The White Lotus of the Good Dharma
Dwelling in Happiness
Toh 113
Degé Kangyur, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.b–180.b
- Surendrabodhi
- Yeshé De
Translated by Peter Alan Roberts
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2018
Current version v 1.2.15 (2023)
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Table of Contents
Summary
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sūtra, is taught by Buddha Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak to an audience that includes bodhisattvas from countless realms, as well as bodhisattvas who emerge from under the ground, from the space below this world. Buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has long since passed into nirvāṇa, appears within a floating stūpa to hear the sūtra, and Śākyamuni enters the stūpa and sits beside him. The Lotus Sūtra is celebrated, particularly in East Asia, for its presentation of crucial elements of the Mahāyāna tradition, such as the doctrine that there is only one yāna, or “vehicle”; the distinction between expedient and definite teachings; and the notion that the Buddha’s life, enlightenment, and parinirvāṇa were simply manifestations of his transcendent buddhahood, while he continues to teach eternally. A recurring theme in the sūtra is its own significance in teaching these points during past and future eons, with many passages in which the Buddha and bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra describe the great benefits that come from devotion to it, the history of its past devotees, and how it is the Buddha’s ultimate teaching, supreme over all other sūtras.
Acknowledgements
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sūtra was translated from Tibetan with reference to the Sanskrit by Peter Alan Roberts. Ling Lung Chen was the consultant for the Chinese versions. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Ben Gleason was the proofreader.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of May & George Gu, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
Introduction
Introduction
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sūtra, not only contains one of the fullest expressions of the transcendent nature of the Buddha, but also, through its successive descriptions of astonishing events and its vivid parables, is imbued with a distinctive literary power of its own. The sūtra inspired a devoted following in India, but it is above all in east Asia that it has been particularly popular. There it has been the impetus for a range of exquisite artistic and architectural forms, and indeed, whole traditions of study and practice that thrive to this day. An extensive body of literature, too—both scholarly and popular—is based upon the sūtra.1
The Lotus Sūtra in India
This sūtra’s references to South Indian musical instruments, and the case endings that are preserved in the language of its verses, are possible indications of a southwest Indian provenance, in common with some other Mahāyāna sūtras. When this sūtra appeared, the Mahāsāṃghika tradition—in which, it has been argued, Mahāyāna sūtras first made their appearance2—was prevalent in the northwest and southwest of India.3 The language of the earliest surviving examples of the sūtra, such as those in the Lüshun Museum (which date to the fifth or sixth century ᴄᴇ and come from Khotan),4 has specific characteristics that are found elsewhere only in the Mahāvastu and other texts belonging to the Mahāsāṃghika-Lokottaravādin sub-school of the Mahāsāṃghika tradition.5 This was the first textual tradition to emphasize the transcendent nature of the Buddha, a theme particularly present in the Lotus Sūtra. The original language of the sūtra was a form of Middle Indic, but the prose passages in particular were subsequently Sanskritized, resulting in what is called Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS). BHS contains words that are either not found in Classical Sanskrit, or have a different meaning. In this sūtra, some words are closer in meaning to their counterparts in Pali (which is itself a slightly Sanskritized Middle Indic) than to the same words in Classical Sanskrit. Also, different versions of this sūtra show instances of how the same Middle Indic word was rendered differently in BHS. Seishi Karashima has pointed out, for example, that the Middle Indic ajja was interpreted as adya (“today”) in the surviving central Asian manuscript fragments, while the Nepalese manuscripts have ārya. Although both adya and ārya could be correct, according to context, Karashima states that in this particular case in the Lotus Sūtra, adya would have been the correct choice.6
Buddhist Studies scholars have generally concluded that the Lotus Sūtra was originally composed of chapters 2–9 only, and at first, as with other sūtras, consisted of just the verses.7 There is certainly a change in the nature of the sūtra from the tenth chapter onward. Later chapters reflect the negative reaction to the promulgation of the original sūtra, containing admonitions to endure persecution, providing blessings for protection from persecution, and describing the evil fate that awaits the sūtra’s critics and persecutors. Thus, there seems to have been a gradual accretion in the size of the sūtra over time, as the result not only of additional chapters being added, but also of the existing chapters being expanded by the insertion of additional passages, as can be seen by comparing the Chinese translations to the Tibetan. Perhaps the last passage added to a Sanskrit version was the one describing the teaching that emanates from Buddha Prabhūtaratna’s floating stūpa, as it is found neither in any surviving Sanskrit manuscript, nor in the Chinese.
Of particular note is the passage in chapter 11 that deals with Devadatta, Buddha Śākyamuni’s cousin. Elsewhere in the Buddhist tradition he is portrayed as a villain who divided the saṅgha by becoming a rival teacher, attempted to assassinate the Buddha, and eventually fell into hell when the earth opened up beneath his feet. Even in the Jātaka stories, a character that plays a villainous role is usually declared to have been a previous life of Devadatta. However, the Lotus Sūtra differs markedly in regard to its portrayal of Devadatta: Śākyamuni describes Devadatta as being his teacher in a past life and also prophesies his buddhahood. The Buddhist tradition of Devadatta continued in India for at least a millennium, is mentioned in Pali texts as late as the fifth century, and is described by Chinese pilgrims to India, including Xuanzang (c. 602–64), who recorded three seventh century Devadatta Buddhist monasteries in Bengal.8 This passage may therefore be the result of a more harmonious coexistence of the two traditions at a certain time and place. Even though the Devadatta passage was included in the text that Dharmarakṣa translated into Chinese in 286 ᴄᴇ, it was absent in the text translated by Kumārajīva in 406 ᴄᴇ.
The Lotus Sūtra introduced themes, ideas, and views that have had a great influence on the Buddhist tradition, such as the doctrine that there is only one single yāna, or “vehicle,” that is the way to buddhahood; the distinction between teachings that are expedient and those that are definite; the notion that the Buddha’s life was simply a manifestation by one who had attained buddhahood an incalculably long time ago; and the idea that the Buddha’s passing into the quiescence of nirvāṇa was also an illusory manifestation, and that instead he continues to teach eternally.
Paramārtha (499–569 ᴄᴇ), an Indian monk who migrated to China, declared that fifty commentaries had been written specifically on the Lotus Sūtra in India, although only one such text still exists, and that only in Chinese.9 It is attributed to Vasubandhu (fourth to fifth century ᴄᴇ), and asserts the supremacy of the Lotus Sūtra over all others.10 Some argue that the attribution is spurious, since there is no surviving Sanskrit or Tibetan manuscript.11
Within more general commentaries, however, there are many references to the sūtra to be found. Over thirty texts in the Tengyur, predominantly of the Madhyamaka tradition, cite it. Possibly the earliest such reference is in the Sūtrasamuccaya (A Compendium from the Sūtras), which is simply an anthology of extracts from sixty-eight Mahāyāna sūtras and was attributed to Nāgārjuna (second to third century ᴄᴇ) by both Candrakīrti and Śāntideva in the seventh century. The sūtra is cited three times on the subject of faith.12
Another early reference to the sūtra in a commentary is made in the fourth century Mahāyāna Treatise on the Supreme Continuum, attributed in the Tibetan tradition to Maitreya-Asaṅga. The treatise mentions the Lotus Sūtra “and other scriptures” as describing the skillful method of giving Dharma teachings that counter attachment to the self, for the purpose of ripening beings for the Mahāyāna.13 The commentary to this text, attributed to Asaṅga, repeats this assertion.14 Vasubandhu, traditionally identified as Asaṅga’s younger brother, refers to the single yāna teaching of the Lotus Sūtra in his commentary on The Mahāyāna Compendium.15
In the seventh century, Candrakīrti (c. 600–650 ᴄᴇ) described nirvāṇa to be like the Lotus Sūtra’s parable of the illusory town created for merchants.16 He also quoted the sūtra twice in describing how śrāvakas can eventually attain buddhahood.17
In the eighth century, Śāntideva cited such passages in the sūtra as the verses on the merit of building stūpas, (chapter 2, verses 80–82) and the verse on solitary contemplation on the nature of phenomena (chapter 13, verse 24).18
Kamalaśīla (fl. 740–95 ᴄᴇ), who died in Tibet, refers to the Lotus Sūtra’s statement that there is actually only one yāna, i.e., one ultimate goal for the Buddhist path.19
Dharmamitra (c. 800 ᴄᴇ), in his commentary to Maitreya-Asaṅga’s Adornment of Realization, refers to the Lotus Sūtra three times. He states that Dharma teachings can be given in an instant, as in chapter 14 of the Lotus Sūtra in which, while the bodhisattvas who emerged from under the earth make offerings for twenty-five eons, that timespan seems to the beings in our world to be just one afternoon.20 He also quotes from chapter 13, on how a buddha “does not request anything from his followers,” and he states that a buddha teaches out of compassion with no desire for material gain.21 Finally, he refers to the sūtra when stating that the Buddha in actuality taught only one yāna.22
Jānavajra (the Sanskrit equivalent of his name would be Jñānavajra), whose dates are unknown, appears to be from a later century and to have lived in Kashmir. He refers to the Lotus Sūtra four times in his commentary on The Sūtra of the Entry into Laṅka.23 Another reference to the sūtra in a pre–ninth-century text is found in a commentary on the hundred-thousand, twenty-five-thousand, and eighteen-thousand verse Perfection of Wisdom Sūtras attributed variously to Daṃṣṭrāsena of Kashmir, to Vasubandhu, or to neither. The commentary, while describing the state of an arhat, quotes at length from the Buddha’s prophecy of Śāriputra’s eventual buddhahood.24
References to the sūtra in commentarial works continued until the time of Abhayākaragupta (d. 1125), the last of the great masters of Indian Buddhism, who refers to it in explaining that there is only a single yāna and that the nirvāṇa taught in the lower yānas is merely a provisional teaching.25
There is also a commentary specifically on the Lotus Sūtra that was translated into Tibetan from Chinese. It lacks a Sanskrit title and a translator’s colophon, but its authorship is attributed to a certain Saitsalak (sa’i rtsa lag, a name which has been reconstructed in Sanskrit as Pṛthivībandhu).26 Even though the colophon states that the author is from Sri Lanka, the text is structured into enumerated sections and subsections in a way unknown in the Indian tradition of commentaries, but which was the modus operandi of Chinese and Tibetan commentaries. It transpires that this is in fact an incomplete translation, going no further than chapter 11, of a commentary written in Chinese by Kuiji (632–82), a prominent student of the famous Xuanzang.27 The Denkarma (ldan kar ma or lhan kar ma), a Tibetan catalog compiled in the ninth century, lists this commentary as being one of only eight that were translations from the Chinese.28 The only other commentary in Tibetan translation that cites the Lotus Sūtra numerous times—thirty-three to be exact—and also quotes from a commentary on the sūtra, is also a translation from the Chinese.29
The apparent absence of an Indian commentary specifically dedicated to the Lotus Sūtra does not necessarily tell us much about its importance or otherwise among Indian Buddhists. Much of the history of Indian Buddhism has vanished along with its libraries, but there is a fortunate exception. Gilgit is located in what is now northwest Pakistan, a region where Islam prevails, but in 1931 some local people accidentally discovered a buried two-story tower (which has often been referred to mistakenly as a stūpa) that had served a Buddhist community in the past and contained a library of Buddhist manuscripts. After its discovery, the local populace used much of the collection for firewood and building materials, but what precious contents remained were preserved following an official excavation in 1938. In particular, the research work of Oskar von Hinüber30 on the library’s contents and on the rock inscriptions found in Gilgit has revealed a Palola dynasty of the seventh to the eighth century that was devoted to Buddhism. The royal family and others among the lay population were evidently devoted to the Lotus Sūtra and sponsored the creation of copies preserved in the ancient library. Ironically the dynasty came to an end when it was conquered by Tibet in 737 ᴄᴇ, and the Buddhist sculptures sponsored by the royal family were taken to Tibet. This was during the reign of King Tride Tsuktsen (704–54), who was the father of Trisong Detsen (743–797/804), under whom the work of translating the entire teachings of the Buddha would begin.
In addition to these sixth to eighth century texts found in Gilgit, there are manuscripts from Khotan, discovered in the nineteenth century, that have often been referred to erroneously as Kashgar manuscripts.31 Their dates vary from the sixth to possibly the eleventh century, but linguistically they preserve a more ancient form of the sūtra, and some do not contain the Devadatta section—as was the case with Kumārajīva’s source. Their colophons again reveal a strong lay tradition of sponsoring copies of the Lotus Sūtra to bring merit to both the living and the deceased.
Nepalese Buddhism represents a continuous survival of the Sanskrit tradition of Buddhism and has preserved over thirty palm-leaf manuscripts of Sanskrit versions of the Lotus Sūtra that date back to the eleventh century. In Nepal, as in Tibet, the sūtras were surpassed in importance by the tantras, but even so the Lotus Sūtra is counted as one of the Nine Dharmas (navadharma) of Nepalese Buddhism, which are traditionally recited and honored with offerings.32
The Sūtra in China and Beyond
The Lotus Sūtra is said to have been first translated into Chinese in 255 ᴄᴇ in a translation that was lost.33 The first surviving translation into Chinese (T. 263) was made in 286 ᴄᴇ over a three-week period, beginning on September 15 and concluding on October 6 in Chang’an, then the capital of China.34 The translator was Dharmarakṣa (c. 233–310), originally from Dunhuang.35 However, his translation was not very easy to read and, like two lost translations apparently made in 290 and 335, it was eventually overshadowed by the far more readable version (T. 262) by Kumārajīva (334–413).36 It is this translation of the Lotus Sūtra, completed in 406, that made it accessible, popular, and influential.37 Kumārajīva and his translation team must have either translated freely from the Indian text, or were translating from an earlier version of the sūtra. It is recorded that the translation avoided simply rendering the Sanskrit text literally into the Chinese language, and the work involved lively discussions within his team.38 The Taishō canon also includes another early translation (T. 265), dated to 265–317, whose translator remains unknown.
Kumārajīva’s version did not translate the verses, and the Devadatta section is noticeable by its absence, even though it had been in Dharmarakṣa’s version. The Devadatta chapter was included eighty years later, after Dharmamati (late fifth century) had translated a Sanskrit version of the story retrieved from Turfan by the monk Faxian (423–97).39
Both the verses and the Devadatta chapter were translated in 601–02 in the version (T. 264) made by Jñānagupta (523–600), in collaboration with Dharmagupta.40 Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta basically produced a revision of the Kumārajīva version. However, chapter 5 in their translation (as in the Tibetan and present Sanskrit) follows the parable of the herbs with other parables, such as that of sunlight and moonlight, and the blind man cured by herbs, which were absent from Kumārajīva’s version. Similarly, the last part of chapter 25 also first appeared in the 601–02 translation. Later editions of Kumārajīva’s translation have added the Devadatta chapter, the verses originally absent from Kumārajīva’s version, and the concluding part of chapter 25.
The first Chinese commentary written specifically on the sūtra was by Daosheng (c. 360?–434) who studied under Kumārajīva in Chang’an, assisted in his translation of the Lotus Sūtra, and is listed as one of Kumārajīva’s fifteen principal students. He argued that the sūtra’s central teaching is that there is ultimately only one vehicle to buddhahood.41
The first works to emphasize the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra above all other sūtras are by Zhiyi (Chih-i 538–97), who lived on Tiantai Mountain. This marks the real beginning of the Tiantai school, which was based on the Lotus Sūtra, and became one of the major schools of Chinese Buddhism.42 The popularity of the sūtra is evident in the Dunhuang caves, which were sealed in the eleventh century. In addition to a thousand copies of the sūtra, murals portraying scenes from the sūtra, such as the floating stūpa and the burning house, are found in seventy-five of the caves.43
The sūtra spread from China into other Asian countries, and Kumārajīva’s version was translated into a number of Asian languages. The Tiantai school was taken to Japan, where it is called the Tendai school, by Saichō (767–822), who returned from China in 805 and built a temple on Mount Hiei.44 It grew into Japan’s main Buddhist tradition and subsequently divided into sub-schools.45
Nichiren (1222–82), who had studied in the Tendai tradition, established his own school of thought and practice. In 1253, he set out to proclaim the supremacy of the Lotus Sūtra and began teaching the recitation of “Homage to the White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sūtra,” which is a homage to the title of the Lotus Sūtra as translated by Kumārajīva: Namu myōhō renge kyō.46 Namu is the equivalent of the Sanskrit namaḥ (“homage”) and Myōhō renge kyō is the Japanese rendering of the Chinese title of the sūtra, Miao fa lian hua jing (妙法蓮華經). Nichiren espoused the sūtra as important for the welfare of the state, and his combative approach led to his being exiled for two periods, and almost brought about his execution.47 Nevertheless, many Nichiren traditions developed over the ensuing centuries, all practicing the recitation of homage to the title of the sūtra. Some of these schools have been intolerant of other traditions, and were sometimes nationalistic and even violent. As a result, certain followers of Nichiren, too, suffered exile, imprisonment, torture, and even execution.48 The best-known Nichiren traditions in the present day are Nichiren Shōshū and Sōka Gakkai, which broke away from Nichiren Shōshū in 1991. Nichiren Shōshū holds the view that Nichiren himself was the Buddha.49 Sōka Gakkai is a lay organization founded in 1930 as a part of Nichiren Shōshū. Although its founders were imprisoned in 1943, a subsequent program of vigorous proselytization has led to a huge following around the world.50 The head of Nichiren Shōshū excommunicated the entire Sōka Gakkai organization in 1991.51
In addition to these traditions based upon the Lotus Sūtra, there is also an extensive scholastic tradition of studying the Lotus Sūtra in Japan.
The Sūtra in Tibet
The Tibetan translation was made during the reign of King Ralpachen (r. 815–38) as part of the translation project at Samye Monastery instituted by King Trisong Detsen (r. 742–98). The translators were Nanam Yeshé Dé, who was also the chief editor and whose name is in the colophon of no fewer than 380 texts in the Kangyur and Tengyur, three of which are his own original works in Tibetan, and the Indian translator Surendrabodhi, who did not come to Tibet until Ralpachen’s reign and is also listed as the translator of 43 texts.
The Tibetan version matches in content the version translated into Chinese by Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta in 601–02, and also matches the Nepalese Sanskrit manuscripts. The last part of chapter 25 corresponds to the passage that first appeared in Chinese in the 601–02 translation and was subsequently added to Kumārajīva’s version. The Devadatta episode, which is not in Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation and is included as a separate chapter in Jñānagupta’s, forms part of chapter 11, “The Appearance of the Stūpa,” in both the Nepalese Sanskrit and the Tibetan. However, the transition in chapter 11 from the account of the floating stūpa to the Devadatta passage is abrupt. The Devadatta passage is also followed immediately, without a narrative transition, by the account of Prajñākūṭa, which might more gracefully have had its own chapter.
Present in Tibetan and Sanskrit, but not in Chinese, are the last five verses of chapter 24, describing Avalokiteśvara in relation to Sukhāvatī and his future buddhahood. Some Tibetan versions contain a teaching that is emitted from the floating stūpa in chapter 11. As mentioned above, this teaching is not found in any extant Sanskrit manuscript, nor in the Chinese translations. Specifically, it is present in the Degé, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace Kangyurs, but not in the Yongle Peking, Lithang, Kangxi Peking, or Choné Kangyurs.
As mentioned above, the only commentary on the sūtra in the Tengyur is an anonymous translation from the Chinese of the first eleven chapters of a commentary by Kuiji (632–682). In Tibet the Lotus Sūtra never gained the prominence it achieved in China, let alone in Japan; nor did it have even the status it retains in Nepalese Buddhism. Nevertheless, it has served through the centuries as a source of quotations for many authors of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, particularly on the subject of the preeminence of the Mahāyāna.
Translations into Western Languages
The history of the Lotus Sūtra in the West begins with Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801–94), the British Resident in Kathmandu who acquired and sent Tibetan and Sanskrit texts to Europe. In particular, in 1837 he sent three nineteenth-century Sanskrit manuscripts to Paris.52 Eugène Burnouf (1801–52) made an excellent and elegant translation into French of the sūtra—Le lotus de la bonne loi—with copious notes, which was not published in its entirety until after his death.53
The first complete translation of the Lotus Sūtra into English was that of Jan Hendrik Kern (1833–1917) in 1884.54 He translated it from the Sanskrit as The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, or The Lotus of the True Law. Most translations into European languages, however, have been from Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation, beginning with Carlo Puini’s Italian translation in 1873.55
A number of more recent English translations have been made from Kumārajīva’s Chinese, such as those by Senchū Murano in 1974, Bunnō Katō in 1975, Leon Hurvitz in 1976, Daniel Montgomery in 1991, Tsugunari Kubo and Akira Yuyama in 1993 (with a revised edition in 2007), Burton Watson in 1993, and Gene Reeves in 2008.
This Translation
This translation is based on the version found in the Degé Kangyur, particularly the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Degé (2006–09), which is annotated with the variant readings of several other Kangyurs. Also consulted were the Stok Palace manuscript Kangyur, an important Thempangma-recension Kangyur whose variant readings are not recorded in the Comparative Edition, as well as the available Sanskrit editions, particularly that of Vaidya, and the Chinese translations, particularly that of Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta.
