添品妙法蓮華經

Chapter 17: THE MERIT OF REJOICING ACCORDINGLY

At that time, the great bodhisattva Maitreya addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! If any good man or good woman hears this Lotus Sutra and rejoices accordingly, how much merit will that person obtain?”

He then spoke in verse:

After the Buddha has passed into extinction,

Whoever hears this sutra

And gives rise to a mind of rejoicing—

How much merit will that person obtain?

At that time, the Buddha said to the great bodhisattva Maitreya:

“Ajita! After the Tathagata has passed into extinction, if any bhiksu, bhiksuni, upasaka, upasika, or other wise person, whether old or young, hears this sutra and rejoices accordingly, then leaves the Dharma assembly and goes elsewhere—whether to a Sangha dwelling, a secluded place, a city or town, a road, a village, a field, or a garden—and, according to that person’s ability, relates what was heard to parents, relatives, close associates, and friends, and those people, having heard it, rejoice accordingly and relate it to others, who in turn hear it, rejoice accordingly, and relate it to still others, in this way successively until the fiftieth person is reached:

“Ajita! I shall now explain the merit of rejoicing accordingly acquired by that fiftieth person. Listen carefully!

Suppose that throughout four million kotis of asamkhyas of worlds there were sentient beings of the six destinies and the four modes of birth—those born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, and born by transformation; those with form and those without form; those with perception, those without perception, and those who are neither percipient nor non-percipient; those without feet, with two feet, with four feet, or with many feet—countless sentient beings such as these.

Suppose someone seeking merit provided each sentient being, according to its wishes, with whatever pleasing things it desired: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, giant clam shell, agate, coral, amber, various precious gems, as well as elephants, horses, carriages, towers, and palaces made of the seven treasures, enough to fill the entire continent of Jambudvipa. This great donor bestowed such gifts for eighty years and then thought: ‘I have given these sentient beings whatever pleasing things they desired, according to their wishes.

Yet all these sentient beings have now grown old and feeble. They are over eighty years of age, their hair is white, their skin is wrinkled, and they have little time left to live. I should instruct them in the Buddha’s true Dharma.’ The donor then assembled these sentient beings and expounded the true Dharma to them, instructing them, bringing them benefit and joy, and enabling them all to attain the fruits of stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, and arhat.

They extinguished all outflows, gained mastery of the profound meditative concentrations, and perfected the eight liberations. What do you think? Was the merit of that great donor abundant or not?”

The bodhisattva Maitreya addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! The merit of that great donor would be immeasurable and boundless. Even if that donor merely gave all sentient beings the pleasing things they desired, the merit would be immeasurable; how much more so if the donor enabled them to attain arhatship!”

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Maitreya:

“I shall explain this clearly to you. Suppose someone gave every pleasing thing to the sentient beings of the six destinies throughout as many as four million kotis of asamkhyas of worlds and enabled them to attain arhatship. That person’s merit would not equal the merit of rejoicing accordingly acquired by the fiftieth person who hears only a single verse of the Lotus Sutra. It would not equal one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred-thousandth, or one part in a hundred thousand myriad kotis of that merit; indeed, no calculation or analogy could express it.

“Ajita! The merit of the fiftieth person in the successive transmission who hears the Lotus Sutra and rejoices accordingly is already immeasurable, boundless, and incalculable. How much more so is the merit of the first person in the assembly who rejoices accordingly! That blessing is even more immeasurable, boundless, and incalculable, beyond all comparison.

“Ajita! If anyone, for the sake of this sutra, goes to a Sangha dwelling and, whether sitting or standing, listens to and receives it for even a moment, then by virtue of this merit, upon being born elsewhere that person will obtain elephants, horses, carriages, palanquins, litters, the finest jewels, and dwell in a heavenly palace.

“If someone is seated at a place where the Dharma is being taught and another person arrives, and the first person encourages the newcomer to sit and listen or shares the seat with that person, then by virtue of this merit, in a later body the first person will sit upon the seat of the heavenly lord Sakra, the seat of a Brahma king, or the seat of a wheel-turning sage king.

“Ajita! If someone says to another, ‘There is a Lotus Sutra teaching; let us go together to hear it,’ and that person follows the advice and listens for even a moment, then by virtue of this merit, in a later body the one who gave the encouragement will be born in the same place as a bodhisattva who has attained dharani. That person will possess keen and discerning wisdom and, throughout hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, will never be mute or speech-impaired.

That person’s breath will not be foul; the tongue will have no ailments, and the mouth will have no diseases. The teeth will not be black or yellow, widely spaced, missing, fallen out, crooked, or bent. The lips will not protrude or recede, nor will they be coarse, chapped, ulcerated, defective, twisted, thick, large, dark, or marked by any ugliness.

The nose will not be flat, crooked, or broken. The complexion will not be dark; the face will not be gaunt, long, or misshapen, and it will have none of the ugly features. The lips, tongue, teeth, and gums will all be beautiful.

The nose will be slender, high, and straight; the face full and round; the eyebrows long and curved; the forehead broad and even; and all human features will be complete. Wherever that person is born, life after life, that person will encounter Buddhas, hear the Dharma, and faithfully accept the teachings.

“Ajita! Consider how great is the merit of encouraging even one person to go and hear this sutra. How much more merit is gained by one who listens single-mindedly, teaches it, reads and recites it, distinguishes and explains it to others in a great assembly, and practices in accordance with its teachings!”

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

Suppose someone in an assembly

Hears this sutra,

Even a single verse,

Rejoices accordingly, and teaches another;

Thus they teach one another in succession

Until the fiftieth person is reached.

The blessings gained by the last person

I shall now clearly explain.

Suppose there were a great donor

Who provided for immeasurable multitudes

For a full eighty years,

Giving each petitioner whatever was desired.

Seeing the signs of their old age—

White hair and wrinkled skin,

Fallen teeth and withered, emaciated bodies—

The donor thinks, “They will not live much longer.

I should now instruct them

And enable them to attain the fruit of the Path.”

Then, by skillful means, the donor expounds

The true Dharma of nirvana:

“Life is unstable and insecure,

Like foam, bubbles, mirages, and sunlight.

All of you should understand this

And swiftly give rise to disenchantment.”

Those who hear this Dharma

All attain the fruit of arhatship,

Perfecting the six superknowledges,

The three insights, and the eight liberations.

Yet the fiftieth and last person,

Who hears one verse and rejoices accordingly,

Has blessings surpassing that donor’s,

Beyond all analogy.

If the blessings of one who hears it

Thus in successive transmission are already immeasurable,

How much more so are those of the person

Who first hears the Dharma in the assembly!

If someone encourages even one person

To hear the Lotus Sutra,

Saying, “This sutra is wondrous and profound,

And is difficult to encounter in thousands of myriads of kalpas,”

And that person immediately follows the advice and comes to hear it,

Even for only a moment,

The blessed recompense of the one who gave the encouragement

I shall now clearly explain.

Life after life, that person’s mouth will have no disease;

The teeth will not be widely spaced, yellow, or black;

The lips will not be thick or defective,

And will bear no ugly features.

The tongue will not be dry, black, or short;

The nose will be high, slender, and straight;

The forehead will be broad and even;

The eyes and face will all be beautiful.

All who see that person will be delighted;

The breath from the mouth will not be foul,

But the mouth will constantly emit a fragrance

Like the scent of the utpala flower.

If someone goes to a Sangha dwelling,

Wishing to hear the Lotus Sutra,

And for even a moment hears it and rejoices accordingly,

That person’s merit and virtue

Will cause that person, after death, to be born among gods or humans,

To obtain elephants, horses, and fine carriages,

Palanquins and litters adorned with jewels,

And to dwell in heavenly palaces.

If, at a place where the Dharma is taught,

Someone encourages another to sit and hear the sutra,

Then by virtue of this merit,

That person will attain the seat of Sakra, Brahma, or a wheel-turning king.

