正法華經

Chapter 13: THE PRACTICE OF PEACE AND JOY

At that time, the Great Being Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! These bodhisattvas now reverently look up to the World-Honored One; in their exhortation and guidance, none can equal them. At what time, then, should they expound this sutra for all sentient beings?”

The Buddha told Mañjuśrī:

“A bodhisattva should first abide in two dharmas before expounding this sutra: the first is dignified conduct, and the second is proper decorum. What is meant by a bodhisattva’s understanding of dignified conduct? If, with a patient, gentle, and harmonious mind, one guards a fearful and unsettled mind, causing one’s resolve to become steadfast like the earth, and perceives no person; although perceiving no person, one nevertheless practices the Dharma, contemplates the quiescent character of things and the original emptiness of all dharmas, yet does not conceive of these dharmas as fixed models for the practices—this is called dignified conduct.

“What is meant by proper decorum? A bodhisattva does not attend upon or serve kings, crown princes, great ministers, or officials; does not associate with followers of non-Buddhist paths or heterodox schools; does not delight in studying secular books, praising music, or observing marriage customs; does not draw near to butchers, fishermen, net-casters, hunters of birds and beasts, or brigands; does not remain amid large gatherings devoted to music and amusements; and does not act together with bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, or upasikas who seek the attainment of a shravaka.

Nor does the bodhisattva approach them to pay homage or exchange greetings, dwell together with them, or accompany them in walking meditation, burning incense, scattering flowers, or lighting lamps, except when going together to an assembly where sutras are expounded. One may remain with them only within such an assembly, and whatever one says, one does so without attachment. This is called proper decorum.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī! A bodhisattva-mahasattva is not attached to homes, clans, or relatives, and does not become absorbed in thoughts of women while expounding the Dharma to them. Nor does the bodhisattva habitually go among crowds of children, men, women, and others and speak pleasing words about matters that ought not to be taught.

One does not expound sutras because of private intentions, nor stand together with them, make private appointments with them, or enter a house alone with any bhikshuni, unless one goes while mindful of the Tathagata’s diligence. If, because of circumstances, one expounds a sutra to women, one does not thereby defile the savor of the Dharma or prevent them from understanding it, but discusses its meaning extensively. One does not remain in the same place with shramaneras, bhikshunis, boys, or girls.

One always delights in sitting in a serene and refined place and prefers tranquil seclusion. This is called proper decorum.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī! A bodhisattva-mahasattva contemplates all dharmas as empty; yet if one rigidly clings to this, one falls into error. The ground of the noble truth constantly abides in accordance with Dharma.

One resolutely keeps body and mind from wavering, moving, retreating, or turning; relinquishes and utterly extinguishes; neither arises nor exists; is devoid of inherent nature, unconditioned, incalculable, and without anything that can be possessed; reaches non-possession; eliminates words; does not abide in the unconditioned; neither conceives nor does not conceive; and subdues all conceptions. If a bodhisattva deeply contemplates all these dharmas and earnestly cultivates what ought to be practiced, one constantly abides in these two matters: dignified conduct and proper decorum.”

The World-Honored One, wishing to elucidate this meaning once more, spoke these verses:

If a bodhisattva delights

In expounding this scripture,

Then in a future age

One must be courageous and unafraid.

Following dignified conduct and decorum,

One makes pure practices shine forth.

With kings and crown princes,

Great ministers and officials,

Followers of non-Buddhist paths and heterodox schools,

Hunters and those who cruelly harm beings,

One should restrict association

And have no dealings with them.

As for bhikshus seeking arhatship,

Except in matters of the Vinaya,

Do not approach the self-important,

And remain far from those who violate the precepts.

From bhikshus and bhikshunis

Who engage in discussions and idle talk,

And from faithful laywomen,

Remain apart and speak no useless words.

Those who now wish to attain the Dharma

Should put an end to wrongdoing,

Delighting in secluded places—

This is called dignified conduct.

If someone unwilling to come

And inquire about the path and Dharma

Is nevertheless given this teaching,

One should be fearless and unattached.

Sentient beings afflicted with leprosy,

As well as relatives and kin,

Mothers, and beautiful women—

All these one should keep at a distance.

Do not become intimate with them;

Only nurture the roots of virtue.

One should abandon commerce,

Arrogance, and irreverence.

Forsake all such dwelling places

So that the body comes to no harm.

However many kinds of sentient beings there are,

One should never eat their flesh.

Put an end to every transgression.

Those who delight in anger and resentment,

Whose dispositions are always thus—

Do not converse with them either.

Do not approach the deceitful

Or those who are willful by nature.

People of such dispositions

Should all be avoided.

When a wise person has occasion

To expound a sutra to a woman,

One must not go alone

Or linger in places of amusement.

When entering or leaving villages,

And regularly going to beg for alms,

Take a fellow bhikshu along

And always remain mindful of the Buddha.

Therefore, the Buddha first revealed

Such dignified conduct and decorum.

Whoever upholds this sutra

Must diligently put them into practice.

Those of superior, middling, or inferior capacity

Who do not practice the true Dharma—

One must sincerely

And constantly make offerings to them all.

The resolute person, free from conception,

Firmly practices with courage,

Neither cognizing all dharmas

Nor perceiving the nirvana

Of any bodhisattva—

This is called dignified conduct.

Likewise, regarding proper decorum,

One should listen and examine carefully.

I shall now expound

The unconditioned teaching:

All things do not arise,

Nor have any place of birth.

Firmly establish your resolve

And contemplate the meaning of emptiness;

This is the wise person

Who has practiced proper decorum.

A person who holds conceptions

Abides in inverted perceptions,

Taking nonexistence to be existence

And the false to be real.

Although things appear to arise,

All dharmas are unborn;

Because of mistaken conceptions,

The various states of existence arise.

The mind is always single-pointed,

Skillfully cultivating samadhi,

Establishing the cultivated practice

Like the summit of Mount Sumeru.

Abiding in this way,

One universally contemplates all dharmas:

All dharmas are

Like empty space.

They are like empty nothingness,

All lacking solidity;

There is no thought of grasping,

Nor anything to relinquish.

Dharmas have no location

And possess no permanent names;

Such is the wise person

Who has practiced proper decorum.

After I enter parinirvana,

If there is a bhikshu

Who can always preserve

Such principles,

Without timidity

And without conceptions arising in the mind,

He will expound this scripture

For innumerable people.

That wise and discerning one

Contemplates mindfully at the proper time;

If he enters a chamber,

His conduct remains the same.

Contemplating all dharmas

As entirely pure,

He calmly explains their meaning

Without being shaken.

Rulers and sovereign kings,

Together with crown princes,

Other elders,

And brahmins,

Along with their retinues,

Who wish to hear the true Dharma,

Will all make offerings to him,

Their minds entirely free from desire.

The Buddha further told Mañjuśrī:

“After the Tathagata’s parinirvana, one who wishes to teach this sutra must abide in peace and security. Having come to abide in peace and security, one should expound the sutra Dharma that one has memorized or that has been written upon bamboo or silk, with a heart free of flattery and a mind free of deception. When expounding it to others, one should not indulge in excessive words or add anything to the text, nor should one disparage other bhikshus.

As a Dharma teacher, one should neither praise nor condemn them, and should never mention by name or speak of the faults of bhikshus whose minds are otherwise inclined and who seek the attainment of a shravaka. One should never exalt oneself or speak of the faults of others, nor slander them, nor harbor resentment or hatred toward those who oppose one’s wishes. One should never disparage lay practitioners as lacking resolve or acting contrary to their vows, nor should one give rise to such conceptions.

