妙法蓮華經

Volume I

1. Introductory Chapter

2. Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha ⁽²⁾ was dwelling on Mount Gridhrakuta, near the city of Rajagriha, together with an assembly of twelve thousand great bhikshus. All were arhats whose outflows ⁽³⁾ had been exhausted, who were free from afflictions, who had accomplished their own benefit ⁽⁴⁾, severed the bonds of all realms of existence ⁽⁵⁾, and attained mastery of mind. Their names were: Ajnata Kaundinya, Mahakashyapa, Uruvilva Kashyapa, Gaya Kashyapa, Nadi Kashyapa, Shariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Mahakatyayana, Aniruddha, Kapphina, Gavampati, Revata, Pilindavatsa, Bakkula, Mahakaushthila, Nanda, Sundarananda, Purna Maitrayaniputra, Subhuti, Ananda, Rahula, and others. They were great arhats well known to the assembly.
There were also two thousand persons, both those still in training and those beyond training ⁽⁶⁾.
The bhikshuni Mahaprajapati, together with her retinue of six thousand, was present in the assembly. Rahula’s mother, the bhikshuni Yashodhara, was also present with her retinue.
There were eighty thousand great bodhisattvas, all irreversible from unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment ⁽⁷⁾. They had all attained dharani ⁽⁸⁾, delighted in eloquent exposition ⁽⁹⁾, and turned the irreversible Dharma wheel. They had made offerings to immeasurable hundreds of thousands of Buddhas and, in the presence of those Buddhas, planted roots of merit. They were constantly praised by the Buddhas, cultivated themselves through loving-kindness, skillfully realized the wisdom of the Buddhas, penetrated great wisdom, and reached the other shore ⁽¹⁰⁾. Their renown extended throughout immeasurable worlds, and they were capable of liberating countless hundreds of thousands of sentient beings.
Their names were: Bodhisattva Manjushri, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, Bodhisattva Constant Diligence, Bodhisattva Never Resting, Bodhisattva Jeweled Palm, Bodhisattva Medicine King, Bodhisattva Courageous Giving, Bodhisattva Jeweled Moon, Bodhisattva Moonlight, Bodhisattva Full Moon, Bodhisattva Great Strength, Bodhisattva Immeasurable Strength, Bodhisattva Transcending the Three Realms, Bodhisattva Bhadrapala, Bodhisattva Maitreya, Bodhisattva Accumulated Jewels, Bodhisattva Guide, and others. Eighty thousand such great bodhisattvas were present in the assembly.
At that time, Shakra Devendra ⁽¹¹⁾, together with a retinue of twenty thousand devas, was present in the assembly. There were also the deva Moonlight, the deva Universal Fragrance, the deva Jeweled Light, and the Four Great Heavenly Kings, together with their retinue of ten thousand devas.
The deva Ishvara and the deva Maheshvara were present with a retinue of thirty thousand devas.
The ruler of the Saha world, Brahma Heavenly King, the great Brahma Shikhin, the great Brahma Radiance, and others were present with a retinue of twelve thousand devas.
There were eight dragon kings: the dragon king Nanda, the dragon king Upananda, the dragon king Sagara, the dragon king Vasuki, the dragon king Takshaka, the dragon king Anavatapta, the dragon king Manasvin, the dragon king Utpalaka, and others, each accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of attendants.
There were four kinnara kings: the kinnara king Dharma, the kinnara king Wondrous Dharma, the kinnara king Great Dharma, and the kinnara king Upholding Dharma, each accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of attendants.
There were four gandharva kings: the gandharva king Music, the gandharva king Musical Sound, the gandharva king Beautiful, and the gandharva king Beautiful Sound, each accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of attendants.
There were four asura kings: the asura king Bali, the asura king Kharaskandha, the asura king Vemachitrin, and the asura king Rahu, each accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of attendants.
There were four garuda kings: the garuda king Great Majesty and Virtue, the garuda king Great Body, the garuda king Great Fullness, and the garuda king Wish-Fulfilling, each accompanied by many attendants.
King Ajatashatru, son of Vaidehi, was present with many hundreds of thousands of attendants.
The entire assembly bowed at the Buddha’s feet and then withdrew to sit to one side.
At that time, the Blessed One, surrounded by the fourfold assembly, who made offerings to him, honored, praised, and revered him, expounded for the bodhisattvas a Mahayana sutra called “Immeasurable Meanings,” a Dharma for instructing bodhisattvas that is kept in mind and protected by the Buddhas. Having expounded this sutra, the Buddha sat cross-legged and entered the samadhi called “The Abode of Immeasurable Meanings.” The Buddha’s body and mind remained utterly still.
Then the heavens rained down mandarava flowers, great mandarava flowers, manjushaka flowers, and great manjushaka flowers, scattering them over the Buddha and the great assembly; throughout the Buddha land, the earth trembled in six ways ⁽¹²⁾.
At that time, within the assembly, the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, upasikas, devas, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas ⁽¹³⁾, asuras ⁽¹⁴⁾, garudas ⁽¹⁵⁾, kinnaras ⁽¹⁶⁾, mahoragas ⁽¹⁷⁾, humans, nonhumans, minor kings, and wheel-turning sage kings—all these members of the great assembly beheld what they had never seen before. Rejoicing, they placed their palms together and single-mindedly gazed upon the Buddha.
Then the Buddha emitted from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows a ray of light that illuminated eighteen thousand worlds in the east. Below, it reached as far as the Avichi hell; above, it penetrated as far as the Akanishtha Heaven. Those in this world could see all the beings of the six destinies ⁽¹⁸⁾ in those other worlds.
They also saw the Buddhas presently dwelling in those worlds and heard the sutras and Dharma taught by those Buddhas. They likewise saw in those worlds the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas who practiced and attained the Way.
They also saw great bodhisattvas cultivating the bodhisattva path through various causes and conditions, various kinds of faith and understanding, and various forms and appearances. They also saw Buddhas entering nirvana, and saw that, after those Buddhas had entered nirvana, stupas of the seven treasures were erected for their relics.
At that time, Bodhisattva Maitreya thought: “Today the Blessed One has manifested a sign of spiritual transformation. For what cause and condition has this auspicious sign appeared?
The Buddha has now entered samadhi. Whom should I ask about this rare and inconceivable manifestation, and who could answer?”
He further thought: “This Dharma Prince ⁽¹⁹⁾, Manjushri, has in the past drawn near to and made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas. He must have seen such a rare sign before. I should now ask him.”
At that time, the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, upasikas ⁽²⁰⁾, devas, dragons, ghosts, spirits, and others all thought: “Whom should we now ask about this radiant sign of the Buddha’s spiritual powers?”
Then Bodhisattva Maitreya, wishing to resolve his own doubts and perceiving the thoughts of the fourfold assembly—the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas—as well as those of the entire assembly of devas, dragons, ghosts, spirits, and others, asked Manjushri: “For what cause and condition has this auspicious sign of spiritual power appeared? The Buddha has emitted a great light illuminating eighteen thousand worlds in the east, so that the adorned lands of all those Buddhas can be seen.”
At that time, Maitreya, wishing to restate this meaning, asked in verse:
Manjushri!
Why does the Guide,
From the white hair between his eyebrows,
Emit a light illuminating all?
The heavens rain mandarava flowers
And manjushaka flowers;
A fragrant sandalwood breeze
Delights the hearts of the great assembly.
Because of these causes and conditions,
The lands are all adorned and purified,
And throughout this world
The earth trembles in six ways.
Then the fourfold assembly
All rejoices exceedingly;
Their bodies and minds are filled with ease,
Having attained what they never had before.
The light between his eyebrows
Shines directly throughout the east,
Illuminating eighteen thousand worlds,
All radiant like burnished gold.
From the Avichi hell
Upward to the Heaven at the Summit of Existence,
Within all those worlds,
The beings of the six destinies,
Their births and deaths, whence they come and where they go