How much more so one who listens single-mindedly,

Explains the meaning of the sutra,

And practices in accordance with the Dharma—

That person’s merit cannot be measured.

Chapter 18: THE MERIT OF THE DHARMA TEACHER

At that time, the Buddha said to the great bodhisattva Constantly Vigorous:

– Any good man or good woman who accepts and upholds the Lotus Sutra, or reads, recites, expounds, or copies it, will attain eight hundred merits of the eye, one thousand two hundred merits of the ear, eight hundred merits of the nose, one thousand two hundred merits of the tongue, eight hundred merits of the body, and one thousand two hundred merits of the mind. Adorned by these merits, all six faculties will become pure.

The eyes of that good man or good woman, born of their parents, will become pure. They will see throughout the entire trichiliocosm—within and without, its mountains, forests, rivers, and seas—from the Avici hell below to the Heaven of the Summit of Existence above. They will see all the sentient beings therein and will fully see and know their karma, causes and conditions, consequences, and places of birth.

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

Whoever, amid the great assembly,

With a fearless mind,

Proclaims this Lotus Sutra—

Hear now that person’s merits.

That person will attain eight hundred

Supreme merits of the eye;

Adorned by these merits,

Those eyes will become utterly pure.

With the eyes born of their parents,

They will see the three-thousandfold world:

Within and without, Mount Meru,

Mount Sumeru, and the Iron Encircling Mountains,

Together with all other mountains and forests,

The great seas and waters of rivers and streams;

Downward to the Avici hell,

Upward to the Heaven of the Summit of Existence,

They will see all of these,

And all the sentient beings dwelling therein.

Although they have not yet attained the divine eye,

The power of their vision will always be thus.

Furthermore, O Ever Diligent! Any good man or good woman who accepts and upholds this sutra, or reads, recites, copies, explains, or expounds it, will attain one thousand two hundred merits of the ear. With these purified ears, they will hear throughout the entire trichiliocosm—from the Avici hell below to the Heaven of the Summit of Existence above—all manner of speech and sound, within and without, such as the sounds of elephants, horses, carts, and cattle; sounds of weeping, lamentation, conches, drums, bells, and chimes; sounds of laughter and conversation; the voices of men, women, boys, and girls; sounds of Dharma and non-Dharma; sounds of suffering and happiness; voices of ordinary beings and noble ones; sounds of delight and displeasure;

the voices of devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas; sounds of fire, water, and wind; the sounds of hell beings, animals, and hungry ghosts; and the voices of bhikshus, bhikshunis, shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas.

In brief, although they have not yet attained the divine ear, with the purified ordinary ears born of their parents they will hear and know all sounds, within and without, throughout the trichiliocosm. They will distinguish all such sounds, yet their ears will suffer no harm.

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

The ears born of their parents

Are pure and free from defilement.

With those ordinary ears they hear

The sounds of the three-thousandfold world:

Elephants, horses, cattle, and carts;

Bells, chimes, conches, and drums;

Lutes and konghou harps,

Flutes and pipes;

Clear and melodious singing—

They hear it without becoming attached;

The voices of many kinds of people—

They hear and understand them all.

They hear the voices of the heavenly realms,

Chanting songs of wondrous subtlety;

And separately hear the voices of men and women,

The voices of boys and girls.

Amid mountains, rivers, and deep ravines,

The cry of the kalavinka,

And all the Mạng-mạng birds—

They hear the voices of them all.

The tormented cries in the hells—

They hear them all distinctly;

The hungry ghosts afflicted by hunger and thirst,

Crying as they seek food and drink;

The various kinds of asuras

Dwelling beyond the shores of the great ocean—

When they speak with one another,

Their voices resound loudly.

Thus, the expounder of the Dharma,

Dwelling here in this world,

Hears all these sounds from very far away,

Yet their ears suffer no harm.

Throughout the worlds of the ten directions,

Birds and beasts call to one another;

The one who proclaims the Lotus Sutra,

Dwelling here, hears them all.

Above, in the heavens of Brahma,

Radiant Sound and Universal Purity,

And even in the Heaven of the Summit of Existence,

All the sounds of speech—

The Dharma teacher dwelling here

Is able to hear them all.

Amid assemblies of bhikshus

And bhikshunis,

Whether they read and recite this sutra

Or proclaim it to others,

The Dharma teacher dwelling here

Is able to hear them all.

There are also bodhisattvas

Who read and recite this scripture,

Proclaim it for others,

Or compile and explain its meaning;

All such sounds as these

The Dharma teacher is able to hear.

The Buddhas, the Great Sages,

Teach and transform sentient beings;

Amid great assemblies

They expound the wondrous Dharma.

The one who upholds this Lotus Sutra

Is able to hear them all.

Throughout the trichiliocosm,

All sounds within and without,

From the Avici hell below

To the Heaven of the Summit of Existence above—

They hear all those sounds,

Yet their ears suffer no harm.

Because those ears are exceedingly keen,

They can discern them all.

The one who upholds the Lotus Sutra,

Though not yet possessing the divine ear,

Uses only the ears born of their parents,

Yet their merits are already thus.

Furthermore, O Ever Diligent! Any good man or good woman who accepts and upholds this sutra, or reads, recites, explains, expounds, or copies it, will attain eight hundred merits of the nose. By means of this purified nose, they will perceive all fragrances above and below, within and without, throughout the entire trichiliocosm, such as the fragrances of sumana, jati, mallika, champaka, patala, red lotuses, blue lotuses, and white lotuses; the fragrances of flowering and fruit-bearing trees; the fragrances of sandalwood, agarwood, tamalapatra, and tagara; and hundreds of thousands of blended fragrances, whether powdered, made into incense pellets, or used as anointing incense. Though the upholder of the sutra remains in this place, they will discern them all.

They will also clearly know the odors of sentient beings such as elephants, horses, goats, and cattle; the scents of men, women, boys, and girls; and the scents of grasses, trees, and dense forests. Whether near or far, however many kinds of scents there may be, they will perceive them all and distinguish them without error. Though the upholder of this sutra remains in this place, they will perceive fragrances in the heavenly realms: the fragrance of the parijataka and kovidara trees; the fragrance of mandara flowers, great mandara flowers, manjushaka flowers, and great manjushaka flowers; sandalwood and agarwood; various powdered incenses and floral fragrances; and the combined fragrance of all the celestial perfumes. They will clearly perceive them all.

They will also perceive the fragrance of the bodies of the devas: of Shakra Devendra while he enjoys the five desires in his supreme palace, or while he expounds the Dharma to the devas of the Trayastrimsha Heaven in the Hall of the Wondrous Dharma, or while he roams in the gardens; and of the bodies of all other male and female devas. In succession, they will perceive them all, even as far as the Brahma heavens and the fragrance of the bodies of the devas in the Heaven of the Summit of Existence, all of which they will perceive and know.

They will also perceive the incense burned by the devas and the fragrances of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas, and will know where they are. Although they perceive and know all these fragrances, their nose will suffer no harm and they will make no mistake. If they wish to distinguish and describe them to others, their recollection will be without error.

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

This person’s nose is pure;

While dwelling in this world,

Whether a thing is fragrant or foul,

They perceive and know it all clearly.

Sumana and jati,

Tamala and sandalwood,

Agarwood and the fragrance of cinnamon,

The scents of various flowers and fruits;

They also know the scents of sentient beings,

Of men and of women.

Though an expounder of the Dharma may be far away,

By scent they know where that person is.

Mighty wheel-turning kings,

Lesser wheel-turning kings and their sons,

Their ministers and palace attendants—

By scent they know where they are.

The jewels worn upon their bodies,

And treasures hidden in the earth,

And the precious queen of a wheel-turning king—

By scent they know where they are.

The ornaments worn upon the body,

Garments and jeweled necklaces,

And various fragrant ointments—

By scent they know that person’s body.

Whether devas are walking or sitting,

Roaming for pleasure or manifesting transformations,

The one who upholds the Lotus Sutra,

Perceiving their scent, knows them all.