In coming and going, one should remain firmly established in dignified conduct and proceed everywhere in this manner. Upon arriving at a Dharma assembly, one should maintain self-restraint and not lose one’s dignified bearing, and then expound the sutra Dharma. If someone asks a question, one should not answer by relying upon the shravaka teachings, but should remain apart from them.

Whatever instruction one gives should illuminate the wisdom of the Buddha.”

At that time, the Buddha spoke these verses:

The wise person always

Abides in the Buddha Way,

First sitting peacefully

Only then should one expound the Dharma of the sutra.

If a seat is to be spread,

Spread it with soft materials,

With ever so many kinds

Of beautiful adornments.

The body should always wear

Clean garments.

For four times nine days,

Practice walking meditation,

Like dark clouds

In the open sky,

Gathering and accumulating

Vast merit.

At the place of sitting,

The treasury is fully supplied;

The seat is firm,

Level, and beautiful,

With countless sitting mats

And soft woolen cushions;

The dais is dignified,

Appearing truly majestic.

Serenely ascending

The lofty, spacious Dharma seat,

Extend a mind of equanimity

Toward everyone:

Rulers and emperors,

Crown princes and great ministers,

Assemblies of bhikshus

And bhikshunis,

Good men

And good women.

According to what they wish to hear,

Expound it extensively for them;

With boundless wisdom,

Analyze it step by step,

Explaining its various

Subtle and wondrous meanings.

Those attending and serving

Ask about its principles

Of that sage of penetrating wisdom.

Furthermore, for the sake of liberation,

Enter into spiritual powers;

Be gentle and patient.

Whoever hears it

Will attain the Buddha Way.

This wise one,

For the sake of all,

Comes and goes, dispelling

Laziness and weariness.

When teaching the Dharma to the assembly,

Always employ a loving mind,

Never giving rise

To thoughts of fatigue.

Day and night, extol

The honored Dharma teachings;

Distinguish and expound them

With hundreds of thousands of millions of analogies,

Causing everyone to rejoice

In the assembly’s heart.

No one would dare

Give rise to thoughts of harm.

If offerings are received—

Various foods and drinks,

Beds and resting places,

Clothing, blankets, and pillows,

Medicines for treating illness—

Do not seek an abundance,

Nor follow the multitude

In begging for wealth.

Abandon every vexation

And dwell in the monastery,

Wishing to cause everyone

To understand the Buddha Way.

If anyone

Comes to hear the Dharma of the sutra,

I shall rejoice

And protect them in great peace.

After the Buddha’s nirvana,

If there is a bhikshu

Who proclaims the Dharma of the sutra,

Having no craving,

He will meet no obstruction

And encounter no suffering or calamity.

Always diligent,

He will remain far removed from illness;

No assembly can

Cause him fear.

He will not be beaten,

Nor will there be thoughts of slander;

His body will not grow weary,

And he will meet no adversity.

That person abides in patience

And acquires such strength.

That wise one’s

Dwelling place is peaceful and secure,

Having a place of protection,

In accordance with the Buddha’s teaching.

Even if one praised

His tens of billions of merits,

Exhaustively praising them all

Would be impossible.

The Buddha again said to Manjushri:

“After the Tathagata’s nirvana, if a bodhisattva harbors doubts about this sutra and does not understand it, and, though it is expounded and taught to him, does not patiently listen; if his nature is undisciplined and, seeing another bodhisattva seek the Great Vehicle, he regards that pursuit as a vain undertaking and slanders it; or if, on seeing shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bhikshus, bhikshunis, good men, faithful women, or bodhisattvas, his mind is hesitant and he does not immediately go to meet them—then that good man remains far from the unsurpassed, right, and true Way and cannot approach the deeds of the God Above Gods.

If, in the end, he is not aided by the power of merit, he will not become a Supremely and Perfectly Enlightened One. A bodhisattva practicing the Three Vehicles is like a lion in the forest. If hesitation arises, he naturally becomes estranged; he neither delights in what is delightful nor is he without delight.

If he cultivates loving-kindness and compassion toward sentient beings, he regards this Tathagata as a great father, remembers the bodhisattvas as he would the World-Honored One, and is gentle and respectful toward householders who have not yet escaped the defilements of the dust, properly observing the rules of courtesy. He clarifies the meanings of all dharmas, is free from doubt and bondage, carefully and firmly upholds all dharmas, remains steadfast and stable, accords with equality, and does not cling to the Dharma of the sutra.

Even when something brings the utmost joy, he does not pursue it, but day and night respectfully safeguards this sutra at his dwelling place.

“Manjushri! This is the practice of the three dharmas. When speaking, a bodhisattva first contemplates and only then speaks, thereby creating peace and security, free from affliction and harm. The one who expounds this sutra and the one who studies it are companions on the Way, each maintaining a mind of equanimity toward the other. Whether expounding or listening, those who trust and delight in this sutra, uphold and recite it, copy it upon bamboo or silk, make offerings to it, and serve it will acquire merit beyond measure.”

To establish the assembly in peace, the World-Honored One then spoke this verse:

If people are jealous,

Their hearts full of crookedness,

The Dharma teacher loves them

And never despises them.

A wise one

Forms no attachments.

Wishing to read this sutra,

He emulates and practices it.

He never slanders it

Or speaks of others’ faults,

Nor does he fall into

The errors of doubt or wrong views.

His mind is always lucid

And never submerged.

Because he cherishes sentient beings,

He attains this samadhi.

That steadfast one

Is also always patient.

He constantly restrains

Pride and arrogance,

Always expounding and reciting

The Buddha’s scriptures,

Never becoming

Weary because of this.

Whatever bodhisattvas dwell

Throughout the worlds of the ten directions,

Cherishing sentient beings

And practicing in the world,

Reverently following

And studying noble wisdom,

One should always remember them

As one’s World-Honored Ones.

Remember the Buddhas,

Whose compassion and wisdom are supreme;

Remember the bodhisattvas

As one remembers one’s mother and father.

If one seeks the Way,

One is free from sensual desire,

Casting aside attachment to self

And the mind of arrogance.

If one clearly hears

Such an image of the Dharma,

The wise

Will safeguard it themselves.

Their actions will be peaceful,

And they will always attain stability;

They will realize the fruit of Buddhahood

And save countless beings.

The Buddha again told Manjushri:

“After the Tathagata’s nirvana, if a bodhisattva-mahasattva upholds and practices this sutra and discusses it at the proper time, that bhikshu-bodhisattva must practice loving-kindness and compassion toward laypeople, renunciants, brahmins, all living beings, and practitioners of the bodhisattva path. He should always recollect those who practiced the Great Vehicle in past lives and, through skillful means, expound the meaning of ultimate truth. If listeners do not know, understand, rejoice, believe, awaken, or comprehend, he should lament to himself, ‘I must attain the unsurpassed, right, and true Way and become a Supremely and Perfectly Enlightened One, fully endowed with awe-inspiring spiritual power; only then shall I attain mastery!’

“Manjushri, you should know! I perceive these matters: After the Buddha’s nirvana, a bodhisattva has four circumstances in which he will not be troubled when expounding the Dharma. What are these four?

1. He receives the reverence of bhikshus, bhikshunis, good men, and faithful women.

2. Kings, crown princes, great ministers, officials, and the people of the land all make offerings to him when they see him.

3. Elders and brahmins all follow his teaching.

4. Countless divine spirits and devas in the sky hear him expound the sutra, and devas, dragons, ghosts, and spirits attending behind them all support and protect him.