3.
At that time, Manjushri said to Maitreya, the Great Bodhisattva, and the other great beings: “Good men! As I consider the matter, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to proclaim the great Dharma, send down the rain of the great Dharma, blow the conch of the great Dharma, beat the drum of the great Dharma, and expound the meaning of the great Dharma.
Good men! In the presence of Buddhas of the past, I have seen this auspicious sign. After those Buddhas emitted such a ray of light, they immediately proclaimed the great Dharma. Therefore, it should certainly be known that the Buddha’s present manifestation of this light is likewise. Because the Buddha wishes all sentient beings to hear and understand the wondrous Dharma, which is difficult for all the world to believe, he manifests this auspicious sign.
Good men! Immeasurable, boundless asamkhya ⁽²¹⁾ kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One, who expounded the true Dharma. It was good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end; its meaning was exceedingly profound, its words skillful and wondrous, pure and unmixed, and fully endowed with the characteristics of pure and stainless conduct.
For those seeking the path of the shravaka, the Buddha taught the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths ⁽²²⁾, whereby they might escape birth, old age, sickness, and death and ultimately attain nirvana. For those seeking the fruit of a pratyekabuddha, he taught the Dharma of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination ⁽²³⁾. For the bodhisattvas, he taught the Six Paramitas ⁽²⁴⁾, enabling them to realize unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and attain omniscience. ⁽²⁵⁾
Thereafter, there was another Buddha also named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance, and again another Buddha also named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance. Thus, there were twenty thousand Buddhas, all bearing the same name, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance, and all sharing the same clan name, Bharadvaja.
Maitreya, you should know! The first Buddha and every succeeding Buddha all bore the same name, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance, and were fully endowed with the ten epithets. The Dharma they proclaimed was good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end.
Before the very last of these Buddhas renounced the household life, he had eight royal sons. The first was named Possessing Intention; the second, Good Intention; the third, Immeasurable Intention; the fourth, Jeweled Intention; the fifth, Increasing Intention; the sixth, Dispeller of Doubtful Intention; the seventh, Resounding Intention; and the eighth, Dharma Intention.
These eight royal sons possessed majestic virtue and sovereign power, and each ruled over the four continents of the world ⁽²⁶⁾. When they heard that their royal father had renounced the household life and attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, they all relinquished their royal thrones and followed him into the homeless life. They awakened the aspiration for the Great Vehicle, constantly cultivated pure conduct, and all became Dharma masters. In former times, in the presence of thousands of myriads of Buddhas, they had already planted roots of virtue.
At that time, the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance taught a Great Vehicle sutra entitled “The Place of Immeasurable Meanings,” a Dharma for the instruction of bodhisattvas and one kept in mind and protected by the Buddhas. Having taught that sutra, the Buddha immediately sat cross-legged amid the great assembly and entered the samadhi called “The Place of Immeasurable Meanings,” his body and mind unmoving.
At that moment, mandara flowers, great mandara flowers, manjushaka flowers, and great manjushaka flowers rained down from heaven and were scattered over the Buddha and the great assembly. The entire Buddha-land quaked in six ways. Then, within the assembly, bhikshus, bhikshunis, laymen, laywomen, gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, minor kings, wheel-turning sage-kings, and others—all those in the great assembly—experienced what they had never experienced before. Joyfully, they joined their palms and gazed single-mindedly at the Buddha.
The Tathagata then emitted from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows a ray of light that illuminated eighteen thousand lands throughout the eastern quarter, just as all is now being seen in this Buddha-land.
Maitreya, you should know! At that time, within the assembly were two billion bodhisattvas who delighted in hearing the Dharma. When those bodhisattvas saw the light illuminating all the Buddha-lands, they experienced what they had never experienced before and all wished to know why this light had been emitted.
At that time, there was a bodhisattva named Wondrous Light who had eight hundred disciples.
Then the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance arose from samadhi and, for the sake of the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light, taught a Great Vehicle sutra entitled “The Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma,” a Dharma for the instruction of bodhisattvas and one kept in mind and protected by the Buddhas. For sixty minor kalpas, he did not rise from his seat.
At that time, those in the assembly listening to the Dharma also remained seated in one place for sixty minor kalpas, their bodies and minds entirely unmoving, yet they felt that the time spent listening to the Buddha teach the Dharma was no longer than the span of a single meal. At that time, not one person in the assembly experienced weariness or fatigue in either body or mind.
After the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance had taught that sutra for sixty minor kalpas, he immediately proclaimed amid the assembly of Maras, Brahmas, shramanas, brahmins, gods, humans, and asuras: “Tonight, at midnight, the Tathagata will enter nirvana without remainder.”
At that time, there was a bodhisattva named Virtue Treasury. The Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance immediately bestowed a prediction ⁽²⁷⁾ upon him, telling the bhikshus: “This Bodhisattva Virtue Treasury will next become a Buddha named Pure Body Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One.”
Having bestowed this prediction, the Buddha entered nirvana without remainder at midnight.
After the Buddha had entered nirvana, the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light upheld the “Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma” and expounded it to others for eighty minor kalpas.
The eight sons of the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiance all studied under Wondrous Light. Wondrous Light taught and guided them so that they all became firmly established in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Those royal sons made offerings to immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddhas, and all attained Buddhahood. The last of them to become a Buddha was named Dipamkara.
Among Wondrous Light’s eight hundred disciples was one named Seeker of Fame. He was greedily attached to fame and gain. Although he read and recited the sutras, he did not master them and forgot most of what he learned; hence he was called Seeker of Fame. Yet because this man had also planted the causes and conditions of roots of virtue, he was able to encounter immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddhas, to whom he made offerings and whom he revered, honored, respected, and praised.
Maitreya, you should know! The Bodhisattva Wondrous Light of that time was none other than myself. And the Bodhisattva Seeker of Fame was none other than you.
Now, seeing this auspicious sign, which is no different from that of the past, I therefore consider that today the Buddha, the Tathagata, will teach the Great Vehicle sutra entitled “The Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma,” a Dharma for the instruction of bodhisattvas and one kept in mind and protected by the Buddhas.
At that time, the Bodhisattva Manjushri, wishing to restate this meaning before the great assembly, spoke in verse:”