Trees with flowers, fruits, and seeds,

And the fragrance of clarified butter,

The one who upholds the Lotus Sutra

Knows where they all are.

In deep and secluded mountains,

Where sandalwood trees blossom,

And sentient beings dwell among them,

By scent they know them all.

The Iron Encircling Mountains and the great ocean

All the beings in the land—

The keeper of this sutra, by scent,

Knows where every one of them dwells.

Male and female asuras

And all their retinues,

Whether fighting or at play—

By scent, one knows where they are.

In wildernesses and dangerous places,

Lions, elephants, tigers, wolves,

Wild cattle, and every kind of buffalo—

By scent, one knows them all.

If a woman is with child,

And it is not yet known whether male or female,

Without faculties, or not human—

By scent, one clearly knows.

Through the power of discerning scents,

One knows when a woman has newly conceived,

Whether the pregnancy will succeed or fail,

And whether she will safely bear a blessed child.

Through the power of discerning scents,

One knows the thoughts of women and men,

Their minds defiled by lust, anger, and delusion,

And also knows those who cultivate virtue.

All the things beneath the earth—

Gold, silver, and precious jewels,

And bronze vessels filled with treasure—

By scent, one can know them all.

Every kind of precious jeweled necklace

Whose value cannot be discerned—

By scent, one knows whether it is costly or cheap

And clearly knows where it was produced.

All the flowers of the heavens—

Mandarava and manjushaka flowers,

And the parijataka tree—

By scent, one knows them all.

The palaces of the heavens,

Whether superior, middling, or inferior,

Adorned with precious flowers—

By scent, one knows them all.

The celestial supreme halls, gardens, and groves,

And the great tower of the Hall of the Wondrous Dharma,

Where heavenly beings sport and delight—

By scent, one knows them all.

Whether devas are listening to the Dharma

Or enjoying the five desires,

Whether coming or going, walking, sitting, or lying down—

By scent, one knows them all.

The garments worn by heavenly maidens,

Their splendid ornaments, perfumes, and flowers,

And when they wander about in sport—

By scent, one knows them all.

Ascending successively in this way,

Even as far as the Brahma heavens,

Those entering or emerging from meditation—

By scent, one knows them all.

The Heaven of Radiant Sound, the Heaven of Universal Purity,

And even the Heaven of the Summit of Existence—

Whether beings have just been born or have relinquished their bodies—

By scent, one knows them all.

All the bhikshus

Who constantly exert themselves in the Dharma,

Whether sitting, walking in meditation,

Or reading and reciting the scriptures;

Or dwelling beneath trees in the forest,

Seated in meditation without respite—

The keeper of this sutra, by scent,

Knows where every one of them is.

Bodhisattvas firm in resolve,

Whether sitting in meditation or reading and reciting,

Or expounding the Dharma for others—

By scent, one clearly knows them all.

The World-Honored Ones in every direction,

Revered by all,

Who compassionately teach the Dharma to beings—

By scent, one clearly knows them all.

Beings before the Buddhas,

Joyfully hearing the sutras

And practicing in accordance with the Dharma—

By scent, one clearly knows them all.

Although one has not yet attained a bodhisattva’s

Unconditioned, undefiled Dharma-born nose,

Yet by keeping this sutra,

One first obtains the characteristics of that nose.

“Furthermore, O Constantly Diligent! Any good man or good woman who accepts and keeps this sutra, or reads, recites, explains, teaches, or copies it, will attain twelve hundred merits of the tongue.

“Whatever is good or bad, delicious or unpleasant, and all things bitter or astringent, when placed upon that person’s tongue, will be transformed into a delicious flavor like heavenly ambrosia. To that person, everything will taste delicious.

“If that person uses the tongue to teach the Dharma among a great assembly, issuing a wondrous voice capable of entering their hearts, it will cause them all to attain joy, peace, and happiness.

“Furthermore, the heavenly sons and heavenly maidens of the Shakra and Brahma heavens, hearing this subtle and wondrous voice and the orderly exposition conveyed in its words, will all come to listen. Dragons and dragon maidens, yakshas and yaksha maidens, gandharvas and gandharva maidens, asuras and asura maidens, garudas and garuda maidens, kimnaras and kimnara maidens, mahoragas and mahoraga maidens will all draw near in order to hear the Dharma, reverently making offerings.

“And bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, upasikas, kings, princes, ministers, their retinues, minor wheel-turning kings, together with their seven treasures, thousand sons, and inner and outer retinues from their palaces, will also come to hear the Dharma.

“Because this bodhisattva teaches the Dharma so skillfully, brahmins, householders, and the people of the realm will follow, attend upon, and make offerings to that person throughout their lives.

“Furthermore, shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas will always delight in seeing that person. In whichever direction that person may be, the Buddhas will all face that direction when teaching the Dharma. That person will accept and keep all the Dharma of the Buddhas and will also be able to utter its subtle and wondrous Dharma sound.”

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

That person’s tongue is pure

And never tastes an unpleasant flavor;

Whatever food that person eats

All becomes ambrosia.

With a fine and pure voice,

That person teaches the Dharma among the assembly,

Using analogies and causes and conditions

To guide the minds of living beings.

All who hear are filled with joy

And prepare the finest offerings.

Devas, dragons, and yakshas,

As well as the asuras,

All single-mindedly pay reverence

And come together to hear the Dharma.

If that teacher of the Dharma sutra

Wishes, with a wondrous voice,

To fill the entire three-thousandfold world,

The voice will reach it at will.

Great and minor wheel-turning kings,

Together with their thousand sons and retinues,

With palms joined and hearts reverent,

Will always come to hear and receive the Dharma.

Devas, dragons, and yakshas,

Rakshasas and pishachas,

Will also all be filled with joy

And always delight in coming to make offerings.

Brahma heavenly kings, Mara kings,

Ishvara and Maheshvara—

All such hosts of devas

Will always come to that person’s dwelling.

The Buddhas and their disciples,

Hearing that person teach the Dharma,

Will always remember and safeguard that person,

And at times manifest before them.

“Furthermore, O Constantly Diligent! Any good man or good woman who accepts and keeps this sutra, or reads, recites, explains, teaches, or copies it, will attain eight hundred merits of the body. That person will attain a pure body, as clear as crystal, which everyone will delight to behold.

Because that person’s body is pure, all beings throughout the three-thousandfold great-thousand world—their birth and death, their superior and inferior states, their beauty and ugliness, and their birth in good or evil destinies—will all appear within it. Mount Iron Encircling, Mount Great Iron Encircling, Mount Meru, Mount Great Meru, and all the beings dwelling upon those mountains will also appear within it. From the Avichi Hell below to the Heaven of the Summit of Existence above, whatever realms and beings exist there will all appear within that person’s body.

If any shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, or Buddhas are teaching the Dharma, their forms will also appear within that person’s body.”

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

Whoever keeps the Dharma Flower Sutra

Will have a body exceedingly pure,

As clear as crystal,

Which all beings delight to behold.

Just as in a bright and spotless mirror

All images can be seen,

So in the bodhisattva’s pure body

All things in the world can be seen.

That person alone clearly knows this;

Others cannot perceive it:

All the living beings

Within the three-thousandfold world—

Devas, humans, and asuras,

Hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals—

All such forms

Clearly appear within the body.

The palaces of the heavenly realms,

Even to the Heaven of the Summit of Existence,

Mount Iron Encircling, Mount Meru,

And Mount Great Meru,

As well as all the great oceans,

All appear within the body.

The Buddhas and shravakas,

The Buddha’s disciples and bodhisattvas,

Whether alone or amid an assembly

Teaching the Dharma, all clearly appear.

Although that person has not yet attained the wondrous body

Of Dharma-nature, pure and free from outflows,

Within this ordinary pure body

All things are made manifest.

Furthermore, Constantly Diligent! After the Tathagata’s parinirvana, any good man or good woman who receives and upholds, reads and recites, explains, or copies this sutra will obtain twelve hundred merits of the mind. With this purified faculty of mind, merely upon hearing a single verse or sentence of the sutra, such a person will comprehend its immeasurable and boundless meanings.