“These are the four circumstances. Whether he enters a district or village or returns home, throughout the day and night people will come to ask about the Dharma of the sutra. If, for the sake of liberation, he distinguishes and explains the refuge toward which they should proceed, everyone will rejoice. Why is this? Manjushri, you should know that it is entirely because the Buddha has bestowed his grace and established this sutra. The Buddhas of the past, future, and present are all born from this sutra, and they all safeguard this sutra. In the Saha world, it is truly difficult to hear the chapter of the Lotus of the True Dharma or even to hear the name of this sutra.”

O Leader of the Assembly! Suppose a holy wheel-turning king possessed great power, his august virtue extending everywhere, and governed with gentleness and harmony. Other hostile kingdoms had not yet submitted, yet dared not cast covetous eyes upon his realm.

The wheel-turning king raised an army and set forth to subdue them, but the vassal rulers refused to submit and sought to resist the great kingdom. At that time, the valiant generals and soldiers exerted themselves in battle and won victory, causing their opponents to submit. The king rejoiced, considered their merits, and bestowed rewards: he granted them cities and fiefs, fields and gardens, the seven treasures, jewels, elephants and horses, vehicles, men and women, and male and female servants.

To the one whose merit was most outstanding, the king gave the luminous pearl from his topknot. Why was this? Because that minister had made the kingdom strong and prosperous and ensured the lasting flourishing of its civilization.

The Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is also thus. He is the Great Dharma King of the supreme truth. Having subdued his own mind, he teaches and transforms through the Dharma, eliminates harm through virtue, and wages battle through wisdom, subduing innumerable other assemblies of kings.

He bestows upon living beings the essential meanings of immeasurable hundreds of thousands of scriptures, never concealing them. He commands that a level fortress be built from which the armies of Mara may be seen, so that battle may be joined with them. Through the Dharma of the noble sages, he destroys lust, anger, and delusion, subdues Mara’s armies and their followers, ends the calamities of the three realms, and reaches cessation.

His deeds are swift and exceedingly valiant. Ultimately, things are neither destroyed nor truly substantial, for this world is formed from false and deceptive conditions; like all phenomena and places, everything arises through causes and conditions. Throughout all worlds, from ancient times until now, no one has believed in this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma without its ever having been expounded thoroughly.

It can be taught because of penetrating wisdom and great compassion. Like the luminous pearl in the topknot of the great holy sovereign, it is the foremost and most essential Dharma of the Blessed One. Because practitioners rely upon it to advance in cultivation, the Tathagata permits them to hear this profound and wondrous scripture.

Among all the practices taught from ancient times until now, this sutra is the most excellent Dharma for dispelling all the flowers of dependent origination. Just as the holy sovereign carefully guards the luminous pearl in his topknot and only after a very long time takes it out to bestow upon one of exceptional merit, so too does the Tathagata. Morning and evening, he has carefully guarded this supremely wondrous and flawless Dharma for a very long time until now; it stands foremost among all Dharmas.

Today, out of compassion, he expounds it extensively.

The Blessed One, wishing to restate this essential meaning, spoke these verses:

Now the Tathagata

Manifests the power of compassion;

Out of pity for sentient beings

Caught within the round of suffering

And dwelling in delusion,

He therefore distinctly teaches

This most honored scripture

For those who seek the bodhisattva Dharma,

Whether they are monastics

Or householders.

If, upon hearing this sutra

Manifested everywhere,

Their hearts give rise to fear,

They must not slander it.

At the very beginning,

When I attained Buddhahood,

I was also like the Tathagata

Here today.

If one has only just heard

This honored sutra,

One will immediately establish

Innumerable skillful means.

Like a wheel-turning king

Of mighty power,

Who battles and subdues

Other kings,

And upon victory rewards his men

With elephants, horses, chariots, and treasuries,

Also granting them fiefs,

Fortified cities and lands;

Or bestowing upon them

Precious bracelets for hands and feet,

Of wondrous colors,

Precious pure gold,

Night-shining pearls,

Mother-of-pearl and jade,

All manner of extraordinary

Rare and wondrous objects—

However many possessions there may be,

He bestows them all,

Causing everyone

To rejoice in amazement.

Seeing a meritorious deed

Unprecedented and marvelous,

At last he loosens his hair

And gives away the luminous pearl.

The Buddha is also thus.

Now, as the Dharma King,

With the power of patience

And the boundless voice of wisdom,

He constantly practices loving-kindness,

Undertaking deeds of deliverance,

And through the Dharma teaches and transforms

The entire world.

Seeing sentient beings

Afflicted by calamity, sorrow, and distress,

He expounds revered Dharmas

Numbering in the hundreds of millions and thousands.

Clearly understanding sentient beings

And which skillful means suit them,

He teaches what they now

Regard as ultimate.

At that time, the Dharma King,

The Supreme Holy One,

Distinctly expounds scriptures

In hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions.

Because he knows that sentient beings

Possess strong wisdom and resolve,

He therefore teaches this sutra,

Like the pearl within his topknot.

In the age of the final Dharma,

Wherever this sutra is found,

All other scriptures

Cannot compare with it.

When the wise hear it,

They revere this sutra,

Never regarding it lightly,

And deeply know and practice it.

When the wise and discerning hear

The Dharma I expound,

Such shall be the semblance Dharma.

After the Buddha’s nirvana,

They shall rely upon it.

Whoever resolves to seek

This honored path

Shall all receive predictions of Buddhahood,

Just as the Buddha has taught.

Such people shall never

Have the defilement of desire;

They shall be free from illness

And every calamity.

Later,

In a future age,

They shall attain

Unsurpassed true wisdom,

Supremely excellent and wondrous,

Complete in every respect.

All four assemblies

Shall also encounter it.

If anyone hears it,

Eliminates the outflows,

Praises the unconditioned Dharma,

And joins their palms in reverence,

Their body shall shine brightly

And radiate brilliant light.

By reverently upholding this sutra,

They shall attain such things.

Having attained perfect enlightenment

And then turned the Dharma wheel,

Their vision shall be vast and profound,

And their realization supreme.

In dreams they shall hear and see

The hundred marks of merit,

Golden in color,

And the sutra spoken by the Buddha.

After hearing it,

They shall teach it to the assembly,

And together with all their relatives,

They shall be fully endowed with everything.

They shall further receive protection

And cast off all things.

As though awakening from a dream,

Having seen such things,

They shall abandon and distance themselves from all,

Leave the household life, and practice the Way.

They shall all reach

The Buddha’s place of enlightenment,

Which is precisely

The lion’s Dharma seat.

Thus, in seeking the Way,

They shall obtain benefit.

All kinds of the seven treasures

Shall be assembled there.

As they cultivate, they shall serve

The supreme Tathagata.

Having attained the Buddha Way,

They shall preserve the tradition and propagate it,

Immediately turning the Dharma wheel

Free from all outflows.

For the disciples,

They shall expound the Dharma of the sutras,

Which is inconceivable.

Throughout thousands of millions of kalpas,

They shall distinctly explain and teach

The undefiled Dharma,

Teaching and transforming innumerable

Myriads of millions of sentient beings.

In dreams they shall behold

Phenomena such as these.

At the proper time, they shall enter nirvana,

With no further birth and death.

Leader of the Assembly, you should know:

Those whose minds are set upon the Way

And who have been taught and transformed

Are too numerous to count.

In the age of the final Dharma,

They shall seek this honored Dharma,

Expound it broadly and distinctly,

And explain it with complete freedom.