2. The Chapter on Expedient Means

At that time, the World-Honored One serenely arose from right concentration and addressed Shariputra: "The wisdom of all Buddhas is exceedingly profound and immeasurable. The gateway to that wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter; none among all the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas can comprehend it. Why is this?

"The Buddha has formerly drawn near to hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of countless Buddhas, fully practiced the immeasurable teachings of the Way of those Buddhas, advanced courageously and diligently, and become renowned everywhere. He has accomplished the exceedingly profound and unprecedented Dharma and teaches it in accordance with what is appropriate, yet its intent is difficult to understand.

"Shariputra! Since I attained Buddhahood, I have extensively expounded teachings through various causes and conditions and various parables. Using countless expedient means, I have guided living beings and caused them to abandon attachments. Why is this? The Tathagata has fully perfected expedient means, knowledge and vision, and the paramitas.

"Shariputra! The Tathagata's knowledge and vision are vast, great, profound, and far-reaching. His immeasurable virtues, unobstructed powers, fearlessnesses, dhyana concentrations, liberations, and samadhis penetrate deeply without limit, and he has accomplished all unprecedented dharmas.

"Shariputra! The Tathagata can make manifold distinctions and skillfully expound all dharmas in gentle and pleasing words that delight the hearts of the assembly.

"Shariputra! To state the essential point, all Buddhas have fully accomplished immeasurable, boundless, unprecedented dharmas.

"Enough, Shariputra! There is no need to speak further. Why is this? Because the supremely rare and difficult-to-understand Dharma accomplished by the Buddha can be completely fathomed only by Buddhas together with Buddhas: the true character of all dharmas—that is to say, such a character, such a nature, such an essence, such a power, such an activity, such a cause, such a condition, such an effect, such a recompense, and such an ultimate equality from beginning to end."

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

The World-Hero is unfathomable;

Among devas and humans in the world,

Among all kinds of living beings,

None can understand the Buddha.

His powers of wisdom and fearlessnesses,

His liberations and samadhis,

And the Buddha's other dharmas—

None can measure them.

Originally, in the presence of countless Buddhas,

He fully cultivated all the paths.

That exceedingly profound and wondrous Dharma

Is difficult to perceive and difficult to understand.

Throughout immeasurable kotis of kalpas,

Having cultivated all those paths,

I attained the fruit at the seat of enlightenment;

I have fully seen and known it all.

Such great fruits and recompenses,

And the meanings of the manifold natures and characteristics—

Only I and the Buddhas of the ten directions

Can understand these matters.

This Dharma cannot be demonstrated;

The characteristics of language are utterly quiescent.

Among all other kinds of living beings,

None can understand it,

Except the hosts of bodhisattvas

Whose power of faith is steadfast.

The Buddha's disciples

Who have formerly made offerings to Buddhas,

Who have exhausted all outflows

And dwell in their final bodies—

Even the powers of all such persons

Are unequal to the task.

Even if the entire world

Were filled with those like Shariputra,

And together they pondered and measured,

They could not fathom the Buddha's wisdom.

Even if throughout the ten directions

All were like Shariputra,

And the other disciples as well

Also filled the lands of the ten directions

Even if they all together pondered and measured,

They still could not comprehend it.

Those of keen wisdom among the pratyekabuddhas,

With outflows ended, in their final bodies,

Filling all the worlds of the ten directions,

As numerous as the bamboo in a forest—

If all these, united in single-mindedness,

Throughout immeasurable hundreds of millions of kalpas,

Wished to discern the Buddha’s true wisdom,

They could not know even the smallest part of it.

Newly aspiring bodhisattvas,

Who have made offerings to countless Buddhas,

Thoroughly understand the purport of all teachings,

And are also skilled in expounding the Dharma,

As numerous as rice plants, sesame, bamboo, and reeds,

Filling all the worlds of the ten directions—

If, single-mindedly employing their wondrous wisdom,

Throughout kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

They all together pondered and measured,

They could not comprehend the Buddha’s wisdom.

Bodhisattvas at the stage of non-retrogression,

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

If single-mindedly they all sought to fathom it,

They likewise could not understand it.

Again I tell you, Shariputra:

This wondrous Dharma is extremely profound,

Free from outflows and difficult to conceive.

I have now fully attained it;

I alone know its characteristics,

And so too do the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Shariputra, you should know

That the words of the Buddhas never differ.

In the Dharma spoken by the Buddhas

You should give rise to firm faith.

After a long time, the Buddha

Must proclaim the truth.

I tell all the shravakas

And those who seek the pratyekabuddha path:

I have enabled you to escape suffering

And attain nirvana.

Through the power of skillful means,

The Buddha teaches the doctrine of the Three Vehicles;

Because sentient beings are attached everywhere,

He guides them and leads them forth.

At that time, among the great assembly were shravakas who had exhausted the outflows and were arhats, including Ajnata Kaundinya and others, twelve hundred persons in all, as well as bhikshus, bhikshunis, laymen, and laywomen. Those who had set their minds upon the shravaka and pratyekabuddha paths all thought: “Why today does the Buddha so earnestly praise skillful means and say: ‘The Dharma realized by the Buddhas is extremely profound and difficult to understand; none among the shravakas or pratyekabuddhas can attain it’?