While the Tibetan and Sanskrit versions are quite similar, the available translations in English (made from the Chinese) can differ considerably from them, and from one another. This translation into English is primarily intended to represent the Tibetan translation, but when the Tibetan is clearly at fault—to the extent that it disrupts the integrity of the text or narrative, whether that be through textual corruption or seemingly imperfect translation—we have corrected it with reference to the Sanskrit, and have given the Tibetan version in an accompanying endnote. If the Tibetan is perfectly cogent, we have followed it in this translation, even if it is in disagreement with the Sanskrit and Chinese. The Sanskrit and Chinese versions are provided in the endnotes. “The Sanskrit” in notes refers to Vaidya’s edition unless otherwise indicated. “The Chinese” refers to the translation of Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta unless otherwise noted.
Because access to the glossary is easy and immediate in this online format, we have used Sanskrit terms for items such as the names of the four Indian castes, kūṭāgāra, and various epithets, for which there are no precise English equivalents.
Translation of the Title
There are two translations of the title from the Sanskrit and a number of translations from the Chinese versions of the sūtra. In the Sanskrit title, the qualifying adjective sat becomes sad in saddharma. Sat, or dam pa in Tibetan, has been translated in various ways. Generally, saddharma (or dam pa’i chos in Tibetan) is translated simply as Dharma with a capital D, but in the context of this famous title, the qualifying adjective for “Dharma” needs to make its presence felt.
According to the Mahāvyutpatti dictionary, the Tibetan word dam pa translates not only sat but also bhadra (“good”), uttama (“supreme”), and bāḍha (“mighty”). The term dam pa could be translated into English in many ways, such as “excellent,” “sublime,” “holy,” or “sacred,” while the Sanskrit sat primarily means “good” or “true.” In this translation we follow Burnouf and Kern, who translated directly from the Sanskrit, in choosing the plain “good Dharma.”
Translation of Specific Terms
Regarding the translation of pronouns, in Tibetan there is often no distinction between masculine or feminine, or even between singular and plural, but the Sanskrit of the sūtra frequently uses the masculine singular. Since this Sanskrit usage of the masculine singular can usually be interpreted as a general category that includes both sexes and refers to both male and female devotees, we have chosen to render such pronouns as the more gender inclusive “they” whenever the context allows it. However, in passages that very clearly refer specifically to males, we have allowed context to override gender inclusivity and have rendered the pronouns accordingly as the masculine singular “he.”
The epithet devaputra literally means “son of a deva,” but it is simply an elegant way of saying that someone is a deva, and a literal translation appears rather awkward. Similarly, “son of a merchant” can, according to context, just mean “merchant.” Also the epithets “son of a [noble] family” and “daughter of a [noble] family” refer to a noble person and are simply polite forms of address, akin to the English “ladies and gentlemen,” and so they have not been translated literally as “sons” or “daughters.”
’jig rten gyi khams (lokadhātu) can mean not simply the one world we live in, but a thousand million worlds that are presided over by one Brahmā and are the field of activity of a single buddha (which is why the term buddha realm may include this great number of worlds). However, it is sometimes uncertain whether lokadhātu is referring simply to one world, as in early Buddhism, or to a group of many such worlds. The terms universe and cosmos are too comprehensive for such a set of worlds, as a number of these sets are said to coexist. Galaxy has been used in some translations and is analogous, but seems too modern a term with an overly specific meaning for this translation. We have therefore used “world realm” because it is a literal translation of lokadhātu and ’jig rten gyi khams, and could be understood to mean both a single world or a thousand million worlds.
Detailed Summary of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma”
Chapter 1: The Introduction
The Buddha is on Vulture Peak with a great assembly when he emits a ray of light from his ūrṇā hair that illuminates eighteen thousand buddha realms in the east, making all the beings there visible to the assembly. Maitreya asks Mañjuśrī what this meant. Mañjuśrī states that it is an omen that the Buddha is going to teach The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. Mañjuśrī knows this because he had seen the same thing occur in a previous eon when he was Śrīgarbha, also known as Varaprabha, the senior student of Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa. And at that time Maitreya was Śrīgarbha’s student, a lazy bodhisattva named Yaśaskāma.
Chapter 2: Skill in Methods
The Buddha comes out of his meditation and tells Śāriputra of how the buddhas possess skill in methods for liberating beings, and their wisdom is inconceivable to śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. Śāriputra requests the Buddha three times to explain what he means. Five thousand bhikṣus leave the assembly, not wishing to hear the teaching. The Buddha states that there is only one yāna, which is the way to buddhahood, and the division into three yānas is merely a skillful method used by the buddhas. He warns that in the future, śrāvakas will not preserve this sūtra. He describes the benefits for those who will have devotion for it, and he also states that those who make even the simplest offerings to the buddhas will eventually attain enlightenment as a result. The Buddha describes his enlightenment, his previous teachings on attaining nirvāṇa, and how the time came to begin teaching the attainment of buddhahood. He also states that those who reject this sūtra will be reborn in hell.
Chapter 3: The Parable
Śāriputra states that he was sad not to have previously received the teachings given to the bodhisattvas, but is now happy because he has received them. The Buddha explains that in previous lives Śāriputra had received this teaching, and he prophesies that in a future eon Śāriputra will become Buddha Padmaprabha in a pure realm called Virajā. Śāriputra states that there are those in the assembly who are confused as to why there is a new teaching. He asks the Buddha to explain. The Buddha says he will do so through a parable. He describes a vast decrepit house, full of dangerous monsters and creatures, that catches fire. The owner sees that his sons are playing inside. They are so engrossed in their play that they do not heed their father’s warning. He then promises them ox-carts, goat-carts, and deer-carts, which fulfills their various longings. They all rush outside, thus escaping from the house. The father then gives them all magnificent ox-carts. The Buddha says that the father employed a skillful method so as to save them, and in the end they all got the best kind of cart. Therefore the father could not be called a liar. The word for cart in Sanskrit is yāna, and the cart they are all eventually given is a “great cart,” in other words, the Mahāyāna. This establishes that the Buddha uses the skillful method of giving various teachings so as to liberate beings from saṃsāra, but eventually he gives them all the supreme teaching of omniscient wisdom, the one true yāna, which is the Mahāyāna.
Chapter 4: The Aspiration
The principal elder monks, such as Mahākāśyapa, state that they are astonished to hear this new teaching. They had never previously had the intention to become buddhas, but only to attain nirvāṇa. They then relate the parable of a man whose son wandered away, becoming a beggar for fifty years. The father, meanwhile, searching for the son, comes to another city where he becomes incredibly wealthy. The son one day arrives at the father’s house and, intimidated by his wealth and importance, flees. The father, recognizing him, sends people to bring him back, but the son panics. Therefore the father uses a ruse: he sends some low-class people to offer him the job of clearing away the rubbish and waste of the house. The son lives in a straw hut beside the house and does that work. Gradually, over twenty years, the father has the son working inside his home and taking care of all his wealth, although he still lives in poverty in his straw hut. When he sees that his son is ready, he holds a great meeting, announces the identity of his son, and bestows all his wealth on him; the son is overjoyed. The elders state that they were like this son, who knew of the teaching practiced by the bodhisattvas for attaining buddhahood, and even taught it to them, but they themselves did not have the confidence for such a great goal. However, on this day they are overjoyed to hear from the Buddha that they also are able to attain buddhahood.
Chapter 5: Herbs
The Buddha relates to Mahākāśyapa the parable of how the rain falls equally on all plants, from the smallest herbs to the greatest trees, nourishing them all in accordance with their needs, and in this way he teaches the Dharma to beings on different levels according to their needs, and does not give them all the teaching on the attainment of omniscience. He teaches another parable on how the light of the sun and the moon shines equally on all, and, in the same way, the light of the Buddha’s wisdom shines on all, whatever their aspirations. This light gives them the exact teaching they aspire to, and that is why there are the teachings of the three yānas. He also teaches the parable of how a potter makes pots from the same clay, but they are used to contain different substances and therefore given different designations. In the same way, there is but one yāna, the Buddhayāna, but because of the differences among beings, there are the designations of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas. The Buddha also teaches the parable of a man who, because he is blind from birth, does not believe there is a sun, moon, or anything to be seen. A compassionate physician obtains herbs from the Himalayas and cures him. Realizing he was previously ignorant, the man thinks he can now see everything, but clairvoyant rishis make him realize his sight is still limited. He practices in solitude and gains higher knowledge. In that way beings are blinded by ignorance, but the Buddha teaches them so that they are freed from saṃsāra. They believe they have attained the ultimate goal of nirvāṇa, but the Buddha explains that there is still the omniscience of buddhas to be attained.
Chapter 6: The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas
The Buddha prophesies how Mahākāśyapa will, in a future time, after being a student of millions of buddhas, become a buddha named Raśmiprabhāsa in a pure realm called Avabhāsaprāptā. The Buddha describes the length of his lifespan and the subsequent duration of his teachings. Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Subhūti, and Mahākātyāyana pray in their minds for prophecies, which the Buddha subsequently gives for each of them. Subhūti will become Buddha Śaśiketu in the pure realm Ratnasaṃbhava. Mahākātyāyana will become Buddha Jāmbūnadaprabhāsa in an unnamed pure realm. Mahāmaudgalyāyana will become Buddha Tamālapatracandanagandha in the pure realm Ratiprapūrṇa.
Chapter 7: The Past
The Buddha tells of a time in the distant past when Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū spent ten intermediate eons under the Bodhi tree to attain enlightenment. His sixteen sons came to supplicate him for teachings, as did brahmās from quintillions of world realms in every direction. He gave the teachings of the four truths of the āryas and of dependent origination, and his saṅgha became innumerable. At a request from his sixteen sons for the highest Dharma, he taught The White Lotus of the Good Dharma for a hundred thousand eons. Then he entered solitude and each of the sixteen sons taught the sūtra to quintillions of beings. The Buddha states that the sixteen sons have become sixteen buddhas, one of whom is himself, and his students from that distant time are again his students in the present. He then gives the parable of a guide leading a great number of beings through a vast jungle on the way to an island of jewels. When they become exhausted and wish to turn back he magically creates a city for them to rest in. When they are rested he tells them the city was an illusion and that they should continue their journey. Similarly, the Buddha has taught the yānas and nirvāṇas of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to beings so that they may rest on their journey to buddhahood, whereas there is truly only one nirvāṇa and yāna, that of buddhahood.
Chapter 8: The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus
The Buddha declares Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra to be the supreme teacher of the Dharma from among his saṅgha, and that he was also the principal teacher for the six previous buddhas and will be for the remaining ninety-six buddhas of this eon. He says that in the distant future he will be Buddha Dharmaprabhāsa in this world, which at that time will have become a miraculous pure realm. The twelve hundred arhats present wish in their minds to also receive prophecies. Knowing this, the Buddha gives them. First he says that Kauṇḍinya will become a buddha named Samantaprabhāsa, and five hundred of the arhats will follow him as successive buddhas all named Samantaprabhāsa. Without any detail he states that it will be the same for the others. The five hundred arhats confess their previous ignorance and describe it through the parable of a man whose friend had sewn a jewel in his clothes, but who later, unaware of that jewel, was living as a destitute beggar concerned only with finding food, until his friend found him and showed the jewel. They say they had in this way been ignorant of the Buddha’s higher teachings and had been concerned only with attaining nirvāṇa, which they now realize is not the true nirvāṇa. Now, however, they have understood this and are overjoyed to receive his prophecy of their eventual buddhahood.
Chapter 9: The Prophecies to Ānanda, Rāhula, and Two Thousand Bhikṣus
Ānanda, Rāhula, and two thousand bhikṣus make the aspiration to receive a prophecy from the Buddha. First the Buddha prophesies that Ānanda, after serving quintillions of buddhas, will become Buddha Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña. New bodhisattvas wonder why a śrāvaka should receive such a prophecy instead of a bodhisattva. The Buddha explains that he and Ānanda began their spiritual journey together, but because Ānanda focused on receiving teachings rather than practice, he has been the principal keeper of the Dharma for quintillions of buddhas. Then the Buddha prophesies that Rāhula, who is his own son, will become Buddha Saptaratnapadmavikrāntagāmin, and until that time he will be the son of every buddha, lastly that of Ānanda as the Buddha Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña. The Buddha then prophesies that the two thousand bhikṣus will all simultaneously in different realms become buddhas, all named Ratnaketurāja, who will have identical realms and lifespans.
Chapter 10: The Dharmabhāṇakas
The Buddha addresses principally the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and tells him that all in the assembly are bodhisattvas, and whoever even hears one line of verse from the sūtra will attain buddhahood. He says that those who transmit this sūtra should be honored as if they were buddhas and that stūpas should be built wherever the sūtra is taught, recited, or written. Speaking badly of such a dharmabhāṇaka would be worse than insulting the Buddha to his face for an eon. He says that a bodhisattva who does not know this sūtra is far from buddhahood, like a man digging a well and encountering only dry earth, while a bodhisattva who knows the sūtra is close to buddhahood, like a well-digger encountering wet earth, which is a sign of the proximity of water. The Buddha states that in the future, when someone teaches this sūtra, he will send emanations to the assembly that listens to it. If someone recites it in solitude in a forest he will emanate nonhuman beings to listen to that person. In the concluding verses he says his emanations will protect a teacher of this sūtra from physical attacks and abuse, and he will manifest before those reciting the sūtra in solitude and will check and correct their recitation.
Chapter 11: The Appearance of the Stūpa
A gigantic stūpa rises into the sky from the midst of the assembly. A voice commends the Buddha for teaching this sūtra. The Buddha explains to the bodhisattva Mahāpratibhāna that this is the stūpa of Buddha Prabhūtaratna, who attained enlightenment through this sūtra. Buddha Prabhūtaratna had prayed to appear within his own stūpa wherever the sūtra was taught. He also prayed that any buddhas teaching it would bring all their emanations from other realms to that world to listen, and he also prayed that his stūpa would be opened by those buddhas. Buddha Śākyamuni then draws his quintillions of emanations as other buddhas into his world realm, which is transformed into a pure realm. Those buddhas all send attendants to Śākyamuni requesting the opening of the stūpa. Śākyamuni levitates and opens it, revealing Buddha Prabhūtaratna inside. He sits next to him, and describes the uniquely incalculable merit of teaching the sūtra. The Buddha then describes his previous life as a king dedicated to the Dharma who became a rishi’s slave in order to hear this sūtra. As a result of that he has now attained the qualities of a buddha. He states that the rishi was a previous life of Devadatta, who in the future will be the buddha Devarāja. The bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa, who is from Buddha Prabhūtaratna’s realm, requests that Prabhūtaratna come back to his realm. The Buddha asks Prajñākūṭa to stay for a while and talk with Mañjuśrī. Mañjuśrī miraculously comes from the palace of the nāga king Sāgara, which is in the ocean, and manifests for Prajñākūṭa the vast number of bodhisattvas he has guided toward enlightenment in the ocean. He also describes the great qualities of the nāga king’s daughter and states that she can attain buddhahood. When Prajñākūṭa finds that hard to believe, the nāga princess appears. Śāriputra says to her that a woman cannot attain buddhahood, regardless of her qualities. The nāga princess then offers a jewel as valuable as the world realm to the Buddha and states that she can attain buddhahood faster than making that offering. She transforms into a male bodhisattva and goes to a southern realm and becomes a buddha. Everyone in this world realm is able to see that buddha teaching in that realm.
Chapter 12: Resolutions
The bodhisattvas Bhaiṣajyarāja, Mahāpratibhāna, and two hundred thousand others reassure the Buddha that they will teach the sūtra in the future. The bhikṣus also state they will teach it in other world realms. The Buddha tells his aunt Mahāprajāpatī that in the distant future she will become Buddha Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, that her following of six thousand bhikṣuṇīs will be her students, and that she will prophesy their buddhahood. Similarly, the Buddha tells Yaśodharā, who had been his wife, that she will become Buddha Raśmiśatasahasraparipūrṇadhvaja. Then eighty-thousand bodhisattvas declare that they will teach the Dharma in the later times, enduring all persecution and rejection.
Chapter 13: Dwelling in Happiness
Mañjuśrī asks the Buddha how bodhisattvas should teach the sūtra in the future. The Buddha says they should have four qualities: (1) In terms of practice they should have self-control and see correctly the characteristics of phenomena; in terms of their field of activity they should stay apart from society and worldly life, and in particular avoid attraction to women. (2) They should see the emptiness of phenomena. (3) They should also remain in a state of happiness and never criticize others; they should not discourage people, by saying that they are unable to attain enlightenment. (4) They should remain far from others but have compassion for them, and wish to attain buddhahood so as to liberate them. The Buddha then prophesies that such bodhisattvas will be greatly revered by humans and devas. The Buddha gives the parable of a king rewarding heroic warriors with all kinds of gifts, and finally giving his crest jewel. The Buddha explains that in the same way he has taught many sūtras to those battling Māra, but his final marvelous gift is this sūtra, his final teaching that he has kept secret until this moment.
Chapter 14: The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground
The bodhisattvas who have come from other world realms make the commitment to teach this sūtra in the future. The Buddha says that it will not be necessary as he has so many bodhisattvas in his realm. Immediately the ground splits open and out from the ground come countless bodhisattvas who dwell in the space below the world. The four main ones among these—Viśiṣṭacāritra, Anantacāritra, Viśuddhacāritra, and Supratiṣṭhitacāritra—ask after his welfare. Maitreya asks the Buddha who these bodhisattvas are whom no one has ever seen before. The Buddha says that they were all brought onto the path of enlightenment by himself after he attained buddhahood. Maitreya states that these bodhisattvas have been practicing for many eons, and this is like a young man introducing hundred-year-old men as his sons. Even though all present believe whatever the Buddha says, future bodhisattvas on hearing this will doubt it and as a result be reborn in the lower realms, and so he asks the Buddha to explain how this can be so.
Chapter 15: The Lifespan of the Tathāgata
The bodhisattvas ask the Buddha to explain what his long life means. He states that he had attained buddhahood countless quintillions of eons ago, but stated that he had only recently attained it in order to guide beings, and therefore that was not a lie. He appears to pass into nirvāṇa but does not, and this is also not a lie, but to prevent beings from being complacent. He gives the parable of a doctor whose sons have been poisoned. He has the antidote but some of his sons will not take it because their minds are affected. He then goes away and sends them the news that he has died. They then realize the value of what he has given them and take the antidote. The doctor then reveals to them that he is still alive. In the same way, the Buddha uses skillful methods and should not be called a liar.
Chapter 16: The Extent of the Merit
The Buddha tells Maitreya that hearing this teaching on his lifespan has caused countless bodhisattvas to attain various levels of accomplishment. Miraculous events also occurred wherever the buddhas who had gathered were present. The Buddha states that hearing this teaching and believing it brings an inconceivably greater merit than practicing the first five perfections for eons. Those who have faith in the teaching will see the Buddha teaching in this world as a pure realm filled with bodhisattvas. Those who carry the text on their shoulder are carrying the Buddha, and they do not need to build stūpas or temples, as those who have this devotion to the sūtra have made vast offerings in the presence of the Buddha. They will develop excellent qualities and will attain buddhahood. Caityas should be built in honor of the Buddha wherever teachers of this sūtra have been.
Chapter 17: Teaching the Merit of Rejoicing
Maitreya asks the Buddha how much merit is created from rejoicing in hearing the sūtra. The Buddha gives a parable of someone who hears the teaching and repeats it to someone else, who repeats it to someone else, and so on, until it is heard by a fiftieth person. Even if they only hear one line of verse, their merit is far greater than that of a person who satisfies all the beings in four hundred thousand realms with gifts for eighty years and then brings them all to arhathood. The merit such a person would accrue would not even be a quintillionth of the merit of the one who rejoiced in hearing one line of verse that had been passed on through fifty people. Those who go to a temple to listen to the sūtra even briefly will have excellent carriages in their future life. If they sit down they will have the thrones of deities and kings, and if they make someone else listen to it, even for a moment, they will have an excellent physical body in their future lives.
Chapter 18: The Benefits of the Purity of the Six Āyatanas
The Buddha tells the bodhisattva Satatasamitābhiyukta that those who are devoted to this sūtra will attain numerous special qualities of purified faculties, which are those of the body’s senses and not yet the divine faculties. Nevertheless, the eight hundred qualities of the faculty of the eye include seeing everywhere, and seeing everyone, in the world realm of a billion worlds. The twelve hundred qualities of aural perception include hearing every sound, both those produced by beings and natural sounds, in the world realm of a billion worlds, without being overwhelmed by them. The eight hundred qualities of olfactory perception include sensing all smells of beings and matter in the world realm of a billion worlds. The twelve hundred qualities of gustatory perception include all tastes becoming divine, and the faculty of their tongue teaching the Dharma with a voice that will delight everyone, both humans and nonhumans, and inspire their veneration. The eight hundred qualities of the sensory faculty of the body include having a purified body the color of beryl and seeing within one’s body all the beings within a billion worlds. The twelve hundred qualities of the mental faculty include understanding the many meanings contained within one verse and teaching them for as long as a year, and knowing all the thoughts of all beings in a million worlds such that one’s teaching is always correct.
