, and reach the other shore.

“That kalpa will be called Precious Radiance, and the land will be called Excellent Purity. The Buddha’s lifespan will be immeasurable kalpas, and the true Dharma will remain even longer. After that Buddha’s nirvana, people will erect stupas of the seven treasures throughout the land. The Buddhas of the ten directions will all praise the merit of that land.”

When the Buddha had spoken thus, wishing to restate the meaning, he spoke these verses:

Whatever they desire will appear at once.
Thus it is said.

At that time, the twelve hundred shravakas were each astonished at this unprecedented event. All rejoiced and thought, “The World-Honored One has compassionately bestowed predictions upon them. Surely he will also have compassion upon us and enable us to receive the same.”

Knowing the thoughts of the shravakas, the World-Honored One said to the Venerable Mahakashyapa:

“Now, among the twelve hundred arhats present here, apart from Ananda and La-vân, the shravaka Tri Bản Tế and his group will make offerings to six billion two hundred million Buddhas. After that number has passed, five hundred disciples will all become Buddhas named Universal Light Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer in Accordance with the Dharma, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One.

“The five hundred arhats in your group—including Ưu-vi Kashyapa, Tượng Kashyapa, Giang Kashyapa, Hải Kashyapa, Hắc Diệu, Ưu-đà, Aniruddha, Ly Việt, Kiếp-tân-nậu, Bạc-câu-lô, Thuần-nậu, and others—will in succession attain unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment and become Supremely Perfectly Enlightened Ones, all bearing the same title.”

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke these verses of praise:

At that time, the five hundred unattached ones—the arhats—having seen and heard the Tathagata bestow predictions upon them, rejoiced beyond measure. They approached the Buddha, bowed until their heads touched the ground, and remorsefully reproached themselves:

“We coarse and ignorant disciples recall that formerly we believed we had realized nirvana. Lacking skillful means and not knowing how to train ourselves to return to truth and perfection, we cast aside luminous wisdom and allowed our resolve to grow weary. Only now have we attained the Tathagata’s wisdom and learned that we shall become perfectly enlightened.

“World-Honored One, suppose a man entered the home of a benevolent person, who placed a bright jewel in the man’s topknot. The man became intoxicated with wine and fell asleep, entirely unaware of it. Upon awakening, he forgot the bright jewel and did not know where it was. He then traveled to another country. Because he was destitute, hungry, and thirsty, he had to beg for food, enduring hardship without obtaining anything.

“He then devised a way gradually to return. Upon obtaining one fine meal, he rejoiced in his heart. Only then did he remember that, when he had previously slept in that house, someone had fastened a bright jewel to him. Not knowing where it had fallen, he hurried back to seek it and found the virtuous elder.

“The elder called him over and said, ‘Why do you cause yourself such toil and hardship? Why do you not cease begging for food? Do you wish to know why? Long ago, properly dressed, I traveled everywhere seeking resolute people capable of performing beneficial deeds. When I came here, I placed a bright jewel in your topknot. The jewel is still on your person, yet why are you unaware of it? Why have you come to ask me again? What further skillful means must I employ to make you exert yourself? You have found it difficult to obtain treasure because you have not examined whether it was already attainable. Quickly take this bright jewel to the dragon palace and exchange it for treasures, which you may use as you wish.’

“Long ago, when the World-Honored One established his practices and was still a bodhisattva, he opened for us the vast wisdom, yet we neither knew nor understood. Now we have all abided in the stage of arhatship, believing ourselves liberated and mistaking a perilous place for peace. Only today have we become capable of aspiring to the Buddha’s wisdom. We shall employ this Dharma to teach and transform others, and use the Tathagata’s wisdom to discern the aspiration for the path. Bhikshus, it is likewise so; do not regard this as nirvana.

“Venerable ones, we must personally plant roots of merit once again. Long ago, the Tathagata opened and guided us through skillful means; today he again teaches the sutra and Dharma in this manner. All who had clung to the belief that they had attained liberation have now received from the World-Honored One predictions of unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment.”

At that time, the five hundred shravakas in the group of the Venerable Tri Bản Tế spoke these verses of praise:

Chapter 9: PREDICTIONS FOR ANANDA AND LA-VÂN

At that time, the Venerable Ananda thought, “Might I receive such a prediction?” Thinking thus, he silently cherished this hope. He rose from his seat, approached, and bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet. The Venerable La-vân likewise came before the Buddha and bowed his head at the World-Honored One’s feet. Together they said to the Buddha:

“May the World-Honored One expound the ambrosial Dharma for our sake. The World-Honored One is our compassionate father; how could he not thoroughly understand us? Those who had not taken refuge have been given refuge; those who had not been rescued have been rescued; and those who had not been protected have been protected. Before the assemblies of devas and asuras, the World-Honored One has manifested manifold, magnificent spiritual transformations. Of us two, Ananda and La-vân, one is the Buddha’s son and the other his attendant, who preserves the treasury of the true Dharma. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to fulfill our aspiration by bestowing predictions that we shall attain unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment.”