“The Buddha has taught the single meaning of liberation. We too have realized that Dharma and attained nirvana, yet now we do not understand what this teaching means.”

At that time, Shariputra, knowing the doubts in the minds of the fourfold assembly and himself not yet understanding, addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One! For what cause and reason does the Buddha so earnestly praise the foremost skillful means of all the Buddhas, a wondrous Dharma extremely profound and difficult to understand? From the past until now, I have never heard the Buddha speak in this way. Today the fourfold assembly is filled with doubt. I beseech the World-Honored One to explain this matter. Why does the World-Honored One so earnestly praise this wondrous Dharma, extremely profound and difficult to understand?” At that time, Shariputra, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

Great Sage, Sun of Wisdom,

Only after a long time do you teach this Dharma.

You yourself declare that the Dharma you have realized—

The powers, fearlessnesses, samadhis,

Dhyana concentrations, liberations, and all the rest—

Is inconceivable.

Concerning the Dharma realized at the place of enlightenment,

No one is able to ask about it;

Its meaning is difficult for me to fathom,

And no one else is able to ask.

Without being asked, you speak of it yourself,

Praising the path you have practiced

And the extremely wondrous wisdom

Realized by all the Buddhas.

The arhats free from outflows

And those who seek nirvana

Have now all fallen into a net of doubt:

Why does the Buddha speak in this way?

Those who seek the pratyekabuddha path,

Bhikshus and bhikshunis,

Devas, dragons, ghosts, spirits,

Gandharvas, and all the others

Look at one another with doubt in their hearts

And gaze upon the Honored One of Perfect Merit.

What does this matter mean?

May the Buddha explain it to us.

Among the assembly of shravakas,

The Buddha has said that I am foremost;

Yet now, concerning my own wisdom,

I am perplexed and unable to understand

Whether this is the ultimate Dharma

Or the path practiced by the Buddha.

Born from the Buddha’s mouth,

I join my palms and gaze expectantly.

May you bestow your wondrous voice

And immediately explain it according to the truth.

Devas, dragons, spirits, and all the others,

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

And bodhisattvas seeking Buddhahood,

Numbering eighty thousand,

As well as wheel-turning kings

Who have come from hundreds of millions of lands,

All reverently join their palms,

Wishing to hear the complete path.

At that time, the Buddha said to Shariputra: “Enough, enough! There is no need to speak further. If I were to explain this matter, all the devas and humans in the world would be startled and filled with doubt.”

Shariputra again addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One! I beseech you to speak of it; I beseech you to speak of it. Why? In this assembly are countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of asamkhyeyas of sentient beings who have encountered Buddhas in the past. Their faculties are keen and their wisdom is clear. Upon hearing the Buddha’s teaching, they will surely be able to revere and believe it.”

At that time, Shariputra, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

Supreme King of the Dharma,

Please speak; have no concern.

Among the immeasurable beings in this assembly

Are those who are able to revere and believe.

The Buddha again stopped Shariputra: “If I were to explain this matter, all the devas, humans, and asuras in the world would be filled with doubt and fear, and bhikshus of overweening pride would fall into a great pit.”

At that time, the World-Honored One again spoke in verse:

Enough, enough! There is no need to speak.

My Dharma is wondrous and difficult to conceive.

Those of overweening pride,

Upon hearing it, would surely not revere or believe it.

At that time, Shariputra addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One! I beseech the Buddha to speak; I beseech the Buddha to speak. Now in this assembly there are hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of persons like myself. Life after life, they have followed the Buddha and received instruction. Such persons will surely be able to revere and believe, and will gain peace, security, and abundant benefit for a long time.”

At that time, Shariputra, wishing to restate the preceding meaning, spoke in verse:

Supreme Honored One among Two-Legged Beings,

Please teach the foremost Dharma.

I am the Buddha’s eldest son;

Out of compassion, please explain it distinctly.

The immeasurable beings in this assembly

Are able to revere and believe this Dharma.

Life after life, the Buddha has

Taught and transformed such beings.

All single-mindedly join their palms,

Wishing to hear and receive the Buddha’s words.

We twelve hundred,

Together with those who seek Buddhahood,

Pray that the Buddha, for the sake of this assembly,

Will distinctly explain it.

When these beings hear this Dharma,

They will give rise to joyful hearts.

Thereupon, the World-Honored One said to Shariputra: “Since you have earnestly entreated me three times, how could I refrain from speaking? Listen attentively, reflect well upon it, and remember it. I will distinguish and explain it for you.”

When the Buddha spoke these words, five thousand bhikshus, bhikshunis, laymen, and laywomen in the assembly immediately rose from their seats, bowed to the Buddha, and withdrew. Why? These persons had deep and grave roots of wrongdoing and were filled with overweening pride. Though they had not attained, they claimed to have attained; though they had not realized, they considered themselves to have realized. Having faults such as these, they did not remain. The World-Honored One remained silent and did not restrain them.

Thereupon, the Buddha said to Shariputra: “My assembly is now free of branches and leaves; only the firm fruits remain. Shariputra! It is well that such persons of overweening pride have withdrawn. You should now listen carefully, and I will explain it for you.”

Shariputra replied: “Yes, World-Honored One. I joyfully wish to hear.”

The Buddha said to Shariputra: “Such a wondrous Dharma is taught by the Buddha Tathagatas only when the proper time has arrived, just as the udumbara flower appears but once when its season comes. Shariputra! You should believe that the words spoken by the Buddhas are never false.

“Shariputra! The Buddhas teach the Dharma according to what is appropriate for the time, and its purport is difficult to understand. Why? I expound the teachings through countless skillful means, various causes and conditions, words, and parables.

“This Dharma cannot be understood through thought, calculation, or discrimination; only the Buddhas can know it. Why? The Buddha World-Honored Ones appear in the world solely because of one great cause and condition.

“Shariputra! Why is it said that the Buddha World-Honored Ones appear in the world solely because of one great cause and condition? The Buddha World-Honored Ones appear in the world because they wish to enable sentient beings to open the Buddha’s knowledge and vision and attain purity; because they wish to reveal the Buddha’s knowledge and vision to sentient beings; because they wish to enable sentient beings to awaken to the Buddha’s knowledge and vision; and because they wish to enable sentient beings to enter the path of the Buddha’s knowledge and vision.”