Having understood those meanings, that person will be able to expound a single sentence or verse for one month, four months, or even a year. All the teachings spoken in accordance with those meanings will never contradict the true nature of reality. If that person speaks of worldly writings, words that aid the world, or occupations for earning a livelihood, all will accord with the true Dharma.

Such a person will clearly know all the thoughts, actions, and reasoning in the minds of sentient beings throughout the six realms in the entire trichiliocosm. Although that person has not yet attained undefiled wisdom, through such purification of the faculty of mind, all that person’s thoughts, calculations, and words will be the Buddha Dharma and will all be true; they will also be words spoken in the sutras by the Buddhas of former times.

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

That person’s mind is pure,

Bright, discerning, and undefiled.

With this subtle faculty of mind,

They know teachings high, middle, and low.

Merely hearing a single verse,

They comprehend innumerable meanings,

And expound them in sequence according to the Dharma

For a month, four months, or an entire year.

All sentient beings

Within and beyond this world—

Whether devas, dragons, or humans,

Yakshas, ghosts, or spirits—

Dwelling within the six realms,

Whatever these beings may think,

Through the blessed reward of upholding the Lotus Sutra,

They know it all at once.

Innumerable Buddhas of the ten directions,

Adorned with the marks born of a hundred merits,

Teach the Dharma to sentient beings;

They hear it all and retain it.

They ponder innumerable meanings

And expound immeasurable teachings;

From beginning to end, they neither forget nor err,

Because they uphold the Lotus Sutra.

Thus they know the characteristics of all dharmas,

And, according to their meanings, understand their sequence;

They clearly know names, terms, and language,

And expound according to their understanding.

Whatever this person says

Is entirely the Dharma of the Buddhas.

Because they expound this sutra and Dharma,

They have no fear among the assembly.

The one who upholds the Lotus Sutra

Has such purity of mind.

Though not yet possessing an undefiled mind,

They nevertheless have such characteristics.

This person who upholds the sutra

Abides in a rare state of attainment

And is regarded by all sentient beings

With joy, reverence, and affection.

They skillfully employ thousands and myriads of kinds

Of exceedingly wondrous expressions,

Distinguishing and expounding the Dharma

Because they uphold the Lotus Sutra.

Chapter 19: BODHISATTVA NEVER DISPARAGING

At that time, the Buddha addressed the great bodhisattva Great Power Attained:

“You should know that any bhikshu, bhikshuni, upasaka, or upasika who upholds the Lotus Sutra obtains the purified merits of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind as previously explained. If anyone reviles or disparages such a person with harsh words, that person will incur grave karmic retribution, also as previously explained.

“Great Power Attained! Immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable, innumerable kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named King Majestic Voice, Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. His kalpa was named Free from Decline, and his land was named Great Accomplishment.

In that age, the Buddha King Majestic Voice taught the Dharma to devas, humans, and asuras. For those seeking the attainment of shravakahood, he taught the Dharma of the Four Truths, whereby they might escape birth, old age, sickness, and death and ultimately attain nirvana. For those seeking the attainment of a pratyekabuddha, he taught the Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination.

For the bodhisattvas who aspired to unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, he taught the six paramitas, enabling them ultimately to attain the wisdom of a Buddha.

“Great Power Attained! The lifespan of the Buddha King Majestic Voice was four hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. His true Dharma remained in the world for as many kalpas as there are particles of dust in Jambudvipa, and his semblance Dharma remained in the world for as many kalpas as there are particles of dust throughout the four continents.

After benefiting sentient beings, that Buddha entered nirvana. When his true Dharma and semblance Dharma had come to an end, another Buddha appeared in that land, likewise named King Majestic Voice, Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. In this manner, twenty thousand kotis of Buddhas appeared in succession, all bearing the same name.

“After the first Tathagata King Majestic Voice entered nirvana and the true Dharma had completely vanished, bhikshus of overweening pride held great power during the age of the semblance Dharma. At that time, there was a bodhisattva bhikshu named Never Disparaging.

“Great Power Attained! Why was he called Never Disparaging? Whenever this bhikshu encountered anyone, whether a bhikshu, bhikshuni, upasaka, or upasika, he would bow in homage, praise them, and say: ‘I deeply revere you and would never dare disparage you. Why? Because all of you practice the bodhisattva path and will attain Buddhahood.’

“Yet this bhikshu did not devote himself to reading and reciting sutras; he only went about bowing in homage. Even when he saw the fourfold assembly from afar, he would deliberately approach them, bow in homage, and praise them, saying: ‘I dare not disparage you, for you will all attain Buddhahood.’ Some among the fourfold assembly became extremely angry and reviled him with harsh words: ‘Where did this deluded bhikshu come from, saying, “I dare not disparage you,” and then bestowing a prediction that we shall attain Buddhahood? We have no need of such a reckless prediction!’

“This continued for many years. Although he was constantly reviled, this bhikshu never became angry and continued to say: ‘You will attain Buddhahood.’ When he said these words, people would strike him and throw stones at him. He would run to a distance to avoid them, yet still cry aloud: ‘I dare not disparage you, for you will attain Buddhahood.’ Because he always spoke such words, the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas of overweening pride gave him the name Never Disparaging.

“When this bhikshu was about to die, he heard from the sky the complete twenty thousand myriads of kotis of verses of the Lotus Sutra formerly taught by the Buddha King Majestic Voice. Having heard them, he received and upheld them, and immediately attained purification of the faculties of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as explained above. Having attained purification of these faculties, his lifespan was extended by two million kotis of nayutas of years, and he taught this Lotus Sutra to everyone.

“At that time, the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas of overweening pride who had previously despised him and called him Never Disparaging now saw that he had attained great powers of spiritual penetration, great powers of joyful eloquence, and great powers of serene concentration. When they heard him teach the Dharma, they all revered him and placed their faith in him.

“Bodhisattva Never Disparaging further taught and transformed ten million kotis of sentient beings, enabling them all to abide in unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

“After his death, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging encountered two thousand kotis of Buddhas, all named Brilliance of the Sun and Moon. Within the true Dharma of those Buddhas, he taught this Lotus Sutra. Through these causes and conditions, he again encountered two thousand kotis of Buddhas, all bearing the honored name King of the Lamp of Sovereign Clouds. Within the Dharma of those Buddhas, he received and upheld, read and recited, and taught this sutra to the fourfold assembly. He attained complete purification of the faculties of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and taught the Dharma fearlessly amid the great assembly.

“Great Power Attained! The great bodhisattva Never Disparaging made offerings to, revered, honored, and praised all those Buddhas, thereby cultivating roots of goodness. Afterward, he again encountered ten million kotis of Buddhas and likewise taught this sutra within the Dharma of those Buddhas. When his merits were fully perfected, he attained Buddhahood.”

O Gained Great Might! What do you think? The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging at that time was none other than I myself. Had I in a previous life not read, recited, upheld, and expounded this scripture for others, I would not have been able swiftly to attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

Formerly, in the presence of the Buddhas, I upheld, read, recited, and expounded this sutra for others; therefore, I swiftly attained unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

O Gained Great Might! At that time, because the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas grew angry with and disparaged me, for two hundred kotis of kalpas they were never able to encounter a Buddha, hear the Dharma, or meet the Sangha. For one thousand kalpas they fell into the Avici Hell and underwent many sufferings. After this offense was exhausted, they again encountered Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, who taught and transformed them toward unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

O Gained Great Might! What do you think? Those members of the fourfold assembly—bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas—who at that time continually disparaged that bodhisattva were none other than the five hundred bodhisattvas, including Bhadrapala; the five hundred bhiksus, including Lion Moon; and the five hundred upasakas, including Nisphota, who are now in this assembly and have all attained the stage of non-retrogression on the path to unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

O Gained Great Might! You should know that this sutra greatly benefits the great bodhisattvas and can enable them to attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, after the Tathagata's parinirvana, the great bodhisattvas should continually read, recite, expound, and copy this sutra.