Chapter 14: BODHISATTVAS EMERGING FROM THE EARTH

At that time, from other worlds, there came eight Ganges-sands of bodhisattva-mahasattvas, adorned in extraordinary attire. They approached the Buddha, bowed their heads to the ground, knelt upright, joined their palms, and addressed the Blessed One:

“We coarse and unrefined ones have hurried to this Saha world because we wish to hear this sutra, receive and uphold it, recite it, copy it, diligently make offerings to it, and preserve it in accordance with the Dharma. We beseech the Great Sage to extend compassion toward us. After the Tathagata enters nirvana, we shall propagate this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma everywhere.”

The Blessed One said:

“Enough, good men! You should not give rise to such a thought. Here in this Endurance world there are naturally eight Ganges sands of Great Beings, and each Great Being has a retinue of Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas numbering as many as six billion Ganges sands.

In the future, during the final age, they will all accept, uphold, and extensively proclaim this sutra.” At that time, throughout this Buddha-world, countless hundreds of thousands of millions of assemblies of bodhisattvas naturally gathered like clouds. Their countenances were extraordinarily beautiful, and their golden bodies were adorned with the thirty-two marks. From the realm below, they protected and sustained the earth element and its people.

Their cultivation of the Way was entirely dependent upon this Endurance world; therefore, upon hearing the Buddha’s voice proclaiming the Lotus Sutra, they suddenly emerged from the realm below. Each bodhisattva had a following of sixty billion Ganges sands of bodhisattvas, all of one mind, their conduct in no way differing. Some came with hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas amounting to half the sands of the Ganges;

others with one-fortieth of the sands of the Ganges, one-fiftieth of the sands of the Ganges, one-hundredth of the sands of the Ganges, one-five-hundredth of the sands of the Ganges, one-thousandth of the sands of the Ganges, one-hundred-thousandth of the sands of the Ganges, or one part in a billion hundreds of thousands of the sands of the Ganges—all coming together as companions.

Others came with retinues of countless billions of hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas. Some came with two hundred thousand practitioners of the bodhisattva path; some had retinues of one hundred thousand; some had a thousand followers, five hundred followers, four hundred followers, three hundred followers, two hundred followers, one hundred followers, fifty followers, forty followers, thirty followers, twenty followers, ten followers, five followers, four followers, three followers, two followers, or one follower; and some came alone.

Their numbers were beyond all reckoning and difficult to express by analogy. Some emerged from the earth, some descended from above, and some came from the four directions. They all arrived in this Endurance world and remained in midair.

The bodhisattvas saw the World-Honored One Many Treasures, who had entered nirvana, and the Great Sage Shakyamuni seated together upon the lion throne beneath the tree of seven treasures. They immediately bowed their heads and paid homage to the two Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, circumambulated them three times to the right, and withdrew to stand to one side. Some bodhisattvas made offerings of innumerable excellent and wondrous articles, praised the two World-Honored Ones, and extolled all Buddhas from beginningless time until the present.

Even if they were given a full fifty intermediate kalpas, they could not completely recount the arduous practices of Buddha Shakyamuni; the same was true of the other Buddhas. The fourfold assembly in the Dharma gathering had nothing further to say and therefore also remained silent.

At that time, the World-Honored One immediately manifested spiritual powers in visible forms, enabling the fourfold assembly to behold them all; he also caused them to recollect and understand this Endurance world. Each of the bodhisattvas in midair protected and sustained hundreds of thousands of Buddha-lands. The assemblies of bodhisattvas completely filled hundreds of thousands of Buddha-lands.

Furthermore, within that great assembly were four bodhisattvas regarded as its foremost leaders. Their names were Bodhisattva Varied Conduct, Bodhisattva Immeasurable Conduct, Bodhisattva Pure Conduct, and Bodhisattva Establishing Conduct. Among the immeasurable bodhisattvas, as numerous as motes of dust, who had gathered like clouds at this great assembly, they were supreme.

At that time, these four Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, together with the inconceivably vast assembly, all stood motionless before the World-Honored One, joined their palms, and said:

“Great Sage, World-Honored One! Is your holy body strong and well? Have all illnesses ceased? Is your practice peaceful and joyful? Do all sentient beings faithfully observe the precepts? Do they dwell at ease, free from vexation? Have the myriad beings avoided falling into perilous pits?”

At that time, the four Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas offered praise in verse:

Hero of the world, radiating light,

Is your practice peaceful and secure?

You deliver those now present;

Are all your activities free from affliction?

Sentient beings plant wholesome causes

And will surely enjoy pure fruits.

They no longer become weary,

But reverently accept the World-Honored One’s command.

The World-Honored One then addressed the great assembly of bodhisattvas:

“Good men! The Buddha’s practice is peaceful and secure, free from illness and calamity. All people follow the precepts, diligently study the teaching of the Way, and dare not grow weary, for they wish to attain purity and adornment. Why is this? Because, in the distant past, these sentient beings awakened alike. Their practice was that of shravakas; they believed in and delighted in my Dharma and entered the Buddha’s wisdom. Furthermore, although they were all students of the Way of the Three Vehicles and abided in the Shravaka Vehicle, I taught and transformed them all, leading them into the Buddha’s great wisdom.”

At that time, the bodhisattvas rejoiced and spoke this verse:

Excellent, O World-Honored One!

We all rejoice in and assist this work.

You have enabled even a single sentient being

To practice well the wondrous discipline.

Desiring to hear the Great Sage

Teach us the profound essentials,

Having heard, we joyfully believe

And enter the Dharma as an offering.

The World-Honored One then praised the bodhisattvas in the assembly:

“Excellent, excellent! Good men, it is just as you have said. Whatever the Tathagata teaches accords with skillful expedients and does not depart from the essential purport.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Maitreya and eight hundred million Ganges sands of bodhisattvas raised their voices together in praise, chanting:

From ancient times until now,

Never have we heard or seen

Such an unprecedented event:

Assemblies of great bodhisattvas

Springing forth from the earth,

Abiding before the World-Honored One,

Serving him and taking refuge.

From where have all

Those bodhisattvas come?

Maitreya, knowing the thoughts of the eight hundred million Ganges sands of bodhisattvas, immediately joined his palms and questioned the Buddha in verse:

Never before have we seen such bodhisattvas,

Countless billions of hundreds of thousands;

Though one counted for a billion years,

One could not exhaust their number.

They have come before the Honored One of Twofold Perfection;

Why are they so numerous?

From where have they come to this place?

Possessing spiritual powers and bodies tall and great,

All are resolute in aspiration,

Great Sages, courageous and mighty,

Upright, handsome, and worthy of reverence.

From where have they now come?

The World-Honored One beholds them all:

These wise bodhisattvas,

Together with their countless retinues,

Are like the sands of the Ganges.

Their number exceeds the river’s sands;

They are fully endowed with the Buddha’s Dharma and teachings.

These bodhisattvas and their retinues

Have all attained the path of perfect enlightenment.

Such outstanding beings

Have gathered like clouds to worship the Great Sage.

There are as many as sixty

Hundred thousand Ganges sands,

And their number is greater still,

With retinues beyond all counting.

Some number five hundred Ganges sands,

Or four hundred, or three hundred,

Or two hundred Ganges sands;

The multitude is likewise vast.

When their number is compared with this,

It is five or ten times greater.

All these retinues

Are disciples of the Great Sage.

From where have these assemblies come,

Arriving before the Teacher of the Way?

Some number four, three, or two,

Or one Ganges sand;

All have come here,

And their companions are all well trained.

Their number is beyond reckoning;

Apart from those mentioned above,

Even in hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas,

They could not all be gathered and counted.

Some number half the sands of the Ganges,

Or thirty, twenty, or ten;

These entire assemblies have established their conduct.

These discerning bodhisattvas

All abide in midair;

Their number cannot be measured,

And they appear distinctly, unobstructed.

For billions of kalpas they have practiced purity,

As have countless other groups,

Together with innumerable retinues—

Billions upon billions, exceeding even billions.

Some groups number half a billion,

Or twenty, or ten,

Or five, four, three, or two;

These beings and their retinues

Cannot all be calculated.

Each cultivates on his own,

Tranquil and delighting in the Way,

Silent and still as empty space.

Many have also come alone;

Though one counted for Ganges sands of kalpas,

No one could enumerate them.

From monasteries and pure chambers,

They have come from every direction;

All devas and sacred spirits

Have come for the sake of the World-Honored One.

From where have these courageous bodhisattvas

So suddenly come?

Who expounded the sutras to them?

Who established them on the Buddha’s path?

What doctrine and meaning were revealed to them?

What practices of a Buddha were established for them?

Their subtle conduct is entirely worthy of reverence;

They have come from all four directions.

Through the power of the divine eye,

Their great wisdom has suddenly appeared.

In worlds that once were empty,

The Mighty Sage has caused them to be filled

With virtuous and worthy bodhisattvas,

Who have arrived here of themselves.

Since the time I was born until now,

I have never seen such a thing.

Please tell us of their lands;

May the Great Sage declare all their names.

They have come here from the ten directions,

All endowed with the eighteen distinctive qualities.

Never before have I seen

Bodhisattvas such as these.

I am the foremost disciple,

Yet have never heard or seen this before.

How many are assembled here today?

May the Mighty Sage clearly explain.

These bodhisattvas are numberless,

Hundreds of thousands of kotis beyond measure,

Countless thousands of kotis without limit—

Where do they come from?

These courageous bodhisattvas,

Whose resolve cannot be fathomed,

And whose practices are such as these—

May the Great Hero tell us.

At that time, in the worlds of other directions, countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, had come from throughout the ten directions to the place of the Buddha Mighty Sage to encourage the preaching of the Dharma. They were all seated upon lion thrones beneath trees of the seven treasures. The attendants of those Tathagatas saw innumerable bodhisattvas, rank upon rank and layer upon layer, miraculously appearing within the great assembly and springing forth from the earth. They all rose and asked their respective Buddhas:

“From where have these bodhisattva-mahasattvas come, so immeasurable and boundless in number?”

At that time, those Buddhas each told their attendants:

“Good men! Wait a moment. There is a bodhisattva named Maitreya, to whom the Tathagata Mighty Sage has given a prediction that he will attain the unsurpassed, true, and perfect enlightenment and become a Supremely Perfectly Enlightened One. After he himself asks Mighty Sage about this wondrous matter, the Buddha will clearly distinguish and explain its meaning and purport. You should all remain silent and listen single-mindedly.”

The Buddha then addressed the Mahasattva Maitreya:

“Excellent, Ajita! The matter you ask about is exceedingly subtle, profound, and difficult to fathom. Listen well, listen well, for I shall now explain it! All the bodhisattvas and others in this Dharma assembly possess firm and powerful strength of mind regarding bodhicitta and will penetrate the Tathagata’s exceedingly profound wisdom and insight. These Great Sages have established immeasurable states of realization and possess mastery in meditative concentration and wisdom according to their aspirations. It is impossible to enumerate them all in order to analyze and explain them, and their skillful means of teaching and transformation are likewise unlimited.”

At that time, the Buddha spoke these verses:

Good men,

Listen to the Buddha’s path.

I shall now proclaim

The wisdom of peace and bliss.

Those who clearly comprehend it

Will rejoice in delight.

The Tathagata’s wisdom

Is inconceivable.

You must all make your resolve steadfast

And keep your minds firm,

Establishing an unwavering aspiration

With single-minded impartiality.

A Great Sage is difficult to encounter;

Out of compassion for the world,

Now listen and receive

This unprecedented Dharma.

The Buddha shall establish

All of you within it.

None of you should

Give rise to doubt.

The Dharma taught by the Guiding Teacher

Is never otherwise.

His impartial wisdom

Brings peace without partiality.

Abiding in it, he heals beings

With the exceedingly profound Dharma,

Which the mind cannot conceive

And whose measure cannot be limited.

I shall now explain

Its boundless causes and conditions.

All of you, listen

And know where they lead.

After the World-Honored One had spoken these verses, he addressed Maitreya:

“Ajita! I declare to you all that these immeasurable and inconceivable assemblies of bodhisattva-mahasattvas, who sprang forth from beneath the earth and had never before been seen in this World of Forbearance, were encouraged by me, when I first attained the unsurpassed, true, and perfect enlightenment and became a Supremely Perfectly Enlightened One, to abide in the stage of non-retrogression. I enabled them to accomplish the great path, transmitting the teaching to them, transforming them, and firmly establishing them.

Good man! These assemblies of bodhisattva-mahasattvas dwell in the region below and within that realm. They protect and preserve the scriptures, recite and praise them, contemplate them in meditative concentration, and diligently examine their ultimate purport.

They rejoice with gladness and delight in the practice of the unconditioned. Good men! Their dispositions are tranquil and gentle, making no distinction between those near and those far.

Among devas and humans, they constantly devote themselves to cultivation, turn the inconceivable Dharma wheel of the unconditioned, delight in profound spiritual powers, take joy in the bliss of the Dharma, advance diligently in their aspirations, and seek the wisdom of the Buddha.”

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

Now these numberless

Assemblies of bodhisattvas

Are inconceivable

And immeasurable.

They have performed countless practices,

Beyond all calculation,

Developed spiritual powers,

And vastly expanded their wisdom.

I have encouraged them all

Upon the path of the Great Sage.

Now all the Buddhas

Bestow predictions upon them.

These bodhisattvas

Are disciples of the Buddha.

They all dwell here

Within my land,

Having abandoned and departed far from

Their former abodes.

Throughout every place,

They abide in tranquil liberation.

These children of the Buddha

Practice the unconditioned,

Diligently cultivating and learning

In accordance with the supreme path.

These wise sages

Dwelling in the region below

Have now come here

To safeguard this land.

Day and night they diligently advance,

Neither heedless nor arrogant.

They accumulate virtuous conduct,

Discern the Buddha’s path,

Always cultivate diligently,

And establish the power of wisdom.

They are all steadfast,

Beyond all measure,

Courageous in resolve,

And contemplative of the scriptural Dharma.

They are all my children,

Who have attained purity.

When I first accomplished

The path to enlightenment,

Whether within a city

Or dwelling in a forest,

I expounded to them all

The unsurpassed Dharma wheel,

Encouraging them to establish their resolve

Upon the honored path of Buddhahood.

What the Buddha now declares

Is utterly sincere and undefiled.

Hearing the Buddha praise them,

You should all faithfully accept it.

I taught, transformed, and inspired

These finest ones,

And long ago

Established them upon the true path.

At that time, the Mahasattva Maitreya heard the Buddha speak of those incalculable hundreds of thousands of kotis of great bodhisattvas. Astonishment arose in his mind at this unprecedented wonder. He then addressed the World-Honored One:

“World-Honored One! When the World-Honored One was still a crown prince in the palace of the Shakya king at Kapilavastu, you cast aside the royal throne and the pleasures of the palace women to leave the household life. Seated beneath the tree at the place of enlightenment, you attained the unsurpassed, true, and perfect enlightenment and became a Supremely Perfectly Enlightened One.

Since then, not much time has passed—only forty years. How, then, can those you have taught, transformed, and delivered be immeasurable in number? Moreover, you have revealed and expanded the realm of the Buddhas, instructed and transformed so many beings, and established inconceivable skillful wisdom.

All the great bodhisattvas in today’s Dharma assembly were guided by the Tathagata. Rank upon rank and layer upon layer, these immeasurable assemblies have long cultivated pure conduct, planted roots of merit, and made offerings to countless hundreds of thousands of Buddhas. Even if one wished to calculate the time required for such accomplishments, it would extend over innumerable kalpas.”

Maitreya continued:

– I wish to present a small analogy: Suppose there were a young man twenty-five years of age, with glossy black hair, a youthful countenance, and fine attire, dignified and clean in appearance. His heart was constantly troubled. On seeing a hundred-year-old man, he declared himself to be that man's father and said: “Good man, come here! You are my son.” That hundred-year-old man likewise regarded the twenty-five-year-old man as his father. The father, having examined and recognized him, personally declared: “He is my son.” The Blessed One is likewise: worldly people do not believe such a thing, yet he causes them to believe. The Buddha is also thus: it has not been long since he attained Buddhahood, yet now there are so many hundreds of thousands of kotis of bodhisattvas who have cultivated pure conduct and long relied upon the path of wisdom, teaching and transforming immeasurable beings. At present they thoroughly comprehend meditative concentration, establish skillful means, attain great supernormal powers, possess keen intelligence and wisdom, abide on the Buddha-ground, cultivate the Buddha's wisdom, and establish the Buddha's powers—things rarely found in the world. In the distant past, the Blessed One also taught and transformed beings such as these, guiding them and establishing them on the bodhisattva-ground. They will attain the unsurpassed, right, and true path, realize perfect enlightenment, practice every skillful means, and complete the work to be done. I now acknowledge and believe this to be true; having investigated it thoroughly, I have passed judgment upon and analyzed its meaning. Yet, O Tathagata, bodhisattvas newly entered upon the training still harbor doubts and do not clearly understand this. Therefore, after the Tathagata's nirvana, when they hear this scripture, they will certainly not believe it. Because of their doubts, they will neither follow this Dharma nor delight in it, and they will reap the recompense of wrongdoing. Excellent, O Blessed One! I beseech you to explain this clearly for those who harbor doubts concerning this scripture, so that in the future, during the age of the final Dharma, those studying the Mahayana, should they hear this sutra, may be free from doubt.

At that time the Great Being Maitreya, before the Blessed One, spoke these verses of praise:

Suppose there were a man

Who now begot an aged son.

The Sage, supremely holy,

Was born within the royal palace,

Relinquished the royal throne,

And attained the Buddha-path.

He has only just become the Teacher of the Way,

With but a few disciples,

Yet all those gathered here

Are irreversible ones.

For countless kalpas

They have delivered sentient beings.

Their powers and supernormal abilities

Abide firm and unmoving.

In cultivating and studying wisdom,

They have all entered its depths.

Now they have come to this place,

Opening and clearing the way here.

Like lotuses in the water,

They are wholly undefiled and unattached.

Their awesome spiritual power is supreme,

Their resolve transcends the world.

All join their palms

And stand solemnly and still.

The assemblies of bodhisattvas

Have such an appearance;

How can this be so?

Who would believe such a thing?

I beseech the Great Sage,

Out of compassion, to reveal it,

Clearly distinguishing

Its true meaning.

Suppose there were a man

In the prime of his youth,

Still young in years,

With beautiful black hair.

That person's age

Was only twenty-five,

Yet he was able to beget

A hundred-year-old man,

To nurture and bathe him,

And provide food and clothing at the proper times,

Calling him his son

And cherishing him beyond measure.

No one in the entire world

Would believe

That a son still young

Could beget a son advanced in years.

The Blessed One is likewise.

If I am not mistaken,

Countless bodhisattvas

Have assembled here,

Valiant and wise,

Fearless in every way.

For countless kotis of kalpas,

Their training has remained steadfast.

Their resolve is discerning and wise;

They have penetrated their aim.

Their awesome spiritual power soars aloft,

And they display splendid marks.

Their minds are courageous,

And they clearly understand the Dharma's principles.

They are heroic lions of the world;

Those who see them inquire about them.

They fittingly dwell secluded on lofty mountains,

Purely cultivating liberation.

Like the realm of empty space,

They are obstructed by nothing.

Diligent in meditative concentration,

They are firmly established.

Their hearts and aspirations seek

To accomplish the Buddha-path.

Yet who

Will believe these words

After the Teacher of the Way

Has entered nirvana?

Concerning this matter,

I no longer harbor doubt.

In the Buddha's presence,

The bodhisattvas hear it,

But even here and now,

Beginners are bewildered.

So that no bodhisattva

May fall into an evil path,

How should they be instructed

And brought to deliverance?

I beseech the Blessed One

To explain this distinctly.

Chapter 15: THE TATHAGATA REVEALS THE LENGTH OF HIS LIFE

At that time the Blessed One addressed the entire great assembly of bodhisattvas three times:

– Good men! You should all believe the Tathagata's true and certain words of instruction and harbor no doubt.

At that time the Great Being Maitreya and the others in the assembly joined their palms and addressed the Blessed One:

– We beseech the Great Sage to distinguish and explain it. We all believe the teachings spoken by the Tathagata.

The bodhisattvas likewise addressed the Blessed One in this manner three times.

At that time, the Blessed One saw that the bodhisattvas had spoken three times in encouragement, desiring the Buddha to proclaim this teaching. The Buddha said to the bodhisattvas:

– Listen well, listen well, and reflect upon it carefully!

They all replied:

– Yes, indeed!

The Buddha said:

– Good men! The Tathagata has established such a realm of boundless power. All devas, nagas, spirits, asuras, and people of the world know and think to themselves: “The Blessed One, the Sage, was born into the Sakya clan, relinquished the royal throne, went to the riverbank, sat beneath the tree at the place of enlightenment, attained the unsurpassed, right, and true path, and became the Supremely Perfectly Enlightened One.” Yet long ago, hundreds of thousands of kotis and nayutas of countless kalpas in the past, I had already attained the fruit of true and universal perfect enlightenment. Suppose there were five hundred thousand kotis of Buddha-lands, all filled with particles of dust. If someone took those particles and traveled eastward through hundreds of thousands of kotis and nayutas of incalculable Buddha-lands, depositing one particle in each place, then continued in sequence, depositing one particle in every land passed, until all the dust particles from those five hundred thousand kotis of countless Buddha-lands had been scattered throughout the Buddha-lands and entirely exhausted—good men, what do you think? Would anyone be capable of counting the number of those Buddha-lands, or of knowing it through reflection and calculation?

The Great Being Maitreya and the assemblies of bodhisattvas in the Dharma assembly all addressed the Buddha:

– O Deva above devas! No one could count them. Why is this? Because the worlds of the Buddhas are immeasurably numerous and inconceivable, beyond what the mind can know. Even if all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas possessed the wisdom of noble sages, they still could not conceive of or know that number. Only the wisdom of the Great Sage, the Blessed One, could know it; no one else could do so. Even we bodhisattvas at the stage of non-retrogression cannot know it. The worlds of the Buddhas here are beyond calculation and have no limit.

At that time the Blessed One addressed the great assembly:

– Good men! I shall now tell you. That person took all the dust particles from five hundred thousand kotis and nayutas of incalculable Buddha-lands and, traveling eastward, deposited one particle in each place. Continuing in sequence, he deposited one particle in every land he passed. In this manner, he took all the particles of dust from those five hundred thousand kotis of countless Buddha-lands and scattered them throughout the Buddha-lands until they were entirely exhausted. Since I attained the unsurpassed, right, and true path and became the Supremely Perfectly Enlightened One, the number of kalpas that has elapsed far exceeds a number of kalpas equal to those dust particles.

Good men! You see me teaching the Dharma in this Saha world, and I also manifest in hundreds of thousands of kotis and nayutas of Buddha-lands in other directions, where all call me the Tathagata, the True and Universally Perfectly Enlightened One. The Tathagata Dipankara manifested entry into nirvana for the sake of countless companions.

Good men! Through skillful and expedient means, I expound the scriptures and manifest countless auspicious signs. The Tathagata also knows the origins, comings and goings, departures and dwellings of all sentient beings. He fully observes their minds and manifests in accordance with conditions. All these are merely designations: though not entering nirvana, he declares that he has attained nirvana; and in accordance with the wholesome and unwholesome dispositions of sentient beings, he expounds countless methods for their sake.

Good men! I perceive the innumerable differing dispositions and natures of beings, their dissimilar conduct, and their shallow and meager roots of virtue, which for the most part have been impaired. Because they are unwilling to believe and listen, I therefore expound the teaching for them.

O bhiksus! If one were to reckon from what came before to what came after, it would seem that I only recently left the household life and attained Perfect and Impartial Enlightenment, that I had only just attained the unsurpassed, right, and true Way and become the Supremely and Perfectly Enlightened One. Yet it has been an exceedingly long time since the Tathagata attained Buddhahood, though as an expedient means I say that I attained Buddhahood only recently.

Why is this? It is because I wish to guide beings to liberation. Wherever beings can be taught the sutra, they have all been delivered and liberated; wherever the teaching can be expounded, I manifest a body to open the path and show the way for all, and also for gods and humans who delight in producing karmic merit and demerit.

Therefore, everything the Tathagata expounds is certain, sincere, and not false. The Tathagata completely sees all three realms and manifests transformations according to conditions: there is no activity, no arising, no turning, no cessation, no real existence, no present existence, nor any original nonbeing; there is no knowing, no suchness, neither reality nor falsity, and there are no three realms. In the Tathagata’s activity, he does not perceive the existence of the three realms.

The Tathagata universally contemplates all dharmas and, wherever he may be, never loses sight of them. All that he teaches is utterly sincere and never false. The sufferings and afflictions of beings are beyond reckoning; they produce so many differing dispositions, thoughts, and conceptions.

Because I wish to cause beings to plant roots of merit and virtue, I teach and distinguish innumerable Dharma teachings.

Furthermore, everything the Tathagata had to do has already been accomplished. It has been an exceedingly long time since he realized the present fruit of Buddhahood and attained the fruit of Perfect Enlightenment. His lifespan is immeasurable, and he eternally abides without passing away. The Tathagata has no need to repeat what was said at the beginning concerning that former time in the past when he practiced the bodhisattva path in order to fulfill the full measure of his lifespan.

Furthermore, the time since the Tathagata attained the fruit of Buddhahood is many hundreds of thousands of kotis of millions of times longer than in the preceding analogy. Only afterward will he enter nirvana. Why is this?

For the sake of teaching beings, he manifests having cultivated the path for an exceedingly long time. He does so for those devoid of virtue and far removed from merit, for the impoverished who cling to sensual desire, are bound in the net of views, obscure themselves, and rush about without stability. For their sake the Tathagata manifests himself, causing them to give rise to the aspiration to attain realization swiftly, so that they do not become indolent or anxiously suppose attainment to be difficult.

Through skillful means the Tathagata tells the bhiksus: “Only through diligent and arduous cultivation can the fruit of Buddhahood be attained; this is true and not false.” Because beings pass through innumerable hundreds of thousands of kotis of millions of kalpas before seeing the Tathagata, because their conduct is hasty and improper, and because they remain continually fearful without bringing it to an end, he therefore says that the Buddhadharma is difficult to hear and the Tathagata difficult to encounter.

Since seeing and hearing him are so exceedingly difficult, they conceive the thought that he is difficult to encounter. Sorrow and joy mingle within them; knowing that a Buddha is exceedingly rare, they arouse a courageous resolve, delight in secluded places, and cultivate diligently. Because they do not see the Buddha, a thirsting reverence arises in them.

When they see the Tathagata, they rejoice, bow in homage, and create all manner of merit and virtue. Those who have not attained cessation are taught and transformed so that they attain cessation, and all people are instructed and guided. Therefore, the Tathagata appears, expounds the sutra, and speaks words that are certain, true, and not false.

Suppose there were an intelligent and wise physician, of incomparable ability, skilled in preparing medicinal prescriptions, who knew whether illnesses were grave or slight and treated each with the proper medicine. He had many children, perhaps ten, or even as many as a hundred. He traveled to a distant place, while his children remained at home.

Knowing nothing of medical principles, unskilled in medicinal prescriptions, and unable to recognize poison, they became gravely ill after mistakenly drinking a poisonous drug. The poison took effect, and they grew delirious, reeling and writhing upon the ground. Their father returned from afar and found the children in the city with their minds confused.

Seeing his children afflicted by illness, the father felt compassion for them. When the children saw their father return, they rejoiced and said of their own accord: “Our father has returned! How fortunate and reassuring this is!

Because we mistakenly trusted another’s words, we drank a poisonous drug. We beseech you, Father, to save our lives.” At that time, seeing his children suffering calamity and distress and writhing upon the ground, the father ordered medicine to be brought. Its color was exceedingly fine, and its fragrance and flavor were delightful.

The father compounded the medicines, gave them to his children, and instructed them: “Quickly drink this excellent medicine, whose fragrance and flavor are delightful. If you drink it, the poison will be eliminated, your illness will immediately be cured, your bodies will be at ease, and your strength and vitality will be restored.” Those children whose minds had not been disturbed by delusion saw that the medicine was fragrant, tasted its flavor, and immediately drank it.

At once they recovered, and the poison was eliminated. Those children whose dispositions had become deranged refused to take the medicine. The children who drank it and recovered all said, “Because our father gave us this medicine, we have been cured and restored to well-being.” But the children afflicted by distorted perceptions refused to drink it, for when they saw the medicine’s color, they disliked its fragrance and flavor.

The father thought: “These children of mine are now foolish and ignorant. Their dispositions have become deranged, and they refuse to take the medicine. Their illness does not abate, and I fear they will die.

I must now employ an expedient device to induce them to take it.” Having thought this, he devised an expedient means, wishing to make his children drink the medicine quickly. He told them: “I am now old and feeble and will die before long. You must make every effort to rise.

If I die, you should use this medicine to cure your many illnesses. Remember this well and take the medicine in the proper dosage. If you are weary of illness and wish to attain well-being, you should take this medicine.” After instructing his children, the father departed for another country and sent back the false report that he had died.

When the children heard that their father had died, they grieved and wept, and their sorrow was beyond measure: “Our father was intelligent and wise, but because we treated his counsel lightly and did not take the medicine, he has now died, leaving us brothers alone and bereft.” They remembered him, became distressed, and reproached themselves for not following their father’s instruction. They then acted according to the directions he had left them, carefully examined the medicine’s color, fragrance, and flavor, and treated themselves without daring to be careless.

They immediately drank the medicine to eliminate the source of their illness, and their illness at once abated. When the father saw that his children had taken the medicine and recovered from their illness, he immediately returned home.

The Buddha said:

– Good men! That physician skillfully employed an expedient means to cure his children of their illness. Should his conduct be censured as improper?

The bodhisattvas addressed the Buddha:

– No, World-Honored One! No, O Securely Abiding One!

The Buddha said:

– For innumerable hundreds of thousands of kotis of incalculable kalpas, I have brought forth the resolve to seek the unsurpassed, right, and true Way. Enduring immeasurable hardship, I have constantly practiced skillful means, manifesting in order to teach, transform, reveal, and awaken living beings. That physician-father is none other than the Tathagata, while his children are living beings undergoing birth and death in the five destinies. The father’s absence while away in another place is an analogy for the Tathagata not yet having appeared in the world. The children entering the city, drinking poison, and writhing upon the ground is an analogy for living beings bound by the three poisons, wandering through the three realms and five destinies, unable to save themselves. The father’s return is an analogy for the Tathagata’s practice of great loving-kindness and compassion. Seeing living beings in the three realms revolving through the five destinies, unable to free themselves, he therefore appears in the world, extensively teaches the sutras and Dharma, and enlightens and transforms living beings. Taking the medicine and being cured is an analogy for bringing forth the resolve to seek the unsurpassed, right, and true Way and abiding in the stages of non-retrogression and non-arising, or attaining the state of a sravaka or pratyekabuddha without reaching the ultimate. Examining the medicine’s color, fragrance, and flavor but refusing to take it is an analogy for the sixty-two views that fall into wrong views. The aged father leaving the medicine behind, instructing his children, and then departing is an analogy for the Buddha, seeing living beings doubt the teaching of the Way, manifesting entry into nirvana and leaving behind the sutras and Dharma to teach and transform later generations. The disciples of the four assemblies recite and study them, recollect the Buddha’s merit and virtue, and bring forth the resolve to seek the Great Way; some attain arhatship, while others attain the state of a pratyekabuddha. Seeing this, the Buddha appears in the world once again. All beings throughout the world are my children.

Good men! The Tathagata’s exercise of provisional skillful means is not falsehood.

At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke these verses:

Hundreds of thousands of kotis of kalpas,

Beyond all conception;

Though one wished to know their number,

It could not be known.

Since the Supremely Honored Great Sage

Attained the Way,

He has constantly taught the sutras,

Never once ceasing,

Encouraging and assisting

Innumerable bodhisattvas,

So that all may securely abide

In the Buddha’s wisdom of the Way.

For innumerable kotis of kalpas

He has guided living beings;

Throughout thousands of kotis of kalpas,

Beyond all conception,

For their sake he has manifested

The state of nirvana,

In order to teach and transform them

And show them the beneficial path.

Employing provisional skillful means,

He manifests entry into nirvana;

Thus, for the sake of living beings,

He expounds this sutra.

I have established

All living beings,

Explaining it to them distinctly

So that they may clearly understand its meaning.

Because their minds are confused and inverted,

They do not understand;

Wishing to establish them securely,

The Buddha therefore proclaims the teaching.

If, after the Buddha’s nirvana,

They are able to encounter him,

They make offerings to him

With all manner of objects.

Seeing me enter nirvana,

They grieve and worry;

If they see the Buddha again,

They rejoice with joyful vigor.

Suppose I were to speak directly,

Uttering these most sincere words:

“O living beings,

I shall temporarily relinquish this body.”

Thereafter, the Tathagata

Constantly manifests himself,

Employing every kind of voice

To expound the Buddha Way.

People of later generations

Will discern these words:

I am still present among them

And have not entered nirvana.

Bhiksus should understand

The Buddha’s provisional skillful means:

Ever patient and forbearing,

He appears in the world,

Together with his assembly,

Surrounded by his retinue,

And thereby proclaims and extols

The honored Buddha Way.

When you worthy ones hear

That the Buddha has appeared in the world,

Become the Guiding Teacher,

And entered the realm of quiescent extinction,

He observes living beings

Grieving and afflicted,

Distraught because they cannot behold

His excellent marks,

Thirsting and longing

To see the Buddha.

Only thereafter does he

Explain the scriptures distinctly.

For inconceivable

Hundreds of thousands of kotis of kalpas,

I have constantly established

Such a method.

The Buddha constantly dwells

Upon Vulture Peak,

Where naturally formed seats

Are innumerable beyond measure.

Suppose living beings

See that world

Beset by disasters of flood and fire,

Burning and destroying heaven and earth;

At that very time,

My Buddha-land

Is filled with manifold wonders,

Peaceful, serene, and auspicious.

There is singing, dancing, amusement, and play,

And unsurpassed peace and security.

Its lecture halls and monasteries,

Rooms, towers, and pavilions,

Are splendid and majestic,

All fashioned from the seven treasures.

Medicinal herbs and trees,

Flowers and fruits, flourish luxuriantly;

Flowers rain down naturally,

Those blossoms being of many colors,

And are scattered as offerings to the Buddha

And the assembly of disciples.

All those dwelling in their homes

See the earth tremble;

Some, filled with joyful aspiration,

Bring forth the resolve for the Way.

My land

Is forever established thus.

When others see it

Consumed by the fires of calamity,

The fire within that land

Is exceedingly extraordinary.

Through provisional skillful means,

It is manifested in this way.

The Tathagata praises

The honored Dharma of the Buddha,

Boundless and without limit,

Revealing it in this manner.

The various kinds of living beings

Refuse to listen;

They delight only in creating

Sin, suffering, calamity, and misfortune.

Suppose the people

Are gentle and honest;

At that time the Buddha

Appears in the world.

Encountering the World-Honored One

Teaching the sutras and Dharma,

Only then do they clearly understand

Their pure meaning.

The Buddha comes for the people,

Explaining distinctly and admonishing them,

Speaking of the deeds

Committed in samsara.

Suppose the Tathagata

Appears only after a long time;

Only thereafter, for their sake,

Does he expound this sutra.

The power of my wisdom,

My supreme radiance,

And such knowledge and vision—

How could they be slight or feeble?

The deeds performed in past lives

Throughout immeasurable kalpas

Arose from loving-kindness,

Serene and seeking nothing.

Those possessing wisdom

Must harbor no doubts;

Cast away hesitation

And cherish no inner entanglements.

What is now to be declared

Has never before been proclaimed.

The Buddha now tells all beings everywhere

That there is no other meaning.

Like the physician

Who employs skillful means,

Revealing and explaining things distinctly

And giving medicine to his children,

He manifests decline, old age, and death,

Yet his body abides forever.

With his wondrous voice,

Without beginning or end,

He embraces his companions

And responds according to what is fitting.

Teaching the Dharma in the world,

He cures the illnesses of living beings,

Guides and instructs the foolish,

And causes them to leave darkness behind.

He manifests nirvana,

Yet in truth does not pass into extinction.

Why, then, does he earnestly wish

To manifest himself clearly?

Those who are perpetually obscured

Must be caused to give rise to faith and delight;

Because they are heedless,

They may fall into the three evil destinies.

Their minds become eager,

Wishing to understand clearly.

The words of the Tathagata

Always accord with the proper time.

For the sake of living beings,

He practices wisdom:

By what skillful means

Should he teach the Dharma of the Way,

And through what cause may they obtain

The Buddha’s scriptural teaching?

When the World-Honored One taught of the Tathagata’s lifespan, innumerable and inconceivable living beings all attained the meaningful benefit of the path of liberation.