Shariputra! It is for the sake of this one great cause and condition that all Buddhas appear in the world."

The Buddha told Shariputra: "All Buddha-Tathagatas teach and transform only bodhisattvas. Whatever they do is always for this one purpose alone: to reveal the Buddha’s knowledge and vision to sentient beings and cause them to awaken to it."

Shariputra! The Tathagata uses only the One Buddha Vehicle to teach the Dharma to sentient beings; there are no other vehicles, whether two or three.

Shariputra! The Dharma of all Buddhas throughout the ten directions is likewise.

Shariputra! In the past, all Buddhas used immeasurable and innumerable skillful means, various causes and conditions, words, and parables to expound the Dharma to sentient beings. Because all those teachings were for the One Buddha Vehicle, those sentient beings, having heard the Dharma from the Buddhas, ultimately all attained omniscience.

Shariputra! In the future, all Buddhas who appear in the world will likewise use immeasurable and innumerable skillful means, various causes and conditions, words, and parables to expound the Dharma to sentient beings. Because all those teachings will be for the One Buddha Vehicle, those sentient beings, having heard the Dharma from the Buddhas, will ultimately all attain omniscience.

Shariputra! At present, throughout the immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddha lands in the ten directions, the Buddha-World-Honored Ones bring abundant benefit, peace, and joy to sentient beings. Those Buddhas likewise use immeasurable and innumerable skillful means, various causes and conditions, words, and parables to expound the Dharma to sentient beings. Because all those teachings are for the One Buddha Vehicle, those sentient beings, having heard the Dharma from the Buddhas, ultimately all attain omniscience.

Shariputra! Those Buddhas teach and transform only bodhisattvas, because they wish to reveal the Buddha’s knowledge and vision to sentient beings, cause sentient beings to awaken to the Buddha’s knowledge and vision, and enable sentient beings to enter the Buddha’s knowledge and vision.

Shariputra! I now do likewise. Clearly knowing the various desires of sentient beings and the deluded attachments of their bodies and minds, I accord with their inherent natures and use various causes and conditions, words, parables, and the power of skillful means to teach them the Dharma.

Shariputra! All this is done so that they may attain the omniscience of the One Buddha Vehicle.

(Passage number 19 is not found in the sutra.)

Shariputra! In the lands throughout the ten directions, there are not even two vehicles; how much less could there be three!

Shariputra! The Buddhas appear in an evil age of the five turbidities, namely: the turbidity of the kalpa, the turbidity of afflictions, the turbidity of sentient beings, the turbidity of views, and the turbidity of lifespan. Thus, Shariputra, in the confusion and turbidity of the kalpa, sentient beings are heavily defiled, stingy, greedy, envious, and jealous, and they bring unwholesome faculties to fulfillment. Therefore, by the power of skillful means, the Buddhas distinguish the One Buddha Vehicle and teach it as three.

Shariputra! If any disciple of mine claims to be an arhat or a pratyekabuddha, yet neither hears nor understands that all Buddha-Tathagatas teach and transform only bodhisattvas, that person is not a disciple of the Buddha, not an arhat, and not a pratyekabuddha.

Furthermore, Shariputra! Those bhikshus and bhikshunis who claim that they have attained arhatship, that this is their final body, and that they have reached ultimate nirvana, yet do not resolve to seek unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, should be known as persons of overweening pride. Why is this? It is impossible for a bhikshu who has truly realized the fruit of arhatship not to believe this Dharma, except after the Buddha’s passing, when no Buddha is present. Why? After the Buddha’s passing, it will be exceedingly difficult to find anyone able to receive, uphold, read, recite, and understand the meaning of sutras such as this. If such a person encounters another Buddha, however, he will then clearly understand this Dharma.

Shariputra! You should single-mindedly believe, understand, receive, and uphold the Buddha’s teaching. The words spoken by the Buddha-Tathagatas are not false. There is no other vehicle; there is only the One Buddha Vehicle.

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

Bhikshus and bhikshunis

Harboring overweening pride,

Upasakas full of self-conceit,

And upasikas lacking faith—

These members of the fourfold assembly,

Five thousand in number,

Did not perceive their own faults

And were deficient in moral discipline.

Cherishing and concealing their transgressions,

Those of little wisdom have now departed.

The chaff within the assembly,

Before the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue, had to leave.

Those people were meager in merit and virtue

And could not receive this Dharma.

The assembly is now free of branches and leaves;

Only firm and genuine fruits remain.

Shariputra, listen well!

The Dharma attained by all Buddhas

Is taught to sentient beings

Through immeasurable skillful means.

The thoughts in sentient beings’ minds,

The various paths they practice,

Their many differing natures and desires,

And their good and evil karma from former lives—

The Buddha knows all these completely.

Using causes, conditions, and parables,

With words and the power of skillful means,

He causes everyone to rejoice.

At times he teaches sutras,

Geyas and accounts of past events,

Jatakas and unprecedented events;

He also teaches causes and conditions,

Parables, repeated verses,

And expositions, making nine divisions of scripture.

Those of dull faculties delight in lesser teachings

And cling greedily to birth and death.

In the presence of immeasurable Buddhas,

They have not cultivated the profound and wondrous Path

And are troubled and confused by manifold sufferings;

For their sake, nirvana is taught.

I established this skillful means

To cause them all to enter the Buddha’s wisdom.

Never before did I tell you

That you would attain the Buddha Way.

The reason I never spoke of it

Was that the time for speaking had not yet arrived.

Now the proper time has indeed come

To teach the Great Vehicle definitively.

My nine divisions of the Dharma

Were taught in accord with sentient beings;

Their purpose was entry into the Great Vehicle,

And therefore I now teach this sutra.

There are disciples of the Buddha whose minds are pure,

Gentle, harmonious, and keen in faculty,

Who in the presence of immeasurable Buddhas

Have cultivated the profound and wondrous Path.

For these disciples of the Buddha,

I teach this Great Vehicle sutra.

I predict that these people

Will attain the Buddha Way in future lives,

Because with profound minds they are mindful of the Buddha

And cultivate and uphold pure moral discipline.

When they hear that they will become Buddhas,

Great joy pervades their entire bodies.

The Buddha knows their minds,

And therefore teaches them the Great Vehicle.

Whether shravakas or bodhisattvas,

Those who hear the Dharma I teach,

Even so much as a single verse,

Will all become Buddhas, without doubt.

