添品妙法蓮華經

Chapter 8: PREDICTIONS FOR FIVE HUNDRED DISCIPLES

At that time, the Venerable Purna Maitrayaniputra, having heard the wisdom of skillful means through which the Blessed One taught the Dharma according to what was appropriate; having also heard the Buddha bestow predictions of attaining unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment upon the great disciples; having heard of the causes and conditions of their former lives; and having heard that the Buddhas possessed great, sovereign powers of spiritual penetration, felt a joy and purity of mind such as he had never experienced before.

He immediately rose from his seat, went before the Buddha, bowed his head and face at the Buddha’s feet, and then stood to one side, gazing intently upon the Buddha’s honored countenance and thinking: “The Blessed One is truly wondrous, and what he does is exceedingly rare. In accordance with the many dispositions of beings in the world, he employs the wisdom of skillful means to teach the Dharma and rescue sentient beings from their attachments.

We cannot express the Buddha’s merits in words. Only the Blessed One knows the aspirations in the depths of our hearts.”

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

– Do you see the Venerable Purna? I have always praised him as foremost among those who teach the Dharma. He is endowed with every merit, and diligently and earnestly protects, upholds, and assists in proclaiming my true Dharma. He is capable of instructing, teaching, transforming, and bringing joy to the fourfold assembly. He perfectly explains the Buddha’s true Dharma and brings abundant benefit to his fellow practitioners of the pure life. Apart from the Tathagata, no one can fully know the extent of his eloquence. You should not suppose that Purna proclaims only my true Dharma. In the presence of nine billion Buddhas of the past, he was also foremost among those who taught the Dharma in those times. Moreover, he clearly and thoroughly comprehended the Dharma of emptiness taught by those Buddhas. He attained the four unobstructed wisdoms and constantly taught the Dharma purely and accurately, without doubt or error. He was fully endowed with a bodhisattva’s powers of spiritual penetration and practiced the pure life throughout the full span of each lifetime. The people living in the times of those Buddhas all believed that he was truly a sravaka; yet through this skillful means, Purna benefited immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings and transformed countless people, enabling them to abide in the wisdom of unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment. Because he wished to adorn and purify the Buddha lands, he constantly performed the work of a Buddha by teaching and transforming sentient beings.

Bhiksus! During the age of the seven Buddhas, Purna was also foremost among those who taught the Dharma. Now this worthy one likewise stands foremost among those who teach my Dharma. In the future Bhadra Kalpa, he will also be the same, protecting, upholding, and proclaiming the true Dharma of the Buddhas. In future lives, he will protect, uphold, and proclaim the true Dharma of immeasurable and boundless Buddhas, teaching and benefiting countless sentient beings and enabling them to abide in the wisdom of unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment. In order to purify the Buddha lands, he will constantly and diligently teach and transform sentient beings, gradually perfecting the bodhisattva path.

After immeasurable and countless kalpas, he will attain unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment in this land and will be called Dharma Radiance Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Beings, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.

That Buddha will take as his Buddha land as many great trichiliocosms as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. The ground will be made of the seven treasures, level and even like the palm of a hand, without mountains, hills, ravines, streams, trenches, or caves. Towers and pavilions made of the seven treasures will fill that land.

The celestial palaces will be close to the open sky, and devas and humans will interact with one another and be able to see each other. There will be no evil destinies and no women. All sentient beings will be born through transformation and will have no sexual desire.

They will possess great powers of spiritual penetration; their bodies will emit light, and they will fly about freely. Their minds will be steadfast, and they will possess wisdom and diligence. All will have golden bodies adorned with the thirty-two marks.

The sentient beings in that land will always partake of two kinds of food: first, the food of joy in the Dharma, and second, the food of delight in meditation. There will be immeasurable and countless thousands, tens of thousands, and billions of bodhisattvas who have attained great powers of spiritual penetration and the four unobstructed wisdoms, and who are perfectly capable of teaching and transforming every kind of sentient being.

The assembly of sravakas in that land will be beyond calculation; all will have fully attained the six spiritual powers, the three insights, and the eight liberations. That Buddha land will be perfected with such immeasurable meritorious adornments. Its kalpa will be called Treasure Radiance, and its land will be called Excellent Purity.

That Buddha’s lifespan will extend for immeasurable and countless kalpas, and his true Dharma will remain in the world for a very long time. After that Buddha enters nirvana, stupas made of the seven treasures will be erected throughout the entire land.

At that time, wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

Bhiksus, listen attentively!

The path practiced by the Buddha’s children,

Who have fully mastered skillful means,

Is inconceivable.

Knowing that beings delight in lesser teachings

And fear the great wisdom,

The bodhisattvas therefore

Appear as sravakas and pratyekabuddhas.

Employing countless skillful means,

They teach, transform, and rescue myriad beings,

Declaring themselves to be sravakas

Far removed from the Buddha Way.

They liberate immeasurable beings,

Enabling them all to attain accomplishment;

Though indolent and fond of lesser teachings,

They will gradually become Buddhas.

Inwardly concealing the bodhisattva practice,

Outwardly they manifest the appearance of sravakas.

They show few desires and weariness of samsara,

While secretly purifying the Buddha lands.

They display the three poisons

And also manifest the appearance of wrong views.

In this way, my disciples

Use skillful means to liberate sentient beings.

If I were to explain in full

All their manifested transformations,

Sentient beings who heard them

Would immediately give rise to doubt.

The worthy Purna,

In the past, before billions of Buddhas,

Diligently cultivated the path

And protected, upheld, and expounded the true Dharma.

Seeking unsurpassed wisdom,

In the presence of those Buddhas

He was foremost among their disciples,

Widely learned and endowed with wisdom.

He taught the Dharma without fear,

And skillfully brought joy to the assembly,

Never experiencing weariness

As he assisted in the work of the Buddhas.

He attained great powers of spiritual penetration

And possessed the four unobstructed wisdoms.

Knowing the faculties and dispositions of all people,

He constantly taught the pure Dharma.

Expounding meanings such as these,

He taught and transformed billions of beings,

Establishing them in the Mahayana Dharma

While purifying his own Buddha land.

In future lives he will make offerings

To immeasurable and countless Buddhas,

Assist in teaching the true Dharma,

And also purify the Buddha lands.

Constantly employing various skillful means,

He will teach the Dharma without fear,

Liberating beings beyond all reckoning

And enabling them all to attain all-knowledge.

He will make offerings to the Tathagatas

And preserve the treasury of the precious Dharma.

Afterward, he will attain Buddhahood

And will be called Dharma Radiance.

That land will be called Excellent Purity,

And will be formed from the seven treasures.

The kalpa will be called Treasure Radiance,

And the assembly of bodhisattvas will be exceedingly numerous.

Their number will be beyond measure;

All will attain great powers of spiritual penetration,

Fully possess majestic virtue,

And fill the entire land.

The sravakas will also be countless,

Possessing the three insights and eight liberations.

They will attain the four unobstructed wisdoms;

Such noble ones will form the Sangha.

The sentient beings in that land

Will have completely severed sexual desire.

They will be born solely through transformation,

Their bodies endowed with all the excellent marks.

They will take joy in the Dharma as food

And will have no thought of other nourishment.

There will be no women,

Nor any of the evil destinies.

When the bhiksu Purna

Has perfected his merits,

He will attain this pure land,

Filled with a multitude of noble sages.

Of such immeasurable matters,

I have now spoken only in brief.

At that time, the twelve hundred arhats whose minds had attained mastery thought: “We have gained joy such as we have never experienced before. How wonderful it would be if the Blessed One bestowed predictions upon us, just as he has upon the other great disciples.” The Buddha knew the thoughts in their minds and said to the Venerable Mahakasyapa:

“These one thousand two hundred arhats will today receive from me, one after another, predictions of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Among this assembly, my great disciple, the bhikshu Kauṇḍinya, will make offerings to sixty-two thousand koṭis of Buddhas. Only thereafter will he become a Buddha named Universal Light Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.

“The other five hundred arhats, including Uruvilvā Kāśyapa, Gayā Kāśyapa, Nadī Kāśyapa, Kāludāyin, Aniruddha, Revata, Kapphiṇa, Bakkula, Cūḍapanthaka, Gavāṃpati, and others, will all attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment and bear the same name, Universal Light.” At that time, wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

The bhikshu Kauṇḍinya

Will meet immeasurable Buddhas;

After asaṃkhyeya kalpas,

He will attain perfect enlightenment.

