佛為海龍王說法印經

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in the palace of the dragon king within the ocean, together with a great assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikkhus. Also present were many assemblies of great bodhisattvas, all having gathered there.

At that time, the Dragon King Sāgara rose from his seat, came forward, and prostrated at the feet of the Buddha, saying:

"Blessed One, if a person receives and upholds only a few teachings, can they attain great merit?"

The Buddha said to the Sea Dragon King:

"There are four supreme teachings. If any person receives and upholds them, recites them, and clearly understands their meaning, then though the effort is small, the merit attained is very great. Such merit is equal to that of one who recites the eighty-four thousand collections of the Dharma. What are these four teachings? They are to mindfully recollect and recite:

Dragon King, you should know that these are called the four supreme teachings. They are the inexhaustible wisdom-Dharma of the great bodhisattvas, enabling them to swiftly realize the Dharma of non-arising and quickly attain nirvana. Therefore, you and all others should always mindfully recollect and recite them."

When the Blessed One had expounded this Sūtra of the Four-Line Dharma Seal, the śrāvakas, the assemblies of great bodhisattvas, and the eightfold assembly of gods, dragons, asuras, gandharvas, and others, upon hearing the Buddha's teaching, were all filled with great joy, and with faith they received, accepted, and reverently practiced it.