In the Buddha lands throughout the ten directions,

There is only the Dharma of the One Vehicle;

There are neither two nor three,

Except when Buddhas teach them as skillful means.

They use provisional names alone

To guide sentient beings

And teach them the Buddha’s wisdom.

The Buddhas appear in the world

Solely for this one true purpose;

The other two are not genuine.

They would never use a Lesser Vehicle

To liberate sentient beings.

The Buddha himself abides in the Great Vehicle

And, adorned with the samadhi, wisdom, and powers

Of the Dharma he has attained,

Uses these to liberate sentient beings.

Having personally realized the unsurpassed Path,

The impartial Dharma of the Great Vehicle,

If I were to liberate even a single person

By means of a Lesser Vehicle,

I would fall into greed and miserliness;

Such a thing could never be.

If a person has faith in the Buddha,

The Tathagata neither deceives nor misleads;

Nor does he harbor greed or jealousy,

For he has eradicated evil in all dharmas.

Thus the Buddha, throughout the ten directions,

Alone is entirely fearless.

Adorned with excellent marks,

I illuminate the world with my radiance.

Honored by immeasurable multitudes,

I proclaim the seal of true reality.

Shariputra! You should know

That I originally established a vow:

I wished to cause all beings

To become equal to me, without distinction.

The vow I made long ago

Has now been completely fulfilled:

I liberate all sentient beings

And cause them all to enter the Buddha Way.

If, whenever I encountered sentient beings,

I taught them all by means of the Buddha Way,

Those lacking wisdom would become confused and mistaken,

Deluded and unable to accept the teaching.

I know that these sentient beings

Have never cultivated roots of goodness.

They cling firmly to the five desires,

And suffering arises from delusion and craving.

Through the causes and conditions of these desires,

They are born in the three evil destinies,

Revolving endlessly through the six paths

And enduring every poisonous suffering.

Their minute forms take birth in the womb

And grow continually from life to life.

People of meager virtue and little merit

Are oppressed by manifold sufferings.

They enter the dense forest of wrong views,

Clinging either to existence or nonexistence.

Depending upon these attachments,

They complete the sixty-two views.

They cling firmly to false dharmas,

Holding them tenaciously and unable to relinquish them.

Arrogant and boastfully self-exalting,

Flattering and deceitful, their hearts are insincere.

Throughout thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas,

They do not hear even the name of a Buddha.

Nor do they hear the true Dharma;

Such people are difficult to save.

Therefore, Shariputra,

I employ skillful means,

Teaching various paths that end suffering,

And declaring them to be nirvana.

Although I speak of nirvana,

It is not true extinction.

All dharmas, from the very beginning,

Have ever been marked by quiescence.

When the Buddha's disciples have practiced the path,

In future lives they will become Buddhas.

Through the power of skillful means,

I reveal and expound the three vehicles.

All the Blessed Ones

Teach the path of the One Vehicle.

Everyone in this great assembly

Should now cast away all doubts and delusions.

The Buddhas' words do not differ:

There is only one vehicle, not two.

Throughout countless past kalpas,

Immeasurable Buddhas entered nirvana;

Hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of Buddhas,

Too numerous to be measured.

Such Blessed Ones,

Through various conditions and parables

And countless millions of skillful means,

Expounded the characteristics of all dharmas.

All those Blessed Ones

Taught the Dharma of the One Vehicle,

Saving immeasurable sentient beings

And leading them to enter the Buddha path.

Moreover, those great and holy sovereigns,

Knowing all beings in the worlds—

Gods, humans, and every kind of living creature—

And the deepest desires of their hearts,

Employed various skillful means

To reveal the ultimate meaning.

If there were sentient beings

Who encountered Buddhas of the past,

And either heard the Dharma and practiced giving,

Or upheld the precepts and practiced patience,

Diligence, meditation, wisdom, and the rest—

Various practices cultivating merit and wisdom—

All such people

Have already attained the Buddha path.

After those Buddhas entered nirvana,

Those whose hearts were gentle and wholesome—

All such sentient beings

Have already attained the Buddha path.

After those Buddhas entered nirvana,

Those who made offerings to their relics

Raised myriad millions of kinds of stupas

Of gold, silver, and crystal,

Mother-of-pearl and agate,

Carnelian and lapis lazuli,

Pure, spacious, and magnificently adorned,

With which they embellished those stupas.

Others built shrines of stone,

Sandalwood and aloeswood,

Eaglewood and other timbers,

Or of brick, tile, clay, and earth.

Others, in open fields,

Heaped earth to form Buddha shrines;

Even children at play

Gathered sand to make Buddha stupas.

People such as these

Have all attained the Buddha path.

If people, for the sake of the Buddha,

Fashioned various images,

Carving them with all their marks,

They have all attained the Buddha path.

Whether they made them from the seven treasures,

Brass, white copper, or red copper,

Aluminum, lead, or zinc,

Iron, wood, or clay;

Or whether they used glue, lacquer, or cloth

To adorn and fashion images of the Buddha—

People such as these

Have all attained the Buddha path.

Those who painted images of the Buddha,

Adorned with the hundred marks of merit,

Whether they did so themselves or instructed others,

Have all attained the Buddha path.

Even children at play,

Using grass, wood, or brushes,

Or even their own fingernails,

To draw images of the Buddha—

People such as these,

Gradually accumulating merit

And perfecting the mind of great compassion,

Have all attained the Buddha path.

They guide the bodhisattvas

And liberate immeasurable multitudes.

If people at stupas and shrines,

Before jeweled images or painted images,

Made offerings of flowers, incense, banners, canopies,

And glass cases;

Or if they had others perform music,

Beating drums and blowing horns and conches,

Playing flutes, pipes, lutes, harps,

Pipas, cymbals, and gongs—

Offering all such wondrous sounds

In homage;

Or if, with joyful hearts,

They sang praises of the Buddha's virtues,

Even in a single faint sound—

They have all attained the Buddha path.

If people, even with distracted minds,

Offered but a single flower

Before a painted image,

They gradually came to see countless Buddhas.

Or if some bowed in homage,

Or merely joined their palms,

Or even raised a single hand,

Or slightly inclined their heads,

Thus making offerings before an image,

They gradually came to see immeasurable Buddhas,

Themselves attained the unsurpassed path,

Extensively saved countless beings,

And entered nirvana without remainder,

As a fire goes out when its fuel is exhausted.

If people, even with distracted minds,

Entered a stupa or temple

And merely recited, “Namo Buddha,”

They have all attained the Buddha path.