He will constantly emit great light,

And possess all spiritual powers;

His renown will fill the ten directions,

And all beings will revere him.

He will always teach the One Vehicle;

Thus he will be named Universal Light.

His land will be exceedingly pure,

And its bodhisattvas very valiant.

They will all dwell in splendid towers,

And travel throughout the ten directions,

Taking the most excellent offerings

To present to all the Buddhas.

When they have completed their offerings,

Their hearts will be filled with great joy;

Through spiritual powers such as these,

They will immediately return to their own land.

That Buddha’s lifespan will be sixty thousand kalpas;

His true Dharma will endure twice as long,

And the semblance Dharma likewise;

When the Dharma perishes, gods and humans will grieve.

These five hundred bhikshus

Will successively become Buddhas,

All bearing the name Universal Light;

One after another, they will receive predictions.

After I have entered extinction,

Whoever among them becomes a Buddha

Will liberate the beings of his world,

Just as I do today.

The purity of their lands,

Their various spiritual powers,

Their assemblies of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas,

Their true Dharma and semblance Dharma,

And the length of their lifespans

Will all be as described above.

Kāśyapa, you now know

Of these five hundred self-masters.

The other assemblies of śrāvakas

Will also be just the same.

To those who are not present here,

You should proclaim this matter.

At that time, the five hundred arhats who had received predictions from the Buddha rejoiced with delight. Rising from their seats, they went before the Buddha, bowed their heads and faces at his feet, repented of their faults, and reproached themselves, saying:

“Blessed One! We constantly thought that we had already attained complete extinction. Only today do we realize that we were like ignorant people. Why is this? We should have been worthy of attaining the Tathagata’s wisdom, yet after gaining only a small measure of wisdom, we considered it sufficient.

“Blessed One! Suppose a man became drunk and lay down in the house of a friend. The friend had to leave on official business, so he tied a priceless jewel inside the man’s robe and departed.

The drunken man knew nothing of this. After awakening, he journeyed to another country, where he had to labor strenuously in search of food and clothing, enduring great hardship. Whatever little he obtained, he considered sufficient.

Later, the friend happened to meet him again and said: ‘How strange, my friend! How have you been reduced to such a state merely for food and clothing? Long ago, wishing you to live in ease and freely enjoy the pleasures of the five desires, I tied a priceless jewel inside your robe.

It is still there, yet you do not know it. Instead, you undergo hardship and toil to sustain your life. How foolish you are!

You should exchange this jewel for whatever you need. Then you may live in comfort and never again suffer want.’ The Buddha is also like this. When he was still practicing as a bodhisattva, he taught and transformed us, causing us to awaken the aspiration for all-knowledge.

Yet we forgot it, neither realizing nor knowing. Having attained arhatship, we considered that we had reached extinction. We were like those who labor painfully for a living, obtain only a little, and consider it sufficient, even though our aspiration for all-knowledge still remained and had never been lost.

Today the Blessed One has awakened us, saying: ‘Bhikshus! The fruit you have attained is not complete extinction. Long ago, I taught you to plant the Buddha’s roots of goodness.

Through skillful means, I manifested the appearance of nirvana, but you believed that you had truly attained nirvana.’

“Blessed One! Only today do we realize that we are truly bodhisattvas who have received predictions of future unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, we rejoice as never before.” At that time, wishing to restate this meaning, Ājñāta Kauṇḍinya and the other arhats spoke in verse:

The voice of the Blessed One

Comforts us and bestows predictions;

We rejoice exceedingly

And bow to the Buddha of immeasurable wisdom.

Today, before the Blessed One,

We repent of our faults.

Amid the Buddha’s immeasurable treasures,

We attained only a small portion of nirvana.

Like foolish people without wisdom,

We immediately considered it sufficient.

Suppose a poor and destitute man

Went to the house of a close friend.

That household was exceedingly wealthy

And set forth a feast of delicacies.

The friend took a priceless jewel

And tied it inside the man’s robe;

Then he silently departed,

While the drunken man slept, knowing nothing.

When the man awoke,

He wandered to another country,

Seeking food and clothing for himself;

His life was exceedingly difficult.

Whatever little he obtained, he considered sufficient

And desired nothing further,

Not knowing that inside his robe

There was a priceless jewel.

The friend who had given him the precious jewel

Later met the impoverished man again,

Reproached him,

And pointed out the jewel inside his robe.

When the poor man saw the treasure,

His heart was filled with joy;

He became wealthy, possessing abundant riches,

And fully enjoyed the pleasures of the senses.

We are also like this.

Long ago, the Blessed One,

Ever compassionate, taught and guided us,

Causing us to plant the aspiration for the unsurpassed path.

Because we lacked wisdom,

We neither realized nor understood;

Having attained only a small portion of nirvana,

We thought it sufficient and sought nothing further.

The Buddha has awakened us,

Teaching that this is not true extinction;

Only upon attaining unsurpassed awakened wisdom

Does one truly attain extinction.

Now we have heard from the Buddha

These solemn words of prediction,

And the successive predictions of each among us;

Our innermost hearts are filled with joy.

Chapter 9: PREDICTIONS FOR THOSE IN TRAINING AND THOSE BEYOND TRAINING

At that time, Venerable Ānanda and Rāhula thought: “If we were to receive predictions from the Buddha, nothing could bring us greater joy.” They immediately rose from their seats, went before the Buddha, bowed their heads and faces at his feet, and together said:

“Blessed One! We too should have a share in this, for the Blessed One alone is our refuge. Moreover, everyone throughout the worlds—all gods, humans, and asuras—knows us.

Venerable Ānanda has always served as your attendant and preserved the treasury of the Tathagata’s true Dharma. Rāhula is the Buddha’s son. If the Buddha bestows upon us predictions of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, our aspirations will be fulfilled, and the hopes of the great assembly will also be realized.” At that time, two thousand śrāvaka disciples, both those in training and those beyond training, rose from their seats, bared their right shoulders, went before the Buddha, joined their palms, and single-mindedly gazed up at the Blessed One.

Sharing the aspiration expressed by Venerable Ānanda and Rāhula, they then stood to one side.

The Buddha then said to Ānanda:

“In a future life, you will become a Buddha named Sovereign King of Unhindered Wisdom like Mountains and Oceans, Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. You will make offerings to and preserve the treasury of the true Dharma of sixty-two koṭis of Buddhas. Thereafter, you will attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment and teach and transform twenty thousand myriads of koṭis of bodhisattvas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, enabling them to attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

“Your land will be named Ever-Raised Victorious Banner. That realm will be pure, and its ground will be made of lapis lazuli. The kalpa will be named Wondrous Sounds Filling Everywhere. That Buddha’s lifespan will be immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of asaṃkhyeya kalpas. Even if someone were to calculate and enumerate it for immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of asaṃkhyeya kalpas, its extent could not be known. The true Dharma will endure in the world for twice the length of that lifespan, and the semblance Dharma will endure for twice as long as the true Dharma.

“Ānanda! The virtues of the Buddha Sovereign King of Unhindered Wisdom like Mountains and Oceans will be praised by immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of Tathagatas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, throughout the ten directions.”

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

I now proclaim amid the assembly:

Ananda, the upholder of the Dharma,

Shall make offerings to all Buddhas

And thereafter attain Perfect Enlightenment.

He shall be called Mountain-Ocean Wisdom,

Sovereign Penetrating King Buddha.

His land shall be pure,

And shall ever be named Erected Banner of Victory.

He shall teach and transform the bodhisattvas,

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

That Buddha shall possess great majestic virtue,

And his renown shall fill the ten directions.

His lifespan shall be immeasurable kalpas,

Because of his loving-kindness for sentient beings.

The True Dharma shall endure twice as long as his lifespan,

And the Semblance Dharma longer than the True Dharma.

There shall be innumerable sentient beings,

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Who, within that Buddha's Dharma,

Shall plant the causes and conditions for the Buddha path.

At that time, eight thousand newly resolved bodhisattvas in the assembly all thought: “We have not yet heard even the great bodhisattvas receive predictions. For what reason do these shravakas receive predictions such as these?”