Chapter 19: Sadāparibhūta
The Buddha tells the bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta that those who revile adherents to this sūtra will experience the bad result of being mute, while those who support it will have purified faculties. He says that long ago there was a world in which there was a series of millions of buddhas all named Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja. When the Dharma of the first of these was coming to an end, there was a bodhisattva called Sadāparibhūta who endured the condemnation of other monastics and lay-followers. When he was dying he heard the words of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma coming from the air, taught those who had previously reviled him, and lived on for millions of years, teaching this sūtra during the time of millions of succeeding buddhas until finally he attained enlightenment. Śākyamuni reveals that he was Sadāparibhūta and also that those who reviled him were now among his students. He encourages them to maintain and teach this sūtra after he has passed into nirvāṇa.
Chapter 20: The Tathāgata’s Miracles
Viśiṣṭacāritra and the other bodhisattvas who emerged from the ground, along with a vast number of other beings, make their commitment to uphold the sūtra in the future. Then both Śākyamuni and Prabhūtaratna, still seated inside the stūpa, and the buddhas in the other world realms, extend their tongues as far as the paradise of Brahmā, and their tongues radiate a vast number of light rays, from within which appear countless bodhisattvas who teach the Dharma while floating in the sky above a great number of worlds. This miracle continues for a hundred thousand years. Then they make the sound of clearing their throats and snap their fingers, a sound that is heard throughout the worlds, which shake. All the buddhas then declare that the beings in the other worlds should pay homage to Śākyamuni and make offerings to him because he is teaching this sūtra. They throw offerings in his direction and they cover like a canopy this world and all other worlds. The Buddha states that there would be no end to describing the benefits of maintaining and promulgating this sūtra, and wherever it is taught or transcribed should be regarded as a holy place of the Buddha.
Chapter 21: Dhāraṇīs
The bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja asks the Buddha how much merit someone who upholds this sūtra will have. The Buddha replies that someone dedicated to just one line of verse from the sūtra will have greater merit than that from making offerings to quintillions of buddhas. Bhaiṣajyarāja then recites a dhāraṇī that will protect the holders of the sūtra from attacks, and states that to attack such a person is to attack the quintillions of buddhas who have pronounced that dhāraṇī. Then the bodhisattva Pradānaśūra recites a dhāraṇī for the same purpose. Then the deity Vaiśravaṇa, one of the four mahārāja deities, recites a dhāraṇī for the protection and good fortune of holders of the sūtra. Then Virūḍhaka, one of the other mahārājas, arrives and recites a protective dhāraṇī. Then the rākṣasī Hārītī, accompanied by ten other rākṣasīs and their followers, comes and recites a protective dhāraṇī, which they all say will make the head of one who attacks a holder of this sūtra explode. The Buddha expresses his pleasure and tells them to protect those who study and offer to the sūtra, even someone who only knows the name of the sūtra.
Chapter 22: The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja
The bodhisattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña asks the Buddha to relate what the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja has practiced in his past lives. The Buddha says that in the distant past there was a buddha named Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī with a lifespan of many eons in a world that was a pure realm. He taught The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. His student bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana practices this and attains samādhi, at which time miraculous events occur. Then Sarvasattvapriyadarśana spends twelve years eating aromatic resins and drinking perfumed oils and then sets his body on fire as an offering to the Buddha. The light of the fire shines through many worlds and the buddhas there commend him for his supreme offering. He burns for twelve years and then is miraculously born, with the power of speech, to a king. He then flies in a precious palace to see Buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī. That buddha tells him that he is passing into nirvāṇa that very night and entrusts his students and his relics to Sarvasattvapriyadarśana. Sarvasattvapriyadarśana cremates Buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī and places the relics inside eighty-four thousand stūpas and then burns his arm as an offering to them. The other students are upset, but invoking the power of truth his body becomes golden and his arm is restored. The Buddha states that Sarvasattvapriyadarśana was a previous life of Bhaiṣajyarāja. He then proclaims how the offering of the body is the greatest way to create merit and that a follower of the Mahāyāna should burn a toe, finger, or a limb as an offering to a stūpa. He describes through analogies how this sūtra is superior to all other sūtras, and will bring many kinds of benefits. In particular, devotion to this particular chapter will end rebirth as a woman and bring rebirth in Sukhāvatī. The Buddha then entrusts the propagation of this chapter to the bodhisattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña.
Chapter 23: Gadgadasvara
The Buddha emits a light from his ūrṇā hair that spreads through buddha realms in the east and reaches Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā, in which lives Buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña and the bodhisattva Gadgadasvara. Gadgadasvara wishes to come to Sahā to see Buddha Śākyamuni, enters samādhi, and many miraculous lotuses appear on Vulture Peak. The Buddha explains to Mañjuśrī that this is a sign of Gadgadasvara’s intention to come. Śākyamuni asks Buddha Prabhūtaratna to cause him to come. Buddha Prabhūtaratna speaks words inviting Gadgadasvara, who comes with quintillions of bodhisattvas, makes an offering to Śākyamuni, and conveys Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña’s respectful inquiry as to Śākyamuni’s health, and so forth. The bodhisattva Padmaśrī asks Śākyamuni about Gadgadasvara’s past. Śākyamuni describes how in a previous life in the distant past, in the realm Sarvarūpasaṃdarśanā, Gadgadasvara made extensive offerings to Buddha Meghadundubhisvararāja, and subsequently to countless buddhas, and how he has also taught this very sūtra to beings in various divine and human forms through the samādhi manifestation of all forms. Through hearing the contents of this chapter a vast number of bodhisattvas attained that samādhi, a lesser number attained receptivity to the nonarising of phenomena, and Padmaśrī attained the samādhi of this sūtra. Gadgadasvara and his accompanying bodhisattvas return to his realm and relate to the buddha there what had occurred.
Chapter 24: Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of Avalokiteśvara
The bodhisattva Akṣayamati asks the Buddha what the name “Avalokiteśvara” means. The Buddha replies by recounting how hearing the name of Avalokiteśvara, and thinking of him, or calling out to him, will save beings from all kinds of dangers, such as fire, drowning, snakes, and violence. If someone pays homage to Avalokiteśvara they will be freed from desire, anger, or ignorance. A woman who does so will have an excellent son. The merit from paying homage to him is equal to paying homage to countless buddhas. Akṣayamati asks the Buddha about the activity of Avalokiteśvara, and the Buddha states how he takes the form of various deities and humans, buddhas, and bodhisattvas in various worlds so as to teach the Dharma. Akṣayamati then offers a pearl necklace to Avalokiteśvara, who then divides it into two and offers it to the two buddhas present: Śākyamuni and Prabhūtaratna. Verses summarize the prose with the addition of describing how Avalokiteśvara is the attendant of Amitābha in Sukhāvatī. Then the bodhisattva Dharaṇīṃdhara states that great merit is obtained by hearing this chapter. Finally the sūtra describes how eighty-four thousand beings developed the aspiration for enlightenment on hearing the Buddha teach this chapter.
Chapter 25: The Past of King Śubhavyūha
The Bhagavān tells the gathered assembly that in the distant past in a world called Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā there was a Buddha named Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña. At that time there was a King Śubhavyūha, Queen Vimaladattā, and their two sons, Vimalagarbha and Vimalanetra. The sons asked their mother for permission to go and see the Buddha, but she said as the king was a follower of brahmins he would not allow it. Therefore they performed miracles that impressed the king so that he, the queen, his court, and thousands of other beings came to see this buddha who was teaching this very sūtra. The king gave up his throne to his younger brother and he and all the others became bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs. After eighty-four thousand years he attained a samādhi so that he rose into the sky from where he spoke to the Buddha of how his sons were realized beings and his teachers. The Buddha explained that beings find teachers because of their past merit. The king descended to the earth, paid homage to the Buddha’s qualities and then returned back up into the sky. He and his queen cast a string of pearls toward the Buddha as an offering that transformed into a floating building of pearls within which the Buddha sat. The Buddha prophesied the king’s attainment of buddhahood. Then Śākyamuni explains that the bodhisattva Padmaśrī was the king, the bodhisattva Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitadhvajarāja was the queen, and the bodhisattvas Bhaiṣajyarāja and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata were the two sons. He says the world will pay homage to anyone who knows the names of those two bodhisattvas. The chapter concludes by saying that eighty-four thousand beings attained Dharma eyes through listening to this very chapter.
Chapter 26: Samantabhadra’s Encouragement
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra with countless bodhisattvas and beings come from an eastern world to the Buddha and request the teaching of this sūtra, and the Buddha describes the four qualities of a woman who will obtain this sūtra. Samantabhadra promises to protect those who uphold the sūtra in the future from humans and nonhumans. He will come mounted on an elephant to its practitioners and reveal himself to them. And he gives a dhāraṇī that will bless them, so that they will obtain the sūtra and that it will continue to be preserved in the world. He describes the benefits of dedication to the sūtra, which include being reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa and Tuṣita paradises. He states that the holders of this sūtra will have many good qualities and should be seen as future buddhas and respected as buddhas, while those who disrespect them will have various kinds of physical ailments and deformities. The chapter concludes by saying that countless bodhisattvas attained a great power of mental retention through listening to this very chapter.
Chapter 27: The Entrusting
The Buddha miraculously takes the right hands of all the bodhisattvas in his right hand and entrusts the sūtra to them. They promise to make it widespread. The Buddha gives his leave to all the buddhas who had come from other worlds to depart, and Buddha Prabhūtaratna and all other buddhas, bodhisattvas, and beings rejoice and praise the Buddha’s teaching.
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma
The Introduction
[B1] [F.1.b]
Homage to the buddhas and the bodhisattvas.
Thus have I heard at one time.56 The Bhagavān was dwelling on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha together with a great saṅgha of twelve hundred bhikṣus,57 all of whom were solely arhats whose defilements had ceased; who were without kleśas; who had mastered themselves; who had liberated minds; who had completely liberated wisdom; who were noble beings;58 who were great elephants;59 who had done what had to be done; who had accomplished what had to be accomplished; who had put down their burden; who had reached their goals; who had ended engagement with existence; and who had liberated their minds through true knowledge, had perfectly attained all the powers of the mind, were renowned for their higher knowledge,60 [F.2.a] and were mahāśrāvakas.
They were Brother Ājñātakauṇḍinya, Brother Aśvajit, Brother Vāṣpa, Brother Mahānāman, Brother Bhadrika, Brother Mahākāśyapa, Brother Uruvilvākāśyapa, Brother Nadīkāśyapa, Brother Gayākāśyapa, Brother Śāriputra, Brother Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Brother Mahākātyāyana, Brother Aniruddha, Brother Revata, Brother Kapphiṇa, Brother Gavāṃpati, Brother Pilindavatsa, Brother Bakkula, Brother Mahākauṣṭhila, Brother Bharadvāja, Brother Nanda,61 Brother Upananda, Brother Sundarananda, Brother Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, Brother Subhūti, Brother Rāhula, and other great śrāvakas; and the student Brother Ānanda; and also two thousand bhikṣus who were in training and had transcended training; and six thousand bhikṣuṇīs such as Mahāprajāpatī and bhikṣuṇī Yaśodharā, the mother of Rāhula, and her followers.
Also present were eighty thousand bodhisattvas, all of whom were irreversible from great enlightenment; had attained retention; remained in great eloquence; turned the irreversible wheel of the Dharma; had attended many hundred thousands of buddhas; had planted the roots of merit with many hundred thousands of buddhas; [F.2.b] had praised many hundred thousands of buddhas whose bodies, speech, and minds were pervaded with love; and who were adept in entering the wisdom of the tathāgatas, had great wisdom, had fully realized the perfection of wisdom, were renowned in many hundreds of thousands of worlds, and had liberated many hundred thousands of hundred thousands of millions of beings. They were the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the bodhisattva Sarvārthanāman, the bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva Anikṣiptadhura, the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyasamudgata, the bodhisattva Vyūharāja, the bodhisattva Pradānaśūra, the bodhisattva Ratnacandra, the bodhisattva Ratnaprabha, the bodhisattva Pūrṇacandra, the bodhisattva Mahāvikrāmin, the bodhisattva Anantavikrāmiṇ, the bodhisattva Trailokyavikrāmiṇ, the bodhisattva Mahāpratibhāna, the bodhisattva Satatasamitābhiyukta, the bodhisattva Dharaṇīdhara, the bodhisattva Akṣayamati, the bodhisattva Padmaśrī, the bodhisattva Nakṣatrarāja, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Siṃha. Also present were the sixteen excellent men, such as Bhadrapāla. They were Bhadrapāla, Ratnākara, Susārthavāha, Naradatta,62 Guhyagupta, Varuṇadatta, Indradatta, Uttaramati, [F.3.a] Viśeṣamati, Vardhamānamati, Amoghadarśin, Susaṃprasthita, Suvikrāntavikrāmiṇ, Anupamamati, Sūryagarbha, and Dharaṇīṃdhara.
These and the other eighty thousand bodhisattvas were present there.
Also present was Śakra, the lord of the devas, with his retinue of twenty thousand devas, such as the deva Candra, the deva Sūrya, the deva Samantagandha, the deva Ratnaprabha, the deva Avabhāsaprabha, and the rest of the twenty thousand devas.
Also present were the four mahārājas and their retinue of thirty thousand devas: Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, Mahārāja Virūpākṣa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, the deva Īśvara, the deva Maheśvara, and a retinue of thirty thousand devas.
Also present were Brahmā, the lord of the Sahā world realm, with a retinue of twelve hundred Brahmakāyika devas: the brahmā Śikhin, the brahmā Jyotiṣprabha, and the rest of the one thousand two hundred Brahmakāyika devas.
Also present were the eight nāga kings—the nāga kings Nanda, Upananda, Sāgara, Vāsuki, Takṣaka, Manasvin, Anavatapta, and Utpalaka—together with a retinue of many trillions of nāgas.
Also present were the four kinnara kings—the kinnara king Druma, the kinnara king Mahādharma, the kinnara king Sudharma, and the kinnara king Dharmadhara—together with a retinue of many trillions of kinnaras.
Also present were devas who were of the four classes of gandharvas—Manojña, Manojñasvara, Madhura, and the gandharva Madhurasvara—together with a retinue of many trillions63 of gandharvas.
Also present were the four lords of the asuras—the asura lords Bali, Kharaskandha, Vemacitrin, [F.3.b] and Rāhu—together with a retinue of many trillions of asuras.
Also present were the four garuḍa lords—the garuḍa lords Mahātejas, Mahākāya, Mahāpūrṇa, and Maharddhiprāpta—together with many trillions of garuḍas.
Also present was King Ajātaśatru of Magadha, the son of Vaidehī.
At that time, the Bhagavān, surrounded by the fourfold assembly, was esteemed, honored, revered, respected, offered to, praised, and venerated. He had taught the Dharma teaching of the great extensive sūtra called The Great Elucidation, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all the buddhas.
Sitting cross-legged on that Dharma seat, he entered the samādhi named the state of infinite instruction; his body became motionless and his mind became motionless.
As soon as the Bhagavān entered that state there fell a rain of coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, and spider lily and great spider lily flowers,64 that fell upon the Bhagavān and his fourfold assembly. The whole buddha realm shook in six ways: it moved, moved strongly, quaked, quaked strongly, shuddered, and shuddered strongly. Then at that time the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, the upāsakas and upāsikās, the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, kings of regions, balacakravartins, and cakravartins of the four continents, together with their retinues who were gathered in that assembly, [F.4.a] were all gazing upon the Bhagavān with wonder, amazement, and joy.
Then at that time, a light ray shone from the ūrṇā hair between the Bhagavān’s eyebrows into eighteen thousand buddha realms in the eastern direction. The light of that light ray pervaded all those buddha realms from the great Avīci hell up to the apex of existence. It illuminated all beings without exception in the six classes of existence in those buddha realms. It also illuminated the buddha bhagavāns who resided, lived, and remained in those buddha realms. The Dharma that those buddha bhagavāns taught was heard by all without exception.
It illuminated in those buddha realms all the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, yogins, and yogācāras, both those who had attained the result and those who had not attained the result.
It illuminated in those buddha realms the bodhisattvas and mahāsattvas who practiced bodhisattva conduct through being skilled in methods, due to the many various ways of listening to the teachings, having objectives, and having aspirations.
It illuminated in those buddha realms the stūpas made of precious materials that contained the relics of the buddha bhagavāns who had passed into nirvāṇa.
Then bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya thought, “Oh! The Tathāgata has shown this great miraculous sign. Why did the Bhagavān show this kind of great miraculous sign? The Bhagavān, while resting in this samādhi, [F.4.b] has revealed these kinds of inconceivable, marvelous, amazing, great miracles. Who can answer my question as to what this means? This Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta has served previous jinas, has planted the roots of merit, and has attended many buddhas. This Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta has also previously seen this kind of sign from past tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas, and he has previously heard numerous accounts of the great Dharma. I should ask Mañjuśrī.”
The bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, the upāsakas and upāsikās, and the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans saw this light that was the great miraculous sign of the Bhagavān and were amazed, astonished, and intrigued.
They thought, “Whom shall we ask about this great miraculous sign revealed by the Bhagavān?”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya instantaneously knew the thoughts in the minds of the fourfold assembly, and inquired of Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, what was the cause and what the reason for the Bhagavān manifesting this wonderful illumination through a marvelous, astonishing, miraculous light that revealed these eighteen thousand beautiful, supremely beautiful buddha realms, among which are the tathāgatas and also the followers of the tathāgatas?”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble sons, the Tathāgata’s intention is to relate a great Dharma teaching.
“Noble sons, the Tathāgata’s intention is to send down a great Dharma rain, to sound the great Dharma drum, to erect the great Dharma banner, to light the great Dharma lamp, to blow the great Dharma conch, and to beat the great Dharma bherī drum.82 Noble sons, that is the intention the Tathāgata has formed today.
“Noble sons, from previous tathāgatas there has come illumination with a light ray like this, and I think that just as it was revealed to me,83 just as I have seen an omen of this kind in the past from previous tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas, this tathāgata, too, intends to give a great Dharma teaching, to make others hear a great Dharma teaching, and has therefore created such an omen. Why is that? The Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha has revealed a miraculous omen of this kind, this illumination from a ray of light, because he intends to teach the Dharma that is not in accord with the entire world.
“Noble sons, I remember that in a past time, even further back beyond incalculable, numberless, immeasurable, inconceivable, vast, completely countless asaṃkhyeya eons ago, [F.8.a] at that time, in that era, there appeared in the world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Candrasūryapradīpa.
“He taught the Dharma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end; has excellent meaning and excellent words; and is unalloyed, complete, pure, perfected, and concerns pure conduct.
“To the śrāvakas he taught the Dharma conjoined with the four truths of the āryas, and nirvāṇa as the ultimate goal, as well as the process of dependent origination, in order that they might transcend birth, aging, sickness, death, misery, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and distress.
“To the bodhisattva mahāsattvas he taught the Dharma that commences with the highest, complete enlightenment conjoined with the six perfections, and concludes with omniscient wisdom.
“Noble sons, subsequent to that tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryapradīpa, there appeared in the world a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha who was also named Candrasūryapradīpa.
“Ajita, in this way there appeared sequentially tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who had the same name, Candrasūryapradīpa, and the same family and same clan, which means there were twenty thousand tathāgatas of the Bharadvājasa family.
“Ajita, from the first of those twenty thousand tathāgatas until the last of those tathāgatas they taught the Dharma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end; [F.8.b] has excellent meaning and excellent words; and is unalloyed, complete, pure, perfected, and concerns pure conduct.
“To the śrāvakas they taught the Dharma that has the four truths of the āryas and dependent origination, so that the śrāvakas might transcend the troubles of birth, aging, illness, death, misery, wailing, suffering, and unhappiness, and conclude in nirvāṇa.
“To the bodhisattvas mahāsattvas they taught the Dharma that commences with the six perfections and the highest, complete enlightenment, and concludes with omniscient wisdom.
“Ajita, in this way, when the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryapradīpa was previously a young man living in the capital, who had not yet entered homelessness, he had eight sons. The names of those princes were Mati, Sumati, Anantamati, Ratnamati, Viśeṣamati, Vimatisamuddhāṭin, Ghoṣamati, and Dharmamati.
“Ajita, those eight princes who were the sons of Bhagavān Candrasūryapradīpa had great miraculous powers. Each one of them acquired and possessed four great continents and was the king of them. When they knew that the Bhagavān had abandoned the capital and heard that he had attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, they forsook all royal enjoyments and followed the Bhagavān into homelessness, and they all became dedicated to the highest, complete enlightenment and became dharmabhāṇakas. Those princes constantly maintained celibacy and planted roots of merit with many hundreds of thousands of buddhas.
“Ajita, when the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryapradīpa [F.9.a] had taught the Dharma teaching of the great extensive sūtra called The Great Elucidation, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all the buddhas, then at that time, at that instant, that very moment, among that gathered assembly, sitting cross-legged upon the great Dharma seat, he rested in meditation in the samādhi named the basis of infinite elucidation; his body became motionless and his mind became motionless.