In the presence of Buddhas of the past,

Whether during their lifetimes or after their nirvana,

Those who heard this Dharma

Have all attained the Buddha path.

The Blessed Ones of the future

Will be too numerous to measure;

All those Tathagatas

Will likewise teach the Dharma through skillful means.

All Tathagatas,

Using immeasurable skillful means,

Liberate sentient beings

And lead them into the Buddha's undefiled wisdom.

Of those who hear the Dharma,

There is not one who will not become a Buddha.

The original vow of all Buddhas is:

“The Buddha path that I have practiced

I wish all sentient beings everywhere

Likewise to attain.”

Although the Buddhas of future ages

Will teach hundreds of thousands of millions

Of countless Dharma gates,

In truth, these are all for the One Vehicle.

The Buddhas, Honored Ones Perfect in Wisdom and Merit,

Know that dharmas are eternally without inherent nature,

And that the seed of Buddhahood arises through conditions;

Therefore, they teach the One Vehicle.

This Dharma abides in the Dharma position;

The characteristics of the world are ever-abiding.

Having realized this at the place of awakening,

The Buddha teaches it through skillful means.

The present Buddhas of the ten directions,

Worthy of offerings from gods and humans,

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Now appear in the world.

To bring peace and security to sentient beings,

They likewise teach this Dharma.

Knowing the supreme quiescence,

They employ the power of skillful means.

Although they reveal various paths,

In truth, all are for the Buddha Vehicle.

Knowing the practices of sentient beings,

Their innermost thoughts and recollections,

The karma habitually formed in the past,

Their dispositions, desires, and power of diligence,

And whether their faculties are keen or dull,

They use various causes and conditions,

Parables, and expressions,

Teaching through skillful means according to their capacities.

I now do likewise.

To bring peace and security to sentient beings,

I use various Dharma gates

To proclaim and reveal the Buddha path.

Through the power of wisdom,

I know the dispositions and desires of sentient beings,

And teach various dharmas through skillful means,

Causing them all to rejoice.

Shariputra, you should know:

With the Buddha-eye I perceive

Sentient beings in the six realms,

Impoverished and devoid of merit and wisdom,

Entering the perilous path of birth and death,

Where suffering continues without end.

Deeply attached to the five desires,

Like a yak cherishing its tail,

They are obscured by craving and attachment,

Blind and unable to see or understand.

They do not seek the Buddha's mighty power

Or the Dharma that ends suffering.

They enter deeply into false views,

Seeking through suffering to cast off suffering.

For the sake of these sentient beings,

The Buddha gives rise to great compassion.

Formerly, when I sat at the place of awakening,

I gazed upon the tree and walked in meditation,

Reflecting thus:

“The wisdom I have attained

Is subtle, wondrous, and supreme,

But sentient beings have dull faculties;

They delight in desire and are blinded by ignorance.

How can people such as these

Possibly be saved?”

At that time, the Brahma kings,

Together with Lord Shakra,

The Four Heavenly Kings, protectors of the world,

And the god Maheshvara,

Along with other heavenly beings

And their hundreds of thousands of millions of attendants,

Reverently joined their palms and bowed,

Entreating me to turn the Dharma wheel.

I then reflected within myself:

“If I praise only the Buddha Vehicle,

Sentient beings immersed in suffering

Will be unable to believe this Dharma.

Rejecting the Dharma in disbelief,

They will fall into the three evil realms.

I would rather refrain from teaching the Dharma

And quickly enter nirvana.”

I then recalled that the Buddhas of the past

Had exercised the power of skillful means.

Since I have now attained the path,

I too should teach the three vehicles.

While I was thinking thus,

The Buddhas of the ten directions all appeared

And, with Brahma voices, consoled me:

“Excellent, Shakyamuni,

Supreme Guide and Teacher!

Having attained this unsurpassed Dharma,

You follow all the Buddhas

In employing the power of skillful means.

We too have all attained

This supreme and most wondrous Dharma,

Yet for the various kinds of sentient beings

We distinguish and teach the three vehicles.

Those of little wisdom delight in lesser teachings

And do not believe that they themselves can become Buddhas.

Therefore, through skillful means,

We distinguish and teach the various fruits.

Although we teach the three vehicles,

They are solely for instructing bodhisattvas.”

Shariputra, you should know:

When I heard the voices of the Buddhas,

So wondrous and exceedingly pure,

Proclaiming, “Namo to all Buddhas!”

I reflected again:

“I have appeared in an evil and turbid age.

As the Buddhas have taught,

I too shall act accordingly.”

Having reflected on this matter,

I immediately went to the city of Varanasi.

Because the quiescent characteristics of all dharmas

Cannot be expressed in words,

I employed the power of skillful means

And taught the five bhikshus.

This was called turning the Dharma wheel;

Thus arose the designation nirvana,

Together with arhat,

And the distinct names of Dharma and Sangha.

From remote kalpas until now,

I have praised and revealed the Dharma of nirvana,

The complete ending of the suffering of birth and death;

I have always taught in this way.

Shariputra, you should know:

I see disciples of the Buddha

Resolutely aspiring to seek the Buddha path,

Immeasurable thousands of myriads of millions of them,

All with reverent hearts,

Coming together to the Buddha's presence.

They have formerly followed other Buddhas

And heard the Dharma taught through skillful means.

I then thought thus:

The reason Buddhas appear in the world

Is to proclaim the Buddha-wisdom;

Now the proper time has truly come.

Shariputra, you should know!

Those of dull faculties and little wisdom,

Those attached to appearances and filled with arrogance,

Cannot believe this Dharma.

Now, joyful and fearless,

Amid the assembly of bodhisattvas,

I shall directly set aside skillful means

And speak only of the unsurpassed path.

When the bodhisattvas hear this Dharma,

They will all cast off the net of doubt;

The twelve hundred arhats

Will likewise all become Buddhas.

Just as the Buddhas of the three times

Follow the prescribed manner in teaching the Dharma,

So too do I now

Teach the Dharma without distinctions.

The Buddhas appear in the world

Only after long ages and are difficult to encounter;

Even when they appear in the world,

It is still more difficult for them to teach this Dharma.

Throughout immeasurable, innumerable kalpas,

It is also difficult to hear this Dharma;

And one capable of hearing this Dharma

Is likewise difficult to find.

It is like the udumbara flower,

Which everyone cherishes,

Which is rarely seen among gods and humans,

And blooms but once after a very long time.