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

In the past there was a Buddha

Named King of Awe-Inspiring Voice;

His spiritual powers and wisdom were immeasurable,

And he guided all beings.

Devas, humans, dragons, and spirits

All made offerings to the Buddha.

After that Buddha's parinirvana,

When the Dharma was about to perish,

There was a bodhisattva

Named Never Disparaging.

At that time, the fourfold assembly

Clung fast to the various dharmas.

Bodhisattva Never Disparaging

Went to where they were

And said to them:

“I do not disparage you;

As you cultivate the path,

You will all become Buddhas.”

When the people heard this,

They disparaged and reviled him,

But Bodhisattva Never Disparaging

Patiently endured it all.

When his karmic offenses were exhausted

And he was about to die,

He heard this sutra

And his six faculties became purified.

Through the power of spiritual penetration,

His lifespan was extended,

And he expounded this sutra

Everywhere for all people.

Those who had clung to dharmas

Were all taught and transformed

By the bodhisattva, who brought them to attainment

And caused them to abide in the Buddha path.

After Never Disparaging passed away,

He encountered innumerable Buddhas;

Because he expounded this sutra,

He gained immeasurable merit.

Gradually perfecting his virtues,

He swiftly attained the Buddha path.

Never Disparaging at that time

Was none other than I myself.

And the fourfold assembly,

Those who had clung to dharmas,

Heard Never Disparaging say

That they would become Buddhas.

Because of those causes and conditions,

They encountered innumerable Buddhas.

They are precisely the bodhisattvas,

The assembly of five hundred,

Together with the bhiksus

And the male and female lay devotees,

Who are now before me,

Hearing the Dharma in this assembly.

In former lives, I

Exhorted those people

To hear and accept this sutra,

The supreme Dharma.

I revealed it and taught them,

Causing them to abide in nirvana

And, life after life, to uphold

Such a scripture as this.

For kotis upon kotis of myriads of kalpas,

Beyond all conception,

Only after a very long time can one hear

This Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma.

For kotis upon kotis of myriads of kalpas,

Beyond all conception,

Only then do the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones,

Expound this sutra.

Therefore, practitioners,

After the Buddha's parinirvana,

Upon hearing this scripture,

Must harbor no doubts!

They should single-mindedly

Expound this sutra;

Life after life they will encounter Buddhas

And swiftly attain the Buddha path.

Chapter 20: THE SPIRITUAL POWERS OF THE TATHAGATA

At that time, great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust particles in a thousand worlds, who had sprung forth from beneath the earth, all joined their palms before the Buddha, gazed single-mindedly upon the Blessed One, and said:

“Blessed One! After the Buddha's parinirvana, in the lands where the emanation bodies of the Blessed One have passed into parinirvana, we shall expound this sutra. Why is this? Because we ourselves also wish to obtain this great Dharma so that we may uphold, read, recite, expound, copy, and make offerings to it.”

Then, before Manjusri and the immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of great bodhisattvas who had long dwelt in the Saha world, as well as the entire assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, devas, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and others, the Blessed One manifested his great spiritual powers. He extended his broad and long tongue upward as far as the Brahma Heaven, and from every pore emitted innumerable rays of light of many colors, illuminating worlds throughout the ten directions. The Buddhas seated upon lion thrones beneath jeweled trees likewise manifested broad and long tongues and emitted innumerable rays of light in the same way.

Sakyamuni Buddha and the Buddhas beneath the jeweled trees manifested their spiritual powers for hundreds of thousands of years. Only then did they withdraw their tongues, simultaneously clear their throats, and snap their fingers. These two sounds reached the worlds of the Buddhas throughout the ten directions and caused the earth to quake in six ways.

Through the Buddha's spiritual powers, all the devas, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and other beings saw immeasurable and boundless hundreds of thousands of kotis of Buddhas seated upon lion thrones beneath jeweled trees in the Saha world. They saw Sakyamuni Buddha and the Tathagata Many Treasures seated upon the lion throne within the jeweled stupa, and also saw immeasurable and boundless hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of great bodhisattvas, together with the fourfold assembly, reverently surrounding Sakyamuni Buddha.

Having seen this, those beings rejoiced exceedingly and attained what they had never experienced before.

Immediately, devas in midair proclaimed in a loud voice:

“Beyond immeasurable and boundless hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of countless worlds, there is a world named Saha. In that world is a Buddha named Sakyamuni, who is now expounding for the bodhisattvas a Mahayana sutra called the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, a Dharma for Instructing Bodhisattvas that is Kept in Mind by the Buddhas. You should rejoice wholeheartedly and bow to and make offerings to Sakyamuni Buddha.”

After hearing the voice in midair, the beings joined their palms toward the Saha world and said:

“Namo Sakyamuni Buddha!

Namo Sakyamuni Buddha!”

From afar, they scattered innumerable flowers, incense, jeweled necklaces, banners, canopies, ornaments, precious objects, and other things into the Saha world. The objects scattered from the ten directions gathered like clouds and transformed into a jeweled canopy that covered all the Buddhas there.

At this time, all the lands throughout the ten directions became interconnected without obstruction, as though they were a single Buddha land.

The Buddha then addressed the bodhisattvas of superior practice:

“The spiritual powers of the Buddhas are immeasurable, boundless, and inconceivable. If, for the purpose of entrusting this sutra, I were to use such spiritual powers to proclaim its merits, I could not finish describing them even throughout immeasurable and boundless hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of countless kalpas.

“To state it briefly, all the teachings, all the sovereign spiritual powers, all the secret treasuries of the Dharma, and all the profound matters of the Tathagata are proclaimed and clearly revealed in this sutra. Therefore, after the Tathagata's parinirvana, you must single-mindedly uphold, read, recite, expound, and copy it, and practice in exact accordance with its teachings.”

In any land where a scroll of this sutra is found—whether in a garden, a forest, beneath a jeweled tree, in a Sangha dwelling, in the home of a layperson, in a palace, in a mountain cave, or in a wilderness—if someone receives and upholds, reads and recites, expounds, and copies this sutra, practicing in accordance with its teachings, a stupa should be erected there as an offering. Why is this? Know that this very place is a seat of awakening. In that place, all Buddhas attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, turn the Dharma wheel, and enter nirvana.

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

The Buddhas, Saviors of the world,

Abiding in great spiritual powers,

To bring joy to sentient beings,

Manifest countless spiritual wonders.

Their tongues reach to the Brahma heaven,

And emit innumerable rays of light;

For those who seek the Buddha Way,

They reveal these rare marvels.

The sound of the Buddhas clearing their throats

And the sound of their snapping fingers

Resound throughout the lands of the ten directions,

While the earth quakes in six ways.

After the Buddha has entered extinction,

Those who receive and uphold this sutra

Cause all the Buddhas to rejoice

And manifest immeasurable spiritual powers.

Because this sutra is entrusted to them,

Even if one praised those who uphold it

For innumerable kalpas,

One could never finish speaking.

The merits of such persons

Are boundless and inexhaustible,

Like the empty space of the ten directions,

Whose limits cannot be known.

Those who receive and uphold this sutra

Have thereby seen the Tathagata;

They have also seen the Buddha Many Treasures

And the Buddha’s emanation bodies.

They also see me today

Teaching and transforming the bodhisattvas.

Those who receive and uphold this sutra

Cause me, my emanation bodies,

And the Buddha Many Treasures, who entered extinction,

All to rejoice.

They will meet and make offerings to

The present Buddhas of the ten directions,

As well as those of the past and future,

Causing them all to rejoice.

The secret Dharma attained

By the Buddhas seated at the seat of awakening

Will before long also be attained

By those who receive and uphold this sutra.

They will delight in expounding without end

The names and words

And the meanings of all dharmas,

Like the wind moving through empty space,

Entirely unobstructed.