“As soon as the Bhagavān rested in meditation there fell onto the Bhagavān a great rain of coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, spider lily flowers, great spider lily flowers, and divine flowers, which were scattered upon the Bhagavān and his assembly.
“The complete buddha realm shook in six ways: it moved, moved strongly, quaked, quaked strongly, shuddered, and shuddered strongly. Then at that time the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, the upāsakas and upāsikās, the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, kings of regions, cakravartins, and cakravartins of the four continents, together with their retinues who were gathered in that assembly, were all gazing upon the Bhagavān with wonder, amazement, and joy.
“Also at that time, a light ray shone from the ūrṇā hair between the Bhagavān’s eyebrows to twenty thousand buddha realms in the eastern direction. The light of that light ray pervaded all those buddha realms. Ajita, it was just like how these buddha realms are illuminated now. [F.9.b]
“Ajita, at that time, there were two hundred million bodhisattvas among the Bhagavān’s followers; those who were listening to the Dharma in that assembly saw the world illuminated by the radiance of that great light ray and were amazed, astonished, and intrigued.
“Ajita, at that time, in that Bhagavān’s teaching there was a bodhisattva mahāsattva named Varaprabha who had eight hundred students. The Bhagavān arose from that samādhi and taught the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, first to the bodhisattva Varaprabha. For sixty whole intermediate eons he taught while sitting on the one seat with a motionless body and a motionless mind. The entire assembly also remained seated on the same seats with motionless bodies and motionless minds, listening to the Dharma from the Bhagavān for sixty eons. There was not a single being within that assembly who became fatigued and there were none whose minds became wearied.
“When the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryapradīpa had taught for sixty intermediate eons the Dharma teaching of the great extensive sūtra called The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all the buddhas, then in that moment he announced his parinirvāṇa in front of the world with its many beings, including devas, māras, and Brahmā. He said, ‘Bhikṣus, tonight at midnight the tathāgata will pass away into the state of nirvāṇa that has no remainder of the skandhas.’
“Then, Ajita, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryapradīpa gave the prophecy of the highest, complete enlightenment to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Śrīgarbha84 [F.10.a] and declared to the assembly, ‘Bhikṣus, this bodhisattva mahāsattva Śrīgarbha will after me attain the highest, complete enlightenment and become the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Vimalanetra.’
“Then, Ajita, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryapradīpa that evening at midnight passed away into the state of nirvāṇa that has no remainder of the skandhas. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Śrīgarbha took up the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and for eighty intermediate eons taught the teaching of that bhagavān who had passed into nirvāṇa.
“Ajita, the eight sons of that bhagavān, such as Mati, became students of the bodhisattva Śrīgarbha. He ripened them for the highest, complete enlightenment. Subsequently they all saw a hundred thousand quintillion buddhas, honored them, and attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. The last of them became the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Dīpaṃkara.
“One of the eight hundred students yearned for gain, yearned for honor, yearned for prestige, and desired fame, so the words and letters that had been taught did not engross him or take root in him. He became known as Yaśaskāma. Through the merit he had previously acquired, he pleased many quintillions of buddhas, and having pleased them he honored them, venerated them, respected them, made offerings to them, worshiped them, and revered them. [F.10.b]
“At that time, Ajita, the bodhisattva Śrīgarbha was a dharmabhāṇaka. Do not have any doubt or uncertainty that he was someone else. Why is that? It is because at that time I was the dharmabhāṇaka Śrīgarbha. The bodhisattva Yaśaskāma had become lazy. Ajita, at that time, on that occasion, you were the lazy bodhisattva Yaśaskāma.
“Ajita, when in this teaching I saw the light ray of this kind that was the Bhagavān’s omen, I thought that the Bhagavān intended to teach the great extensive sūtra, the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta taught that meaning extensively, at that time reciting these verses:
This concludes “The Introduction,” the first chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B2]
Skill in Methods
Then the Bhagavān mindfully and knowingly arose from that samādhi. Having arisen from it, he addressed Brother Śāriputra.99
“Śāriputra, the wisdom of the buddhas, which is profound, difficult to see, and difficult to understand, has been realized by the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. It is difficult for all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to know. Why is that? Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas have served many hundred thousand quintillions of buddhas; they have practiced for the highest, complete enlightenment with many hundred thousand quintillions of buddhas; they have followed them for a long time; they have been diligent; [F.13.a] they have obtained marvelous, amazing Dharma; and they know the Dharma that is difficult to know.
“Śāriputra, it is difficult to know the true meaning of the teachings given by the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. Why is that? They teach the Dharma that they have understood themselves though a diversity of skillful methods, visions of wisdom, illustrations of causes and reasons, supports, expressions, and modes of communication. Through these skills in methods, they liberate this and that being, here and there, from attachment. Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas have reached the perfection of great skill in methods and the highest vision of wisdom.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas are endowed with the wonderful dharmas100 of the strength of101 the unimpeded, unobstructed vision of wisdom, as well as the fearlessnesses, the unique qualities, the powers, the strengths, the aspects of enlightenment, the dhyānas, the liberations, the samādhis, and the samāpattis, and they teach a variety of Dharma teachings.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas have obtained that which is a great marvel. Śāriputra, it is enough to say just that. Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas have obtained that which is a supreme marvel.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas should teach the dharmas of the tathāgatas themselves,102 which are the dharmas that tathāgatas know.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas teach all dharmas. The tathāgatas know all dharmas.
“They know103 what those dharmas104 are, the way they are, their characteristics and their nature just as those dharmas are, the way those dharmas are, the characteristics those dharmas have, and the nature of those dharmas.” [F.13.b]
At that time, the Bhagavān then taught that topic in detail by speaking these verses:
In that assembly two hundred thousand great śrāvakas such as Ājñātakauṇḍinya, who were arhats, whose defilements had ceased [F.14.b] and who had attained power, and also bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who followed the Śrāvakayāna, and also those who followed the Pratyekabuddhayāna, all thought, “What is the cause and what is the reason why the Bhagavān has praised the skill in methods of the tathāgatas, and said, ‘This profound Dharma is the attainment of buddhahood’ and ‘It is difficult for all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to understand it’? The Bhagavān has said there is but one liberation, and we have obtained the Buddha’s Dharma and we have attained nirvāṇa, and yet we do not know the meaning of what the Bhagavān has said.”
Brother Śāriputra, knowing that the fourfold retinue was uncertain and in doubt, at that time said these words to the Bhagavān: “Bhagavān, what is the cause and what is the reason why the Bhagavān has in this way repeatedly praised the teaching of the Dharma of being wise in skill in methods, and repeatedly said, ‘I have realized this profound Dharma’ and ‘It is difficult to know the intended meaning of the teaching’? I have never before heard this Dharma teaching from the Bhagavān. Also the fourfold retinue is uncertain and in doubt. What is the Tathāgata’s intended meaning? I request that the Bhagavān explain perfectly the profound Dharma of the tathāgatas, of which you have repeatedly spoken.”
When Śāriputra had thus spoken, the Bhagavān asked him, “Śāriputra,105 why should I teach this? What would be the reason? Śāriputra, if I were to teach the meaning of this, [F.15.b] it would alarm this world with its devas.”
Then Brother Śāriputra for a second time made his request to the Bhagavān, saying, “Bhagavān, I request that you teach this meaning. I request that the Sugata teach it. Why is that? Bhagavān, in this assembly there are many hundreds of beings, many thousands of beings, many hundred thousands of beings, many hundred thousand quintillions of beings, who have seen past buddhas and are endowed with wisdom, and they will have faith in the teaching of the Bhagavān, will have conviction in it, and will uphold it.”
Then at that time Brother Śāriputra recited this verse:
Then the Bhagavān said a second time to Brother Śāriputra. “Śāriputra,107 if I were to teach the meaning of this it would alarm this world with its devas, and it would cause bhikṣus who have great pride to fall into a great abyss.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke this verse:
Then Brother Śāriputra made a third request to the Bhagavān, saying, “I request that the Bhagavān teach. I request that the Sugata teach. Bhagavān, in this assembly there are many hundreds who are like me. Bhagavān, there are many hundreds of such beings, many thousands of such beings, many hundred thousands of such beings, many hundred thousand quintillions of such beings, and there are others who were ripened by the Bhagavān in their previous existences. [F.16.a] They will have faith in, have conviction in, and will uphold the Bhagavān’s teaching, and for a long time it will bring them benefit, welfare, and happiness.”
Then at that time Brother Śāriputra recited these verses:
Then the Bhagavān, knowing Brother Śāriputra had made this request for the third time, said these words to Brother Śāriputra: “Śāriputra, now that you have made this request to the Tathāgata three times, I have said what I had to say about your request. Therefore, Śāriputra, listen carefully and remember, for I will give you the teaching.”
As soon as the Bhagavān had consented, more than five thousand arrogant bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās within that assembly rose from their seats, bowed down their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, and departed from the assembly. As a result of their arrogance they believed that they had obtained roots of merit when they had not obtained them, and believed they had realization when they did not have realization. They had become aware of their own error and departed from that assembly, the Bhagavān giving his permission to do so by remaining silent.
Then the Bhagavān said to Brother Śāriputra, “Śāriputra, my assembly has become free of its dregs. [F.16.b] Śāriputra, it has become free of those who were worthless, while those for whom faith is essential remain. It is good that those who are arrogant have departed. Therefore, Śāriputra, I shall teach that meaning.”
“Excellent, Bhagavān!” Śāriputra replied, and he listened to the Bhagavān.
“Śāriputra,” said the Bhagavān, “a tathāgata rarely teaches this kind of Dharma. Śāriputra, just as fig tree flowers rarely appear, a tathāgata rarely teaches this kind of Dharma. Śāriputra, believe me, I am speaking the truth. I am speaking correctly. I am not speaking otherwise.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas’ teaching that contains an inner meaning is difficult to understand. Why is that? Śāriputra, I teach the Dharma by using various definitions, expressions, and parables,108 using hundreds of thousands of different skillful methods.
“Śāriputra, that Dharma109 cannot be analyzed. It is beyond the scope of sophists; it is what is known by a tathāgata. Why is that? Śāriputra, a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha comes into the world in order to perform one deed, one action: a great deed and a great action.
“Śāriputra, what is a tathāgata’s one deed and one action, his great deed and great action, for which a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha comes into the world? A tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha comes into this world for the sake of causing beings to acquire the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. A tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha comes into this world [F.17.a] in order to reveal to beings the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. A tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha comes into this world in order that beings will enter the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. A tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha comes into this world in order that beings will realize the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. A tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha comes into this world in order that beings will enter the path to the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom.
“Śāriputra, a tathāgata appears in this world for that one deed and one action, for that one great deed and one great action, and with that one intention.
“Śāriputra, in that way a tathāgata accomplishes that one deed and one action, that one great deed and great action of the tathāgatas.110 Why is that? Śāriputra, I cause the acquisition of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. I reveal the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. Śāriputra, I cause entry into the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. Śāriputra, I cause the realization of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom. Śāriputra, I cause entry into the path to the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom.
“Śāriputra, I also I teach the Dharma to beings through a single yāna, which is the Buddhayāna, ultimate omniscience. There are no second or third yānas.
“Śāriputra, this is the true nature everywhere in all worlds in the ten directions. Why is that? Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas [F.17.b] who in the past have appeared in countless, innumerable worlds in the ten directions have known the thoughts that are the various aspirations, natures, and intentions of beings. For the sake of many beings, for the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, and with compassion for the world, for the sake of a great number of beings, and for the benefit and happiness of devas and humans, they taught the Dharma by using a variety of teachings on accomplishment, and various teachings on causes, reasons, parables,111 supports, and skillful methods.112
“Śāriputra, all those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas taught the Dharma to beings through a single yāna, which is the Buddhayāna, ultimate omniscience. It is the teaching of the Dharma that causes the acquisition of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, reveals the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes entry into the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes the realization of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, and causes entry into the path to the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom.
“Śāriputra, all the beings who heard that Dharma from those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas in the past attained the highest, supreme enlightenment.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who in the future will appear in countless, innumerable worlds in the ten directions will also know the thoughts that are the various aspirations, natures, and intentions of beings. For the sake of many beings, for the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, and with compassion for the world, for the sake of a great number of beings, and for the benefit and happiness of devas and humans, [F.18.a] they will teach the Dharma by using a variety of teachings on accomplishment, and various teachings on causes, reasons, parables,113 supports, and skillful methods.114
“Śāriputra, all those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas will teach the Dharma to beings through a single yāna, which is the Buddhayāna, ultimate omniscience. It is the teaching of the Dharma that causes the acquisition of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, reveals the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes entry into the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes the realization of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, and causes entry into the path to the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom.
“Śāriputra, all the beings who hear that Dharma from those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas in the future will attain the highest, supreme enlightenment.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who in the present have appeared in countless, innumerable worlds in the ten directions also know the thoughts that are the various aspirations, natures, and intentions of beings. For the sake of many beings, for the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, and with compassion for the world, for the sake of a great number of beings, and for the benefit and happiness of devas and humans, they teach the Dharma by using a variety of teachings on accomplishment, and various teachings on causes, reasons, parables,115 supports, and skillful methods.116
“Śāriputra, all those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas teach the Dharma to beings through a single yāna, which is the Buddhayāna, ultimate omniscience. [F.18.b] It is the teaching of the Dharma that causes the acquisition of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, reveals the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes entry into the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes the realization of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, and causes entry into the path to the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom.
“Śāriputra, all the beings who hear that Dharma from those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas will attain the highest, supreme enlightenment.
“Śāriputra, in that same way, I am a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha who knows the thoughts that are the various aspirations, natures, and intentions of beings. For the sake of many beings, for the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, and with compassion for the world, for the sake of a great number of beings, and for the benefit and happiness of devas and humans, I teach the Dharma by using a variety of teachings on accomplishment, and various teachings on causes, reasons, parables,117 supports, and skillful methods.118
“Śāriputra, I also teach the Dharma to beings through a single yāna, which is the Buddhayāna, ultimate omniscience. It is the teaching of the Dharma that causes the acquisition of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, reveals the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes entry into the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, causes the realization of the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom, and causes entry into the path to the vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom.
“Śāriputra, all the beings who now hear that Dharma from me [F.19.a] will also attain the highest, supreme enlightenment.
“Śāriputra, know that in this teaching there is no second yāna anywhere in any world in the ten directions, so how could there be a third?
“However, when tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas appear during the degeneration of an eon, or when there is the degeneration of beings, degeneration through the kleśas, degeneration of view, or degeneration of lifespan, then, Śāriputra, when there is that turmoil119 of the degeneration of the era, many defilements, and beings have craving and few roots of merit,120 then, Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas with skill in methods teach that single Buddhayāna as a teaching of three yānas.
“Śāriputra, those śrāvakas, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas who do not listen to, do not engage in, and do not comprehend the activity of the tathāgatas that causes the acquisition of the Buddhayāna, you should know that they, Śāriputra, are not śrāvakas of the Buddha, and you should know that they are not his arhats or pratyekabuddhas.
“Also, Śāriputra, those bhikṣus or bhikṣuṇīs who vow to become arhats do not possess the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment. They say, ‘I have cut myself off from the Buddhayāna; this is my last existence, my nirvāṇa.’
“Śāriputra, know them to be arrogant. Why is that? Śāriputra, it is impossible that a bhikṣu arhat, whose defilements have ceased, who hears this Dharma in the presence of the Tathāgata, will be unable to have faith in it, unless it is after the Tathāgata’s nirvāṇa. Why is that? Śāriputra, at the time, after the Tathāgata’s nirvāṇa, [F.19.b] these śrāvakas will not preserve or teach121 this kind of sūtra.
“Śāriputra, they will have no doubt concerning this Dharma teaching from other tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. Śāriputra, have faith in me, trust in me, and have confidence122 in me.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgatas do not lie. This one yāna, Śāriputra, is the Buddhayāna.”
At that time the Buddha taught this topic in detail by reciting these verses:
This concludes “Skill in Methods,” the second chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B3]
The Parable
Then at that time, Śāriputra felt contented, delighted, elated, and joyful. With happiness and gladness he bowed with palms together toward the Bhagavān. Facing the Bhagavān, gazing solely upon the Bhagavān, he said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I am astonished and amazed. I am overjoyed to have heard this kind of speech from the Bhagavān.
“Why is that? Bhagavān, it is because I have never heard this kind of Dharma from the Bhagavān. When I saw other bodhisattvas and heard the names of the buddhas that those bodhisattvas will become in the future, and yet, still had not heard this kind of Dharma teaching from the Bhagavān, I imagined that I was deprived of that kind of vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom,169 and was extremely grieved and extremely distressed. [F.25.a]
“Bhagavān, whenever I went to stay alone in mountains, caves, forests, groves, river banks, or the foot of trees, and many other places for my daytime rest, I thought, ‘Everyone enters the nature of the Dharma equally, but we are being liberated by the Bhagavān through the Hīnayāna.’
“At that time I thought, ‘The fault is ours, the fault is not the Bhagavān’s.’ Why is that? If we had stayed170 when the Bhagavān was teaching the excellent Dharma, commencing with the highest, complete enlightenment, then, Bhagavān, we also would have been liberated in that Dharma. Also, Bhagavān, when the bodhisattvas were not present, we did not understand the Bhagavān’s teaching that had an implied meaning. We immediately heard, retained,171 meditated on, contemplated, and focused upon the first Dharma teaching given by the Tathāgata. Bhagavān, I have reprimanded myself for that day and night.
“Bhagavān, I have heard from the Bhagavān this marvelous Dharma that I have never heard before. Bhagavān, today I have attained nirvāṇa. Bhagavān, today I have become calmed.172 Bhagavān, today I have attained complete nirvāṇa. Bhagavān, today I have attained arhathood. Bhagavān, today I have become the Bhagavān’s principal son, born from his heart and mouth, born from the Dharma, emanated from the Dharma, descended from the Dharma, and created from the Dharma. [F.25.b] Today I have become freed from sorrow.”
Then at that time Brother Śāriputra addressed these verses to the Bhagavān:
In response to these words from Brother Śāriputra, the Bhagavān said to him, “Śāriputra, before the world and its devas, with its Māra and Brahmā, its mendicants and brahmins, I declare to you, and reveal to you, Śāriputra, in the presence of twenty hundred thousand quintillion buddhas, that I have ripened176 you for complete enlightenment.
“Śāriputra, you have been my follower for a long time.177 Śāriputra, it is through the bodhisattva instructions and the great secret of the bodhisattvas that you have appeared here within my teaching.
“Śāriputra, you do not remember your past conduct, prayers, bodhisattva instructions, and great bodhisattva secret, formed through your firm bodhisattva resolve. You have thus thought, ‘I have attained nirvāṇa.’
“Śāriputra, I wish to make you remember and understand your past conduct, prayers, and wisdom. So I will teach to the śrāvakas this great, extensive sūtra, the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas, and is possessed by all the buddhas.
“Śāriputra, in this way in the future, during countless, innumerable, incalculable eons, you will be the holder of the Dharma of many hundred thousand quintillions of tathāgatas, make all kinds of offerings to them, and perfectly complete these practices of the bodhisattva, and then you will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Padmaprabha.
“Śāriputra, at that time, the bhagavān tathāgata Padmaprabha will have a realm named Virajā, [F.27.a] which will be level, delightful, good, beautiful, pure, prosperous, wealthy, peaceful, with an abundance of food,178 and filled with many humans and maruts. The ground will be beryl, divided eightfold like a checkerboard by golden cords,179 and within each square there will be jewel trees, which will always be adorned by flowers and fruits made of the seven precious materials.
“Śāriputra, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Padmaprabha will teach the Dharma beginning with the three yānas. Moreover, Śāriputra, although that tathāgata will not appear during an eon of degeneration, he will nevertheless teach the Dharma in accordance with his previous prayers.
“Śāriputra, the name of that eon will be Adorned by Great Jewels. Śāriputra, why do you think that eon will be called Adorned by Great Jewels? Śāriputra, in that realm the bodhisattvas will be called great jewels (mahāratna), and at that time, in that era, in the realm Virajā there will appear so many bodhisattvas that they will be countless, incalculable, innumerable; only a tathāgata will be able to count them. That is why that eon will be called Adorned by Great Jewels.
“Śāriputra, at that time the bodhisattvas180 in that buddha realm will be stepping upon jewel lotuses when they walk. Those bodhisattvas will not be novices, but will have practiced the roots of merit for a long time, practiced celibacy with many hundreds of thousands of buddhas,181 been praised by the tathāgatas, been dedicated to the wisdom of buddhahood, given rise to the development of the great higher knowledges, become skilled in all the ways of the Dharma, and will be kind and mindful.
“Śāriputra, the lifespan of Tathāgata Padmaprabha will be twelve intermediate eons, not counting his youth. The lifespan of the beings there will be eight intermediate eons.