One who, having heard the Dharma, rejoices and praises it,

Even to the extent of uttering a single word,

Has thereby already made offerings

To all the Buddhas of the three times.

Such a person is extremely rare,

Rarer even than the udumbara flower.

You must harbor no doubts.

I am the King of all Dharmas

And declare to the entire great assembly:

I use only the path of the One Vehicle

To teach and guide the bodhisattvas;

There are no shravaka disciples.

Shariputra, all of you—

Shravakas and bodhisattvas—

Should know that this wondrous Dharma

Is the secret essence of all Buddhas.

Because, in the evil age of the five turbidities,

Beings merely crave and delight in sensual desires,

Such sentient beings

Never seek the Buddha-path.

Evil people in ages to come,

Hearing the Buddha teach the One Vehicle,

Will be deluded and refuse to believe or accept it;

Reviling the Dharma, they will fall into evil destinies.

Those who possess shame and reverence and are pure,

Resolutely aspiring to seek the Buddha-path—

For the sake of such people

One should widely praise the path of the One Vehicle.

Shariputra, you should know

That the Dharma of all Buddhas is thus:

By means of myriads of kotis of skillful means,

They teach the Dharma as appropriate to the time.

Those who do not study and practice

Cannot understand this Dharma.

Since you already clearly know

That the Buddha is the Teacher of the World,

Concerning skillful means taught according to what is appropriate,

You should no longer retain doubts or confusion.

Let great joy arise in your hearts,

Knowing that you yourselves will become Buddhas.

THE SUTRA OF THE LOTUS FLOWER OF THE WONDROUS DHARMA

Volume One

EXPLANATORY NOTES

⁽¹⁾ SUTRA: The eternal Dharma, taught alike by all Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the three times. Its full designation is “Sutra in Accord with Truth,” meaning “the eternal Dharma that accords with ultimate truth and also accords with the capacities of sentient beings.” THE LOTUS FLOWER OF THE WONDROUS DHARMA: The wondrous, inconceivable Dharma, supreme above all other Dharmas. This sutra is foremost among the other scriptures taught by the Buddha and is likened to the lotus flower, because the lotus, compared with other flowers, has five distinctive qualities:

01. Where there is a flower, there is also a seedpod: cause and effect exist simultaneously.

02. It grows in muddy water yet remains pure and fragrant.

03. The flower stalk rises separately from the root and does not share a branch with the leaves.

04. Bees and butterflies do not swarm upon it.

05. It is not used by people as an adornment. (In ancient times, Indian women customarily wove flowers into garlands to wear on their bodies or heads, and so forth.)

⁽²⁾ Buddha Shakyamuni.

⁽³⁾ Delusive errors that may cause wholesome merit to be lost.

⁽⁴⁾ One has personally attained liberation from the suffering of birth and death in samsara.

⁽⁵⁾ THE THREE REALMS: the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.

⁽⁶⁾ From the attainment of anagamin downward, practitioners have not yet attained liberation and must continue to train; therefore, they are called “LEARNERS.” An arhat has attained liberation and, according to the Dharma of the Lesser Vehicle, has nothing further to learn; therefore, such a one is called a “NON-LEARNER.”

⁽⁷⁾ The realization attained by a Buddha.

⁽⁸⁾ DHARANI: The complete retention and encompassing of all Dharmas.

⁽⁹⁾ Eloquence that delights in expounding the Dharma.

⁽¹⁰⁾ The ultimate, consummate state in which everything is entirely completed.

⁽¹¹⁾ The name of the king of the thirty-three heavens of the Trayastrimsha Heaven, situated atop Mount Sumeru.

⁽¹²⁾ Three kinds of reverberating sounds and three kinds of visible trembling.

^{(13) (16)} The classes of spirits who serve in the Trayastrimsha Heaven.

⁽¹⁴⁾ Asuras: celestial beings whose blessings resemble those of the gods but whose virtue is inferior to theirs.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Golden-winged birds (garudas).

⁽¹⁷⁾ Serpent spirits.

⁽¹⁸⁾ 1) Gods; 2) Humans; 3) Asuras; 4) Animals; 5) Ghosts; 6) Hell-beings.

⁽¹⁹⁾ The Buddha is the King of the Dharma (Dharma King). Since a bodhisattva is like a child of the Buddha, a bodhisattva is therefore called a “Dharma Prince.”

⁽²⁰⁾ Those who receive the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, practice as householders, remain close to the Three Jewels, and support and venerate them are called lay attendants. Men are called male lay attendants and women female lay attendants; they are commonly called “lay Buddhists.”

⁽²¹⁾ Innumerable (an exceedingly large number). Kalpas are classified as minor kalpas, intermediate kalpas, and great kalpas. One minor kalpa comprises 16,798,000 years. One intermediate kalpa comprises twenty minor kalpas. One great kalpa comprises four intermediate kalpas: Formation, Abiding, Destruction, and Emptiness.

⁽²²⁾ 1) The Truth of Suffering; 2) The Truth of the Origin of Suffering; 3) The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering; 4) The Truth of the Path.

⁽²³⁾ 1) Ignorance; 2) Volitional formations; 3) Consciousness; 4) Name-and-form; 5) The six sense bases; 6) Contact; 7) Feeling; 8) Craving; 9) Clinging; 10) Becoming; 11) Birth; 12) Aging and death. These twelve factors mutually condition one another.

⁽²⁴⁾ Also called the six perfections: 1) The perfection of generosity; 2) The perfection of moral discipline; 3) The perfection of patience; 4) The perfection of diligence; 5) The perfection of meditative concentration; 6) The perfection of wisdom.

⁽²⁵⁾ The wisdom of a Buddha.

⁽²⁶⁾ 1) Purvavideha, the Eastern Continent; 2) Jambudvipa, the Southern Continent (the Earth); 3) Aparagodaniya, the Western Continent; 4) Uttarakuru, the Northern Continent.

⁽²⁷⁾ Prophecy of buddhahood: The bestowal of a definite prediction concerning how many years hence, in which realm, and under what name one will become a Buddha, and so forth.

⁽²⁸⁾ The Ganges is a great river in India. The sand in the river and along both banks is extremely fine; the scriptures often use the number of its grains of sand to signify an exceedingly vast multitude.

⁽²⁹⁾ A guiding teacher.

⁽³⁰⁾ The Shravaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Buddha Vehicle.

⁽³¹⁾ An expedient device or a convenient and readily applicable method.