佛說妙吉祥菩薩所問大乘法螺經

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Palace of Universal Pervasion, in the country of Śrāvastī, seated upon a precious lion throne, together with a full assembly of great bhikṣus, twelve thousand five hundred in number. There were also a multitude of great Bodhisattvas and a hundred thousand persons whose conditions had ripened and who had been delivered.

At that time, the great Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, relying upon the awesome spiritual power of the Buddha, rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, bowed in homage, and addressed the Buddha:

"Reverently I beseech the World-Honored One! There is great merit—how can it be measured? Such great merit is possessed by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of myriads of beings whose conditions have ripened and who have been delivered, their aspirations fully accomplished. For what reason, then, does the Tathāgata still proclaim the Dharma for the sake of those beings?"

Then the World-Honored One, having heard this question, said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"Mañjuśrī! The conduct of great wisdom, great loving-kindness, and great compassion, beyond all conception and discussion, is great merit. Such great merit causes all Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas to give rise to great skillful means, to be diligent in upholding the precepts, and to vow to practice and accomplish, attaining the supreme samādhi, contemplating all beings whose conditions have ripened and who have been delivered. This indeed is the Tathāgata proclaiming the Dharma."

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"Take the merit obtained through the upholding of the Dharma of the ten wholesome deeds by all sentient beings in Jambudvīpa of the South, and compare it; then multiply that merit a hundredfold, and it equals the merit of a single Golden-Wheel King. Now that Golden-Wheel King governs the four great continents, and is fully endowed with the seven treasures, namely: the precious wheel, the precious elephant, the precious horse, the precious maṇi-jewel, the precious jade maiden, the precious treasury-keeper, and the precious commander of troops. He has, moreover, one thousand sons of awesome virtue, valiant and brave, of upright and dignified form and appearance, able to crush and subdue all opposing armies.

Mañjuśrī! Such is the great awesome power of that Golden-Wheel King.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit of each and every one of all the sentient beings in the four great continents thus equals the merit of a single Golden-Wheel King. Take the merit thus obtained by those beings and measure it up to a thousandfold, and this then is the merit of a single Heavenly Lord, Śakra. Such is the great power of merit and awesome spiritual might of Śakra.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit of each and every one of all the sentient beings in the four great continents thus equals the merit of a single Śakra. Take the merit thus obtained by those beings and measure it up to a thousandfold, and this then is the merit of a single deity of Great Strength, Nārāyaṇa. Such is the great power of merit and awesome spiritual might of the deity Nārāyaṇa.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit of each and every one of all the sentient beings in the four great continents thus equals the merit of a single deity of Great Strength, Nārāyaṇa. Take the merit thus obtained by those beings and measure it up to a number a thousandfold, and this then is the merit of a single Māra-king of the Heaven of Mastery over Others' Creations in the Realm of Desire. Thus has this Māra-king long since planted roots of goodness, and so was born into that heaven of the Realm of Desire, possessing great awesome power and ever able to tame and subdue the gods and humans.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit of each and every one of all the sentient beings in the four great continents thus equals the merit of a single Māra-king. Take the merit thus obtained by those beings and measure it up to countless hundreds of thousands of times, and this then is the merit of a single Brahmā in the world of the Second Dhyāna, for that Brahmā, in the world of the Second Dhyāna, practices loving-kindness and compassion to teach and transform beings.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit of each and every sentient being in the world of the Second Dhyāna thus equals the merit of a single Brahmā in the world of the Second Dhyāna. Take the merit thus obtained by those beings and measure it up to countless hundreds of thousands of times, and this then is the merit of Maheśvara and Brahmā, lords of the Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World. That Maheśvara and Brahmā-king, in the Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World, practice loving-kindness and compassion to teach and transform beings."

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"You should know that, in this period of the kalpa of destruction, a fierce fire will blaze for the duration of one intermediate kalpa. At that time Maheśvara and the Brahmā-king will pour down a great rain, and the waters of that rain will fill the entire Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World and rise up to the Brahmā Heaven. Yet this great flood of waters is brought about precisely by the awesome power of Maheśvara and the Brahmā-king.

Thus, that Maheśvara and Brahmā-king, because they planted great roots of goodness, were born into that heaven, fully endowed with wisdom and possessing great awesome power.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit of each and every one of all the sentient beings in the Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World thus equals the merit of a single Maheśvara and Brahmā-king in the Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World. Take the merit thus obtained by those beings and measure it up to countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis, and this then is the merit of a single Pratyekabuddha of great diligence.

Mañjuśrī! Do not suppose that the merit of all the sentient beings in the Three-Thousandfold Great-Thousand World, all like the merit of the Great Brahmā-king and equal to that Pratyekabuddha, is to be considered much. Even were the merit obtained by all the sentient beings in the buddha-lands of the ten directions equal to the merit of a single diligent Pratyekabuddha, this still would not be much.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit obtained by all the sentient beings in those buddha-lands of the ten directions, the merit of each and every such being, thus equals the merit of a single Pratyekabuddha. Take the merit thus obtained by those beings and measure it up to countless hundreds of thousands of koṭi-nayutas, and this then is the merit of a single Bodhisattva who has first given rise to the aspiration.