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing the thoughts in the minds of the bodhisattvas, told them:

“Good men! Ananda, the shravakas, and I once dwelt in the presence of Empty King Buddha and together awakened the resolve for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Ananda always delighted in extensive learning, while I constantly practiced with diligent vigor; therefore, I have already attained unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Ananda preserves the True Dharma and assists me. He shall also preserve the treasury of the True Dharma of future Buddhas and perfectly teach and transform the assemblies of bodhisattvas. Because of this original vow, Ananda has received this prediction. In the presence of the Buddha, he heard the Buddha confer upon him a prediction and describe the adornments of his land, and thus his aspiration has been fulfilled.”

Venerable Ananda rejoiced greatly, having attained what he had never had before. At that very moment, he recollected the treasury of the True Dharma of immeasurable thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddhas of the past, penetrating it freely and without obstruction as though he were hearing it at that very moment. He also clearly knew his own original vow and then spoke in verse:

The World-Honored One is exceedingly rare,

Causing me to recollect the past—

The immeasurable Dharma of all Buddhas—

As though I were hearing it today.

I now have no further doubts

And dwell securely in the Buddha path.

As an expedient means, I serve as an attendant,

Preserving the Dharma of all Buddhas.

At that time, the Buddha told Rahula:

“In a future age, you shall become a Buddha named Treader upon the Flowers of the Seven Treasures, Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. You shall make offerings to Tathagatas as numerous as the motes of dust in the Buddha lands of the ten directions, and you shall always be the eldest son of those Buddhas, just as you are today.

That Buddha land shall be adorned, and the number and duration of its kalpas, the disciples he teaches and transforms, and its True Dharma and Semblance Dharma shall all be the same as those of Mountain-Ocean Wisdom Sovereign Penetrating King Tathagata. You shall also be the eldest son of that Buddha. After that time has passed, you shall attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”

At that time, wishing to restate the foregoing meaning, the World-Honored One spoke in verse:

When I was the crown prince,

Rahula was my eldest son.

Now that I have attained the path,

Rahula is my Dharma son.

Throughout future ages,

He shall encounter immeasurable Buddhas

And shall likewise be the eldest son of them all,

Single-mindedly seeking the Buddha path.

The secret practices of Rahula

Can be known by me alone.

He now appears as my eldest son

In order to teach and transform sentient beings.

His merit is immeasurable,

Beyond all calculation or enumeration.

He abides securely in the Buddha-Dharma

In order to seek the unsurpassed path.

At that time, the World-Honored One saw the two thousand trainees and those beyond training, whose minds were gentle, tranquil, and pure, single-mindedly gazing up at the Buddha. The Buddha said to Ananda:

“Do you see these two thousand trainees and those beyond training?”

“Yes, World-Honored One, I see them.”

“Ananda! These persons shall make offerings to Tathagatas as numerous as the motes of dust in fifty worlds, revering and honoring them and preserving the treasury of the True Dharma of those Buddhas. Finally, they shall all become Buddhas in lands throughout the ten directions, all bearing the same name, Jewel Appearance, Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. Their lifespans shall each be one kalpa, and the adornments of their lands, their shravakas and bodhisattvas, and the duration of their True Dharma and Semblance Dharma shall all be identical.”

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

These two thousand shravakas,

Today, here before me,

Have all received predictions

That they shall become Buddhas in the future.

They shall make offerings to Buddhas

As numerous as the motes of dust described above,

Preserving the treasury of the Dharma,

And afterward shall attain Perfect Enlightenment.

In lands throughout the ten directions,

They shall all bear the same name.

Each shall sit in a place of enlightenment

And realize unsurpassed wisdom and awakening.

They shall be called Jewel Appearance.

Their lands and disciples,

Their True Dharma and Semblance Dharma,

Shall be alike, without any difference.

They shall all employ the power of spiritual penetrations

To teach and transform beings throughout the ten directions.

Their renown shall resound everywhere,

And gradually they shall enter nirvana.

Upon hearing the Buddha confer these predictions, the two thousand trainees and those beyond training rejoiced and were greatly inspired, and they spoke in verse:

World-Honored One, bright lamp of wisdom,

We have heard the voice conferring predictions.

Our hearts overflow with joy,

As though sprinkled with amrita.

Chapter 10: THE DHARMA TEACHER

At that time, the World-Honored One, addressing Bodhisattva Medicine King and through him the eighty thousand great beings, said:

“Medicine King! Do you see within this great assembly immeasurable gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, upasikas, those seeking the shravaka vehicle, those seeking the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and those seeking the Buddha path—all these various kinds of beings? Before me, they have all heard the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma. Even if they have heard only a single verse or a single sentence, or have given rise to even one thought of sympathetic joy, I confer upon them all the prediction that they shall attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

“Furthermore, Medicine King! After the Tathagata has entered extinction, if anyone hears the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma—even if only a single verse or a single sentence—and gives rise to even one thought of sympathetic joy, I shall also confer upon that person the prediction of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. If anyone receives and upholds, reads, recites, expounds, or copies this sutra, even so much as a single verse, and reveres this sutra as though it were the Buddha, making offerings of various flowers, incense, jeweled necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, burning incense, parasols, canopies, banners, garments, and music, or even merely joining the palms in reverence—

“Medicine King, you should know that such persons have already made offerings to ten myriads of kotis of Buddhas and fulfilled great vows. Out of loving-kindness for sentient beings, they have been born among humankind.

“Medicine King! If anyone asks which persons shall become Buddhas in the future, you should tell them that these very persons will certainly become Buddhas in the future. Why is this?

If any good man or good woman receives and upholds, reads, recites, expounds, or copies even a single sentence of the Lotus Sutra, and makes offerings to this sutra of various jeweled necklaces, flower garlands, powdered incense, paste incense, burning incense, parasols, canopies, banners, garments, and music, or even merely joins the palms in reverence, that person should be gazed upon with reverence and honored by all the worlds.

Offerings such as are presented to the Tathagata should be presented to that person. You should know that this person is a great bodhisattva who shall attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Out of loving-kindness for sentient beings, that person has been born among humankind in order to expound the Lotus Sutra extensively and clearly.

How much more is this true of one who receives and upholds the entire sutra and makes all manner of offerings to it!

“Medicine King, you should know that this person has relinquished the recompense of pure karma. After my extinction, out of compassion for sentient beings, this person shall appear in an evil age to expound this sutra widely. Furthermore, after my extinction, if any good man or good woman privately speaks even a single sentence of the Lotus Sutra to one person, you should know that this person is a messenger of the Tathagata, dispatched by the Tathagata to carry out his work. How much more is this true of one who expounds this sutra to everyone in the midst of a great assembly!”

O Medicine King! If an evil person, with an unwholesome mind, were throughout an entire kalpa to slander, revile, or seek to kill the Buddha, that offense would still be light. But if someone were to utter a single malicious word slandering a layperson or monastic who reads and recites the Lotus Sutra, that person’s offense would be exceedingly grave.

O Medicine King! If someone reads and recites the Lotus Sutra, you should know that this person adorns himself with the Tathagata’s robe and is borne upon the Tathagata’s shoulders. Wherever this person goes, all should turn toward him and pay homage, single-mindedly join their palms, reverently make offerings, honor and praise him, and present him with flowers, incense, jeweled necklaces, powdered incense, fragrant ointments, parasols, banners, garments, delicious food, music, and the finest offerings of the devas. Why is this? Because this person joyfully expounds the Dharma, and those who hear it for even a moment will attain complete and perfect unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

At that time, wishing to proclaim this meaning once again, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

If one wishes to enter the Buddha Way

And perfect self-arising wisdom,

One should always diligently make offerings

To those who uphold the Lotus Sutra.

If anyone wishes swiftly to attain

The wisdom of all modes,

Let that person receive and uphold this sutra

And make offerings to those who uphold it.

If anyone is able to receive and uphold

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma,

That person is an emissary of the Buddha,

Who cherishes all sentient beings.

Those who are able to receive and uphold

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma

Have left behind a pure land

Out of compassion for the beings of this realm.

Know that persons such as these

Freely choose the place of their birth

And, in this evil world,

Expound the unsurpassed Dharma.

With celestial flowers and incense,

The precious garments of the devas,

And every fine and precious thing,

Make offerings to those who expound the Dharma.

In the evil age after my nirvana,

If anyone upholds this sutra,

One should join one’s palms and pay homage,

As though making offerings to the Blessed One.

With the finest delicious foods

And all manner of garments,

Make offerings to that child of the Buddha,

Hoping to hear the Dharma for even a moment.

If, in a future age,

Anyone is able to uphold this sutra,

I shall send that person among the assembly

To carry out the work of the Tathagata.