“Śāriputra, when those twelve intermediate eons have passed, Tathāgata Padmaprabha will say, ‘Bhikṣus, this bodhisattva mahāsattva named Dhṛtiparipūrṇa will be next to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood and will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Padmavṛṣabhavikrāmin.’ After he gives to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Dhṛtiparipūrṇa the prophecy of his highest, complete enlightenment, he will then pass into nirvāṇa.
“Śāriputra, the buddha realm of Tathāgata Padmavṛṣabhavikrāmin will have the same appearance as that of Padmaprabha.
“Śāriputra, after Tathāgata Padmaprabha passes into nirvāṇa the Dharma will remain for thirty-two intermediate eons, and then the outer form of the Dharma will remain for another thirty-two intermediate eons.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
Then the fourfold assembly of bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, as well as devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, having heard directly from the Bhagavān this prophecy of Brother Śāriputra’s highest, complete enlightenment, were contented, delighted, elated, and joyful. With happiness and gladness they presented the Bhagavān’s body with their own clothing. Śakra, the lord of devas, and Brahmā, the lord of Sahā, and another trillion devas also presented the Bhagavān’s body with divine clothing. They scattered divine coral tree and great coral tree flowers. [F.28.b] They waved182 divine cloths in the sky above him. They played a hundred thousand divine musical instruments and beat drums in the sky. A great rain of flowers fell and they proclaimed, “The Bhagavān previously turned the wheel of Dharma in the Ṛṣipatana deer forest183 in the land of Vārāṇasī, and on this day the Bhagavān has turned the highest Dharma wheel.”
At that time those devas recited these verses:
Then Brother Śāriputra said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I have directly heard from the Bhagavān the prophecy of my attaining the highest, complete enlightenment. Bhagavān, I have no doubt. I am free of uncertainty.
“Bhagavān, these one thousand two hundred who have gained self-control were previously established as students by the Bhagavān, and were instructed thus, were taught thus: ‘Bhikṣus, the ultimate conclusion of the discipline of the Dharma is the transcendence of birth, aging, sickness, and death,185 the goal of nirvāṇa, being absorbed in nirvāṇa.’ [F.29.a] Bhagavān, these bhikṣus, both those training and trained, have renounced the view of self, the view of production, the view of destruction, and all views. All of these two thousand186 śrāvakas of the Bhagavān think, ‘I reside on the level of nirvāṇa.’
“Having heard from the Bhagavān this kind of Dharma, which they have never heard before, they are puzzled. Bhagavān, so that the fourfold assembly will be without doubt, and without uncertainty, and so that these bhikṣus will have their worries dispelled, I beseech the Bhagavān to teach them well.”
The Bhagavān said to Brother Śāriputra, “Śāriputra, knowing the different aspirations and different thoughts and natures of beings, a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha teaches the Dharma through various accomplishments, causes, reasons, parables, supports, definitions, and skillful methods in this way. Commencing with the highest, complete enlightenment, through all the teaching of the Dharma he inspires them to enter into this very Bodhisattvayāna. Have I not already taught you this earlier?
“However, Śāriputra, in order to teach that meaning extensively I shall teach you parables. Why is that? Some wise individuals will understand through parables the meaning of what has been said.
“As a parable, Śāriputra, in a village, a town, a market town, a district, a region, a country, or a capital, there was a householder who was old, an elder, advanced in years, aged, and was rich, wealthy, and had many possessions. His home was tall and extensive. It had been built a long time ago and had deteriorated. A hundred, two hundred, three, four, or five hundred people lived in it. It had only one entranceway. It was roofed with hay. Its terrace was crumbling. [F.29.b] The bases of its pillars were rotten. The walls and doors were disintegrating. A great fire started suddenly throughout the house from all sides. The man had many sons—five, ten, or twenty—and the man came out from the house. Śāriputra, the man then saw the great fire burning everywhere throughout his house. He was frightened and dismayed. He thought, ‘I have not been touched, I have not been burned by this great fire. I was able to quickly escape from the burning house through the door. But my sons, who are young, who are children, are engaged in enjoying themselves playing games inside the burning house. They are not aware that the house is burning, they have not understood it, do not know it, have not realized it, and so they will be burned in this great fire, and will experience great suffering. But they are not dismayed at the thought of being touched by that great fire, they do not think of that suffering, and do not think of escaping from the house.’
“Śāriputra, the man was very strong and had very strong arms. He thought, ‘I am strong and I have strong arms. I shall gather all the children together and carry them on my hips out from the house.’ Then he thought, ‘The house has only one door and that door is narrow. These young ones don’t stay still, are always running around, so I won’t be able to bring them out, and there will be the disaster of their agony in the great fire. So I should call out to them.’
“Then he called out to the children, ‘There is a massive fire burning the house! Everything inside is going to be burned in this great fire! You will suffer disastrously! Children, come here! Come out!’
“The man gave that command wishing to help them, but the children, not knowing what ‘burning’ meant were not dismayed, not frightened, and not terrified. [F.30.a] They did not think about it and did not come out, but ran and scampered around here and there, repeatedly looking out at their father. Why was that? They were like that because they were children.
“Then the man thought, ‘A great fire is burning this house. My children and I are going to be afflicted disastrously by this great fire. But if I use a skillful method I will be able to bring the children out of the house.’
“The man knew what his children thought. He understood that they would wish for many different kinds of amusements, and many different kinds of things: a variety of delightful, desirable, pleasing, beautiful, and charming and pleasant things, which would be difficult to find.
“Then the man, knowing their thoughts, called to the children, ‘Those toys that you delight in and marvel at, and that you are unhappy not to have obtained, which have many different colors and shapes, such as an ox-drawn cart, a goat-drawn cart, and a deer-drawn cart, which you think are delightful, desirable, pleasing, beautiful, charming, and pleasant, those I have placed outside at the entrance door of the house outside so that you can play with them. So come, run outside, and I will give each of you whatever you want. So come quickly for that reason!’
“Those children, hearing that and the names of those things that they wished for, that they longed for, which they thought delightful, desirable, pleasing, beautiful, charming, and pleasant, in order to play with those things, quickly and zealously ran out from the burning house with great speed, calling out to each other, ‘Who will be first? Who will be first of all?’ And as one body they quickly came running out of the burning house.
“Then the man saw that they had come out safe and well, and were no longer in danger. Then they came to the village square, in the open air. He was delighted and joyful. He was free of sorrow, untroubled187 and unafraid. [F.30.b]
“Then the children went to their father and said, ‘Father, give to us the various kinds of toys for playing with, such as an ox-drawn cart, a goat-drawn cart, and a deer-drawn cart.’
“Then, Śāriputra, the man gave all his sons carts drawn by powerful oxen that were as fast as the wind. The carts were made of the seven precious materials. They had seats. They had strings of small bells attached. They were high and stable. They were adorned with marvelous, amazing jewels. They were beautified by strings of jewels. They were decorated with flower garlands. They had cotton-filled cushions covered with calico and silk, and red backrests on both sides. Yoked to them were dazzling white oxen that were swift and that were held by many men. They had banners. He gave to each of his children an ox-drawn cart that was as fast as the wind.
“Śāriputra, what was the reason for that? The man was rich, wealthy, and had many treasuries. He thought, ‘There is no reason why I should give inferior188 carts to my children. Why is that? All these children are my sons. All of them are dear and precious to me. If I have such great carts, I should treat them all equally, and not unequally. I have many treasuries, so not to speak of my own sons alone, I should give all beings this kind of great cart.’ Then at that time those children, astonished and amazed, climbed onto those great carts.
“Śāriputra, what do you think? In that way, the man first promised three carts to those children, but afterward gave them all such great carts,189 magnificent carts. Does that mean that the man would be a liar?” [F.31.a]
“No, Bhagavān, he would not be,” answered Śāriputra. “Sugata, it is not like that. The man through employing that skillful method brought those children out from the burning house in order to save their lives. That would not be a reason for his being a liar. Why is that? Bhagavān, it was only through saving their own bodies that they could obtain all those toys, and, Bhagavān, the man did not give just one cart to his children. Therefore, Bhagavān, the man was not a liar. Why is that? Bhagavān, first the man thought, ‘Using a skillful method I shall save the children from immense suffering.’ Because of that approach, the man would not be a liar. That man had many treasuries and he thought of his children with affection, and wished to delight them. Not to speak of just giving them a great cart, he gave each one a cart with the same colors. Therefore, Bhagavān, the man would not be a liar.”
When he had said that, the Bhagavān commended Śāriputra, “Excellent, excellent, Śāriputra! It is so, Śāriputra! It is exactly as you have said! In that same way a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha saves from all dangers, all violence, troubles, harm, suffering, unhappiness, the darkness of ignorance, the obscuration of the dark of blindness, and being in bondage.
“A tathāgata has wisdom, strengths, fearlessnesses, and the unique qualities of a buddha. He has great power through miraculous powers. He is a father to the world. He has reached the perfection of the supreme wisdom of skill in great methods. [F.31.b] He has great compassion. He has an untiring mind. He wishes to benefit. He is compassionate. He appears in the three realms that are like a house with a ruined upper story and roof burning with a great mass of suffering, and he liberates from desire, anger, and ignorance those beings who undergo birth, aging, illness, death, misery, wailing, suffering, unhappiness, the darkness of ignorance, the obscuration of the dark of blindness, and being in bondage, in order to bring them to the highest, complete enlightenment.
“As soon as he appears he sees the beings who are being burned, roasted, pained, and tormented by birth, aging, illness, death, misery, wailing, suffering, and unhappiness. For the sake of pleasures, with their desire as the cause and basis, they experience many forms of suffering. In this lifetime their grasping is the basis for experiencing in their next life many kinds of sufferings in the hells, as animals, and in the realm of Yama.
“The devas and humans experience the suffering of being poor, encountering what is unpleasant, and being separated from what is pleasant. While circling within a great mass of suffering, they take pleasure in amusements, are not afraid, are not terrified, and cannot be made to be terrified; they do not understand, are not aware, are not troubled, and do not wish to leave.
“They amuse themselves in the three realms, which are like a burning house, running back and forth. Even though they are afflicted by that great mass of suffering, they do not see it or identify it as suffering.
“This, Śāriputra, is how a tathāgata sees: I am the father of these beings. I will liberate these beings from this mass of suffering. I shall give to these beings the inconceivable, incalculable bliss of the wisdom of buddhahood, which they will delight in, enjoy, take pleasure in, and amuse themselves with. [F.32.a]
“This, Śāriputra, is how a tathāgata sees: it is said I have the strength of wisdom, the strength of miraculous powers, but if I had no method and instructed these beings to attain a tathāgata’s wisdom, strengths, and fearlessnesses, those beings would not become liberated through those dharmas. Why is that? Those beings are attached to the five sensory pleasures, and delight in the three realms. They would not become liberated from birth, aging, illness, death, misery, wailing, suffering, unhappiness, and disturbance. They would not escape from the three realms, which are like a house with a dilapidated roof and rafters that are on fire, and in which they will be burned, roasted, pained, and tormented. So how could they enjoy the wisdom of buddhahood?
“Śāriputra, the man with strong arms did not use the strength of his arms but used a skillful method to bring his children out from the burning house, and afterward gave them magnificent great carts. In the same way, Śāriputra, a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha has the wisdom, strengths, and fearlessnesses of a tathāgata, but instead of using the tathāgata’s wisdom, strengths, and fearlessnesses, through the wisdom of skill in methods he teaches three yānas in order to free beings from the three realms, which are like a dilapidated house with its roof and rafters on fire. He guides beings through the three yānas, which are the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, and the Bodhisattvayāna.
“He says to them, ‘Do not take pleasure in the forms, sounds, smells, [F.32.b] tastes, and physical sensations of the three realms, which are like a house on fire. Through taking pleasure in these three realms and through craving for the five sensory pleasures, you will be burned, roasted, pained, and tormented. This is how one escapes from the three realms: obtain the three yānas—the Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna, and Bodhisattvayāna. This I promise you. I shall give you these three yānas. Dedicate yourself to them in order to escape from the three realms. Beings! These yānas are those of the āryas, they are praised by the āryas, and they bring great joy. Perfectly amuse yourself with them, enjoy them, and delight in them. Experience great joy through the powers, the strengths, the aspects of enlightenment, the dhyānas, the liberations, the samādhis, and the samāpattis. You will become possessed of perfect happiness of mind.
“Śāriputra, those beings who are wise will believe in the Tathāgata, the father of the world. Having that belief they will be dedicated to the teachings of the Tathāgata. Some beings long to follow the way of listening190 to what is spoken. They are dedicated to the teachings of the Tathāgata in order to realize the four truths of the āryas as the cause of attaining nirvāṇa for themselves. They are called those who long for the Śrāvakayāna and they escape from the three realms. They are like the children in the parable who come out of the burning house because of their longing for a deer-drawn cart.
“There are others who long for wisdom, self-control, and tranquility without having a teacher. They are dedicated to the teachings of the Tathāgata in order to realize causes and conditions191 as the cause of attaining nirvāṇa for themselves. [F.33.a] They are called those who long for the Pratyekabuddhayāna and they escape from the three realms. They are like the children in the parable who come out of the burning house because of their longing for a goat-drawn cart.
“Some beings long for omniscient buddhahood, for the wisdom of buddhahood, for self-arising wisdom, for wisdom without a teacher. They are dedicated to the teachings of the Tathāgata in order to benefit many beings, for the happiness of many beings, and—through great compassion for the world—for the sake of, the benefit of, and the happiness of devas, humans, and ordinary beings, as the cause for all beings attaining nirvāṇa, and in order to realize the wisdom, strengths, and fearlessnesses of a tathāgata. They are called those who long for the Mahāyāna and they escape from the three realms. That is why they are called bodhisattva mahāsattvas. They are like the children in the parable who come out of the burning house because of their longing for an ox-drawn cart.
“Śāriputra, in the parable the man sees that he has brought the children out from the burning house, and that they are happy, fortunate, and saved. He knows that he is very wealthy, and so he gives each of the children an identical magnificent cart.
“Śāriputra, in that way the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha sees many millions of beings liberated from the three realms, which are filled with danger, fear, terror, and calamity. These beings come out through the doorway of the tathāgatas’ teachings, and are freed from danger, fear, terror, and calamity and attain the bliss of nirvāṇa.
“Śāriputra, at the time when he becomes a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha, he knows that he possesses many treasuries of wisdom, strengths, and fearlessnesses, [F.33.b] he sees all beings as his children, and therefore brings all of them to complete nirvāṇa through the Buddhayāna. He does not teach any being to attain nirvāṇa for themselves. He brings all those beings to nirvāṇa through the great nirvāṇa, the tathāgatas’ nirvāṇa.
“Śāriputra, the Tathāgata gives to those beings that are liberated from the three realms the enjoyable, delightful dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, samāpattis, and the supreme bliss192 of the āryas. All of these are of the same kind.193
“Śāriputra, it is like the man who promised three kinds of carts to his children and then gave each of them an identical great cart. He gave them all carts that were better than any other, that were made of the seven precious materials, adorned by all adornments, of the same color, and magnificent. Therefore he was not a liar.
“In the same way, Śāriputra, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, with this skill in methods, first teaches194 three yānas, and afterward brings beings to nirvāṇa through a single yāna. Therefore he is not a liar. Why is that? Śāriputra, the Tathāgata possesses many treasuries of wisdom, strengths, and fearlessnesses and he has the power to teach all beings the Dharma of omniscient wisdom.
“Śāriputra, it should be known that it is through this teaching, through the accomplishment of the wisdom of various skillful methods, that the Tathāgata teaches the single Mahāyāna.”
This concludes “The Parable,” the third chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B4]
The Aspiration
Then Brother Subhūti, Brother Mahākātyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, and Mahāmaudgalyāyana, having heard from the Bhagavān this kind of Dharma that they had never heard before, and having heard directly from the Bhagavān the prophecy of Brother Śāriputra’s attainment of the highest, supreme enlightenment, were amazed, astonished, and overjoyed.
At that time they rose from their seats, approached the Bhagavān, uncovered one shoulder, knelt on their right knees, and with palms together in homage to the Bhagavān, looking directly at the Bhagavān, they inclined their bodies, they bowed their bodies, they bowed well, bowed perfectly.
They said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we are old, aged, and decrepit. We are esteemed to be the elders in the saṅgha of bhikṣus. We are old, infirm, and are said to have attained nirvāṇa. [F.39.b] Bhagavān, we do not make the effort to attain unsurpassable complete enlightenment. We do not have the strength to make that effort.
“When the Bhagavān teaches the Dharma, when the Bhagavān is seated for a long time, we too are in the assembly for that Dharma teaching. Bhagavān, while we are reverentially seated there for a long time, we have pains in our limbs and other parts of our bodies, and pains in our main and secondary joints.
“Therefore, Bhagavān, although we express all the emptiness, absence of attributes, and absence of aspiration in the Dharma that the Bhagavān is teaching, we have not hoped for the display of the buddha realms, the play of bodhisattvas, or the play of tathāgatas that are in these dharmas of the Buddha.219 Why is that? Bhagavān, we have escaped from the three realms and we are said to have attained nirvāṇa. Also we are old and decrepit.
“Therefore, Bhagavān, even though we have taught and instructed other bodhisattvas in the highest, complete enlightenment, we ourselves, Bhagavān, have not given rise to a single wish for such a thing.220 Bhagavān, we were amazed and astonished to hear from the Bhagavān just now the highest, complete enlightenment being prophesied even for the śrāvakas.
“Bhagavān, today we have unexpectedly heard words from the Tathāgata of a kind that we have never heard before, which is a great gain. Bhagavān, we have obtained a great jewel; Bhagavān, we have obtained a priceless great jewel. Bhagavān, we have obtained this kind of jewel without searching221 for it, without seeking it, without thinking of it, and without wishing for it.
“Bhagavān, it is like the following analogy. A person leaves his father, and having left him, goes to another land. Bhagavān, for many years, for twenty, thirty, forty, until fifty years, he is gone away and has turned into a grown man. He becomes a beggar and searches for sustenance. In order to have food and clothes he travels in every direction in many other lands. His father has come to one of these other lands. The father has much property, grain, treasure, and storehouses. He has much gold, silver, jewels, pearls, beryls, conches, crystals, corals, and gold and silver plate. He has many female slaves, male slaves, workers, and hirelings. He has many elephants, horses, carriages, cattle, and sheep. He has many servants. He is a wealthy man in that great land. He has considerable revenues, interest from loans, and farming and trading businesses.
“Then, Bhagavān, the poor man, seeking food and clothes, wanders through a succession of villages, towns, market towns, districts, countries, and capitals, and at last arrives at the town where lives his father, who has much property, grain, treasure, and storehouses. The father always thinks of his son who has been missing for fifty years. yet, although he thinks of him, he says nothing of this to anyone else, but sorrows privately. He thinks to himself, ‘I have become old and decrepit. I have much property, grain, treasure, and storehouses. [F.40.b] But I do not have even one son. When my time comes to an end, will not all of this be without an owner and be dispersed?’ In this way he thinks again and again of his son. ‘Alas! If only my son could take possession of this accumulation of wealth, I would be free of sadness.’
“Then, Bhagavān, the poor man, wandering in search of food and clothes, comes to the residence of the man who has much money, gold, property, grain, treasure, and storehouses.
“Bhagavān, the poor man’s father is at the entrance to his home, accompanied by a great assembly of brahmins, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras gazing upon him. He is seated in great wealth upon a lion throne with a footstool, adorned in gold and silver. He is being fanned with yak-tail whisks, there is a canopy spread above him, the ground is bestrewn with pearls and flowers, and strings of jewels are hung as decorations.
“Bhagavān, the poor man sees his father seated among such wealth at the entrance of his own residence encircled by a great crowd of householders as his attendants. As soon as he sees him he is shocked, frightened, afraid, and the hairs on his body stand on end. Terrified, he thinks, ‘I have suddenly come across this king or great minister. There is no reason for me to be here. I shall go to the street where the poor people live. There I can obtain food and clothing without any difficulty. I should not linger here. I do not want to be enslaved or seized,222 or encounter other kinds of harm.’
“Then, Bhagavān, the poor man, frightened and terrified by the thought of continuous suffering,223 does not stay there but runs far away.
“However, Bhagavān, the wealthy man, seated on the lion throne at the entrance to his residence, [F.41.a] recognizes224 his son as soon as he sees him. The sight makes him happy, thrilled, overjoyed, and delighted. He thinks, ‘This is marvelous! I have seen the one who is to inherit my money, gold, property, grain, treasures, and storehouses. I have become old and aged. I have been thinking of this over and over, and he has arrived here!’
“Then, Bhagavān, that man who had been pained by longing for his son, in that very instant, that very moment, commands some people who can run quickly, ‘Friends, go and quickly bring that man to me.’
“So, Bhagavān, those men run quickly to catch the poor man.
“However, Bhagavān, the poor man then becomes frightened, terrified, and alarmed. The hairs on his body stand on end. In dismay, he yells and screams dreadful cries of distress. He cries out, ‘I have done you no wrong!’