Mañjuśrī! Do not suppose that the merit of all sentient beings, multiplied by countless hundreds of thousands of koṭi-nayutas and equal to the merit of a single Bodhisattva who has first given rise to the aspiration, is much. Even if throughout the realms of empty space in all ten directions there were beings born of eggs, born of wombs, born of moisture, born of transformation, with form, without form, with perception, without perception, neither with perception nor without perception, and the merit obtained by all such sentient beings, multiplied by countless hundreds of thousands of koṭi-nayutas, were all equal to the merit of a single Bodhisattva who has first given rise to the aspiration, this still could not be called much.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The merit of all sentient beings throughout the realms of empty space thus equals the merit of a single Bodhisattva who has first given rise to the aspiration. Measuring it thus up to countless hundreds of thousands of koṭi-nayutas, this then is the measure of merit contained within a single pore of the Tathāgata. Each pore upon the body of the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, contains, moreover, ninety-nine thousand fine and beautiful subtle hairs.

Mañjuśrī! Thus, when the merit of all the pores upon the body of the Buddha is each measured by countless hundreds of thousands of koṭi-nayutas, this then is but one kind of fine and beautiful merit within a portion of the Tathāgata's body. Thus the eighty marks of beauty upon the body of the Buddha are each and every one fully endowed with merit as before.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! When the merit of the eighty marks of beauty of the Tathāgata is measured by countless hundreds of thousands of koṭi-nayutas, this then is the measure of merit of the beautiful minor marks within the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet of the Tathāgata. Each and every such mark of beauty has eighty marks of beauty appearing distinctly within the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.

Reciting it in verse:

The auspicious parasol, the canopy, and the banner,
The ring, the hook, the crown, the precious staff,
The precious vase, the elephant, the horse, the tiger,
The golden-winged bird, the makara fish,

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"When one has obtained all the merit of these eighty marks of beauty, and measures it up to countless hundreds of thousands of koṭi-nayutas in this way, this then is the merit-mark of a single great person within a portion of the Tathāgata's body. Thus the thirty-two marks of a great person upon the body of the Buddha are each and every one endowed with merit as before, appearing distinctly upon the body of the Buddha."

Verses of praise:

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"These are the thirty-two marks of a great person. The merit obtained from these thirty-two marks, measured up to the immeasurable and innumerable, beyond conception and discussion, beyond measure, without equal, beyond expression—this is the merit arising from the ripening of the conditions of beings, the perfect fulfillment of the vow to deliver beings. Therefore the Tathāgata, for the sake of the beings to be delivered, has spoken the Dharma of the ripening of causes and conditions."

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"The sound of the Tathāgata's proclamation of the Wondrous Dharma is heard by all sentient beings throughout immeasurable, boundless, and innumerable worlds.

Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! It is not only the sound of such proclamation; the light from the body of the Tathāgata can also shine radiantly throughout immeasurable, boundless, and innumerable worlds, causing the various sentient beings to behold the body of the Buddha, inconceivable as it is."

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"Great wisdom and great loving-kindness and compassion are great merit. All Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas who rightly understand the power of vows practice great skillful means, uphold the precepts in purity, and attain the supreme samādhi.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The body of the Buddha is unconditioned and apart from all marks; therefore all Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas cannot behold it. The manifested form-body of the Tathāgata has two meanings:

First, it is in response to the vow to deliver beings;

Second, it is for the sake of the causes and conditions of ripened sentient beings to be delivered.

For these reasons the Tathāgata manifests a form-body. The body that appears is pure and wondrous, causing sentient beings who draw near and make offerings to gain great benefit.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! The body of the Buddha is supreme, therefore the excellent marks are supreme. The excellent marks being supreme, therefore the light is supreme. The light being supreme, therefore the Brahmā-voice is supreme. The Brahmā-voice being supreme, therefore the Dharma-blood is supreme. The teaching of the Dharma being supreme, therefore the conduct of the Buddha is supreme. The conduct of the Buddha being supreme, therefore the form-body of the Tathāgata appears, causing those sentient beings to gain great benefit.

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī! Within the body of the Tathāgata are gathered and fully contained all the marks. In accordance with the differing capacities, wishes, dispositions, and so forth—sharp or dull, not the same—of sentient beings, he manifests various kinds of form-bodies, causing all sentient beings to draw near, to delight in hearing the wondrous Dharma, and all to be delivered and liberated, so that whether walking or standing they all behold the Buddha."

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

"The Tathāgata, fully endowed as the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One, appears in the world, taking pity on sentient beings, bringing benefit, peace, and joy to immeasurable gods and humans and other sentient beings."

Then the great Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee touching the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, bowed in homage to the World-Honored One, and addressed him:

"Reverently I beseech the World-Honored One! Today I rejoice to have gained excellent benefit. Thus the World-Honored One is the One Without Attachment, the Most Honored, the Most Victorious in the three realms, who brings benefit to all sentient beings. The Buddha contemplates all worldly dharmas as unshaken, like Mount Sumeru; as unattached, like empty space; not to be conceived, not to be discussed, neither seen nor unseen."

Then, when the World-Honored One had finished expounding this sūtra, the great Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the bhikṣus and the great Bodhisattvas, all the devas, humans, asuras, daityas, and so forth, having heard the Buddha's exposition, were all greatly delighted; they believed, received, and respectfully practiced it.

THE SŪTRA SPOKEN BY THE BUDDHA OF THE GREAT VEHICLE DHARMA-CONCH, ON THE QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE BODHISATTVA MAÑJUŚRĪ

The End