After the Buddha has entered extinction,

They will understand the sutras spoken by the Buddhas,

Their causes, conditions, and sequence,

And expound their meaning according to truth.

Like the light of the sun and moon,

Which dispels all darkness,

These persons, while dwelling in the world,

Will dispel the darkness of sentient beings,

Teaching innumerable bodhisattvas

To abide fully in the Buddha Vehicle.

Therefore, those who possess wisdom,

Having heard of these meritorious benefits,

Should, after the Buddha enters nirvana,

Receive and uphold this sutra.

That such persons will attain the Buddha Way

Is certain and beyond all doubt.

Chapter 21: DHARANI

At that time, Bodhisattva Medicine King immediately rose from his seat, adjusted his robe to bare his right shoulder, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, how much merit will good men and good women obtain if they receive and uphold, read and recite fluently, and copy the Lotus Sutra?”

The Buddha said:

“Medicine King, what do you think? If good men or good women were to make offerings to eight million kotis of nayutas of Buddhas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, would the merit gained by those persons be great?”

“Blessed One, it would be exceedingly great!”

The Buddha said:

“If good men or good women receive and uphold, read and recite, and expound even a single four-line verse of the Lotus Sutra, and practice in accordance with its teachings, the merit gained by those persons will be exceedingly great.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Medicine King addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, I shall give those who expound the Lotus Sutra a dharani spell to protect them.”

He then spoke the spell:

“Đát diệt tha ⁽¹⁾ an nhĩ ⁽²⁾ mạn nhĩ ⁽³⁾ mạt nê ⁽⁴⁾ ma ma nê ⁽⁵⁾ chất đê ⁽⁶⁾ chiết rị đê ⁽⁷⁾ nhiếp mê ⁽⁸⁾ nhiếp mị đa tỷ ⁽⁹⁾ xa an đê ⁽¹⁰⁾ mục ngật đê ⁽¹¹⁾ mục ngật đê diêm mê tảm mê ⁽¹²⁾ ưu tỷ phiên mê ⁽¹³⁾ tảm ma tảm mê ⁽¹⁴⁾ xã di ⁽¹⁵⁾ khế di ⁽¹⁶⁾ át khế di ⁽¹⁷⁾ át kỳ nải (l 8) xa a đê nhiếp mị ⁽¹⁹⁾ đa la nị ⁽²⁰⁾ a lô ca bà di ⁽²¹⁾ bát ra để tỳ lợi nị ⁽²²⁾ tỷ tỷ lô ⁽²³⁾ ưu tiện đa la nễ tỷ sắt xỉ ⁽²⁴⁾ át điên đới ba rị đế ⁽²⁵⁾ úc cứu lê ⁽²⁶⁾ mục cứu Iê ⁽²⁷⁾ át ra đệ ⁽²⁸⁾ bát ra đệ ⁽²⁹⁾ thưa ca y ⁽³⁰⁾ át tảm ma tảm mê ⁽³¹⁾ bột địa kỷ hô kiết đê ⁽³²⁾ đạt ma bát ly khí đê ⁽³³⁾ tăng già niết cụ sát nễ ⁽³⁴⁾ bạt da bạt da thâu đạt nê ⁽³⁵⁾ mạn trất rị ⁽³⁶⁾ mạn đát ra khế dạ đê ⁽³⁷⁾ hộ lộ đới kiêu xá rị di ⁽³⁸⁾ ác xoa dạ ⁽³⁹⁾ á xoa bạt nại đa dạ ⁽⁴⁰⁾ bạt lô ưu mạn nhĩ nại đa dạ ⁽⁴¹⁾.”

“Blessed One, this dharani spell was spoken by sixty-two kotis of Buddhas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Therefore, whoever harms this Dharma teacher has thereby offended all those Buddhas.”

At that time, Buddha Shakyamuni praised Bodhisattva Medicine King:

“Excellent, excellent, Medicine King! Out of compassion and in order to protect the Dharma teachers, you have spoken this dharani, thereby greatly benefiting sentient beings.”

At that time, Bodhisattva Courageous Giving addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, I too shall speak a dharani to protect those who read, recite, receive, and uphold the Lotus Sutra. Once a Dharma teacher has obtained this dharani spell, no yaksha, rakshasa, putana, krtya, kumbhanda, hungry ghost, or other being seeking to spy out the Dharma teacher’s weaknesses will be able to find any.”

The bodhisattva then spoke this spell before the Buddha:

“Đát điệt tha ⁽¹⁾ thiệp bà lê ⁽²⁾ mạt ha thiệp bà lê ⁽³⁾ úc hùng ⁽⁴⁾ mục hùng ⁽⁵⁾ át đệ ⁽⁶⁾ át đồ bà để ⁽⁷⁾ niết rị trí di ⁽⁸⁾ niết trị trí da bạt để ⁽⁹⁾ nhất chí nhĩ ⁽¹⁰⁾ tỷ chí nhĩ ⁽¹¹⁾ chất chí nhĩ ⁽¹²⁾ niết rị triết nhĩ ⁽¹³⁾ niết rị tra bạt nhĩ ⁽¹⁴⁾.”

“Blessed One, this dharani spell was spoken and rejoiced in by Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Therefore, whoever harms this Dharma teacher has thereby offended all those Buddhas.”

At that time, Vaishravana, the Heavenly King and Protector of the World, said:

“Blessed One, out of compassion for sentient beings, I too shall speak a dharani to protect this Dharma teacher.”

He then spoke the spell:

“Đát diệt tha ⁽¹⁾ át trai ⁽²⁾ nại trai ⁽³⁾ nội nại trai ⁽⁴⁾ án na trù ⁽⁵⁾ na trĩ quấn nại trĩ ⁽⁶⁾.”

“Blessed One, with this spell I shall protect the Dharma teachers and also those who receive and uphold this sutra, ensuring that no calamity befalls them within a radius of one hundred yojanas.”

At that time, within the assembly was the Heavenly King Upholder of the Nation, accompanied by thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of gandharvas. They reverently approached the Buddha, joined their palms, and said:

“Blessed One, I too shall speak a dharani spell to protect those who uphold the Lotus Sutra.”

He then spoke the spell:

“Đát diệt tha ⁽¹⁾ ác dương ⁽²⁾ nễ yết nễ cu rị ⁽³⁾ kiến đà rị ⁽⁴⁾ bàn đồ rị ⁽⁵⁾ ma đăng để ⁽⁶⁾ tỷ yết tứ ⁽⁷⁾ tăng cú lê ⁽⁸⁾ bộ lưu tát rị ⁽⁹⁾.”

“Blessed One, this dharani spell was spoken by forty-two kotis of Buddhas. Therefore, whoever harms this Dharma teacher has thereby offended all those Buddhas.”

At that time, there were rakshasa women named Lamba, Vilamba, Crooked Teeth, Flower Teeth, Black Teeth, Many Tresses, Insatiable, Necklace Bearer, Lofty Crest, and Robber of the Vital Essence of All Sentient Beings. These ten rakshasa women, together with their children, attendants, and the Mother of Demons and her children, all came before the Buddha and said in unison:

“Blessed One, we too wish to protect those who read, recite, receive, and uphold the Lotus Sutra and to remove their afflictions and calamities. If anyone seeks to spy out the weaknesses of a Dharma teacher, that person will be unable to find any.”

They then spoke the spell:

“Đát điệt tha, nhất để mê, nhĩ mê hộ lô ê, tát đới ê.”

They would rather climb upon our heads than harm the Dharma teacher. Whether yakshas, rakshasas, hungry ghosts, putanas, krityas, vetalas, skandas, umarakas, apasmarakas, yaksha-krityas, human krityas, and so forth, cause illness for one day, two days, three days, four days, or as many as seven days; whether they cause continual fever; or whether they appear in the forms of men, women, boys, or girls—even in dreams, they shall not harm the Dharma teacher.

They then spoke this verse:

Whoever disobeys this mantra

And harms one who teaches the Dharma,

Their head shall split into seven pieces,

Like a branch of the arjaka tree.