“But those men forcibly bring back the poor man, wailing. The poor man, afraid, frightened, terrified, and alarmed, his hairs standing on end, in dismay, thinks, ‘I should not be killed!’225 He faints and falls to the ground, unconscious.226
“His father comes near and says to the men, ‘Don’t bring this man in this way!’ He sprinkles cold water on him and says nothing more. Why? The householder knows that the poor man aspires for something inferior, while he has a high status. He also knows that this is his son.
“At the time, Bhagavān, the householder, using a skillful method, does not at all declare, ‘This is my son!’
“Then, Bhagavān, that householder instructs another man, [F.41.b] ‘Hey, you there,227 go to that poor man and say to him, “Oh, you have been freed, go wherever you want to!” ’
“That man listens to this order, goes to the poor man, and says to him, ‘Hey, you have been freed, go wherever you want to!’
“When the poor man hears those words he is amazed and astonished. He gets up from the ground, leaves that place, and goes to the street of the poor people in order to seek clothing and food.
“The householder then uses a skillful method in order to bring the poor man to himself. He employs two people of low caste and shoddy appearance228 and says to them, ‘Go to the man who came here, taking my instruction that he be given a daily wage229 to induce him to work in my home. If he asks, “What work can I do?” say to him, “You can work with the two of us clearing away the rubbish heap.” ’
“So the two men go looking for the poor man, and they perform their task. Those two men and the poor man are then employed by the wealthy man and clear away the rubbish heap in his residence. They make their home in a straw hut beside the wealthy man’s house.
“The rich man, through a round window, sees his son clearing away the rubbish, and seeing him he is again astonished. The householder then takes off his garlands and jewelry, takes off his soft, clean, beautiful clothes, puts on dirty clothes, and comes down out from his residence, holding a basket in his left hand, and with his limbs dirtied with earth.
“He greets his son from afar, and approaches him. Having approached, he says, ‘Don’t stay here, take baskets and carry the rubbish away.’ Using this method he is able to converse with his son. Then he says, ‘Oh, you should work here. You should not go elsewhere. I shall give you a greater wage. [F.42.a] Whatever it is you need you can unhesitatingly ask me for it, whether it is the price of a bowl, the price of a water pot, the price of a cooking pot, the price of wood, the price of salt, or the price of food or clothes. I have an old cloth, sir, and if you need it ask for it and I will give to you. Oh, whatever kind of utensil it is that you need, sir, I will give it to you. You230 be happy! Think of me as if I were your father. Why? It is because I am older and you are younger. You have done much work for me by clearing away the rubbish heap. My, you have done this work without deceit, deception, dishonesty, pride, hypocrisy, or ingratitude. My, I have not seen you to have even one fault, such as I have perceived in other men who work. From this day on you will be like my own son born from me.’
“Then, Bhagavān, that householder calls that that poor man ‘son,’ and the poor man thinks of the householder as being his father.
“Bhagavān, the householder who longed for his son in that way has him clearing away the rubbish heaps for twenty years. After twenty years have passed, the poor man has no anxiety about coming in and out of the householder’s residence, and lives there in the straw hut.
“By that time, Bhagavān, the householder has become weaker, and he perceives that he is approaching the time of his death. He says to the poor man, ‘Oh, you, come here! I have much money, gold, property, grain, treasure, and storehouses. I have become very weak. I wish to give them to [F.42.b] someone who will take them, who will preserve them. All this you should know. Why is that? Just as I have been the owner of this wealth, so are you. You will not waste anything of mine.’
“So, Bhagavān, the poor man in this way comes to know of that householder’s great amount of money, gold, property, grain, treasure, and storehouses. He has no desire for them. He does not ask for any of it, not even something the value of a prastha of flour.231 He continues to live in the straw hut, thinking the thoughts of a poor person.
“Then, Bhagavān, the householder sees that his son has developed, and is capable of preserving his wealth; he sees that his mind is refined, such that his outlook is heightened232 and he is distressed by his previous poor man’s way of thinking—he is disgusted by it, ashamed of it, and loathes it.
“As he is approaching the time of his death he summons the poor man and presents him to a great gathering of many kinsmen. Then he openly pronounces in the presence of the king, the ministers, the townspeople, and the citizens of the land, ‘Listen, all of you, this is my own rightful son, of such and such a town, whom I lost fifty years ago. His name is such and such. My name is such and such. In order to find him I came here from that town. This is my son. I am his father. Whatever it is that I own, all of it I bestow upon him. He has full knowledge of even the least of the possessions that I have.’
“Then, Bhagavān, the poor man, hearing at that time those words, is amazed and astonished. He thinks, ‘Suddenly I have obtained such money, gold, property, grain, treasure, and storehouses!’
“Bhagavān, in the same way we are like the Tathāgata’s sons [F.43.a] and the Tathāgata, just like that householder, has said to us, ‘You are my sons.’
“Bhagavān, we are pained by the three sufferings. What are those three? They are the suffering of suffering, the suffering of the composite, and the suffering of change. Within saṃsāra, we have had an inferior aspiration. Therefore, Bhagavān, we have contemplated many Dharma teachings that are similar to a rubbish heap, and we have been devoted to them, intent upon them, and dedicated to them.
“Bhagavān, we have sought and requested nirvāṇa alone, just like that daily wage. Therefore, Bhagavān, we have been satisfied by the attainment of nirvāṇa. We thought that we had obtained a great deal, and were devoted to, intent upon, and dedicated to these dharmas from the Tathāgata.
“The Tathāgata knew our inferior aspiration, and therefore the Bhagavān tolerated us233 and did not say to us, ‘This is the Tathāgata’s treasure of wisdom, which will be yours.’
“Bhagavān, through a skillful method you have bestowed upon us our inheritance of the Tathāgata’s treasure of wisdom.
“Bhagavān, we had no desire for it. We thought, ‘We have obtained a great deal,’ meaning nirvāṇa from the Tathāgata, which is like that daily wage.
“Bhagavān, beginning with the Tathāgata’s wisdom, we have explained his whole immense Dharma teaching to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas; we have revealed, taught, and explained the Tathāgata’s wisdom, Bhagavān, but we ourselves have had no aspiration for it. Why is that? The Tathāgata, with a skillful method, knew our aspirations, and we did not know, did not understand when the Bhagavān said that we are true sons of the Tathāgata.234 [F.43.b]
“The Bhagavān has made us remember our inheritance of the Tathāgata’s wisdom. Why is that? It is because we are true sons of the Tathāgata, but we have also had inferior aspiration. If the Bhagavān sees strength in our aspiration, the Bhagavān declares us to be bodhisattvas.
“The Bhagavān has given us two tasks to perform: in the presence of the bodhisattvas we are said to be those with inferior aspiration; and this, in turn, inspires them to the enlightenment of buddhahood. When the Bhagavān sees strength in our motivation then he declares this.
“In this way, Bhagavān, we say, ‘We have unexpectedly, without desiring it, obtained the jewel of omniscience that we did not long for, did not search for, did not seek for, did not think of, and did not wish for, just like the sons of the Tathāgata.’ ”
Then at that time Mahākāśyapa recited these verses:
This concludes “The Aspiration,” the fourth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
Herbs
Then the Bhagavān said to Brother Mahākāśyapa and the other great sthaviras, “Excellent! Excellent, Kāśyapa! It is excellent, Kāśyapa, that you have praised the true qualities of the Tathāgata. Kāśyapa, those are qualities of the Tathāgata. There are immeasurably and innumerably more than those. It would not be easy to enumerate them entirely even in countless eons.
“Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata is the Lord of the Dharma. He is the principal King of All the Dharmas. Kāśyapa, whatever Dharma the Tathāgata presents, and the way he presents it, that is how it is. Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata presents all dharmas correctly.250 He presents them through the wisdom of a tathāgata, so that those dharmas lead to the state of omniscience. The Tathāgata sees the stages of meaning in all the dharmas. [F.47.a] He has attained the superior motivation concerning all the dharmas. He has attained the supreme, highest wisdom of skillful methods in bringing certainty in all the dharmas. Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha teaches the wisdom of omniscience, he brings the realization of omniscience, and he presents the wisdom of omniscience.
“Kāśyapa, it is like this: There are all the plants, bushes, herbs, and forest trees of many different colors and different kinds, and herbs with various names that grow on the plains, the mountains, and mountain valleys in this world realm of a billion worlds. A great cloud filled with water rises up, and having risen covers all the worlds in the all-containing realm of a billion worlds. Having covered them all, rain falls simultaneously and equally everywhere on all of them.
“Kāśyapa, the young and tender stems, branches, leaves, and petals,251 and the half-grown stems, branches, leaves, and petals, and the fully grown stems, branches, leaves, and petals among the plants, bushes, herbs, and forest trees in this world realm of a billion worlds all drink the element of water released from the great cloud in accordance with their strength and location. That great water with a single taste that was released from one great cloud appropriately makes the seeds sprout, develop, and grow. Similarly it produces flowers and fruits. Each one of those acquires its own individual name. There are multitudes of herbs and multitudes of seeds all on the same earth that are soaked by the water that has a single taste.
“Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha appears in the world in that way. Just as the great cloud rises, the Tathāgata appears [F.47.b] and causes the entire world, with its devas, humans, and asuras, to hear his speech.
“Kāśyapa, just as that great cloud covers all the worlds in the all-containing world realm of a billion worlds, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha emits sound before the world with its devas, humans, and asuras, so that they hear his voice, declaring, ‘Devas and humans! I am the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha! I have crossed over and I bring across! I am liberated and I liberate! I am relieved and I bring relief! I have attained nirvāṇa and bring others to the attainment of nirvāṇa! With perfect wisdom I have correct knowledge of this world and the next world! I am omniscient and all-seeing! Devas and humans, you should come to me in order to hear the Dharma! I am one who makes known the path! I am one who teaches the path! I am one who knows the path! I am one who is skilled in the path!’
“In that way, Kāśyapa, many hundred thousand quintillions of beings come to the Tathāgata in order to hear the Dharma. The Tathāgata knows their higher and lower levels of capacity and diligence and provides them with Dharma teachings. I have taught many different kinds of Dharma discourses to various kinds of individuals so as to delight them, please them, bring them joy, and bring them benefit and happiness. Through those teachings those beings will have happiness in this life and at death will be reborn in happy existences. Wherever they are reborn, even though they enjoy many desires, they will listen to the Dharma, and having heard the Dharma they will become devoid of obscurations and finally they will enter the Dharma of omniscience, in accordance with their strength, location, and power.
“Kāśyapa, it is like when a great cloud covers all the worlds in the all-containing realm of a billion worlds and lets fall rain equally everywhere on the plants, bushes, herbs, and forest trees, and satisfies them with water. [F.48.a] The plants, bushes, herbs, and forest trees drink the water in accordance with their strength, location, and power, and each of them grows in accordance with their individual species.
“Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha teaches the Dharma in that way. The entire Dharma has one taste—the one taste of liberation, freedom from desire, cessation, and the ultimate wisdom of omniscience.
“Kāśyapa, the beings who listen to, retain, and practice the Dharma that the Tathāgata teaches do not comprehend, know, or understand themselves. Why is that? Kāśyapa, it is the Tathāgata who knows those beings—who they are, how they are, and what kind they are; what they think, how they think, and why they think; what they meditate on, how they meditate, and why they meditate; and what they attain, how they attain it, and why they attain it.
“Kāśyapa, it is the Tathāgata who has direct knowledge of them, direct perception of them, and sees them as they are.
“Kāśyapa, I have realized the one taste of the Dharma: the one taste of liberation, ultimate nirvāṇa, the eternal nirvāṇa, the single level, and the domain of space. However, in order to preserve the faith of beings—the beings who are on this and that level, higher, middling, and lower, like the plants, bushes, herbs, and forest trees—I do not immediately teach them the wisdom of omniscience.
“Kāśyapa, you are astonished because you were not able to penetrate into the Tathāgata’s teaching that contained an implied meaning. Why was that? Kāśyapa, it is because the teachings with implied meaning given by the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas [F.48.b] are difficult to understand.”
Then the Bhagavān taught this meaning in detail, at this time giving his teaching in verses:
“Moreover, Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata guides beings equally, without any inequality.
“Kāśyapa, it is like this: The light of the sun and moon illuminates the entire world. The light shines equally, without any inequality, on the good and the bad, the high and the low, the aromatic and the foul-smelling.
“Kāśyapa, in that way the light of the omniscient wisdom of the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas brings the Dharma equally to all beings who have been born in the five states of existence, whatever their aspirations, whether they are of the Mahāyāna, of the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or of the Śrāvakayāna. In that way the wisdom of the Tathāgata is never lacking and never superfluous,259 so that there is thus the attainment260 of merit and wisdom. [B5]
“Kāśyapa, there are not three yānas. It is only because of the different practices of beings that there are said to be three yānas.”
Then Brother Mahākāśyapa asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, if there are not three yānas, why at this time are there said to be the designations of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas?”
The Bhagavān said to Brother Mahākāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, it is like this: A potter makes all bowls from clay equally. Some of them become bowls that hold molasses, some of them become bowls that hold ghee, and some of them become bowls that hold curds or milk, some of them become bowls that hold bad and impure substances. [F.51.a] There is no difference in their clay. It is only because of the substances placed within them that they are said to be different kinds of bowls.
“Kāśyapa, in that way there is this one yāna, which is the Buddhayāna, and there is no second or third yāna.”
Then Brother Mahākāśyapa asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, when beings with different aspirations depart from the three realms, do they have the one nirvāṇa or is there a second or third nirvāṇa?”
“Kāśyapa,” replied the Bhagavān, “nirvāṇa is the realization of the equality of all phenomena, and therefore there is the one nirvāṇa, and there is no second or third nirvāṇa.
“Kāśyapa, some wise beings will understand the meaning through the teaching of a parable, and therefore I shall teach you a parable.
“Kāśyapa, it is like this: A man who is blind from birth says, ‘There are no forms with good color or bad color. There is no one who sees forms with good color or bad color. There are no sun and moon. There are no stars. There are no planets. There is no one who sees planets.’
“Then some other people say in front of that born-blind man, ‘There are good colors and bad colors. There are those who see forms with good color or bad color. There are a sun and moon. There are stars. There are planets. There are those who see planets.’
“The born-blind man does not have faith in those people, and does not believe what they have said.
“A physician who knows every illness sees the blind man and thinks, ‘That man has an illness because of his past bad karma. Every illness is one of four261 kinds: caused by air, caused by bile, caused by phlegm, or caused by their combination.’ [F.51.b]
“Then the physician thinks again and again as to what method would cure the man of his illness. He thinks, ‘The medicines that are available here will not be able to cure him, but there are four kinds of herbs on the king of mountains, the Himalayas.’ What are these four? First there is the one named endowed with all colors and tastes,262 the second is called freedom from all illness,263 the third is called elimination of all poisons,264 and the fourth is called bestowing happiness anywhere.265 Those are the four herbs.
“Then the physician, feeling compassion for the born-blind man, contemplates by what method he would be able to go to the king of mountain ranges, the Himalayas. He goes there and, searching for them, he climbs up, climbs down, and traverses their slopes. Searching in that way he finds the four herbs. After finding them, some he gives after grinding them with his teeth, some he gives after crushing them, some he gives after mixing them with other substances and then cooking them, some he gives after mixing them with other substances uncooked, some he gives after piercing a point on the body with a needle, some he gives after burning them with fire, and some he gives after mixing them with each other, and also mixing them with food, drink, and so on. Through the application of these methods the born-blind man gains sight.
“When he has gained sight he sees outside and inside, far and near, the light of the moon, the sunlight, the stars, the planets, and all forms. He says, ‘Oh, I was so stupid before in not believing what was taught to me, not accepting what was said. Now I can see everything! I am freed from blindness!’
“At that time there are rishis who have the five higher knowledges: divine sight, divine hearing, the knowledge of others’ minds, memory of previous lives, and mastery of miraculous powers. They say to the man, ‘Oh, all you obtained is your sight. If you have no other knowledge, why are you proud? You have no wisdom. [F.52.a] You have no sagacity.’
“They also say to him, ‘You know, when you are sitting inside a house, you do not see the forms that are outside. You do not know the kind thoughts or malicious thoughts of beings. You do not know, do not hear, the sounds of people speaking, or the sounds of drums, conches, and so on, which are five yojanas away. You are not able to travel one krośa without taking a step with your feet. You are not able to remember the activity of being conceived and growing in your mother’s womb. So how can you be sagacious? How can you say that you see everything? Oh, you think that light is darkness. You think that darkness is light!’
“Then that man says to the rishis, ‘Through what method and through what good actions can I attain such wisdom as that, and through your benevolence attain these qualities?’
“ ‘If you wish for those you must dwell in a solitary place,’ say the rishis to that man, ‘or, staying in a cave, you should contemplate the Dharma. You should forsake all the afflictions of the mind. If in this way you have the qualities of a mendicant, you will attain higher knowledge.’
“That man then adopts that goal and entering homelessness he resides in solitude. With a one-pointed mind he abandons craving for this world and attains the five higher knowledges. Having obtained the five higher knowledges, he thinks, ‘I did not attain any qualities whatsoever through the other actions I had performed in the past. Now I can go wherever I think of. In the past, I had little wisdom and little insight. I was blind.’
“Kāśyapa, I have made this parable so that its meaning can be understood. Its meaning should be seen in this way:
“Kāśyapa, the blind man represents the beings who dwell in the saṃsāra of the five266 kinds of existences. Those who do not know the good Dharma generate the black darkness of the kleśas and have the blindness of ignorance. Those who are blind with ignorance accumulate formations. [F.52.b] Through the factor of formation there is name-and-form, and so on until the arising of a great mass of sheer suffering. In that way they are blinded by ignorance. The Tathāgata has compassion for the beings in saṃsāra, and although he has transcended the three realms he has love for them like that of a father for his only son. With great compassion he goes to the three realms. The Bhagavān looks with eyes of wisdom upon the beings who are afflicted and wandering in the cycle of saṃsāra and do not know how to leave saṃsāra. Seeing them he knows, ‘These beings, because of their previous good actions, have little anger and great desire, while these have little desire and great anger; some have little wisdom, some are wise; and some are ripened and pure, and some hold wrong views.’ The Tathāgata, using a skillful method, teaches three yānas to those beings.
“The rishis with the five higher knowledges and pure vision are the bodhisattvas who have developed the aspiration for enlightenment, attained receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena, and attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.
“The great physician should be seen to be the Tathāgata.
“The born-blind man should be seen to be beings who are blinded by ignorance.
“Air, bile, and phlegm should be seen as desire, anger, ignorance, and the sixty-two fabricated views.
“The four kinds of herbs should be seen as (1) the doorway of emptiness, (2) the doorway of the absence of attributes, (3) the doorway of the absence of aspiration, and (4) nirvāṇa.
“The herbs are given in such and such a way so as to cure such and such an illness, and in that way through meditation on the doorways to liberation—emptiness, the absence of attributes, [F.53.a] and the absence of aspiration—they bring an end to ignorance. Because of the cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of formation, and so on until there is the cessation of the great mass of sheer suffering. And thus their minds neither dwell on virtue nor on sin.
“The born-blind man who gains sight should be seen as those who follow the Śrāvakayāna and the Pratyekabuddhayāna. They cut through the bondage of saṃsāra’s kleśas. Freed from the bondage of the kleśas, they are liberated from the six existences of the three realms. Therefore, those following the Śrāvakayāna think and say, ‘There is no other Dharma for attaining complete buddhahood and I have attained nirvāṇa.’ Then the Tathāgata teaches them the Dharma, saying, ‘How can one who has not attained the entire Dharma have nirvāṇa?’ and he then leads them to the attainment of enlightenment. Having gained realization they see the world of the three realms in the ten directions as empty, like an emanation, like an illusion, like a dream, a mirage, and an echo. They see that all phenomena are unborn and unceasing, without bondage or liberation, without darkness and without light.
“The ones who thus see and hear these profound dharmas see, without seeing, the different thoughts and aspirations of beings that fill the entire three realms.”