If throughout an entire kalpa

Someone constantly harbors an unwholesome mind

And angrily reviles the Buddha,

That person incurs immeasurable grave offenses.

But upon seeing someone read and recite

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma,

If one reviles that person with even a single word,

This offense is graver than the former.

Suppose a person seeking the Buddha Way

Were, throughout an entire kalpa,

To join palms before me

And praise me with countless verses.

Through the causes and conditions of praising the Buddha,

That person would gain immeasurable merit;

But one who praises those who uphold this sutra

Would gain blessings surpassing even those.

Throughout eighty trillion kalpas,

With the five wondrous objects—

Forms, sounds, fragrances, tastes, and tangible objects—

Make offerings to those who uphold this sutra.

After making such offerings,

If one hears the Dharma for even a moment,

One will experience joy within oneself, thinking,

“Today I have gained a great benefit.”

Medicine King! I tell you:

Among all the sutras

That I have already taught,

The Lotus Sutra is foremost.

The Buddha then addressed the great bodhisattva Medicine King:

“Of the immeasurable thousands, myriads, and trillions of sutras that I have taught, now teach, and shall teach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand. Medicine King, this sutra is the secret and essential treasury of all the sutras. It must not be carelessly entrusted to others. It has been guarded by all Buddha-Blessed Ones and, from ancient times until now, has never been openly expounded. Even while the Tathagata is present, this scripture still arouses much hostility and hatred; how much more so after his nirvana!

“Medicine King, you should know this: After the Tathagata’s nirvana, if anyone copies, receives and upholds, reads and recites, makes offerings to, or expounds this scripture for others, the Tathagata will immediately cover that person with his robe. That person will also be protected and kept in mind by the Buddhas presently abiding in other directions. Such a person possesses the power of great faith, aspiration, and wholesome roots. Know that this person dwells together with the Tathagata and is caressed upon the head by the Tathagata’s hand.

“Medicine King! Wherever this sutra is expounded, read, recited, explained, copied, or wherever a scroll of this sutra is kept, a stupa of the seven treasures should be erected, lofty, broad, and magnificent. There is no need to enshrine relics within it. Why is this? Because the complete body of the Tathagata is already present therein. This stupa should be reverently honored, venerated, and praised with every kind of flower and incense, jeweled necklace, silken canopy, banner, music, and hymn of praise. If anyone, upon seeing this stupa, bows before it and makes offerings, you should know that this person has drawn near to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

“Medicine King! There are many laypeople and monastics who practice the bodhisattva path but do not see, hear, read, recite, copy, receive, or uphold this Lotus Sutra. You should know that such people are not yet skillfully cultivating the bodhisattva path. If anyone sees, hears, or reads this sutra, only then is that person skillfully cultivating the bodhisattva path. If sentient beings seeking the Buddha Way see or hear this Lotus Sutra and, having heard it, believe, understand, receive, and uphold it, you should know that they have drawn near to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

“Medicine King! Suppose a person overcome by thirst and in need of water were to bore and dig for water upon a high plateau. Seeing that the earth was dry, that person would know that water was still far away.

Continuing to labor without ceasing, the person would gradually see moist earth and then finally mud, and would know with certainty that water was near. Bodhisattvas are likewise. If they have not heard, understood, or been able to cultivate this Lotus Sutra, you should know that they are still far from unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

If they are able to hear, understand, contemplate, and cultivate this sutra, then know that they are near unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Why is this? Because the unsurpassed, complete enlightenment of all bodhisattvas accords with this sutra.

This sutra opens the gate of skillful means and reveals the direction of the truth. The treasury of the Lotus Sutra is exceedingly profound, hidden, and far-reaching; no one has been able to reach it. Now the Buddha reveals it because he wishes to teach, transform, and bring the bodhisattvas to fulfillment.

“Medicine King! If bodhisattvas hear this Lotus Sutra and harbor doubt and fear, you should know that they are bodhisattvas who have only recently aroused the aspiration for enlightenment. If shravakas hear this sutra and harbor doubt and fear, you should know that they are persons of overweening pride.

“Medicine King! If, after the Tathagata’s nirvana, good men or good women wish to expound this Lotus Sutra for the fourfold assembly, how should they expound it? Those good men or good women should enter the Tathagata’s house, put on the Tathagata’s robe, and sit upon the Tathagata’s seat. Only then should they expound this sutra for the fourfold assembly. The Tathagata’s house is the mind of great loving-kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings. The Tathagata’s robe is the mind of gentleness and patient forbearance. The Tathagata’s seat is the emptiness of all dharmas. Having abided in these, they should then, with an unflagging mind, expound this Lotus Sutra for the bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly.

“Medicine King! Though I am in another world, I shall send emanated beings to gather an assembly to hear the Dharma from such a person. I shall also send bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas to hear that person expound the Dharma. These emanated beings will hear the Dharma, believe and accept it, follow it, and never oppose it. If the expounder of the Dharma dwells in a secluded place, I shall immediately send many devas, nagas, ghosts, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, and others to hear that person expound the Dharma. Although I am in another world, I shall at all times enable the expounder of the Dharma to behold my body. If that person forgets even a brief passage of this sutra, I shall recite it again so that the teaching may be complete.”

At that time, wishing to proclaim this meaning once again, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

If one wishes to cast off indolence,

One should listen to this sutra.

This sutra is difficult to hear,

And those who believe and accept it are also rare.

It is like a thirsty person in need of water

Who bores and digs upon a high plateau.

As long as that person sees dry, hard earth,

The person knows that water is still far away;

But gradually seeing moist earth and mud,

The person knows with certainty that water is near.

Medicine King! You should know

That people such as these,

Who have not heard the Lotus Sutra,

Are very far from the Buddha’s wisdom.

But if they hear this wondrous sutra,

Which leaves no place for the shravaka teachings

And is the king among all sutras

Having heard it, reflect upon it well;

Know that such a person

Draws near to the wisdom of the Buddha.

If anyone expounds this sutra,

They should enter the Tathagata’s house,

Wear the Tathagata’s robe,

And sit upon the Tathagata’s seat;

Then, fearless amid the assembly,

They shall clearly expound this sutra.

Great loving-kindness and compassion are the house,

Gentleness and patience are the robe,

And the emptiness of all dharmas is the seat;

Dwelling therein, they shall teach the Dharma.

If, while expounding this sutra,

They are reviled by those of malicious speech,

Or struck with knives, staffs, tiles, or stones,

They should recollect the Buddha and patiently endure.

Throughout thousands of myriads of kotis of lands,

I manifest pure and steadfast bodies,

And for immeasurable kotis of kalpas,

Expound the Dharma for sentient beings.

After I have entered extinction,

For those who expound this sutra,

I shall send forth manifested members of the fourfold assembly:

Bhiksus and bhiksunis,

As well as men and women of pure faith,

To make offerings to the Dharma teacher.

I shall lead sentient beings

To assemble and hear the Dharma.

If anyone seeks to harm the teacher

With knives, staffs, tiles, or stones,

I shall immediately send manifested beings

To guard and protect the Dharma teacher.

If a Dharma teacher expounds the Dharma

Alone in a secluded place,

In silence, with no one there to listen,

And reads and teaches this scripture,

I shall then manifest

My pure and radiant body.

If the teacher forgets any passage,

I shall remind them so that they understand it fully.

If anyone endowed with merit and virtue

Expounds it to the fourfold assembly,

Or reads and recites the sutra in a secluded place,

They shall in every case behold my body.

If they dwell in a place where no one is present,

I shall send dragon kings,

Yaksas, ghosts, spirits, and others

To form an assembly and hear the Dharma.

That person shall expound the Dharma

Fluently and without hindrance.

The Buddhas shall guard and keep them in mind,

Causing the great assembly to rejoice.

Those who draw near to the Dharma teacher

Shall swiftly attain the bodhisattva path.

Those who follow and learn from this teacher

Shall behold Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Chapter 11: THE APPEARANCE OF THE JEWELED STUPA

At that time, before the Buddha, a stupa of the seven treasures, five hundred yojanas in height and two hundred and fifty yojanas in circumference, emerged from the earth and stood suspended in the sky. The stupa was adorned with every kind of treasure. It had five thousand chambers lining its galleries and countless thousands of myriads of banners and streamers as adornments.

Jeweled necklaces hung down from it, and thousands of myriads of kotis of jeweled bells were suspended upon it. From its four sides wafted the fragrance of sandalwood, pervading the entire world. Its banners, streamers, parasols, and canopies were made of the seven treasures—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, giant clam shell, agate, and rose pearl—and reached as high as the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings.

The gods of the Trayastrimsa Heaven showered mandarava flowers as offerings to the jeweled stupa. Thousands of myriads of kotis of gods, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, kimnaras, mahoragas, asuras, garudas, humans, and nonhumans all offered every kind of incense, flower, jeweled necklace, banner, streamer, parasol, canopy, and music. They reverently honored, venerated, and praised the jeweled stupa.

Then a great voice issued from within the jeweled stupa, praising him:

“Excellent, excellent! Sakyamuni, the World-Honored One, is able to expound to the great assembly of bodhisattvas the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma, guarded and kept in mind by all Buddhas, with great wisdom of equality. So it is, so it is! Everything spoken by Sakyamuni, the World-Honored One, is true!”

At that time, when the fourfold assembly saw the great jeweled stupa suspended in the sky and heard the voice issuing from within it, they experienced the wondrous joy of the Dharma, such as they had never known before. Rising from their seats, they joined their palms reverently and stood to one side. At that time, a great bodhisattva named Great Delight in Preaching, knowing the doubts in the minds of the gods, humans, and asuras throughout the world, addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! For what cause and condition has this jeweled stupa emerged from the earth, and why has such a voice issued from within it?”

The Buddha told the Bodhisattva Great Delight in Preaching:

“Within this jeweled stupa is the complete body of a Tathagata. In the distant past, in the eastern direction, beyond immeasurable thousands of myriads of kotis of countless lands, there was a land named Treasure-Pure. In that land was a Buddha named Abundant Treasures. While that Buddha was still practicing the bodhisattva path, he made this great vow: ‘If I attain Buddhahood, then after I enter extinction, wherever the Lotus Sutra is expounded in any land throughout the ten directions, the jeweled stupa containing the Tathagata shall appear there to hear the sutra, bear witness to it, and praise it, saying: Excellent!’

“After that Buddha attained enlightenment, he proclaimed amid the great assembly of gods and humans: ‘After I enter extinction, those who wish to make offerings to my complete body should erect a great stupa.’

“Through the spiritual power of his vow, wherever anyone expounds the Lotus Sutra throughout the worlds of the ten directions, his jeweled stupa appears before them, and the Buddha’s complete body within the stupa praises it, saying: ‘Excellent, excellent!’

“O Great Delight in Preaching! Today, the stupa of the Tathagata Abundant Treasures has emerged from the earth in order to hear the Lotus Sutra and has praised it, saying: ‘Excellent, excellent!’”

At that time, through the Tathagata’s spiritual power, the Bodhisattva Great Delight in Preaching addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! We wish to behold the body of the Buddha Abundant Treasures.”

The Buddha told the Bodhisattva Great Delight in Preaching:

“The Buddha Abundant Treasures made an exceedingly great vow: ‘If my jeweled stupa appears before any Buddha in order to hear the Lotus Sutra, and that Buddha wishes to reveal my body to the fourfold assembly, all the emanation Buddhas of that Buddha who are expounding the Dharma throughout the worlds of the ten directions must first assemble together in one place. Only then shall my body appear.’

“O Great Delight in Preaching! My emanation Buddhas, who are now expounding the Dharma throughout the worlds of the ten directions, shall assemble here.”

The Bodhisattva Great Delight in Preaching addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! We also wish to behold the World-Honored One’s emanation Buddhas, so that we may bow before them and make offerings.”

At that time, the Buddha emitted a ray of light from the tuft of white hair between his brows. Immediately there could be seen in the eastern direction five hundred myriad kotis of nayutas of Buddha lands, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. In all those lands, the ground was made of crystal, and jeweled trees and jeweled garments adorned them.

Countless thousands of myriads of kotis of bodhisattvas filled those lands, over which jeweled curtains were spread and jeweled nets were hung. The Buddhas of those lands expounded the Dharma with subtle and wondrous voices, and immeasurable thousands of myriads of kotis of bodhisattvas could be seen filling those lands and expounding the Dharma for sentient beings. In the southern, western, and northern directions, in the four intermediate directions, and above and below, the light from the Buddha’s white hair-mark shone in the same manner.

At that time, all the Buddhas of the ten directions told their assemblies of bodhisattvas:

“Good men! Today I must go to the Saha world, to the abode of the Buddha Sakyamuni, to make offerings to the jeweled stupa of the Tathagata Abundant Treasures.”

The Saha world then became pure. Its ground was made of lapis lazuli and adorned with jeweled trees. Cords of pure gold marked out its eight roads.

There were no villages, hamlets, towns, marketplaces, oceans, rivers, mountains, valleys, or dense forests. Precious incense was burned, and mandarava flowers were scattered over the entire ground. Jeweled nets and curtains were spread above it, and jeweled bells were hung.

Only this assembly remained; all gods and humans were moved to other lands. At that time, each of the Buddhas brought one bodhisattva as an attendant and came to the Saha world, arriving beneath jeweled trees five hundred yojanas tall, each adorned with branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Beneath every jeweled tree stood a lion throne five yojanas high, adorned with all kinds of treasures.

At that time, all the Buddhas sat cross-legged upon these seats. In this way, proceeding successively throughout the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world, the emanation bodies of Śākyamuni Buddha in even a single direction had not yet been exhausted. Wishing to accommodate the Buddhas who were his emanations in the eight directions, Śākyamuni Buddha transformed two hundred koṭis of nayutas of Buddha lands, making them all pure and free of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras, and he moved the devas and humans to dwell in other lands.

The lands he transformed likewise had ground of lapis lazuli and were adorned with jeweled trees five hundred yojanas high, whose branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits all flourished luxuriantly. Beneath every tree was a jeweled lion throne five yojanas high, adorned with various precious substances. Those lands had no oceans, rivers, streams, or great mountains.

Mount Mucilinda, Mount Mahāmucilinda, the Iron Encircling Mountains, the Great Iron Encircling Mountains, and Mount Sumeru were all merged into a single Buddha land. Its jeweled ground was level, canopies formed of interwoven precious substances covered it from above, banners and parasols were hung, precious incense was burned, and celestial flowers were scattered everywhere upon the ground.

Because the Buddhas who were about to arrive needed places to sit, Śākyamuni Buddha again transformed two million koṭis of nayutas of lands throughout the eight directions, making them all pure and free of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras, and he moved the devas and humans to dwell elsewhere. Those transformed lands all had ground of lapis lazuli and were adorned with jeweled trees five hundred yojanas high, whose branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits flourished luxuriantly.

Beneath every tree was a jeweled lion throne five yojanas high, adorned with precious substances. They likewise had no oceans, rivers, streams, or great mountains such as Mount Mucilinda, Mount Mahāmucilinda, the Iron Encircling Mountains, the Great Iron Encircling Mountains, or Mount Sumeru. All were merged into a single Buddha land.

Its jeweled ground was level, canopies formed of interwoven precious substances covered it from above, banners and parasols were hung, precious incense was burned, and celestial flowers were scattered everywhere upon the ground.

Then, from the eastern direction, the Buddhas emanated by Śākyamuni, who were teaching the Dharma in five thousand myriads of koṭis of nayutas of lands, all came and assembled in this world. In the same manner, successively, the Buddhas of the ten directions all came together and took their seats throughout the eight directions. In each direction, the Buddhas occupied four million koṭis of nayutas of lands, which were completely filled with Buddha Tathagatas.

At that time, each Buddha sat upon a lion throne beneath a jeweled tree and dispatched an attendant bearing precious flowers to inquire after Śākyamuni Buddha, instructing him:

– Good man! Go to Vulture Peak, where Śākyamuni Buddha is dwelling, and convey my words to him, saying: “Does the Tathagata have little illness and little affliction? Is his health and strength good? Are the assemblies of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas peaceful and secure?” Then scatter these precious flowers as an offering to the Buddha and say: “That Buddha wishes this jeweled stupa to be opened.” All the Buddhas sent their attendants to do likewise.

Śākyamuni Buddha then saw that the Buddhas who were his emanations had assembled and were each seated upon a lion throne. He also heard that all the Buddhas wished the jeweled stupa to be opened. The Buddha immediately rose from his seat and remained suspended in the air.

All those in the fourfold assembly arose, joined their palms, and single-mindedly gazed up at the Buddha. With his right hand, the Buddha opened the door of the seven-jeweled stupa, producing a great sound like that of a bolt being removed and the gate of a great city being opened. At that moment, everyone in the assembly saw Many Treasures Tathagata seated peacefully upon the lion throne within the jeweled stupa, his entire body intact as though absorbed in meditative concentration.

They also heard Many Treasures Buddha say:

– Excellent, excellent! Śākyamuni Buddha delights in expounding the Lotus Sutra. I have come here because I wish to hear this sutra.

All those in the fourfold assembly saw this Buddha, who had entered nirvana immeasurable thousands of koṭis of kalpas in the past, speak these words. They all praised this unprecedented event and scattered celestial flowers upon Many Treasures Buddha and Śākyamuni Buddha.

Then Many Treasures Buddha, within the jeweled stupa, offered half his seat to Śākyamuni Buddha and said, “Śākyamuni Buddha, please sit upon this seat.” Śākyamuni Buddha immediately entered the jeweled stupa and sat cross-legged upon that half of the seat.

Seeing the two Tathagatas seated cross-legged together upon the lion throne within the jeweled stupa, the great assembly thought: “The place where the Buddhas are seated is too high. We beseech the Tathagata, through his spiritual power, to enable all of us to remain in the air.” Thereupon, through his great power of spiritual transformation, Śākyamuni Buddha lifted the entire great assembly into the air and, in a great voice, proclaimed to all those in the fourfold assembly:

– Who in this Sahā world is able to expound the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma? Now is the proper time, for before long the Tathagata will enter nirvana. The Buddha wishes to entrust this Lotus Sutra to those who are present.

At that time, wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

The Holy Lord, the Blessed One,

Though long since entered nirvana,

Within the jeweled stupa

Has come here for the Dharma.

Why do all of you

Not diligently learn the Dharma?

This Buddha entered nirvana

Innumerable kalpas ago,

Yet everywhere he hears the Dharma,

Because the Dharma is difficult to encounter.

That Buddha’s original vow

Was that after entering nirvana,

Wherever he might be,

He would always come to hear the Dharma.

I have also emanated

Immeasurable numbers of Buddhas,

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Who wish to come and hear the Dharma,

And to behold the Buddha

Many Treasures, who entered nirvana.

They have forsaken their pure lands,

Their assemblies of disciples,

Devas, humans, dragons, and spirits,

And all the offerings made to them,

Wishing that the Dharma might long abide;

Therefore, they have come here.

To provide seats for the Buddhas,

I employed my spiritual power

To move innumerable beings

And purify the lands.

Each of the Buddhas

Came beneath a jeweled tree,

Like lotus flowers

Adorning a clear pond.

Beneath every jeweled tree

There is a lion throne;

The Buddha seated upon it

Radiates brilliant light,

Like a great lamp burning

In the darkness of night.

Their bodies emit a fragrant scent

Throughout the lands of the ten directions;

Beings perfumed by its fragrance

Rejoice beyond measure.

It is as when a mighty wind

Blows upon the branches of small trees.

Through various skillful means,

I cause the Dharma long to abide.

I proclaim to the great assembly:

After I enter nirvana,

Who will preserve and uphold,

Read, and expound this sutra?

Now, before the Buddhas,

Let that person voice a vow.

That Buddha Many Treasures,

Though long since entered nirvana,

Because of his great vow,

Utters the lion’s roar.

Many Treasures Buddha,

Together with my own body

And all the emanated Buddhas,

Knows this intention.

Among the Buddha’s disciples,

Whoever will protect the Dharma

Should make a great vow

To cause the Dharma long to abide.

Whoever is able

To preserve and uphold this sutra

Will thereby have made offerings

To both me and Many Treasures.

Many Treasures Buddha,

Dwelling within the jeweled stupa,

Travels throughout the ten directions

For the sake of hearing this sutra.

Such a person will also make offerings

To the Buddhas who are my emanations,

Whose brilliant light shines

Throughout all worlds.

Whoever expounds this sutra

Will thereby behold me,

Many Treasures Buddha,

And all the emanated Buddhas.

Good men and good women!

Consider this carefully.

This task is difficult;

Therefore, make a great vow.

The other scriptures

Are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges;

Though one expounded them all,

That would not yet be difficult.

If one took Mount Sumeru

And hurled it into another region

Across innumerable lands,

That would not yet be difficult.

If one used a toe

To cast away a great-thousand world,

Hurling it to a distant land,

That would not yet be difficult.

If one reached the Heaven of the Summit of Existence

And taught the Dharma to the assembly,

Expounding immeasurable other sutras,

That would not yet be difficult.

But after the Buddha’s nirvana,

In an evil age,

To be able to expound this sutra—

That indeed will be difficult.

Suppose there were someone

Who grasped empty space in his hand

And wandered everywhere with it;

That would not yet be difficult.

But after I enter nirvana,

To copy and publish this sutra oneself,

Or cause another to do so—

That indeed will be difficult.

If one placed the entire earth

Upon a toenail

And flew up to the Brahmā heaven,

That would not yet be difficult.

But after the Buddha’s nirvana,

In an evil age,

To read and recite this sutra—

That indeed will be difficult.

If one carried a load of dry grass

Into the conflagration at the end of a kalpa

Without being burned,

That would not yet be difficult.

But after I enter nirvana,

If one upholds this sutra

And expounds it to even one person—

That indeed will be difficult.

If one upholds the Dharma treasury

For fully eighty-four thousand kalpas,

And expounds for others

The twelve divisions of scripture,

Causing those who hear

To attain the six supernatural powers,

Though one accomplishes this,

It is still not difficult.

After I enter extinction,

To listen and receive it,

And inquire until one thoroughly understands the meaning of the sutra—

This alone is difficult.

If someone expounds the Dharma,

Causing thousands of myriads,

Immeasurable and countless

Beings, numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

To attain arhatship

And possess the six supernatural powers,

Though one brings about such benefit,

It is still not difficult.

After I enter extinction,

If anyone reverently upholds

And follows this sutra,

That alone is difficult.

For the sake of the Buddha Way,

Throughout immeasurable lands,

From the distant past until now,

I have expounded many sutras;

Among all those sutras,

This sutra is foremost.

Whoever accepts and upholds it

Thereby preserves my very body.

Good men!

After I enter extinction,

Whoever accepts and upholds

And reads and recites this sutra

Should, in the presence of the Buddha,

Make this vow.

This sutra is difficult to uphold;

If anyone upholds it even briefly,

I shall greatly rejoice,

And so shall all the Buddhas.

Those who do so

Are praised by the Buddhas;

They are courageous,

They are diligent,

They are keepers of the precepts,

And practitioners of dhuta austerities;

They shall swiftly attain

The fruit of the unsurpassed Way.

Those in future ages

Who read and recite this sutra

Are true children of the Buddha,

Pure and virtuous ones.

After the Buddha enters extinction,

Those who understand this sutra

Shall be the eyes of the world

For both devas and human beings.

In an age filled with fear,

Those who expound this sutra even for a moment

Should be honored with offerings

By all devas and human beings.

At that time, the Buddha addressed the bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly of devas and human beings:

“For immeasurable kalpas in the past, I sought the Lotus Sutra without ever growing weary. Throughout many kalpas, I was often a Dharma king who vowed to seek unsurpassed bodhi, never allowing my resolve to regress. Wishing to perfect the six paramitas, I diligently practiced giving without attachment or reluctance.

I gave away elephants and horses, the seven treasures, kingdoms and cities, wives and children, servants and attendants, my head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, hands, and feet, never begrudging even my own life. At that time, people enjoyed immeasurably long lives. For the sake of seeking the true Dharma, the king renounced his throne, entrusted the government to the crown prince, and had a drum beaten to proclaim throughout the land his search for the true Dharma: ‘If anyone can expound the Mahayana Dharma to me, I shall provide for and serve that person throughout my life.’

“At that time, a seer came and said to the king:

“‘I possess a Mahayana teaching called the Lotus of the Wondrous Dharma. If the great king does not disobey me, I shall expound it to him.’

“On hearing these words, the king rejoiced and exulted. He followed the seer and provided for and served him, gathering fruit, drawing water, cutting firewood, and preparing food. He even used his own body as a couch for the seer, yet neither his body nor mind grew weary. The king served him in this way for a full thousand years. For the sake of seeking the true Dharma, he diligently attended upon him without any omission.”