Like the crime of killing one's parents,

They shall suffer the calamity of being pressed for oil;

Like one who cheats others with false measures,

Or Devadatta's crime of dividing the Sangha—

Whoever harms a Dharma teacher

Shall incur such offenses.

After speaking this verse, the rakshasas said:

“World-Honored One! We ourselves shall protect those who accept and uphold, read and recite, and practice this sutra, enabling them to dwell in peace, escape all calamities, and neutralize all poisons.”

The Buddha said to the rakshasas:

“Excellent, excellent! Merely by protecting those who accept and uphold the title of the Lotus Sutra, your merit and virtue shall already be immeasurable. How much more so if you protect those who accept and uphold it in full and make offerings to the scroll of the Lotus Sutra with flowers, incense, jeweled necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, burning incense, banners, canopies, and music, and who light various lamps, such as candle lamps, oil lamps, lamps of fragrant oils, lamps of sumana-flower oil, champaka-flower oil, varshika-flower oil, and utpala-flower oil, offering hundreds of thousands of such kinds of articles.

“O Kunti! You and your retinue should protect such Dharma teachers.”

When the Buddha taught this Dharani Mantra Chapter, sixty-eight thousand people attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

Chapter 22: THE FORMER DEEDS OF BODHISATTVA MEDICINE KING

At that time, Bodhisattva Constellation King Flower addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! How does Bodhisattva Medicine King wander and teach in the Saha world? How many hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of difficult ascetic practices has this bodhisattva undertaken?

“Excellent, World-Honored One! I respectfully beseech you to explain this briefly, so that the devas, dragons, spirits, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, the bodhisattvas who have come from other lands, and this assembly of shravakas may all rejoice upon hearing it.”

The Buddha said:

“In the past, immeasurable Ganges-sands of kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Tathagata Pure Bright Virtue of Sun and Moon, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. That Buddha had eight billion great bodhisattvas and great shravakas as numerous as the sands of seventy-two Ganges Rivers.

“That Buddha's lifespan was forty-two thousand kalpas, and the lifespans of the bodhisattvas were the same. In that land there were no women, hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, or any forms of suffering. The ground was made of lapis lazuli and was as level as the palm of a hand. Jeweled trees were splendid; jeweled curtains spread above; precious banners and flowers hung down; incense burned in jeweled vessels and perfumed the entire land. Beneath each tree stood a platform made of the seven treasures, and the distance between each tree and its platform was the length of an arrow. Beneath every jeweled tree bodhisattvas and shravakas sat in repose. Upon every jeweled platform, tens of billions of devas played celestial music, praising and making offerings to the Buddha.

“At that time, that Buddha was teaching the Lotus Sutra to Bodhisattva Seen with Joy by All Living Beings, the other bodhisattvas, and the assembly of shravakas. Bodhisattva Seen with Joy by All Living Beings delighted in cultivating ascetic practices within the teaching of Buddha Pure Bright Virtue of Sun and Moon. He advanced diligently and practiced with reverence, single-mindedly seeking Buddhahood.

After twelve thousand years, he attained the samadhi of Manifesting All Physical Forms. Having attained this samadhi, the bodhisattva rejoiced exceedingly and thought, ‘My attainment of the samadhi of Manifesting All Physical Forms is entirely due to the power of hearing the Lotus Sutra.’ I shall now make offerings to Buddha Pure Bright Virtue of Sun and Moon and to this sutra. He immediately entered samadhi and, from amid empty space, rained down mandarava flowers, great mandarava flowers, and powdered hard black sandalwood, which filled the sky like clouds.

He also rained down incense of sandalwood from the far shore of the ocean, six dronas of which were worth the entire Saha world, as an offering to the Buddha.

“Having made these offerings, he emerged from samadhi and again reflected, ‘Although I have made offerings to the Buddha through the power of spiritual abilities, they do not equal the offering of my own body.’

“The bodhisattva then drank fragrant oils of sandalwood, frankincense, turushka, prikka, agarwood resin, champaka, and various fragrant flowers. He did so for one thousand two hundred years. He then anointed his body with fragrant oil, wrapped himself in a precious celestial robe, and poured various fragrant oils over himself.

Through the power of his vows and spiritual abilities, he went before Buddha Pure Bright Virtue of Sun and Moon and set his own body aflame. The light shone throughout worlds as numerous as the sands of eighty billion Ganges Rivers. The Buddhas in those worlds simultaneously praised him, saying, ‘Excellent, excellent, good man!

This is true diligence. This is called the true Dharma offering to the Tathagata. Offerings made with immeasurable articles such as flowers, incense, jeweled necklaces, burning incense, powdered incense, paste incense, banners and canopies of celestial silk, and incense of sandalwood from the far shore of the ocean cannot equal it.

Even if one were to give away kingdoms, cities, wives, and children, such giving could not compare with it.’

“Good man! This is the foremost gift, the most honored and supreme among all forms of giving, because it is an offering of Dharma to the Tathagatas.”

“After saying this, all the Buddhas fell silent. The fire upon the bodhisattva's body burned for two thousand one hundred years before it was extinguished. Having completed this Dharma offering, Bodhisattva Seen with Joy by All Living Beings passed away and was reborn in the land of Buddha Pure Bright Virtue of Sun and Moon. In the palace of King Pure Virtue, the bodhisattva suddenly appeared by transformation, seated cross-legged, and immediately spoke this verse to his royal father:

May my royal father know

That, while walking in meditation there,

I attained in its entirety

The samadhi of ‘Manifesting All Forms.’

Practicing with utmost diligence,

I relinquished my beloved body.

“After speaking this verse, he said:

“‘Buddha Pure Bright Virtue of Sun and Moon still abides in the world. Formerly, after making offerings to that Buddha, I attained the dharani called “Understanding All Languages of Living Beings.” I also heard eight hundred thousand myriads of kotis of nayutas, kankaras, bimbaras, and akshobhyas of verses of the Lotus Sutra. Today I shall return to make offerings to that Buddha.’

“Having said this, he sat upon a throne of the seven treasures, rose into the air to the height of seven tala trees, and went to where the Buddha was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, joined his palms, and spoke this verse in praise of the Buddha:

The Buddha's countenance is supremely wondrous;

His radiance illuminates the ten directions.

I once made offerings to him,

And now have come again to draw near.

“At that time, after speaking this verse, Bodhisattva Seen with Joy by All Living Beings said:

“‘World-Honored One! Does the World-Honored One still remain in the world?’

“Buddha Pure Bright Virtue of Sun and Moon said to Bodhisattva Seen with Joy by All Living Beings:

“‘Good man! The time has come for me to enter nirvana; the time has come for my extinction. You should prepare my resting place, for tonight I shall enter nirvana.’

“The Buddha further said:

“‘Good man! I entrust the Buddha-Dharma to you, together with all the bodhisattvas, the assembly of great disciples, and the Dharma of unsurpassed bodhi. I also entrust to you all the devas who attend and serve, the seven treasures, the jeweled trees, and the jeweled platforms throughout the three-thousand-great-thousand world system. After my extinction, I shall also entrust my relics to you. You should build many thousands of stupas, so that they may be propagated, established, and honored with offerings.’ After speaking thus, during the final watch of the night, the Buddha entered nirvana.

At that time, seeing the Tathagata enter nirvana, the bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings was deeply grieved and sorrowful. He immediately used sandalwood from the far shore of the ocean as an offering for the cremation of the Buddha’s body. After the fire had gone out, the bodhisattva gathered the relics, placed them in eighty-four thousand precious urns, and enshrined them in eighty-four thousand stupas, each as high as three worlds. He adorned them with hanging banners and canopies and suspended precious bells as offerings.

At that time, the bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings thought to himself: “Although I have made such offerings to the Buddha, I still feel they are insufficient. Today I shall make further offerings to his relics.” He then addressed the bodhisattvas, the assembly of great disciples, and the devas, dragons, yakshas, and the entire great assembly:

– You must single-mindedly bear this in mind: today I shall make offerings to the relics of the Buddha Pure and Bright Excellence of the Sun and Moon.