Then the Bhagavān, teaching this in greater detail, recited these verses:
This concludes “Herbs,” the fifth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas
When the Bhagavān had finished reciting those verses, he announced to the complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Oh bhikṣus! I declare to you,278 I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka bhikṣu of mine, Kāśyapa, will serve three hundred billion buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them.279 He will hold the Dharma of those buddha bhagavāns. [F.55.a] In his last life, in an eon named Mahāvyūha, in a world named Avabhāsaprāptā, he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct,280 the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Raśmiprabhāsa. His lifespan will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons. His buddha realm will be pure and clean, without stones, pebbles, or gravel, without chasms or cliffs, without drains or cesspools.281 It will be flat, pleasant, beautiful, delightful, made of beryl, adorned by jewel trees, divided eightfold like a checkerboard by golden cords,282 and filled with flowers. There will be many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas there. There will be countless hundred thousand quintillions of śrāvakas there. The evil Māra and his followers will not appear there. Even if Māra and Māra’s followers were to appear there they would become dedicated to maintaining the Dharma taught by the bhagavān tathāgata Raśmiprabhāsa.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Then Brother Sthavira Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Brother Subhūti, and Brother Mahākātyāyana, with trembling bodies and unblinking eyes, stared at the Bhagavān, and all three of them in their minds recited these verses:
At this, the Bhagavān, knowing in his own mind the thoughts that were in the minds of those great śrāvakas, those sthaviras, said to that complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, this great śrāvaka of mine, the sthavira Subhūti, will serve three hundred thousand million buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. And he will practice celibacy throughout that time and attain enlightenment. Having completed these activities, in his last life he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct,284 the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Śaśiketu. His buddha realm will be named Ratnasaṃbhava. The eon will be named Ratnāvabhāsa. The realm will be level, delightful, made of crystal, adorned by jewel trees, without chasms or cliffs, without drains or cesspools,285 [F.56.b] and filled with beautiful flowers. People will live within enjoyable kūṭāgāras. There will be many śrāvakas there. It will not be possible to know an end of counting them. There will be many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas there. The lifespan of that bhagavān will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons. That bhagavān will be constantly teaching the Dharma while being suspended in midair, guiding many hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas and hundreds of thousands of śrāvakas.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Next, the Bhagavān said to that complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, I declare to you,286 I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka of mine, the sthavira Mahākātyāyana, will serve eighty thousand million buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. When those tathāgatas have passed into nirvāṇa, he will make stūpas for those tathāgatas. They will be made of the seven precious materials, which are gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, emerald, and white coral. They will be a thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in circumference. He will make offerings to those stūpas of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, parasols, banners, flags, and banners of victory. Moreover, beyond that and further beyond, he will serve in that way two hundred million buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. Then in his last life he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Jāmbūnadaprabhāsa. His buddha realm will be completely pure, level, delightful, attractive, beautiful, [F.57.b] made of crystal, adorned by jewel trees, divided by cords of gold, and filled with beautiful flowers. There will be no hells, animals, realm of Yama, or asura realm. It will be filled there with many devas and humans, beautified by many hundred thousands of śrāvakas, and adorned by many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas. The lifespan of that bhagavān will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Lastly, the Bhagavān said to that complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, I declare to you,287 I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka of mine, the sthavira Mahāmaudgalyāyana, will serve twenty-eight thousand buddhas, [F.58.a] will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. When those tathāgatas have passed into nirvāṇa, he will make stūpas for those tathāgatas. They will be made of the seven precious materials, which are gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, emerald, and white coral. They will be a thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in circumference. He will make offerings to those stūpas of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, parasols, banners, flags, and banners of victory. Moreover, beyond that and further beyond, he will serve in that way two million quintillion buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them. Then in his last life, he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Tamālapatracandanagandha. His buddha realm will be named Manobhirāma. The name of the eon will be Ratiprapūrṇa. His buddha realm will be completely pure, level, delightful, attractive, beautiful, made of crystal, adorned by jewel trees, strewn with flower petals, and filled with many devas and humans. Hundreds of thousands of rishis will dwell there, who are śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. His lifespan will be twenty-four intermediate eons. [F.58.b] His Dharma will remain for forty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further forty intermediate eons.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
This concludes “The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas,” the sixth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Past
“Bhikṣus, in the past, in a time gone by, beyond and even further beyond the most countless, innumerable, incalculable, unquantifiable, inconceivable asaṃkhyeya eons ago, at that time, in that era, in an eon named Mahārūpa, in a world named Saṃbhavā, there appeared in that world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū.
“Bhikṣus, how long has it been since that tathāgata appeared? Bhikṣus, it is like this: A man crushes all the earth of the worlds in this realm of a billion worlds into powder. Then that man takes a single smallest particle of dust from those worlds and goes beyond a thousand worlds in the eastern direction and puts it down. Then that man takes a second290 smallest particle of dust, and passing beyond an even further thousand worlds puts down that second291 smallest particle of dust. In that way the man removes the entire element of earth into the eastern direction.
“Bhikṣus, what do you think? Is it possible to calculate the end, the furthest extent of those worlds?”
“Bhagavān, it’s impossible.” they answered. “Sugata, it’s impossible.”
“Bhikṣus,” continued the Bhagavān, “a mathematician, a great mathematician could calculate the number of the worlds in which particles were placed and the number of those in which a particle was not placed. [F.59.b] However, they could not through their enumeration know the number of the hundred thousands of quintillion of eons that have passed since the bhagavān tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū passed into nirvāṇa.
“Bhikṣus, there has been such an inconceivable, such an immeasurable length of time since that tathāgata passed into nirvāṇa, but through possessing the power of the vision of a tathāgata’s wisdom, I remember that nirvāṇa as if it were yesterday or today.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
“Bhikṣus, the lifespan of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū was fifty-four hundred thousand quintillion eons. Before that bhagavān attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, he went to the sublime, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa. He conquered and defeated the entire army of Māra. Having defeated and conquered it, he thought, ‘I shall attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’
“While those qualities had not yet manifested, he sat on the Bodhimaṇḍa at the foot of the Bodhi tree for an entire intermediate eon. He sat there for a second intermediate eon but still did not attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. During a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth, a ninth, and a tenth intermediate eon he sat on the Bodhimaṇḍa at the foot of the Bodhi tree, with legs always crossed, never standing up, with his mind unwavering and his body motionless, but even so, during that time those qualities did not manifest for him.
“Bhikṣus, the devas of Trāyastriṃśa erected for that bhagavān, who had come to the sublime, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa, a great lion throne, which was five hundred yojanas high, for the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. As soon as that bhagavān sat on the Bodhimaṇḍa, the Brahmakāyika devas sent down a rain of flowers up to ten yojanas around the Bodhimaṇḍa, and from the sky a breeze would come that removed all the withering flowers. In that way a rain of flowers fell and fell continuously on the Bhagavān sitting on the Bodhimaṇḍa. [F.60.b] They fell on that bhagavān throughout the entire ten intermediate eons. That rainfall of flowers continued to fall until the nirvāṇa of that bhagavān, being tossed down upon that bhagavān.
“The devas of the paradises of the four mahārājas, in order to honor the Bhagavān seated at the sublime, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa, played the divine drums of paradise and played them throughout the entire ten intermediate eons. The delightful divine music continued until the time of the great nirvāṇa of the Bhagavān.
“Bhikṣus, after ten intermediate eons had passed, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. When the Bhagavān was young he had had sixteen sons of his own, and they immediately knew that he had attained buddhahood. The eldest of those sons was named Jñānākara.
“Bhikṣus, each of these sixteen young princes enjoyed delightful, captivating, and beautiful amusements of many kinds.
“Bhikṣus, when the sixteen young princes knew that the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū had attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, they abandoned their many different kinds of delightful amusements and, encircled and accompanied by their weeping292 mothers and wet nurses, and encircled and accompanied by their grandfather,293 who was the cakravartin king Mahākośa, [F.61.a] the king’s ministers, and many hundred thousands of quintillions of beings, they went to the Bodhimaṇḍa where the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū was seated, in order to serve him, venerate him, honor him, make offerings to him, praise him, and respect him.
“When they arrived there, they bowed their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān three times, and with hands together in homage, in front of the Bhagavān they fittingly praised him with these verses:
“Bhikṣus, those sixteen children, young princes, with these verses fittingly praised the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū. They then said, ‘Bhagavān, we request you to teach the Dharma for the benefit and welfare of devas and humans and of the great multitudes of beings. Sugata, we request you to teach the Dharma!’ They thus requested the bhagavān to turn the wheel of the Dharma, and they made a further request through these verses:
“Bhikṣus, when the bhagavān , the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds in each of the ten directions shook and were filled with a great light. [F.62.a]There were in all those worlds the unfortunate existences in between worlds where there was complete darkness. The moon and sun with their great miraculous power, their great might, and their great brilliance could not with their light illuminate them. They could not with their color bring color there or with their brilliance bring brilliance.294 The great light appeared even in those places. The beings who had been reborn between the worlds saw each other and knew that each other were there and they said, ‘Oh my! There are other beings who have been born here! Oh my! There are other beings who have been born here!’
“In all those worlds the paradises and heavenly residences shook in six ways, even as far up as the paradise of Brahmā, and were filled with a great light, which transcended the divine power of the devas.
“Bhikṣus, in that way, at that time, those worlds shook and were filled by a great light.
“The airborne palaces of the Brahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds in the east became very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic.
“Bhikṣus, those Brahmās wondered, ‘These airborne palaces of the Brahmās have become very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic. Who is this a sign of?’
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds came to each other’s homes295 and spoke with each other.
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmā named Sarvasattvatrātā [F.62.b]296 spoke these verses to the great assembly of Brahmās:
“Bhikṣus, then all the Mahābrahmās who lived in those fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds and who had gathered together each entered his own divine Brahmā palace and, holding a basket of divine flowers that was the size of Sumeru, flew in their airborne palaces297 into the four directions.
“Bhikṣus, when they went to the west those Mahābrahmās saw in the west the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, who had come to the sublime, highest Bodhimaṇḍa and was seated on a lion throne at the foot of the Bodhi tree. Before him were assembled devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, who were gazing upon him, and the sixteen young princes, who were requesting him to turn the wheel of the Dharma. When they saw that, they approached the Bhagavān, and bowed their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān many hundreds of thousands of times, and upon the Bhagavān they tossed and scattered flowers from their baskets the size of Sumeru. [F.63.a] They strewed flowers up to a distance of ten yojanas from the Bodhi tree. They offered their divine Brahmā palaces to the Bhagavān, saying, ‘Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, accept these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Sugata, enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās.’
“Bhikṣus, then those Mahābrahmās each offered to the Bhagavān their own airborne palace, and at that time, in the presence of the Bhagavān, they fittingly praised him with these verses:
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās in the presence of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū fittingly praised him with those verses, and then said to the Bhagavān, ‘Bhagavān, turn the wheel of the Dharma in the world! Bhagavān, teach nirvāṇa! Bhagavān, liberate beings! Bhagavān, take this world into your care! [F.63.b]
“ ‘Bhagavān, teach the Dharma to the world including its devas, māras, and brahmakas, to beings including mendicants and brahmins, and to the devas, asuras, and humans. Then there will be benefit for many beings, happiness for many beings, compassion for the world, and welfare, benefit, and happiness for a great multitude of beings, devas, and humans.’
“Bhikṣus, then those fifty hundred thousand quintillion Mahābrahmās, speaking as one voice, recited these verses to the Bhagavān:
“Bhikṣus, the Bhagavān gave his assent by saying nothing to the Mahābrahmās.
“Bhikṣus, at that time the airborne palaces of the Brahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds in the southeast became very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic.
“Bhikṣus, those Brahmās wondered, ‘These airborne palaces of the Brahmās have become very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic. Who is this a sign of?’
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds came to each other’s homes299 and spoke with each other.
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmā named Adhimātrakāruṇika spoke these verses to the great assembly of Brahmās: [F.64.a]
“Bhikṣus, then all the Mahābrahmās who lived in those fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds and who had gathered together each entered his own divine Brahmā palace and, holding a basket of divine flowers that was the size of Sumeru, flew in their airborne palaces301 into the four directions.
“Bhikṣus, when they went into the west those Mahābrahmās saw in the west the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, who had come to the sublime, highest Bodhimaṇḍa and was seated on a lion throne at the foot of the Bodhi tree. Before him were assembled devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, who were gazing upon him, and the sixteen young princes, who were requesting him to turn the wheel of the Dharma. When they saw that, they came to the Bhagavān, and bowed their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān many hundreds of thousands of times, [F.64.b] and upon the Bhagavān they threw and scattered flowers from the baskets the size of Sumeru. They strewed flowers up to a distance of ten yojanas from the Bodhi tree.
“They offered their divine Brahmā palaces to the bhagavān, saying, ‘Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, accept these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Sugata, enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās.’
“Bhikṣus, then those Mahābrahmās each offered to the Bhagavān their own airborne palace, and at that time, in the presence of the Bhagavān they fittingly praised him with these verses:
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās in the presence of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū fittingly praised him with those verses, and then said to the Bhagavān, [F.65.a] ‘Bhagavān, turn the wheel of the Dharma in the world! Bhagavān, teach nirvāṇa! Bhagavān, liberate beings! Bhagavān, take this world into your care!
“ ‘Bhagavān, teach the Dharma to the world including its devas, māras, and brahmakas, to beings including mendicants and brahmins, and to the devas, asuras, and humans. Then there will be benefit for many beings, happiness for many beings, compassion for the world, and welfare, benefit, and happiness for a great multitude of beings, devas, and humans.’
“Bhikṣus, then those fifty hundred thousand quintillion Mahābrahmās, speaking as one voice, recited these verses to the Bhagavān:
“Bhikṣus, the Bhagavān gave his assent by saying nothing to the Mahābrahmās.
“Bhikṣus, at that time the airborne palaces of the Brahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds in the south became very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic.
“Bhikṣus, those Brahmās wondered, ‘These airborne palaces of the Brahmās have become very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic. Who is this a sign of?’ [F.65.b]
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds came to each other’s homes306 and spoke with each other.
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmā named Sudharma spoke these verses to the great assembly of Brahmās:
“Bhikṣus, then all the Mahābrahmās who lived in those fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds and who had gathered together each entered his own divine Brahmā palace and, holding a basket of divine flowers that was the size of Sumeru, flew in their airborne palaces307 into the four directions.
“Bhikṣus, when they went into the west those Mahābrahmās saw in the west the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū who had come to the sublime, highest Bodhimaṇḍa and was seated on a lion throne at the foot of the Bodhi tree. Before him were assembled devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans who were gazing upon him, and the sixteen young princes, who were requesting him to turn the wheel of the Dharma. When they saw that they came to the Bhagavān, and bowed their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān many hundreds of thousands of times, and upon the Bhagavān they tossed and scattered flowers from their baskets the size of Sumeru. They strewed flowers up to a distance of ten yojanas from the Bodhi tree. They offered their divine Brahmā palaces to the Bhagavān, saying, ‘Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, accept these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, [F.66.a] enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Sugata, enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās.’
“Bhikṣus, then those Mahābrahmās each offered to the Bhagavān their own airborne palace, and at that time, in the presence of the Bhagavān, they fittingly praised him with these verses:
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās in the presence of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū fittingly praised him with those verses, and then said to the Bhagavān, ‘Bhagavān, turn the wheel of the Dharma in the world! Bhagavān, teach nirvāṇa! Bhagavān, liberate beings! Bhagavān, take this world into your care!
“ ‘Bhagavān, teach the Dharma to the world, including its devas, māras, and brahmakas, to beings including mendicants and brahmins, and to the devas, asuras, and humans. Then there will be benefit for many beings, happiness for many beings, compassion for the world, and welfare, benefit, and happiness for a great multitude of beings, devas, and humans.’ [F.66.b]
“Bhikṣus, then those fifty hundred thousand quintillion Mahābrahmās, speaking as one voice, recited these verses to the Bhagavān:
“Bhikṣus, the Bhagavān gave his assent by saying nothing to the Mahābrahmās.
“The same occurred in the southwest, the same in the west, the same in the northwest, the same in the north, the same in the northeast, and in the downward direction.
“Bhikṣus, at that time the airborne palaces of the Brahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds in the upward direction became very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic.
“Bhikṣus, those Brahmās wondered, ‘These airborne palaces of the Brahmās have become very beautiful, bright, radiant, glorious, and majestic. Who is this a sign of?’
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās who were in the fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds came to each other’s homes308 and spoke with each other.
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmā named Śikhin spoke these verses to the great assembly of Brahmās:
“Bhikṣus, then all the Mahābrahmās who lived in those fifty hundred thousand quintillion worlds and who had gathered together each entered his own divine Brahmā palace and, holding a basket of divine flowers that was the size of Sumeru, flew in their airborne palaces310 into the four directions.
“Bhikṣus, when they went into the west those Mahābrahmās saw in the west the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, who had come to the sublime, highest Bodhimaṇḍa and was seated on a lion throne at the foot of the Bodhi tree. Before him were assembled devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, who were gazing upon him, and the sixteen young princes, who were requesting him to turn the wheel of the Dharma. When they saw that, they came to the Bhagavān, and bowed their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān many hundreds of thousands of times, and upon the Bhagavān they threw and scattered flowers from the baskets the size of Sumeru. They strewed flowers up to a distance of ten yojanas from the Bodhi tree. They offered their divine Brahmā palaces to the Bhagavān, saying ‘Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, accept these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Bhagavān, for the sake of showing compassion to us, enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās. Sugata, enjoy these airborne palaces of the Brahmās.’
“Bhikṣus, then those Mahābrahmās each offered to the Bhagavān their own airborne palace, and at that time, in the presence of the Bhagavān they fittingly praised him with these verses:
“Bhikṣus, the Mahābrahmās in the presence of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū fittingly praised him with those verses, and then said to the Bhagavān, ‘Bhagavān, turn the wheel of the Dharma in the world! [F.68.a] Bhagavān, teach nirvāṇa! Bhagavān, liberate beings! Bhagavān, take this world into your care!
“ ‘Bhagavān, teach the Dharma to the world including its devas, māras, and brahmakas, to beings including mendicants and brahmins, and to the devas, asuras, and humans. Then there will be a benefit for many beings, happiness for many beings, compassion for the world, and welfare, benefit, and happiness for a great multitude of beings, devas, and humans.’
“Bhikṣus, those fifty hundred thousand quintillion Mahābrahmās, speaking as one voice, now recited these verses to the Bhagavān:
“Bhikṣus, thereupon the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, knowing what was requested by the many hundred thousand quintillions of Brahmās and the sixteen young princes, at that time, in accord with Dharma, turned the Dharma wheel that had never been turned by any mendicant, brahmin, deva, māra, or Brahmā in the world:
“ ‘This is suffering. This is the origin of suffering. This is the cessation of suffering. This is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ This was repeated three times so that there were twelve turnings of the Dharma wheel.
“ ‘Bhikṣus, in this way, through the factor of ignorance there is formation. Through the factor of formation there is consciousness. [F.68.b] Through the factor of consciousness there is name-and-form. Through the factor of name-and-form there are the six āyatanas. Through the factor of the six āyatanas there is contact. Through the factor of contact there is sensation. Through the factor of sensation there is craving. Through the factor of craving there is grasping. Through the factor of grasping there is becoming. Through the factor of becoming there is birth. Through the factor of birth there is old age, death, misery, wailing, suffering, unhappiness, and disturbance. In that way there arises a great mass of sheer suffering.
“ ‘Through the cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of formation. Through the cessation of formation there is the cessation of consciousness. Through the cessation of consciousness there is the cessation of name-and-form. Through the cessation of name-and-form there is the cessation of the six āyatanas. Through the cessation of the six āyatanas there is the cessation of contact. Through the cessation of contact there is the cessation of sensation. Through the cessation of sensation there is the cessation of craving. Through the cessation of craving there is the cessation of grasping. Through the cessation of grasping there is the cessation of becoming. Through the cessation of becoming there is the cessation of birth. Through the cessation of birth there is the cessation of old age, death, misery, wailing, suffering, unhappiness, and disturbance. In that way there is the cessation of the great mass of unalloyed suffering.’ In that way he taught dependent origination extensively.
“Bhikṣus, in that way the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū turned the Dharma wheel before the world with its devas, māras, and brahmakas, and before the assembly with its mendicants and brahmins.
“In that moment, in that instant, sixty hundred thousand quintillion beings became free of grasping and their minds were liberated from the defilements. They all became meditators possessed of the three insights, the six higher knowledges, and the eight liberations.
“Bhikṣus, in conclusion, the Bhagavān taught the Dharma a second time, and then he taught the Dharma a third [F.69.a] and a fourth time.
“Bhikṣus, each time the Bhagavān taught the Dharma, as many beings as there are grains of sand in a hundred thousand quintillion Ganges Rivers became free of grasping, and their minds were liberated from the defilements.
“Bhikṣus, after that, his śrāvaka saṅgha became innumerable.
“Bhikṣus, at that time the sixteen young princes, having faith, together renounced home for homelessness. They all became mendicants who were wise, had clear minds,311 sharp minds,312 were learned, had practiced under hundreds of thousands of buddhas, and were dedicated to the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Bhikṣus, the sixteen mendicants said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, ‘Bhagavān, these many thousands of quintillions of the Tathāgata’s śrāvakas have through the Dharma teaching of the Bhagavān accomplished great miraculous abilities, great power, and great might. Bhagavān, that being so, out of compassion give us the teachings that commence with the highest, complete enlightenment, so that we also may be students of the Tathāgata. Bhagavān, our goal is to have the visions of the Tathāgata’s wisdom; Bhagavān, this is evident to you. Bhagavān you know the thoughts of all beings, and you know our thoughts.’
“Thereupon, bhikṣus, as soon as they saw that those princes, those young boys, had become renunciants and mendicants, half the retinue of the cakravartin, numbering eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion beings, themselves all became renunciants.
“Bhikṣus, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha [F.69.b] Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū knew the aspiration of those mendicants and, after twenty thousand eons had passed, he taught the fourfold assembly that instruction for bodhisattvas possessed by all the buddhas, the great extensive sūtra, the Dharma teaching entitled The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“Bhikṣus, at that time the sixteen mendicants acquired, maintained, and understood that teaching of the Bhagavān.