Then, wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

I recall an age in the distant past

When, seeking the Mahayana Dharma,

Although I was a king in the world,

I did not crave the five desires.

I had bells and drums sounded in the four directions:

“Whoever possesses the Mahayana Dharma

And will expound it to me,

I shall serve that person.”

At that time, there was a seer

Who came and said to the king:

“I possess a wondrous Dharma,

Extremely rare in the world.

If anyone will practice it,

I shall expound it for him.”

When the king heard the seer’s words,

His heart was filled with great joy.

He immediately followed that seer

And provided whatever service was required.

He cut firewood and gathered fruit,

Respectfully serving him at the proper times.

For the sake of seeking the Mahayana Dharma,

His body and mind never grew weary.

For the sake of all sentient beings,

He diligently sought the great Dharma,

Not for the sake of his own body

Or the enjoyment of sensual pleasures.

Thus, although he was a king,

He diligently sought the Dharma of the Way,

Hoping to attain the Buddha Way.

Today I tell you of this.

The Buddha addressed the bhiksus:

“That king was none other than I myself, and the seer of that time is now Devadatta. Because Devadatta was my good spiritual friend, I was enabled to perfect the six paramitas, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, the thirty-two excellent marks, the eighty fine characteristics, a body of purple-gold hue, the ten powers of wisdom, the four fearlessnesses, the four means of embracing beings, the eighteen distinctive qualities, the powers of the Way, and supernatural abilities. I attained perfect enlightenment and universally delivered sentient beings. All these merits were due entirely to my good spiritual friend Devadatta.”

The Buddha addressed the fourfold assembly:

“After immeasurable kalpas have passed, Devadatta shall attain Buddhahood with the name Devaraja Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Human Beings, Buddha, Blessed One. His land shall be named Heavenly Way. The Buddha Devaraja shall remain in the world for twenty intermediate kalpas and universally expound the Wondrous Dharma for sentient beings.

Beings numerous as the sands of the Ganges shall attain arhatship; immeasurable beings shall arouse the resolve to become pratyekabuddhas; and beings numerous as the sands of the Ganges shall arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, attain the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, and reach the stage of non-retrogression.

“After the Buddha Devaraja enters nirvana, the true Dharma shall remain in the world for twenty intermediate kalpas. A stupa made of the seven treasures shall be erected to enshrine the Buddha’s relics. The stupa shall be sixty yojanas high and forty yojanas in circumference. Devas and human beings shall use various flowers, scented paste, burning incense, powdered incense, garments, jeweled necklaces, banners, canopies, and music to praise, reverently bow before, and make offerings to that stupa of the seven treasures. Immeasurable beings shall attain arhatship; immeasurable beings shall awaken to pratyekabuddhahood; and immeasurable beings shall arouse the aspiration for bodhi and reach the stage of non-retrogression.”

The Buddha addressed the bhiksus:

“In a future age, if any good man or good woman hears this Sutra of the Lotus of the Wondrous Dharma and, having heard it, reverently believes without any doubt, that person shall not fall into hell or be reborn as a hungry ghost or an animal, but shall be born in the presence of the Buddhas of the ten directions. Wherever that person is born, that person shall always hear the Lotus Sutra. If born among devas or human beings, that person shall enjoy supreme bliss. If born in the presence of a Buddha, that person shall be born by transformation from a lotus flower.”

At that time, from the region below, a bodhisattva attendant of the Buddha Prabhutaratna named Prajnakuta addressed the Buddha Prabhutaratna:

“May the Tathagata now return to his dwelling place.”

Sakyamuni Buddha said to Bodhisattva Prajnakuta:

“Good man, wait a moment. Here is Bodhisattva Manjusri. Meet with him and discuss this wondrous meaning, and only then return to your dwelling place.”

Thereupon, Bodhisattva Manjusri, seated upon a thousand-petaled lotus flower as large as a chariot wheel, together with the other bodhisattvas, who were also seated upon lotus flowers, rose naturally from the palace of the dragon king Sagara in the great ocean. They remained suspended in the air and proceeded to Vulture Peak. Descending from their lotus flowers, they approached the two Blessed Ones, reverently bowed with their heads at the feet of both, and, after paying homage, went to Bodhisattva Prajnakuta. They cordially exchanged greetings with him and sat to one side.

Bodhisattva Prajnakuta asked Bodhisattva Manjusri:

“Benevolent One, how many sentient beings have you taught and delivered during your visit to the dragon palace?”

Manjusri replied:

“Their number is immeasurable and cannot be calculated. It cannot be expressed in words or fathomed by the mind. Benevolent One, wait but a moment, and you shall see the proof for yourself.”

Before Bodhisattva Manjusri had finished speaking, countless bodhisattvas seated upon precious lotus flowers rose from the ocean, arrived at Vulture Peak, and remained suspended in the air. All these bodhisattvas had been taught and delivered by Bodhisattva Manjusri. They had perfected the bodhisattva practices and together expounded the six paramitas. Those who had formerly been sravakas and had expounded the sravaka practice while in the air were now all cultivating the Mahayana doctrine of emptiness.

Bodhisattva Manjusri said to Bodhisattva Prajnakuta:

“Such was my work of teaching and transformation within the ocean.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Prajnakuta praised him in verse:

O greatly wise and virtuous one,

You have taught and delivered immeasurable beings.

All those within this assembly,

As well as I myself, have now seen them.

You expound the meaning of true reality

And reveal the Dharma of the One Vehicle,

Universally delivering all sentient beings

So that they may swiftly attain the Buddha Way.

Bodhisattva Manjusri said:

– In the ocean, I have constantly expounded only the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma.

Bodhisattva Accumulated Wisdom asked Bodhisattva Manjushri:

– This sutra is profound and exceedingly subtle and wondrous, the most precious of all sutras, and very rare in the world. If sentient beings diligently and vigorously cultivate this sutra, can they quickly attain Buddhahood?

Manjushri replied:

– There is a daughter of the Dragon King Sagara who is only eight years old. She possesses lucid wisdom and completely understands the deeds, karma, and faculties of sentient beings. She has attained dharani and is able to receive and uphold all the profound, secret treasuries expounded by the Buddhas. She has deeply entered meditative concentration and clearly comprehends all dharmas. In a single instant, she brought forth the aspiration for bodhi and attained the stage of non-retrogression. Her eloquence is unobstructed, and she cherishes sentient beings as though they were her only child. She is fully endowed with merit and virtue. What she conceives in her mind and expounds with her mouth is subtle, wondrous, and all-embracing. Compassionate and benevolent, gentle and harmonious in disposition, she is capable of realizing the fruit of bodhi.

Bodhisattva Accumulated Wisdom said:

– I have seen Buddha Shakyamuni, throughout immeasurable kalpas, perform difficult deeds, accumulate merit and virtue, and seek the path of bodhi without ever resting. When one contemplates the three-thousand-great-thousand world, there is not even a place the size of a mustard seed where the Bodhisattva did not relinquish his life to save sentient beings; only afterward did he attain the path of bodhi. I cannot believe that the dragon maiden could attain perfect enlightenment in but a moment.

Before this discussion was concluded, the dragon maiden suddenly appeared before them. She bowed her head in homage to the Buddha, stood to one side, and spoke these verses in praise:

He thoroughly comprehends the marks of transgression and merit

And illuminates all ten directions.

His pure, subtle, wondrous Dharma body

Is endowed with the thirty-two marks;

With the eighty excellent characteristics

His Dharma body is adorned.

Devas, humans, dragons, and spirits

All pay him reverence.

All sentient beings,

Without exception, honor him.

That I shall attain the fruit of the path upon hearing the Dharma

Is known only to the Buddha.

I proclaim the Mahayana Dharma

To liberate sentient beings from suffering.

At that time, Shariputra said to the dragon maiden:

– You say that before long you will attain the unsurpassed path, but this is difficult to believe. Why? Because a woman's body is defiled and is not a vessel for the Dharma. How could you attain unsurpassed bodhi? The path to Buddhahood is lofty and distant. Only after passing through immeasurable kalpas, diligently enduring hardship, accumulating meritorious practices, and cultivating all the paramitas can one finally attain it. Moreover, a woman's body has five obstacles: she cannot become Brahma, Shakra, Mara, a wheel-turning sage king, or a Buddha. How can you say that a woman can quickly attain Buddhahood?

At that moment, the dragon maiden possessed a precious jewel equal in value to the three-thousand-great-thousand world. She offered it to the Buddha, and he immediately accepted it. The dragon maiden said to Bodhisattva Accumulated Wisdom and Venerable Shariputra:

– I offered this precious jewel, and the World-Honored One accepted it. Was that done quickly?

– Very quickly!

The dragon maiden said:

– With your spiritual powers, watch me attain Buddhahood even more quickly than that.

At that very moment, the entire assembly saw the dragon maiden suddenly transform into a man, perfect the practices of a bodhisattva, and fly to the Stainless World in the south. There, seated upon a precious lotus flower, she attained perfect enlightenment, endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics, and expounded the true Dharma to all sentient beings throughout the ten directions. At that time, in the Saha world, bodhisattvas, shravakas, devas, dragons, the eight classes of beings, and nonhuman beings saw from afar the dragon maiden attain Buddhahood and expound the Dharma to the devas and humans in that assembly.

Their hearts filled with joy, and from afar they reverently bowed in homage. Immeasurable sentient beings heard the Dharma, awakened, and attained the stage of non-retrogression; immeasurable sentient beings received predictions of Buddhahood. The Stainless World shook in six ways.

In the Saha world, three thousand sentient beings abided in the stage of non-retrogression. Three thousand sentient beings brought forth the aspiration for bodhi and received predictions of Buddhahood. Bodhisattva Accumulated Wisdom, Venerable Shariputra, and the entire assembly silently accepted and believed.

Chapter 12: ENCOURAGEMENT TO UPHOLD

At that time, Great Bodhisattva Medicine King and Great Bodhisattva Great Eloquence, together with their retinue of twenty thousand bodhisattvas, all came forward and made this vow:

– We respectfully beseech the World-Honored One not to be concerned. After the Buddha enters nirvana, we shall reverently uphold, read, recite, and expound this scripture. In the evil age to come, sentient beings will have meager wholesome faculties. Many will be arrogant with overweening pride, greedy for gain and offerings, increasingly unwholesome, and far removed from the path of liberation. Although they will be difficult to teach and transform, we shall summon great powers of patience to read, recite, receive, uphold, expound, copy, and fully make offerings to this sutra, without sparing our bodies or lives.

At that time, five hundred arhats in the assembly who had received predictions spoke in unison to the Buddha:

– World-Honored One, we all make this vow: in other lands, we too shall expound this sutra.

There were also eight thousand persons, both learners and those beyond learning, who had received predictions. They rose from their seats, joined their palms, faced the Buddha, and made this vow:

– World-Honored One, we shall expound this sutra in other lands. Why? Because the people of the Saha world have many evil qualities. They are arrogant with overweening pride, meager in merit and virtue, wrathful, deceitful, and insincere at heart.

At that time, the Buddha's maternal aunt, Bhikshuni Mahaprajapati, together with six thousand bhikshunis, both learners and those beyond learning, rose from their seats. Single-mindedly joining their palms, they gazed intently upon the Buddha's honored countenance. The World-Honored One said to Gautami:

– Why do you gaze upon the Tathagata with such a sorrowful expression? Are you thinking, “Has the Tathagata not mentioned my name and given me a prediction of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment?”

Gautami, the Tathagata previously stated in general that all shravakas would receive predictions. Today, since you wish to know your prediction, in the future, within the Dharma assemblies of sixty-eight thousand kotis of Buddhas, you shall become a great Dharma teacher, and the six thousand bhikshunis, both learners and those beyond learning, shall likewise become Dharma teachers. Gradually perfecting the practices of a bodhisattva, you shall become a Buddha named Joyfully Seen by All Sentient Beings Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One.

Gautami, the Buddha Joyfully Seen by All Sentient Beings and the six thousand bodhisattvas shall successively confer predictions upon one another of attaining unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

At that time, Bhikshuni Yashodhara, the mother of Rahula, thought, “Why has my name not been mentioned among these predictions?”

The Buddha said to Bhikshuni Yashodhara:

– In a future age, within the Dharma assemblies of five million kotis of Buddhas, you shall cultivate the practices of a bodhisattva and become a great Dharma teacher. Gradually perfecting the path to Buddhahood, you shall become a Buddha in the land called Wholesome, named Endowed with a Thousand Myriad Marks of Light Tathagata. That Buddha's lifespan shall be immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas.

At that time, Bhikshuni Mahaprajapati and Bhikshuni Yashodhara, together with their retinues, rejoiced greatly, having attained what they had never attained before. Before the Buddha, they spoke these verses:

World-Honored One, Guiding Teacher,

You bring peace and security to devas and humans.

We have now heard

Our joyful predictions.

After speaking these verses, the bhikshunis addressed the Buddha:

– World-Honored One! We too are able to expound this sutra in other lands.

At that time, the Blessed One beheld eighty myriads of kotis of nayutas of great bodhisattvas. All of them had attained non-retrogression, were able to turn the irreversible Dharma wheel, and had attained dharanis. They rose from their seats, approached the Buddha, single-mindedly joined their palms, and thought: “If the Blessed One instructs us to expound and preserve this sutra, we shall expound it exactly as the Blessed One commands.” They further thought: “Today the Blessed One remains silent and gives us no instruction. What should we do?”

Then, complying with the Buddha’s intent and wishing to fulfill their own original vows, the bodhisattvas uttered a lion’s roar before the Buddha and made this vow:

“Blessed One! After the Tathagata’s nirvana, we shall travel throughout the worlds of the ten directions and cause sentient beings to transcribe this sutra, receive and uphold it, read and recite it, explain its meaning, practice in accordance with the Dharma, and recollect it correctly. All this shall be accomplished through the Buddha’s awe-inspiring power. We beseech the Blessed One, though dwelling far away, to watch over and protect us.”

Then, wishing to restate this meaning, the bodhisattvas spoke in unison:

We beseech the Buddha not to worry.

After the Buddha’s nirvana,

In the dreadful evil age,

We shall expound this sutra.

There will be ignorant people

Who revile us with harsh words

And strike us with knives and staffs;

We shall endure all these things.

Bhikshus in the evil age,

With deviant wisdom and deceitful hearts,

Will claim attainment without having attained,

Their minds filled with arrogance.

Some will dwell in aranyas,

In secluded places, wearing rag robes,

Thinking themselves practitioners of the true path,

While scorning those who live in the world.

Because they crave offerings and gain,

They will preach the Dharma to the white-robed laity

And be revered by worldly people

As arhats possessing the six superknowledges.

These people harbor truly evil hearts,

Constantly dwelling upon worldly affairs;

Falsely claiming to dwell in aranyas,

They delight in proclaiming our faults.

They will speak in this manner:

“These bhikshus and bhikshunis,

Because they crave offerings and gain,

Expound the doctrines of non-Buddhist paths.

They fabricated this scripture themselves

To deceive the people of the world;

Because they seek fame and renown,

They make distinctions concerning this sutra.”

They will constantly, amid the great assembly,

Seek to defame and destroy us;

They will approach kings and great ministers,

Brahmins and householders,

As well as other bhikshus,

And slander and revile us,

Calling us people of deviant views

Who expound the doctrines of non-Buddhist paths.

Because we reverently honor the Buddha,

We shall patiently endure all these things.

When those people scorn us, saying,

“You are all Buddhas,”

Even when mocked in this manner,

We shall endure it all.

In the defiled and evil age,

There will be many dreadful things.

Evil demons will enter their bodies,

Causing them to revile and humiliate us;

Because we reverently honor the Buddha,

We shall don the robe of patience.

For the sake of expounding this sutra,

We shall endure every hardship.

We do not cherish our bodies or lives,

But cherish only the unsurpassed Way.

In the age to come,

We shall preserve the Buddha’s teachings.

The Blessed One should know this well:

Evil bhikshus in the defiled age,

Failing to understand the Buddha’s skillful means

And how he teaches the Dharma according to circumstances,

Will scowl and speak maliciously;

Again and again we shall be driven away,

Banished far from monasteries and stupas.

All such evils as these,

Remembering the Buddha’s instructions,

We shall patiently endure.

In every village, town, and city,

If anyone seeks the Buddha Dharma,

We shall go to that place

And teach the Dharma taught by the Buddha.

We are the Buddha’s emissaries;

Amid the assembly we shall have no fear.

We shall skillfully expound the Dharma;

May the Buddha rest assured.

Before the Blessed One

And the Buddhas throughout the ten directions,

We make this vow;

May the Buddha understand our hearts.”