Having spoken these words, before the eighty-four thousand stupas the bodhisattva burned his arms, adorned with a hundred merits, for seventy-two thousand years as an offering. Thereby he enabled innumerable beings seeking the fruit of the shravaka path and innumerable people who had aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment to abide in the Samadhi of Manifesting All Physical Forms.

At that time, the bodhisattvas, devas, humans, asuras, and others saw that the bodhisattva no longer had arms. Grieving and weeping, they said: “This bodhisattva is the teacher who guides and transforms us. Now he has burned his arms, leaving his body incomplete.”

Then, amid the great assembly, the bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings made this vow: “I have relinquished both my arms and shall assuredly attain the Buddha’s body of pure gold. If this truth is not false, may my two arms be restored as before.”

After he had made this vow, because his merit and wisdom were profound and abundant, the bodhisattva’s two arms were naturally restored as before. At that very moment, the three-thousandfold great-thousand world system quaked in six ways, the devas rained down precious flowers, and all the assemblies of devas and humans attained what they had never experienced before.

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Constellation King Flower:

– What do you think? The bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings was none other than the present bodhisattva Medicine King. In this way, throughout immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of kalpas, that bodhisattva relinquished his body as an offering.

Constellation King Flower! If anyone wishes to realize unsurpassed bodhi and burns even a single finger or a single toe as an offering to a Buddha’s stupa, that offering surpasses one made by giving kingdoms, cities, wives, children, and all the mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and precious objects throughout the three-thousandfold great-thousand world system.

If anyone fills the three-thousandfold great-thousand world system with the seven treasures and offers them to the Buddha, great bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and arhats, that person’s merit does not equal the merit of one who accepts and upholds a single verse of the Lotus Sutra, for the latter’s merit is exceedingly great.

Constellation King Flower! Just as the ocean is greatest among all streams, rivers, canals, and waterways, so too, among all the sutras taught by the Tathagatas, this Lotus Sutra is the most profound. Just as Mount Sumeru is greatest among the Black Mountains, the Lesser Iron Encircling Mountains, the Great Iron Encircling Mountains, and the ten precious mountains, so too is this Lotus Sutra.

Likewise, among all sutras, the Lotus Sutra is the most honored and supreme. Just as the moon is foremost among the stars, so too, among thousands of myriads of kotis of sutra teachings, the Lotus Sutra shines most brilliantly. Just as the sun dispels darkness, so too does this sutra dispel all the darkness of unwholesomeness. Just as a wheel-turning king is foremost among lesser kings, so too is this sutra supreme among all sutras. Just as Shakra is king of the devas of the Thirty-Three Heavens, so too is this sutra king among all sutras. Just as the great Brahma heavenly king is the father of all living beings, so too is this sutra the father of all sages and saints, those beyond training, those still in training, and those who have aroused the bodhisattva aspiration.

Just as, among all ordinary beings, stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas are foremost, so too, among all the sutras and teachings expounded by all Tathagatas, bodhisattvas, and shravakas, this sutra is supreme. Likewise, anyone who accepts and upholds this sutra is foremost among all living beings. Bodhisattvas are foremost among all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas; likewise, among all sutras and teachings, this sutra is supreme. Just as the Buddha is king of all Dharmas, so too is this sutra king among all sutras.

Constellation King Flower! This sutra saves and aids all living beings, enabling them to transcend suffering, gain many benefits, and fulfill all their aspirations. It is like a cool pond that satisfies all who thirst; like fire found by one who is cold; clothing found by one who is naked; a leader found by merchants; a mother found by her child; a boat found by one crossing a river; medicine found by the sick; a lamp found in darkness; treasure found by the poor; a king found by the people; the sea found by traveling merchants; or a torch that dispels darkness.

Likewise, this sutra enables living beings to transcend all illness and suffering and to free themselves completely from all the bonds of birth and death. If anyone hears this Lotus Sutra and either copies it personally or encourages others to copy it, the extent of that person’s merit cannot be known, even if measured with the Buddha’s wisdom. If, after copying this sutra, one makes offerings to it of flowers, incense, jeweled necklaces, burning incense, powdered incense, paste incense, banners, canopies, garments, and various lamps fueled by wax, oil, fragrant oil, champaka, sumanas, patala, varshika, and navamalika oils, one likewise gains immeasurable merit.

Constellation King Flower! Anyone who hears this chapter, “The Former Deeds of the Bodhisattva Medicine King,” will also gain immeasurable and boundless merit. If a woman hears and accepts and upholds this chapter, she will forever cease to assume a female body.

In the latter five-hundred-year period after the Tathagata’s nirvana, if a woman hears this sutra and practices in accordance with its teachings, then after death she will be born in the Land of Peace and Bliss, the dwelling place of the Buddha Amitabha, where great bodhisattvas surround him. She will be born by transformation from a seat within a precious lotus flower. She will not be harmed by desire, anger, ignorance, arrogance, jealousy, or any affliction, and she will attain the bodhisattva’s supernatural powers and forbearance regarding the non-arising of dharmas.

Having attained this forbearance, her eyes will become pure, and she will behold seven million two hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddhas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

At that time, the Buddhas in the distance will praise her with one voice:

– Excellent, excellent! Good person, within the Dharma of the Buddha Shakyamuni, you have accepted, upheld, read, recited, and contemplated this sutra and expounded it to others. The merit you thereby gain is immeasurable and boundless. Fire cannot burn it, and water cannot wash it away. Even if a thousand Buddhas spoke together of your merit, they could not exhaust it. Today you have vanquished the mara-bandits, destroyed the armies of birth and death, and overcome all other enemies.

Good person! Hundreds of thousands of Buddhas will all use their supernatural powers to protect you. Among all devas and humans in the world, and among the shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and even bodhisattvas in wisdom and meditative concentration, none can equal you, with the sole exception of the Tathagata.

Constellation King Flower! This bodhisattva will accomplish such powers of merit and wisdom. Anyone who hears this chapter, “The Former Deeds of the Bodhisattva Medicine King,” and is able to rejoice accordingly and praise it will, in this very life, constantly emit from the mouth the fragrance of the lotus flower, while the pores of the body will constantly emit the fragrance of ox-head sandalwood. That person will gain the merit described above.

O Constellation-King-Flower! I entrust to you this chapter on the Former Deeds of the Bodhisattva Medicine King. After I enter nirvana, during the last five-hundred-year period, you should propagate it widely throughout Jambudvipa. Do not allow it to come to an end, nor permit evil maras, the hosts of Mara, devas, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, and others to disrupt it.

O Constellation-King-Flower! You should use your supernatural powers to guard and preserve this sutra. Why is this? Because this sutra is excellent medicine for the sick people of Jambudvipa. If any sick person hears this sutra, that person’s illness will be cured, and that person will neither grow old nor die.

O Constellation-King-Flower! If you see anyone who accepts and upholds this sutra, you should fill blue lotus flowers with powdered incense and scatter them over that person. Having scattered them, you should immediately think: “Before long, this person will surely spread grass for a seat at the place of enlightenment, vanquish the armies of Mara, sound the conch of the Dharma, beat the great drum of the Dharma, and deliver all sentient beings from the ocean of birth, old age, sickness, and death.” Therefore, those who seek the fruit of Buddhahood, upon seeing anyone who accepts and upholds this scripture, should honor that person in this way.

When the Buddha taught this chapter on the Former Deeds of the Bodhisattva Medicine King, eighty-four thousand bodhisattvas attained the dharani of Understanding All the Languages of Sentient Beings. From within the jeweled stupa, the Tathagata Many Treasures praised the Bodhisattva Constellation-King-Flower:

– Excellent, excellent! O Constellation-King-Flower! Only because you have perfected inconceivable merit could you ask Buddha Shakyamuni about such a matter, thereby bringing immeasurable benefit to all sentient beings.