There were also two thousand other shravakas who had not yet eliminated all their afflictions. They rose from their seats, drew their robes aside to bare their right shoulders, joined their palms, and single-mindedly gazed upon the Buddha’s countenance, hoping to receive predictions.

The Buddha said to Ananda:

“In a future age, you will become a Buddha named Ocean-Bearer, Joy of Enlightenment and Spiritual Powers Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer in Accordance with the Dharma, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One.

“First, you must make offerings to six billion two hundred million Buddhas, reverently serve and attend upon them, preserve the true Dharma, and protect the sutras. Afterward, you will finally attain supreme perfect enlightenment. At that time, you will teach and transform twenty hundreds of thousands of innumerable devas and humans, causing them all to awaken the aspiration for unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment.

“That Buddha’s land will be pure and undefiled. Its ground will be made of blue lapis lazuli, and banners and pennants will be erected everywhere as adornments. The world will be level, without gravel, stones, mountains, hills, ravines, or caves, and the ground will be as soft as heavenly silk. That kalpa will be called Gentle Harmony, and there will be no thunder or lightning.

“That Buddha’s lifespan will truly be immeasurable and incalculable, beyond all analogy, and its limit will be impossible to reach. The disciples who receive his teaching will number billions of hundreds of thousands of myriads, beyond reckoning or conception. When Ananda becomes a Buddha, the Great Sage named Ocean-Bearer, Joy of Enlightenment and Spiritual Powers, the people of that Buddha land will possess many spiritual transformations and will surround him.

“After that Tathagata’s nirvana, the true Dharma will remain in the world for twice the length of his lifespan, and the semblance Dharma will remain for twice as long as the true Dharma. Immeasurable billions of hundreds of thousands of Buddhas throughout the ten directions will praise that Buddha’s merit.”

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke these verses of praise:

At that time, eighty thousand bodhisattvas who had only recently awakened the aspiration each thought, “How extraordinary! We have never heard of such a thing; it has never occurred before. No mention has been made of us bodhisattvas, yet Ananda, a shravaka of lesser wisdom, has received a prediction that he will attain the great path. Why is this?”

Knowing their thoughts, the World-Honored One said:

“Good men and bhikshus, listen well. The Buddha-Dharma is impartial. Good men, long ago, before the Transcending Emptiness Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Ananda had already awakened the aspiration for unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment. At present, he hears many sutras, constantly practices diligently, and attends upon me with earnest care. Through these causes and conditions, he will swiftly attain unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment and become a Supremely Perfectly Enlightened One. For the Buddha, the World-Honored One, the Venerable Ananda receives and preserves the Dharma treasury and cultivates the bodhisattva practices. He has gone forth with a lofty aspiration and accepts this entrustment for the sake of good men.”

At that time, Ananda, attending upon the Buddha, heard the vast and immeasurable meaning of the Dharma and received the Buddha’s prediction that he would become a Buddha, together with the description of his land and his former vows and practices. Joyful and delighted, he immediately recalled innumerable billions of hundreds of thousands of myriads of sutras taught by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones. He also perceived the deeds he had performed throughout innumerable kalpas in the past, and then spoke these verses of praise:

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Venerable La-vân:

“La-vân, listen well! In a future age, you will become a Buddha named Crossing by the Seven-Treasure Lotus Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer in Accordance with the Dharma, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One.

“You will make offerings to and serve as many Tathagatas as there are particles of dust in ten worlds. For those Buddhas, you will appear as their eldest son, just as you are now my son. The land, lifespan, teaching and transformation of sentient beings, manifold adornments, and purity of the Crossing by the Seven-Treasure Lotus Tathagata will be like those of Ocean-Bearer, Joy of Enlightenment and Spiritual Powers. La-vân will be the eldest son of all those Buddhas. Afterward, he will attain unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment and become a Supremely Perfectly Enlightened One.”

At that time, the Buddha spoke these verses:

At that time, Ananda and La-vân together said to the Buddha:

“We now see two thousand disciples who are shravakas in training. Their hearts are joyful as they gaze upon your honored countenance, hear the World-Honored One expound the inconceivable true Dharma, and wait expectantly.”

The World-Honored One said to Ananda and La-vân:

“Do you see those two thousand disciples who are shravakas in training?”

Ananda replied to the Buddha:

“Yes, we see them.”

The Buddha said to Ananda:

“They will together study and cultivate the Dharma of the Great Vehicle. They will make offerings to as many Tathagatas as there are particles of dust in five hundred worlds and will preserve the true Dharma. Then, in a later age, they will assemble together at the same time and afterward disperse throughout the various lands of the ten directions. They will all attain unsurpassed, true, perfect enlightenment and become Supremely Perfectly Enlightened Ones named Precious Excellence Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer in Accordance with the Dharma, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One.

“Their lifespans will each be one kalpa, and their enlightened wisdom will be equal. The numbers of their shravakas, whether great or small, will be the same without difference, and so too will their assemblies of bodhisattvas. After their nirvana, the periods during which their true Dharma remains in the world will likewise be no different.”

At that time, the Buddha spoke these verses:

At that time, the shravakas in training heard the Buddha bestow predictions upon them. Joyful and exhilarated, they praised and extolled the Buddha: