正法華經

Chapter 23: THE UNIVERSAL GATE OF GUANGSHIYIN

At that time, Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intent rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt upright with palms joined, and addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! Why is he called Guangshiyin? What is the meaning of this name?”

The Buddha told Inexhaustible Intent:

“Son of good family, if any beings encounter hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of hardships, calamities, and immeasurable sufferings, as soon as they hear the name of Bodhisattva Guangshiyin, they will immediately attain liberation and be free from all suffering. Therefore, he is called Guangshiyin.

“If anyone constantly keeps his name in mind, and should a great fire burn across the earth, mountains, and forests, consuming grasses, trees, dense woods, and houses, though that person is amid the flames, upon hearing the name Guangshiyin, the fire will immediately be extinguished. If one enters a great river whose waters flow violently and becomes inwardly terrified, but invokes the name of Bodhisattva Guangshiyin and single-mindedly turns toward him, then through the protection of his awe-inspiring spiritual power, one will not drown but will be brought to safety.

“If hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of beings, whether noble or humble, enter the great ocean—that profound and boundless expanse—to seek gold, silver, moon-bright jewels, wish-fulfilling gems, precious pearls, crystal, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, agate, coral, and amber, and their ship is laden with treasures, but a wind should drive it into the whirlpool of the Black Mountain, or sweep it into the realm of ghosts, or bring it before a great sea monster, then if even one person among them single-mindedly reflects upon the merit and awe-inspiring spiritual power of Bodhisattva Guangshiyin and invokes his name, all will be delivered from every calamity, and their companions will also be saved.

They will encounter no dangers from demons, ghosts, or strange spirits. Therefore, he is called Guangshiyin.”

The Buddha said:

“Son of good family, if one sees hostile bandits approaching to inflict harm and immediately invokes the name of Bodhisattva Guangshiyin and turns toward him, the bandits’ knives, clubs, and weapons will break into pieces; their hands will be unable to rise, and their minds will naturally become gentle.

“Son of good family, suppose perverse spirits, demons, and apparitions filled this entire trichiliocosm and wished to come and trouble a person. If that person single-mindedly invokes the name Guangshiyin, they will naturally be subdued and unable to cause harm. Evil thoughts will not arise in them, nor will they look upon that person with wicked eyes.

“If a person, whether guilty or innocent, is seized by evil people or government officials, bound about the body, shackled at the feet, or cast into prison and subjected to brutal interrogation, then, if that person single-mindedly turns toward Guangshiyin and invokes his name, he will swiftly attain release. The prison doors will open, and he will walk out, with no one able to detain him. Therefore, he is called Guangshiyin.”

The Buddha said:

“Son of good family, so radiant, immeasurable, and difficult to fathom are the awe-inspiring spiritual power and merit of Guangshiyin. Therefore, he is called Guangshiyin.”

The Buddha told Inexhaustible Intent:

“Son of good family, suppose bands of robbers and hostile brigands filled this entire trichiliocosm, bearing weapons—knives, clubs, pikes, spears, and halberds—and seeking to slaughter the people. Suppose a caravan of merchants carrying precious treasures had to pass along a road infested by those bandits. Their guide, becoming afraid, would think: ‘This place abounds in bandits. So that we may not be harmed or have our treasures plundered, I should devise an expedient means to escape this danger and avoid injury.’ He would then tell the merchants:

“‘Do not be afraid. Let us all single-mindedly raise our voices together and invoke the awe-inspiring spiritual power of Bodhisattva Guangshiyin. The Bodhisattva will immediately come to protect us and free us from fear. Let us turn toward him with one heart, that we may escape every danger and encounter no enemies.’ Hearing his words, the merchants would follow his counsel and invoke the name Guangshiyin in unison, entrusting their lives to him and praying to escape this fearful danger. As soon as they invoked his name, the bandits would retreat and dare not molest them. The merchants would escape danger and no longer be afraid. So radiant is the realm of the awe-inspiring virtue of Bodhisattva Guangshiyin. Therefore, he is called Guangshiyin.”

The Buddha further told Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intent:

“If practitioners still possess strong lust, anger, and delusion, they should turn toward and bow in homage to Bodhisattva Guangshiyin. Then lust, anger, and delusion will cease. Contemplating impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self, they will single-mindedly attain meditative concentration.

“If a woman has no children and wishes to seek a son or daughter, she should turn toward Bodhisattva Guangshiyin and single-mindedly and diligently devote herself to him. She will then obtain a son or daughter. If it is a daughter, she will always be upright and beautiful, of peerless appearance, and all who see her will rejoice. If it is a son, he will possess a majestic bearing; everyone will love him and long to see him. He will plant roots of virtue and commit no sinful karma.

“So exalted are the awe-inspiring spiritual power, merit, wisdom, and realm of Guangshiyin. Whoever hears his name will never fail to attain the intended aim, will not be harmed by evil influences, and will attain the fruit of the unsurpassed path of virtue. Such a person will constantly encounter Buddhas, true sages, bodhisattvas, and righteous beings of lofty virtue, and will no longer encounter hostile people. If one hears his name and upholds it with mindful recollection, one’s merit will be immeasurable and incalculable.

“Suppose someone makes offerings to six billion two hundred million bodhisattvas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, all of whom presently practice loving-kindness. If a son or daughter of good family were throughout an entire lifetime to provide them fully with robes, food and drink, beds, bedding, and medicines for curing illness, would that person’s merit be great?”

Inexhaustible Intent replied:

“World-Honored One, it would be immeasurably great! Why? Because those bodhisattvas are numbered in countless hundreds of millions, beyond all analogy.”

The Buddha said:

“Although one makes offerings to that limitless number of bodhisattvas, this does not equal turning toward Guangshiyin even once, bowing one’s head in homage, and upholding his name, for the merit of this far surpasses the merit of the former person—how much more so if one also makes offerings to him. Though one makes offerings to six billion two hundred million bodhisattvas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and compares that merit with the merit of upholding his name, even after recounting these two kinds of merit for hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas, one could never exhaust them; yet ultimately, they cannot be compared. Therefore, he is called Guangshiyin.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intent addressed the Buddha:

“For what causes and conditions does Guangshiyin wander throughout the Saha world? How does he teach the Dharma? What are his resolve and vows? What is the scope of his practice of the true Dharma and his skillful means?”

The Buddha said:

“Son of good family, when Bodhisattva Guangshiyin journeys throughout the worlds, he may manifest the body of a Buddha to proclaim and spread the teaching. He may manifest the appearance and form of a bodhisattva to expound the sutras and guide beings to transformation. He may manifest the body of a pratyekabuddha, the body of a sravaka, or the body of the heavenly king Brahma to teach the path of the sutras.

He may manifest the body of a Gandharva. When he wishes to liberate ghosts and spirits, he manifests the form of a ghost or spirit; when he wishes to liberate the honored and noble, he manifests an honored and noble form. He may also manifest the body of a deity in the realm of Great Wondrous Spirits, the body of a wheel-turning sage-king to transform the four continents, a wondrous form, the form of the Rakshasa Phản Túc, the body of a general, the body of a sramana or brahmin, the body of a Vajra spirit, a solitary hermit, an immortal, or a child.

As Bodhisattva Guangshiyin travels throughout the Buddha lands, he universally manifests countless bodily forms, transforming and guiding all beings wherever he appears.

“Therefore, son of good family, all beings should make offerings to Bodhisattva Guangshiyin. Wherever fear surrounds them, this son of good family immediately bestows fearlessness upon them. Having attained fearlessness, they are all made secure and joyful. Therefore, the Bodhisattva journeys throughout the Saha world.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intent removed from his body a necklace of hundreds of thousands of precious jewels and presented it to Bodhisattva Guangshiyin, saying:

“I humbly beseech the Righteous Being to accept this Dharma offering, this extraordinary precious necklace worn upon my body.”

Bodhisattva Quang Thế Âm would not accept it. Vô Tận Ý again said:

– The time has come. Please have compassion and accept it; do not refuse.

At that time, Bodhisattva Quang Thế Âm thought to himself: “I have no use for those precious objects.”

Vô Tận Ý said:

– Please have compassion for the devas, dragons, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, and accept it.

Bodhisattva Quang Thế Âm accepted the precious necklace and immediately divided it into two portions: one portion he offered to the Tathagata Năng Nhân, and the other he placed upon the jeweled stupa as an offering to the Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One Đa Bảo.

For the sake of all sentient beings, that son of good family employed spiritual powers and transformations to journey throughout the Sahā world, bringing aid and deliverance everywhere.

Then Bodhisattva Trì Địa immediately rose from his seat, went before the Buddha, and addressed him:

– If anyone hears of the entirely truthful merits of the practice of Bodhisattva Quang Thế Âm, that person will dwell in peace and security throughout successive lives and attain boundless wisdom. Through spiritual powers and transformations, Bodhisattva Quang Thế Âm reaches every gateway to the path, manifesting awe-inspiring spiritual power without limit.

When the Buddha had finished teaching the chapter on the Universal Gateway of the Path, eighty-four thousand people in the assembly attained the Incomparable Turning and immediately awakened the resolve for the unsurpassed, true, and perfect path.

Chapter 24: DHARANI

At that time, Bodhisattva Dược Vương immediately rose from his seat, knelt upright, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

– If sons and daughters of good family hear this Sutra of the Lotus of the True Dharma, accept and uphold it, contemplate it, and copy the scripture, what merit will they obtain?

The Buddha taught:

– If sons and daughters of good family accept and uphold this sutra, recite and read it, reflect upon it, and copy the scripture, their merit will be immeasurable and beyond all comparison. Suppose a son of good family makes offerings to eighty koṭis of hundreds of thousands of myriads of Tathagatas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; and suppose another accepts and upholds, contemplates, and copies this Sutra of the Lotus of the True Dharma, expounds it, and makes offerings to it—which merit would be greater? What do you think? Should one single-mindedly uphold the scripture, or make offerings of robes and food to the Buddhas?

Bodhisattva Dược Vương addressed the Buddha:

– If sons and daughters of good family accept and uphold the essential teachings of the Sutra of the Lotus of the True Dharma, preserve and copy even a single four-line verse, expound it, recite and read it, or faithfully practice it to complete fulfillment, their merit will be exceedingly great, surpassing that of making offerings to innumerable Buddha-Blessed Ones as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

The Buddha taught:

– Precisely so. The offering of Dharma is supreme!

Bodhisattva Dược Vương addressed the Buddha:

– I shall protect people such as these. The sons and daughters of good family who accept and uphold this sutra are Dharma teachers. I shall safeguard them through its meaning so that they will forever remain free from calamity.

He then recited this dharani: “Contemplate the wondrous and extraordinary; thought without thought; practice everlasting; cultivate purity and simplicity. With silent resolve, attain liberation. Bring equal deliverance without perversity.

Peaceful harmony extends everywhere in perfect equality. Exhaustively extinguished, inexhaustible, with nothing surpassing it. Mysteriously silent, serene dharani.

Light shines forth, having an inner refuge. Ultimately pure, neither falling nor rising, neither revolving nor encircling. The pure eye is without equal.

Having awakened, bring deliverance. Contemplate all dharmas in harmony with the sounds uttered. Upon clear understanding, come to rest; remove every boundary; expound through sounds and comprehend the inexhaustible meaning of written words, which no power can surpass.”

Bodhisattva Dược Vương addressed the Buddha:

– Most honored World-Honored One! This is a dharani spoken by sixty-two Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. If anyone harms a person who upholds this dharani, or opposes and slanders these Dharma teachers, that person thereby destroys the teaching of the path of all Buddha-Blessed Ones.

The Buddha praised the Great Bodhisattva Dược Vương:

– Excellent, excellent! If a son of good family speaks this dharani for the sake of sentient beings, he should compassionately protect them and bring them great peace and security.

Then Bodhisattva Diệu Dũng addressed the Buddha:

– Most honored World-Honored One! For the sake of sentient beings, I too wish to cause them to dwell forever in peace and security. If anyone faithfully upholds this scripture, I shall impart this dharani to help those Dharma teachers so that no one can spy out their vulnerabilities. Such demons and apparitions as spirits dwelling in privies, chimney demons, demons of despondency, hungry ghosts, and reverse-footed demons may wish to cause disturbance, but they will find no opportunity.

Bodhisattva Diệu Dũng single-mindedly contemplated and then spoke this dharani: “Great light shines forth, overflowing with joy, forever gathering here, neither assembling nor uniting.”

This is a dharani spoken by Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, all of whom likewise commended and supported it. Thus, whoever opposes the Dharma teachers acts contrary to the Tathagata’s teaching and instead brings harm upon themselves.

At that time, Heavenly King Tỳ-sa-môn addressed the Buddha:

– I too shall speak this dharani to increase loving-kindness and protect the Dharma teachers for the sake of sentient beings: “Wealth gives rise to playful sport. Without expansive play there is immeasurability. Without wealth, how can there be wealth?” By using it to protect the Dharma teachers, nothing within one hundred yojanas will dare harm them, and their protection will be assured.

O sons of good family! When this is attained, those who come to study under the Dharma teacher will then be able to accept and uphold the teaching. Thus, this protection will always be excellent.

At that time, Heavenly King Thuận Oán, together with hundreds of thousands of myriads of fragrant-sound beings and ghosts, surrounded by their retinues and seated in the Dharma assembly, all came forward and addressed the Buddha:

– Most honored World-Honored One! I too shall speak this dharani: “Without number, there is number; light and darkness bear fragrance. Bestow the great substance with harsh words.”

Most honored World-Honored One! This dharani was spoken by four hundred and twenty billion Buddhas. Therefore, it protects and makes offerings to those who study the sutra, causing no one to spy out their vulnerabilities.

At that time, there was a demon named Hữu Kết Phược; another demon named Ly Kết; another named Thi Tích; another named Thi Hoa; another named Thi Hắc; another named Bị Phát; another named Vô Trước; another named Trì Hoa; another named Hà Sở; and another named Thủ Nhất Thiết Tinh. Together with the mothers and children of the demons, they went to the Buddha and addressed him in unison:

– World-Honored One! We shall constantly protect those Dharma teachers, increase their peace and security, and cause no one to discover any fault in them.

At that time, the demons raised their voices together and recited this dharani to protect the Dharma teachers: “Now you are utterly without self, without attachment to self, without lamentation, and without any place of common culmination. What has arisen, been born, and come into being, abiding and becoming established, also abides where I lament; nor shall the great affliction be entirely extinguished or permitted to cause harm.” We and all our kindred and retinues shall protect the Dharma teachers from harm and eliminate deceptive demons and spirits, hungry ghosts, spirits dwelling in privies, chimney demons, solitary-path sorcery, spells and incantations, and crazed demons that come in disguise, whether in the forms of spirits, nonhumans, or men and women, old or young;

whether for two days, three days, or even four days; whether bringing persistent fever, causing evil dreams during sleep, or manifesting such forms.

We shall protect them so that no being can spy out their vulnerabilities.

At that time, before the Buddha, the demons together spoke this verse:

Whoever harms them, his head will split in seven,

Like a flower or vegetable cleft apart.

It shall be like the sin of killing one’s mother,

And like the calamity of murdering one’s father.

Whoever harms a Dharma teacher

Shall incur all these offenses.

Life after life, that person shall know no peace

And shall not encounter the Buddhas.

The offense of destroying a Buddha’s monastery,

The offense of disturbing the holy Sangha,

Are like blending various sesame oils,

Gathering all the sesame oil in one place,

And setting it ablaze until all is consumed,

Burned away without anything remaining.

Whoever harms a Dharma teacher

Shall incur offenses such as these.

Like a vast mountain range,

Accumulated offenses and defilements shall gather together.

If anyone harms a Dharma teacher

Will incur this grave offense.

After the spirits Quân Đầu and the others had spoken these verses, they immediately addressed the Buddha:

“We shall all protect Dharma masters such as these, causing them always to dwell in peace and security, removing their enemies and guarding them on every side so that they suffer no harm. If anyone administers poison to them, the poison will have no effect.”

The Buddha then praised the spirits who had pronounced the mantra:

“Excellent, excellent! You wish to protect the Dharma masters. If one merely hears this sutra and proclaims and upholds its title, that person’s merit will be immeasurable; how much more so if one receives and upholds it according to the occasion, expounds it, and copies the entire scroll of the sutra.

If one makes offerings of such articles as flowers, incense, banners, canopies, blended incense, powdered incense, lighted lamps, and hanging paintings—selecting whatever is pleasing, including blue lotuses, red lotuses, yellow lotuses, and white lotuses—and fills lamps with clarified butter and oil, diligently making offerings to this sutra and cultivating without indolence, then one’s merit will be hundreds of thousands of kotis of times greater and without limit.

You should protect diligent practitioners who study this sutra in this way.”

When the Buddha taught this chapter on Dharani, sixty-eight thousand people attained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

Chapter 25: KING TỊNH PHỤC TỊNH

The Buddha said:

“O son of good family! In the past, immeasurable kalpas ago—a time so distant as to be unfathomable and inconceivable—there was a Buddha named Tổng Thủy Lôi Âm Tú Hoa Tuệ Vương Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Those to Be Tamed, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. His world was called Adorned with Illumination, and the kalpa was called Delight in Seeing.

“Furthermore, O son of good family! During the time of that Buddha, there was a king named Tịnh Phục Tịnh. The king had a chief queen named Ly Cấu Thi.

The queen had two sons, the first named Ly Cấu Tạng and the second named Ly Cấu Mục. Both sons had attained the bases of spiritual power; their movements were light and graceful, and they were able to fly. They possessed complete wisdom, perfect merit, and lofty attainments of the noble fruits.

They practiced the bodhisattva path, striving diligently day and night without ever becoming indolent or abandoning their practice. They wholeheartedly and single-mindedly cultivated the six paramitas and skillfully practiced the four immeasurable states of mind—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—bringing boundless aid and deliverance. They both practiced and thoroughly mastered the thirty-seven factors of the path, completely understood the meaning of the Way, and had accomplished their work.

They had mastered the Samadhi of Advancing Beyond Defilement, the Samadhi of the Sunlight of Complete Transcendence, the Samadhi of Manifest Splendor Free from Defilement, the Samadhi of Pure Adornment, and the Samadhi of the Treasury of Great Majesty. Through these samadhis they crossed to the other shore.

“At that time, the Buddha assembled the fourfold community, Śakra, Brahmā, the Four Heavenly Kings, the gods, and the people, and proclaimed and distinctly expounded the Sutra of the Lotus of the True Dharma. The Buddha then compassionately regarded all sentient beings and took pity on the land, wishing to guide all sentient beings into the Great Way.

“Furthermore, O son of good family, the two princes went to their mother, joined their palms, and said:

“‘We beseech our mother to regard us with compassionate concern. With one heart, we wish to go to the Buddha, behold the person of the Tathagata, and pay homage and take refuge in him. Why is this? The Tathagata is now widely proclaiming to all sentient beings in the realms of gods and humans the essential scripture called the Sutra of the Lotus of the True Dharma. We must reverently listen to the Lotus of the True Dharma.’

“Queen Ly Cấu Thi said to the two princes:

“‘Your royal father esteems non-Buddhist paths, delights in and believes the brahmins, and often harbors anger. Therefore, you cannot go.’

“The two princes then again joined their palms with one mind and said to their mother:

“‘Our fortune is meager, for we were born into a family holding false and meaningless views. Moreover, we are originally children of the Dharma King, and we shall use the teaching of the sutra to transform defiled ordinary beings, causing them to abandon falsehood and turn toward truth. Only thus are we children of the Buddha.’

“Queen Ly Cấu Thi then said to the two princes:

“‘Excellent! Go and carry this out, my most filial sons! For the sake of your father and mother, practice great loving-kindness and compassion and manifest your spiritual powers. When your father has seen them, his heart will become joyful and open. He will then listen to you and go together with you to the Buddha, bow his head in homage, and receive the teaching.’

“The two princes immediately obeyed their mother’s instruction. Their bodies soared upward, and they stood in the air at a height of seven fathoms above the ground. Out of compassionate concern for their parents, they manifested awesome spiritual transformations.

While in the air, the two simultaneously sat, reclined, and walked in meditation. From the upper parts of their bodies they emitted fire, while from the lower parts they poured forth water; from the upper parts they poured forth water, while from the lower parts they emitted fire. They radiated a great light that illuminated everywhere, both near and far.

They made their bodies enormous and then small again. From the air they descended and entered the earth; or they entered the water and then emerged from the earth, remaining in the air as though walking upon solid ground. The two princes manifested all these transformations and displayed their spiritual powers to guide their parents.

“When the royal father saw the spiritual transformations and majestic virtue of his two sons, he was filled with supreme joy, and a wholesome mind arose within him. Bowing his body and joining his palms toward his two sons, he said:

“‘Who is your teacher, from whom you have received the ability to perform these deeds?’

“The two princes then said to their royal father:

“‘Does the Great King wish to know who our teacher is? The Tathagata, the Worthy One, Tổng Thủy Lôi Âm Tú Hoa Tuệ Vương, is our teacher. He is presently beneath a jeweled tree, seated upon the Dharma throne, extensively expounding and proclaiming the Sutra of the Lotus of the True Dharma for the fourfold community, the gods, and the people. That Buddha, the Blessed One, is indeed our teacher.’

“The king said to his two sons:

“‘I wish to go to your teacher and personally, with reverence, receive the instruction of the Great Sage of Unsurpassed, Right, and Perfect Enlightenment.’

“The two sons then descended from the air and went to their mother. Joining their palms, they said:

“‘Through our mother’s majestic virtue, we have been able to guide and transform our royal father, causing him to establish the aspiration for unsurpassed, right, and perfect enlightenment and thereby accomplish the work of the path taught by the Honored Sage. We beseech our mother, out of compassionate concern, to permit us to go to the Buddha, leave the household life, cultivate the Way, and become śramaṇas.’

“The two princes then spoke these verses to their mother:

We beseech our mother to allow us

To leave home and become śramaṇas.

A Tathagata is exceedingly difficult to encounter;

For a long time we have devoted ourselves to learning.

All say that he is difficult to encounter,

Like the auspicious udumbara flower,

Yet even more difficult to encounter than that;

A state of freedom and tranquility cannot easily be attained.

“Queen Ly Cấu Thi then replied in verse:

I consent to your request.

Excellent, my sons—go swiftly!

A Sage is exceedingly difficult to encounter;

I too shall leave the household life with you.

“After the two princes had offered praise in these Dharma verses to repay their parents, they again said to their royal father and mother:

“‘We beseech our father and mother to unite their minds and go together to the Buddha Tổng Thủy Lôi Âm Tú Hoa Tuệ Vương, so that you too may reverently behold him, pay homage, and take refuge in the Blessed One. Why is this? Father and mother should know that it is exceedingly difficult to encounter a Buddha appearing in the world.

He is like the auspicious udumbara flower and also like the supreme wish-fulfilling jewel. A Buddha is likewise impossible to encounter again. Therefore, having been born once more in this place, we hold in mind the aspiration to leave the household life, the foremost of meritorious deeds.

For this reason, father and mother should not hinder us but should give your consent, saying: “Excellent! We permit you to leave the household life and cultivate the path of learning, casting aside sensual desire and relinquishing worldly occupations.” Why is this? To encounter a Tathagata is an immeasurable blessing.

A human life is difficult to obtain, and it is difficult to encounter a Buddha in the world. To be free from the eight difficulties and attain freedom and tranquility is difficult, like returning to life after death.’

“The royal father and queen replied to the princes:

“‘Very well. Know that the time is right!’

The Buddha said:

– O son of good family! At that time, in the palace of King Pure Raiment there were eighty-four thousand attendants and palace women. Because, through roots of virtue from former lives, they had received this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma, they were naturally vessels of the Way. In former lives, Prince Stainless Eye had cultivated and accumulated merit for an immeasurably long time. In the distant past, throughout countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of kalpas, Prince Stainless Treasury had cultivated the right concentration called the Samadhi of Delivering Sentient Beings from All Evil Destinies. What is called the right concentration, the Samadhi of Delivering Sentient Beings from All Evil Destinies? The king’s chief queen, Stainless Radiance, mother of the two princes, clearly understood all the teachings of the Buddhas of the ten directions, the essential teachings of the Buddhas, the secret treasury, and the boundless noble wisdom of the Buddhas. Through skillful means, she manifested in a female body.

The Buddha said:

– O son of good family! At that time, when King Pure Raiment saw the two princes manifesting miraculous powers to teach and guide others into the Tathagata’s most true Dharma, he attained transcendence. In succession, many people were liberated; all those who had been blind and benighted entered the luminous Way. He then spontaneously aroused the aspiration and, together with forty-two thousand members of his retinue, Queen Stainless Radiance and her companions, the palace women, ministers, and officials, followed the two princes and went at the same time to the Buddha. They bowed their heads at his feet, withdrew, and sat in their appointed places.

At that time, seeing King Pure Raiment and his great retinue come of their own accord to take refuge, the Buddha, in accordance with their original practices and after contemplating their past causes and conditions, taught them the Dharma. He prescribed medicine according to each illness, so that all understood clearly, wholesome thoughts arose in their minds, and they rejoiced with elation. At that very moment, the king, Chief Queen Stainless Radiance, the two princes, the palace attendants, the palace women, and everyone in the palace renounced the kingdom and the royal palace and became renunciants.

After becoming renunciants, for eighty-four thousand years they all reverently upheld and cultivated the work of the Way, contemplated and discerned the essential meaning of the Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma, recited and read it, and practiced in accordance with the Buddha’s teaching without ever acting contrary to it.

After King Pure Raiment and his retinue had respectfully obeyed and diligently cultivated the Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma for eighty-four thousand years, they attained roots of virtue and the pure, adornment samadhi of right concentration. As soon as the king attained this concentration, he immediately rose into the air to a height of forty-nine feet above the ground. Standing in midair, he addressed from afar the Tathagata, the Perfectly True One, Universal Origin Thunderous Voice Flower Wisdom King:

– These two sons are indeed noble teachers who have taught and transformed us. Through the kindness of their virtue, they manifested miraculous powers and displayed wondrous transformations. By witnessing those miraculous manifestations and transformations, my mind was opened; I abandoned secular life, entered the Way, and practiced according to the Buddha’s teaching. I passed beyond the yoke of defilement, followed the discipline of the Dharma, and became steadfast in the boundless state. I was able to serve the Tathagata and receive the sutra and Dharma. He is the Supremely Noble One, above whom there is no better teacher. These two sons manifested as my children and were born into my family solely because of the radiant merit of their former lives and through reliance upon the Buddha’s compassionate mind. This is beyond the conception of ordinary beings.

The Buddha told the king:

– So it is, so it is, great king! It is just as the great king has said. These two princes manifested because they had planted merit and virtue in the past, and because they wished to instruct and transform the king, his retinue, and all sentient beings.

The Buddha said:

– If sons and daughters of good family study this scripture, then wherever they are born, life after life, they will readily encounter good teachers who proclaim the World-Honored One’s instruction. They will become steadfast in the unsurpassed, right, and true Way and will instruct, guide, and liberate all beings. This is a boundless and wondrous undertaking: teaching one another in succession, bringing one another to accomplishment in succession, and reaching the boundless state of noble truth. They will encounter the Buddha, the Dharma King. Because they encounter good teachers, they will meet the Tathagata and receive the sutra and Dharma. Through the kindness of encouragement and assistance, the king has now encountered these two princes. In former lives, these sons of good family had made offerings to and served six billion five hundred million myriads of nayutas of Ganges-sands of Tathagatas, Perfectly True Ones. They also accepted and upheld this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma. Out of compassion for sentient beings submerged in the ninety-six kinds of wrong views and unable to save themselves, they instructed and transformed them, causing them to abide in right view and cultivate diligently in quest of the Buddha’s Great Way.

At that time, the Buddha said:

– O son of good family! In that life, after King Pure Raiment had praised these merits, he descended from the air, immediately approached the Buddha, joined his palms, and addressed him: “I pray that the Buddha clearly explain what merits the Tathagata, the Perfectly True One, cultivated in former lives, whereby his noble wisdom became so lofty; the mark between his brows emits light illuminating innumerable lands; and his bright, beautiful eyes behold all throughout the ten directions. The mark between his brows is white as snow-white conch, soft, fine, beautiful, radiant, lustrous, straight and not crooked, illuminating everywhere. The World-Honored One’s face is full like the sun; his eyes of the Way rest serenely like the newly risen moon. All who behold him never tire of gazing upon him.”

At that time, the king spoke this verse:

Your meritorious achievements are extraordinary,

Beyond many hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis;

Even empty space may still serve as a comparison,

But your wisdom cannot be fathomed.

The Buddha replied in verse:

In former lives, he practiced uprightness,

Impartially giving to others;

Therefore, the mark between his brows

Illuminates everywhere without limit.

He reveals and displays the lamp of wisdom;

His bright eyes surpass the sun and moon.

His eyes resemble the newly risen moon,

Beholding everywhere the lands of the ten directions.

At that time, after praising him, the king joined his palms and addressed the Buddha:

– Never before has there been such a thing. The compassionate instruction of the Tathagata, the Perfectly True One, is vast and limitless; his complete merit is inconceivable. He expounds the meaning of the Way and bestows the precepts of the Dharma, causing transgressions and the tribulations of the long road to cease entirely.

World-Honored One! As for me today, my mind is no longer heedless. Having attained freedom, I shall not fall onto deviant paths. I have abandoned arrogance and no longer follow falsehood; nor do I harbor regret, give rise to evil thoughts, or perform harmful and wrongful deeds. The affairs of state are numerous, but I wish to leave home and cultivate the teaching, never returning to the palace. I wish to take refuge and present offerings.

The Buddha said:

– Excellent!

At that time, the king immediately rose and bowed at the Buddha’s feet. The king’s chief queen, Stainless Radiance, removed the hundreds of thousands of precious necklaces adorning her body and scattered them over the Buddha. Through the Buddha’s awe-inspiring spiritual power, they transformed into an interwoven canopy of the seven treasures.

Within that exceptionally beautiful canopy, a couch appeared spontaneously, spread with innumerable extraordinary seat coverings, upon which the Tathagata sat. At that time, the king thought to himself: “Never before has there been such a thing. Within the interwoven canopy is the World-Honored One of supreme virtue.

The Tathagata appears truly majestic and upright; his awe-inspiring radiance is resplendent, his luminous complexion foremost, and his countenance full, pure, and beautiful beyond compare. May all beings benefit from this merit.”

The World-Honored One then told the fourfold assembly:

– Do you see King Pure Raiment standing before the Buddha with single-minded concentration and joined palms?

They all replied:

– We see him.

The Buddha said:

– O bhiksus! In this present life, that king is my disciple and has manifested as a bhiksu. In a future life, he will become a Buddha named Seed Sovereign Tathagata, Perfectly True One, Supremely and Perfectly Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer by the Dharma of the Way, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. That Buddha’s land will be called Universal Radiance, and the kalpa will be called Transcendent Sovereign. In the time of that Buddha, the assemblies of bodhisattvas will be incalculable, and the assemblies of sravakas will likewise be innumerable. That Buddha’s world will be as level as the palm of a hand, without elevations or depressions, sand, gravel, or stones. When he becomes a Buddha, his awe-inspiring spiritual power will be lofty, immeasurably great, and resplendent in this manner.

The Tathagata Great Sage declared:

– O son of good family! Do you wish to know who King Tịnh Phục Tịnh, who then awakened the aspiration for the Way, was? He was no stranger. Do not think so. Why? He is none other than the present Bodhisattva Liên Hoa Thủ. Do you wish to know who Queen Ly Cấu was at that time? She is now the Bodhisattva Quang Chiếu Nghiêm Sức. She constantly thinks of the bodhisattvas and, out of compassion for sentient beings, was born in that land to teach, transform, and liberate them. Do you wish to know who the two princes were at that time? They are now the Bodhisattva Medicine King and the Bodhisattva Supernal Medicine. Furthermore, O son of good family, the Bodhisattva Medicine King and the Bodhisattva Supernal Medicine, whose sublime and boundless merit is such, have planted roots of virtue in the presence of countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of Tathagatas. The virtue of these two Great Beings and bodhisattvas is perfect and inconceivable. Whoever hears the names of these two Great Beings should always uphold them, and everyone should pay them homage and reverence. Such practitioners are honored by both heaven and humankind.

When the Buddha spoke of these practices in past lives, eighty-four thousand people became free from defilement and attained the purity of the Dharma eye.

Chapter 26: UNIVERSAL WORTHY

At that time, the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy and the other bodhisattvas came from the east, passing through Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. They caused those Buddha lands to quake, scattered lotus flowers, performed hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of musical compositions, and praised the merit of the Tathagata. Relying upon the boundlessly transforming great supernormal powers of that bodhisattva Great Being, whose august spiritual radiance shone brilliantly and whose sacred purpose was profound and wondrous, illuminating the ten directions, they came together with devas, dragons, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and all their respective retinues.

All displayed inconceivable supernormal powers as they arrived at Vulture Peak. They approached the Buddha, bowed their heads at his feet, circumambulated him seven times, and addressed him:

– We have come from the Buddha land of the Tathagata Bảo Siêu Oai Vương. Because the World-Honored One is now expounding the Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma, we have come to this world of endurance, wishing to hear and uphold it. Countless hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas likewise delight in hearing the meaning of the Way proclaimed. Excellent, World-Honored One! We beseech you, out of compassion, to expound and proclaim the Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma at this proper time. If one has the body of a woman, what Dharma should she practice in order to uphold this sutra?

The Buddha then said to the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy:

– O son of good family! A woman who possesses four qualities will obtain this sutra. What are the four?

1. She always establishes and preserves the insight of all Buddhas.

2. She accumulates merit and never grows indolent.

3. She is able to distinguish and teach the essential principles in their entirety.

4. She universally protects sentient beings and causes what has not yet arisen to arise.

These are the four qualities through which this sutra is obtained.

At that time, the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy addressed the Buddha:

– In the future, during the final period of the Dharma-ending age amid the five turbidities, if a bhikshu upholds this sutra, I shall always protect him and cause him to dwell in peace. I shall dispel every madness and prevent poisons from doing harm, so that no one may watch for an opportunity to injure him. All who uphold this sutra shall be guarded. Māra Pāpīyān will be unable to disturb them, and his minions, ghosts, spirits, dragons, window-side ghosts, latrine ghosts, venomous creatures, and spells will be unable to cause harm but will bow and withdraw. I shall constantly and single-mindedly protect the Dharma teacher and ensure that he always dwells in peace. If a bhikshu studies this scripture while sitting, standing, walking in meditation, and cultivating diligently, I shall come together with my retinue of bodhisattvas, riding elephants and horses and traveling in carriages, to the dwelling of that bhikshu and Dharma teacher, in order to protect this sutra. If anyone upholds and contemplates this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma, so that he does not forget the meaning of even a single sentence, I shall ride in a carriage to that practitioner and allow him to see me with his own eyes. Upon seeing me, the student of the sutra will rejoice and study with still greater diligence. I shall help the Dharma teacher attain samadhi and also attain the revolving dharani. He shall furthermore accomplish hundreds of thousands of kotis of perfectly comprehensive dharanis and clearly understand the dharani of all sounds.

World-Honored One! In the final period of the Dharma-ending age amid the five turbidities, after the first fifty years, if bhikshus, bhikshunis, laymen of pure faith, or laywomen of pure faith uphold this scripture, teach it only to fellow practitioners who uphold it, copy it, cherish it, and explain it to others;

and if, in the final period of the Dharma-ending age after those fifty years, anyone is able to uphold this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma, comprehend its meaning in his mind, persevere without abandoning the practice, and practice for twenty-one days until the cultivation is nearly complete and he has entered its practices—then, during those twenty-one days of diligent cultivation, with his mind continuously joined to the Dharma, his own virtue will manifest as a brilliant and venerable radiance.

Together with my great and small retinues and attendants, I shall employ the six supernormal powers and appear before that Dharma teacher. Throughout the twenty-one days in which he devotes himself to cultivating this Dharma, I shall encourage and assist him, cause his mind to open, and enable him to attain the dharani teachings. But if a Dharma teacher does not teach and transform sentient beings, does not encourage or assist them, and does not enlighten them, nonhuman beings will gain an opportunity to harm him; although he is a Dharma teacher, he will not receive protection or dwell in peace.

Therefore, practitioners should always practice diligently. Relying upon the Buddha’s spiritual might, I shall protect the Dharma teacher. If a Dharma teacher preserves the Buddha’s True Dharma and diligently perseveres, he should hear this dharani: “No-self removes self.

The self of persons is a skillful means. New persons are harmoniously removed. Most tender and gentle.

The gentle and weak phrase sees all Buddhas. Through the dharanis, practice all teachings. Skillfully revolve, gather all, and remove the destinies.

Countless phrases and numbers throughout the three times transcend the conditioned; expounding all dharmas, clearly understand the voices of sentient beings. The lion delights.”

World-Honored One! These are the words of the dharani. If a bodhisattva hears these words of the dharani and they enter his ears, know that the merit established by the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy is this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma.

If this sutra is widely circulated throughout Jambudvipa and those who encounter it constantly keep it in mind, know that this is through the spiritual might of the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy, which leads everyone to this sutra. Those sentient beings have accumulated roots of virtue in the presence of countless Buddhas, and the Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, and Perfectly Awakened Ones stroke their heads with their hands. If anyone copies this sutra and holds it in his hands, he thereby venerates the body of the Buddha, reveres the Dharma of the Way, and respectfully copies this scripture.

After copying the sutra, if he wishes to understand its meaning and principles, then, when his life ends, he will be born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. As soon as he is born there, eighty-four thousand celestial maidens will play music, sing praises, and make offerings to him. He will become a celestial prince, seated among those maidens and sharing their delight.

If merely copying that sutra brings a son of good family such merit, how much more so does reciting it and contemplating its meaning. Therefore, World-Honored One, whoever single-mindedly and diligently cultivates the Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma, copies and upholds its scrolls, and constantly contemplates everything without forgetting it, should be venerated. Because he has copied this sutra, he will obtain such blessings and merit.

He will see a thousand Buddhas extend their hands to him; at the end of his life, he will also behold a thousand Buddhas face to face, journey to a place of peace and happiness, and never fall into an evil realm. After his life ends, he will be born in Tuṣita Heaven.

Immediately upon being born in heaven, eighty-four thousand celestial maidens come to him, performing various kinds of music and singing praises of his merit. In the company of those celestial maidens, he rejoices together with them in the true Dharma. If the merit of a son of noble family who copies this sutra is already such as this, how much more so that of one who recites and reads it, expounds it, and reflects upon its meaning!

Therefore, one should diligently cultivate it in full, copy it, propagate it, contemplate it, and practice the True Dharma Lotus Sutra with utmost diligence and single-mindedness, one’s resolve never becoming distracted. At the time of death, a thousand Buddhas will extend their hands to him; he will behold those thousand Buddhas face to face and will not fall into an evil realm. When his life ends, he will be born in Tusita Heaven in the presence of Maitreya Buddha, become a bodhisattva, and possess a body adorned with the thirty-two marks, surrounded by a retinue of hundreds of millions of celestial maidens.

Therefore, the wise should always diligently cultivate, copy, expound, and contemplate this scripture.

“World-Honored One! If anyone copies, contemplates, recites, and reads this sutra, that person’s merit will be immeasurable and beyond reckoning, exceedingly lofty as described. Thus, how much merit will a wise person attain by copying and upholding this sutra! Therefore, I establish this sutra with my vast aspiration: diligently to bear the Dharma of the Path in mind and cause it to circulate everywhere throughout Jambudvipa.”

At that time, the Tathagata Shakyamuni, the Most Honored and Perfectly Enlightened One, said to Samantabhadra:

“Excellent, excellent! You have brought forth a compassionate resolve for the sake of many beings and diligently strive to protect bodhisattvas of the future, guiding and encouraging them toward this inconceivable Dharma. Your heart is already filled with boundless compassion, and in the very moment of bringing forth this resolve, you embrace immeasurable practices.

You hold this scroll of scripture in your hands, establish it, and protect it. If anyone accepts and upholds it and is mindful of the name of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, know that this person has seen Shakyamuni Buddha, has previously heard Dharma such as this, has made offerings to and served him, has seen Shakyamuni Buddha proclaim and expound the scripture of the Path, has been praised with the words, ‘Excellent!’ and has had the Tathagata place his hand upon his head.

Know that all this is due to the merit of Samantabhadra. Such a person is protected by the Buddha’s awe-inspiring power; the Buddha shelters that person with his robe. That person receives the Tathagata’s teaching, takes no delight in worldly occupations or amusements, does not associate with flatterers, takes no pleasure in song or dance, does not frequent places of slaughter or places where pigs, chickens, and ducks are raised, and does not follow women in engaging in improper conduct.

If, upon hearing this sutra, that person copies, accepts and upholds, chants and recites, expounds, contemplates, and practices this Dharma of natural suchness, inwardly applying wholehearted diligence and generating the power of merit, then all beings who see that person will cherish and revere them.

“If a bhiksu accepts and upholds this sutra, he will not be bound by lust, anger, or delusion, nor fettered by greed, jealousy, or conceit. He will not harbor arrogance, be obstinately self-willed or unyielding, hold wrong views, or seek personal gain, but will know contentment. If a Dharma master cultivates until attaining the stage of the worthy and beyond for more than fifty years, then in the final period of the degenerate Dharma age, amid the world of the five defilements, if a bhiksu accepts and upholds this sutra, contemplates it, understands it, and remembers it, know that such sons of noble family will assuredly reach the place of enlightenment, subdue the armies of Mara, turn the Dharma wheel, beat the Dharma drum, blow the Dharma conch, pour down the rain of Dharma,

and sit upon the lion throne of Dharma.

Such will be the merit of accepting and upholding this sutra during the final period of the degenerate age.

“Furthermore, if a bhiksu does not depend upon offerings for his livelihood and does not covet robes or bowls, such a Dharma master will have an upright nature, without flattery, and will not fall into deluded darkness; even in the present life, he will naturally be thus. If a bhiksu accepts and upholds this sutra, he will never forget it throughout successive lives. Whenever born, he will be intelligent and wise and will never be blind or deaf.

In the present life, he will dwell in peace and encounter no calamities. If someone reviles this sutra, disparages those who study and uphold it, and furthermore slanders them, that person will contract leprosy in the present life. If someone sees a person copying this sutra and mocks them, saying that it is not something they are capable of doing, then wherever that mocker is born, their body will be deformed; they will be burned by fire and constantly embroiled in disputes and litigation.

Their face will be covered with sores, their limbs twisted, their mouth and eyes crooked, and their body foul-smelling and afflicted with ulcers that no medicine can cure; their misery will be beyond description. If this sutra is being expounded and someone who hears it speaks of the faults of the expounder, that person will increase their evil and unwholesome deeds. Their words will not be truthful, and whoever believes and follows them will commit evil offenses, suffer immeasurable calamities, and find no peace wherever they dwell.”

The Buddha taught:

“Therefore, Samantabhadra, if one sees a bhiksu accepting and upholding this sutra, one should rise from afar, respectfully welcome him, and serve him as one would serve the Tathagata. Just as one takes refuge in the Buddha of the present, so should one take refuge in that Dharma master, without any difference. Only then does one accord with the Buddha’s teaching.”

When the Buddha expounded this Chapter on Samantabhadra, bodhisattvas numbering as many as the sands of the Ganges, in hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis, all attained dharani.

Chapter 27: ENTRUSTMENT

At that time, the World-Honored Shakyamuni rose from his Dharma seat, transformed all the bodhisattvas so that they shared the same form and appearance, and manifested his spiritual powers by lifting the entire assembly and placing them upon the palm of his right hand. He praised them, saying:

“Sons of noble family! Throughout incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas, the Buddha accumulated practices before attaining unsurpassed, true, and perfect enlightenment. Having reached the boundless state, he can place all you worthies securely upon the palm of his right hand, raising and lowering you merely by thought and awareness. You must receive this sutra, accept and uphold it, chant and recite it, and proclaim and read it aloud. You should analyze and expound it to assemblies, enabling all beings everywhere to hear it.

“Furthermore, sons of noble family, with minds free of attachment, you must not conceal this True Dharma Lotus Sutra. With fearless resolve, bestow the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of the Tathagata, and sovereign wisdom. This is the supreme liberating gift of Dharma. You should learn and practice the Buddha’s conduct. You should enable all people to hear it, whether they come or do not come, so that all may reach the place not yet reached. You should diligently listen to and receive this essential scripture. Those who do not believe should be led to faith, and all beings should be encouraged to enter deeply into the honored Dharma. Sons of noble family! Know that anyone capable of acting in this way is established by the Tathagata.”

At that time, all the bodhisattvas praised by the World-Honored Shakyamuni rejoiced greatly. Their reverence increased, and they bowed and stood to one side. With palms joined, they lowered their heads in homage, faced Shakyamuni Buddha, and said in unison:

“We shall act in accordance with the World-Honored One’s teaching and dare not oppose it. We shall fully comply with all that the Buddha has spoken. May the World-Honored One be free from concern.”

The bodhisattvas made this declaration three times, then went everywhere throughout the ten directions to proclaim the sacred decree.

At that time, Shakyamuni, the Perfectly Enlightened One, caused all the World-Honored Ones who had come from the worlds of the ten directions to return, as appropriate, to their original abodes. The Buddhas of the ten directions then replied:

“The Tathagata should likewise return, as appropriate, to his original abode.” The World-Honored Tathagata and Perfectly Enlightened One Prabhutaratna, within the hall of the seven-jeweled stupa, immediately returned to his original abode. All the other Tathagatas likewise returned to their original abodes.

When the Buddha expounded this sutra, the Buddhas who had come from immeasurable other Buddha lands throughout the ten directions were seated upon lion thrones beneath bodhi trees. Tathagata Prabhutaratna and the bodhisattvas, the innumerable and immeasurable practitioners of various stages who stood before the Buddha, the bodhisattvas who had emerged from beneath the earth, the great assembly of sravakas, the fourfold assembly, devas, nagas, spirits, asuras, gandharvas, and the people of the world all heard the Buddha’s teaching, and everyone rejoiced.