“Bhikṣus, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū then gave to the sixteen mendicants the prophecy of their complete enlightenment.
“Bhikṣus, śrāvakas aspired to the teaching given by the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, and the sixteen mendicants and many hundred thousands of quintillions attained freedom from doubt.313
“Bhikṣus, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū gave this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma uninterruptedly for a hundred thousand eons. He then entered the temple in order to be alone.
“Bhikṣus, the tathāgata stayed alone in the temple in that way for eighty-four thousand eons.
“Bhikṣus, the sixteen mendicants, knowing that the Bhagavān was staying in solitude, each set up a Dharma seat, a lion throne, sat upon it, and extensively taught for eighty-four thousand eons this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to the fourfold assembly. [F.70.a]
“Bhikṣus, each mendicant bodhisattva taught as many hundred thousand quintillions of beings as there are grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers. They inspired them, brought them joy, and made them retain it, and ripened them for the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Bhikṣus, at that time, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, after eighty-four thousand eons had passed, mindfully and knowingly arose from his samādhi. After the Bhagavān had arisen from his samādhi, he went to where his Dharma seat was. He came to the arranged seat and sat upon it.
“Bhikṣus, as soon as the Bhagavān sat on the Dharma seat, he looked upon the gathered assembly and addressed the saṇgha of bhikṣus: ‘Bhikṣus, these sixteen mendicants are amazing, wonderful, and wise; they have been honoring many hundred thousands of quintillions of buddhas, they have been perfectly practicing proper conduct, they have been encouraging beings to receive the wisdom of the buddhas, they have been introducing beings to the wisdom of the buddhas, and they have been teaching the wisdom of the buddhas. Bhikṣus, you must continue to honor these sixteen mendicants. Bhikṣus, those noble sons who follow the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or the Bodhisattvayāna, who do not reject or malign the Dharma teaching, will all quickly attain the highest, complete enlightenment. They will all attain the wisdom of the Tathāgata.’
“Bhikṣus, those sixteen noble sons taught again and again this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma within the teaching of that bhagavān.
“Bhikṣus, each of those bodhisattvas, those sixteen mendicant bodhisattva mahāsattvas, [F.70.b] guided to enlightenment as many hundred thousand quintillions of beings as there are grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers. All those beings, in all their lifetimes, became renunciants with those sixteen, gazed upon them, and heard the Dharma from them. They served four hundred thousand million buddhas and some are still serving buddhas.
“Bhikṣus, you should aspire to this and comprehend it. Those sixteen young princes who as youths were mendicants who taught the Dharma in the Bhagavān’s teaching all attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, and they are all now present, living, and remaining. In their separate buddha realms in the ten directions they are teaching the Dharma to many hundred thousand quintillions of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas.
“Bhikṣus, they are like this: In the eastern direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Akṣobhya in the realm named Abhirati and there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Merukūṭa.
“Bhikṣus, in the southeastern direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Siṃhaghoṣa and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Siṃhadhvaja.
“Bhikṣus, in the southern direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Ākāśapratiṣṭhita and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Nityaparinirvṛta.
“Bhikṣus, in the southwestern direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Indradhvaja and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Brahmadhvaja.
“Bhikṣus, in the western direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Amitāyus and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Sarvalokadhātūpadravodvegapratyuttīrṇa. [F.71.a]
“Bhikṣus, in the northwestern direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Tamālapatracandanagandhābhijña and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Merukalpa.
“Bhikṣus, in the northern direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Meghasvaradīpa and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Meghasvararāja.
“Bhikṣus, in the northeastern direction there is the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Sarvalokabhayacchambhitatvavidhvaṃsanarakara and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Śākyamuni.
“Those sixteen attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in this central world realm named Sahā.
“Bhikṣus, those beings who within the teaching of that bhagavān heard the Dharma from us when we were mendicants, from each of us bodhisattvas,314 those hundreds of thousands of beings as numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges River were guided by us toward the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Bhikṣus, they still remain on the level of the śrāvakas but have been ripened for the highest, complete enlightenment. They will in the course of time attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Why is that? Bhikṣus, it is because it is difficult to aspire to the wisdom of a tathāgata. [F.71.b]
“Bhikṣus, who are those countless hundred thousands of quintillions of beings, who are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, whom I caused to hear the Dharma of omniscience when I was a bodhisattva in the teaching of that bhagavān? Bhikṣus, at that time, on that occasion, you were those beings.
“Bhikṣus, in the future times when I have passed into nirvāṇa, there will be śrāvakas who will hear of the practices of the bodhisattva, but they will not think, ‘We are bodhisattvas.’ They will all have the concept of nirvāṇa, and they will enter into nirvāṇa.
“Bhikṣus, however, I will be dwelling in other worlds under other names, and they will be reborn there, seeking the wisdom of the tathāgatas and they will hear, ‘There is only one nirvāṇa of the tathāgatas. There is no second nirvāṇa other than that.’
“Bhikṣus, that practice of the teaching of the Dharma should be known to be the skillful method of the tathāgatas.
“Bhikṣus, when a tathāgata sees that the time has come for his passing into nirvāṇa, he sees that his followers are pure, with deep dedication and realization of the Dharma of emptiness,315 and have acquired dhyāna and great dhyāna.
“Bhikṣus, a tathāgata, knowing the time has come, assembles all the bodhisattvas and all the śrāvakas, and then proclaims to them this meaning: ‘Bhikṣus, there is no second yāna or nirvāṇa in this world at all, let alone a third. Bhikṣus, that is the skillful method of the tathāgatas. Seeing that beings have been depraved for a long time, delight in the inferior, and are attached to desires, then, bhikṣus, the tathāgata teaches them nirvāṇa in accordance with their aspirations.’ [F.72.a]
“Bhikṣus, it is like this: A group of beings, in order to go to an island of jewels, comes to a jungle that is five hundred yojanas wide. They have a single guide who is wise, bright, clever, intelligent, and has brought many travelers through that difficult jungle.
“That great group of beings becomes tired, exhausted, and frightened. They say, ‘O noble guide, we are tired, exhausted, frightened, and miserable. We are going to turn back. This jungle goes on too far.’
“Bhikṣus, the guide who has skill in methods, knowing that the people wish to turn back, thinks, ‘These distressed people must not fail to reach the great island of jewels!’ Then with compassion for them he employs a skillful method. He conjures up in the middle of the jungle a miraculous city that is more than a hundred yojanas, or two hundred yojanas in size. He says to those people, ‘Do not be afraid! Do not turn back! Rest in this great region! Here you may do whatever you wish! There you will rest and attain relief from misery.316 Then the one who has more to accomplish can go on to the great island of jewels.’
“Bhikṣus, those people who entered the jungle are astonished and think, ‘We are freed from the jungle. We will stay here where we have attained relief from misery.’
“Bhikṣus, those people enter the miraculous city and believe they have arrived at their destination. They believe they have crossed through the jungle, and they believe they have gained tranquility317 and relief from misery. When the guide knows that they have rested, he causes the miraculous city to vanish. [F.72.b]
“When it has vanished he says to them, ‘This great city was conjured up by me for you to rest in. We are close to the great island of jewels so you beings should go there.’
“Bhikṣus, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha is the guide for you and all beings.
“Bhikṣus, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha sees that the great jungle of kleśas is to be left behind, departed from, and abandoned. But if these beings hear only of the wisdom of the buddhas they will be afraid and turn back, thinking, ‘The accomplishment of the wisdom of the buddhas involves many hardships!’ and they will not set out toward it.
“The Tathāgata knows the weakness of the aspirations of beings. Just as the guide conjured up a miraculous city for beings to rest in, and when they had rested told them that this was a miraculous city, in that way, bhikṣus, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha employs a great skillful method so that beings may rest. He describes and teaches two levels of intermediate nirvāṇas. Those are the level of the śrāvakas and the level of the pratyekabuddhas.
“Bhikṣus, while the beings are dwelling on those levels, then, bhikṣus, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha says to them, ‘Bhikṣus, you have not done what needs to be done, you have not accomplished what needs to be accomplished! Bhikṣus, you are close to the wisdom of the Tathāgata. Look and see! Understand! That which is your nirvāṇa is not nirvāṇa. Bhikṣus, the three yānas that the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas teach are their skillful method.’ ”
This concludes “The Past,” the seventh chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B7]
The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus
Brother Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, having heard directly from the Bhagavān about this wisdom insight into skillful methods, about the teachings with implied meaning, and having heard the prophecies made to the great śrāvakas, and having heard of the connections with the past, and having heard of the preeminence of the Bhagavān, was astonished and amazed, without worldly concerns, and filled with delight and joy. Then with great delight and joy and great reverence for the Dharma, he rose from his seat, bowed down to the feet of the Bhagavān, [F.75.b] and thought, “Bhagavān, it is wonderful! Sugata, it is wonderful! The tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas accomplish that which is extremely difficult—they teach the Dharma to beings according to the different concerns of the world, through many wisdom insights into skillful methods, and they liberate330 beings attached to this and that.331 Bhagavān, what are we able to do? The Tathāgata is the one who knows our aspirations and our past.”
He bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet and then sat to one side and with his hands placed together in homage gazed unblinking upon the Bhagavān.
Then the Bhagavān, seeing the thoughts in the mind of Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, said to the complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, look upon my śrāvaka Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra. He is the best teacher among those who teach the Dharma within my332 saṅgha of bhikṣus, and he is praised for having many true qualities. He is dedicated to holding the Dharma in many ways within my teaching. He tirelessly teaches the Dharma, bringing joy to the four assemblies, encouraging them, and inspiring them. He is able to teach the Dharma. He is able to aid those who maintain celibacy.
“Bhikṣus, other than the Tathāgata, there is no one who can match Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra in meaning or in words.
“Bhikṣus, what do you think? If you think that he has been a holder solely of my Dharma, bhikṣus, you should not regard him in that way. Why is that? Bhikṣus, I remember that in the past, in a time gone by, he was a holder of the Dharma of nine hundred and ninety million buddhas. Just as he is now the supreme teacher of my Dharma, [F.76.a] so he was for all of them. For all of them he was someone who had realized emptiness. For all of them he was someone who had attained discernment. For all of them he was someone who had realized the higher knowledge of a bodhisattva. He was someone who taught the Dharma with complete certainty. He was someone who taught the Dharma free of doubt. He was someone who taught the Dharma in its purity. In the teaching of those buddha bhagavāns he practiced the conduct of celibacy throughout his life, and everywhere he was known as a śrāvaka. By this method, he benefited innumerable, countless hundred thousand quintillions of beings. He ripened innumerable, countless beings for the highest, complete enlightenment. At all times he has served beings through the activity of a buddha. At all times he has been purifying his own buddha realm, and has been dedicated to ripening beings.
“Bhikṣus, he has been the primary teacher of the Dharma for the seven tathāgatas, the first of whom was Vipaśyin and of whom I am the seventh.333
“Bhikṣus, in the future in this fortunate eon, this Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra will be the principal teacher of the Dharma within the teachings of the thousand buddhas less four, and he will be a holder of their teaching. In the same way, in the future he will hold the entire Dharma of innumerable, countless buddha bhagavāns. He will benefit innumerable, countless beings. He will ripen innumerable, countless beings for the highest, complete enlightenment. He will be someone who is continuously dedicated. He will be dedicated to purifying his own buddha realm and ripening beings. He will in this way perfect his bodhisattva conduct [F.76.b] and after innumerable, countless eons he will attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. He will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Dharmaprabhāsa. He will appear in this very buddha realm.
“Bhikṣus, at that time this buddha realm will be like billion-world world realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River combined into one buddha realm. The ground will be made of the seven precious materials. It will be as level as the palm of a hand. There will be no mountains. It will be filled with kūṭāgāras made of the seven precious materials. The airborne palaces of the devas will be close so that the devas can see the humans, and the humans can see the devas.
“Bhikṣus, at that time, in this buddha realm, there will be no lower existences and there will be no women. All the beings there will be born miraculously. They will practice celibacy with their immaterial bodies. They will emit their own light. They will have miraculous powers. They will fly through the air. They will have diligence. They will have mindfulness. They will have wisdom. They will have golden bodies adorned by the thirty-two signs of a great being.
“Bhikṣus, at that time, in this buddha realm, those beings will have two kinds of food. What will they be? They will be the food of joy in the Dharma and the food of joy in meditation. He will have innumerable, countless hundred thousand quintillions of bodhisattvas. All of them will have attained the higher knowledges, have the realization of the discernments, and be skilled in instructing334 beings. His śrāvakas will be beyond number and they will all have great miraculous abilities, great power, the eight liberations, and dhyāna. That buddha realm will have limitless qualities of this kind. The eon will be named Ratnāvabhāsa. The world will be named Suviśuddhā. [F.77.a] At that time, the lifespan will be innumerable, countess eons. When the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Dharmaprabhāsa has passed into nirvāṇa his Dharma will remain for a long time. That world will be filled with stūpas made of precious materials.
“Bhikṣus, in that way the buddha realm of that bhagavān will have inconceivable qualities.”
That is what the Bhagavān said. The Sugata having spoken these words, the Teacher then pronounced these verses:
Then the twelve hundred who had mastered themselves thought, “The Bhagavān has given prophecies to those great śrāvakas, and it would be marvelous and wonderful if the Tathāgata were to give a prophecy to each one of us also.”
The Bhagavān knew the thoughts that were in the minds of those great śrāvakas and said to Brother Mahākāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, I shall next give prophecies to these twelve hundred who have mastered themselves and are in my presence.
“Kāśyapa, the great śrāvaka bhikṣu Kauṇḍinya, after sixty-two hundred thousand quintillion buddhas, and even further beyond that, will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Samantaprabhāsa.
“Kāśyapa, there will be five hundred tathāgatas who have that same name. Five hundred great śrāvakas will be next after Kauṇḍinya to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and all of them will have the name Samantaprabhāsa. They are Gayākāśyapa, Nadīkāśyapa, Uruvilvākāśyapa, Kāla, Kālodāyin, Aniruddha, Revata, Kapphiṇa, Bakkula, Cunda, [F.78.b] Svāgata, and the rest of the five hundred who have gained mastery over themselves.”
Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Then those five hundred arhats, on hearing the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, felt contented, delighted, elated, and joyful. With happiness and gladness they approached the Bhagavān, bowed their heads to his feet, and said to him, “Bhagavān, we confess this offence of ours: we have been always continuously thinking, ‘This is our nirvāṇa,’ or, ‘We have attained nirvāṇa.’ Bhagavān, we lacked understanding, lacked skill, and lacked knowledge. Why is that? We thought, ‘There is the attainment of buddhahood through the wisdom of the tathāgatas, but we are satisfied with a limited wisdom.’
“As an analogy, imagine if there were a man who went to a friend’s home, and became drunk or fell asleep. Then the friend sews a priceless jewel into the hem of his clothing, saying, ‘This is a precious jewel!’ The man then rises from his seat and leaves. He goes to another country and there he runs into misfortune. He undergoes great difficulties and hardship in his search for food and clothing. When he finds just a little food he is delighted and overjoyed. [F.79.b]
“Bhagavān, then that man’s old friend who had sewn the priceless jewel in the hem of that man’s clothing sees him, and says to him, ‘Oh, my friend! Why are you undergoing this hardship seeking for food and clothing? I sewed a precious jewel, a priceless jewel that could fulfill all your desires, into the hem of your clothes so that you could live happily. My friend, I have given you that precious jewel. My friend, I have sewn that precious jewel in the hem of your clothing. My friend, you have not looked for it at all, wondering, “When was it sewn in? Who sewed it in? Why did he sew it in?” Oh my friend, you are a fool that you have accepted to undergo such hardship in searching for food and clothing! My friend, take this precious jewel and go to the big city, and in the big city with that jewel obtain all the wealth that you want!’
“Bhagavān, it is likewise that the Tathāgata has previously taught the practice of bodhisattva conduct and the aspiration for omniscience, but we did not know it, we did not understand it.
“Bhagavān, therefore our thoughts were of nirvāṇa, the level of the arhat. Bhagavān, we have lived in great hardship. Bhagavān, we have been content to seek limited wisdom. Because we have never ceased from our prayers for omniscient wisdom, Bhagavān, the Tathāgata has made us understand, saying, ‘You bhikṣus, do not think that this is nirvāṇa! Bhikṣus, there are the roots of merit in your beings that I have ripened in the past. It was through my skillful method that through my teaching and speaking of the Dharma you came to think, “This is nirvāṇa!” ’
“In that way the Bhagavān has made us understand, and today has given us the prophecy of our attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.” [F.80.a]
At that time, Ājñātakauṇḍinya and the five hundred who had gained mastery over themselves recited these verses:
This concludes “The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus,” the eighth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Prophecies to Ānanda, Rāhula, and Two Thousand Bhikṣus
At that time, Brother Ānanda thought, “May I obtain a prophecy like these!” Thinking that, contemplating it, and wishing for it, he rose from his seat and bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet. Brother Rāhula also, thinking, contemplating, and wishing for the same thing, bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet, and they said, “Bhagavān, may we have such an opportunity! Sugata, may we have such an opportunity! Bhagavān, you are our father, our progenitor, our refuge, our support, and our protector. Bhagavān, we are honored by the world with its devas, humans, and asuras as the sons of the Bhagavān, the attendants of the Bhagavān, and the keepers of the Dharma treasure of the Bhagavān. Therefore, Bhagavān, it would be fitting if the Bhagavān were quickly to give us the prophecy of our attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.”
Moreover, more than two thousand bhikṣus, those in training and those passed beyond training, rose from their seats, removed their upper robe from one shoulder, and with hands together in homage stood facing the Bhagavān, gazing upon him and contemplating the wisdom of the Buddha, and thought, “May we also obtain the prophecy of our attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment!”
Then the Bhagavān [F.81.a] said to Brother Ānanda, “You, Ānanda, in a future time, will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña.
“You will honor, venerate, show respect for, and make offerings to six hundred and twenty million buddhas, receive the Dharma from them, and uphold their teaching. You will attain the highest, complete enlightenment and ripen for complete enlightenment hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sands in two hundred million Ganges Rivers.
“Your buddha realm will be fully endowed with a ground made of beryl. That realm will be named Anavanāmitavaijayantī. That eon will be named Manojñaśabdābhigarjita.340 The lifespan of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña will be innumerable eons. One could not conclude measuring the lifespan of that bhagavān. It will be countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons.
“Ānanda, the Dharma of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña will remain after his nirvāṇa for twice as long as his lifespan. [F.81.b]
“Ānanda, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña will be praised in the ten directions by many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in ten million Ganges Rivers.”
Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:
In that assembly at that time there were eight thousand342 bodhisattvas, who had newly entered the yāna, who thought, “We have never before heard such an extensive prophecy for bodhisattvas, let alone for the śrāvakas.343 What could be the cause, what could be the reason for this?”
The Bhagavān, knowing the thoughts and contemplation in the minds of those bodhisattvas, said to those bodhisattvas, “Noble sons, Ānanda and I together, at the same moment, developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment in front of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Dharmagaganābhyudgatarāja. [F.82.a] This noble son has been continuously dedicated to receiving many teachings, while I was dedicated to diligent practice. That is why I have quickly attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, and it is why this good Ānanda will be the keeper of the Dharma treasures of the buddha bhagavāns. Noble sons, it is the prayer of this noble son that this will be the cause for bodhisattvas reaching perfection.”
Brother Ānanda heard from the Bhagavān the prediction of his own attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment. He heard the description of the qualities of his own buddha realm, and he heard of his past prayer and conduct. Then he was contented, delighted, elated, and joyful, and he became glad and happy. At that time he remembered the Dharma of the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas, and the prayer that he had made in the past.
Then Ānanda recited these verses:
Then the Bhagavān said to Brother Rāhula, “You, Rāhula, in a future time will honor, venerate, show respect for, and make offerings to tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas as numerous as the atoms in ten worlds. Then you will become the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, [F.82.b] the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Saptaratnapadmavikrāntagāmin.
“You will constantly be the eldest son of those buddha bhagavāns, as you are for me. Rāhula, the lifespan of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Saptaratnapadmavikrāntagāmin will be the same as that of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña. The perfection of all his many qualities will be like his, and he will have the same display of the qualities of his buddha realm as Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña.
“Rāhula, you will be the eldest son of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña, and after that you will attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.”
Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:
The Bhagavān looked upon two thousand śrāvakas, both those in training and those who had passed beyond training, who in the presence of the Bhagavān [F.83.a] were gazing upon the Bhagavān with tranquil minds, placid minds, and gentle minds.
Then the Bhagavān asked Brother Ānanda, “Ānanda, do you see these two thousand śrāvakas, both those in training and those who have passed beyond training?”
“I see them, Bhagavān,” he answered. “I see them, Sugata.”
“Ānanda,” said the Bhagavān, “all those two thousand bhikṣus will together practice the conduct of a bodhisattva. They will honor, venerate, show respect for, and make offerings to buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the atoms in fifty worlds, and be holders of their Dharma. Then in their last lives, in the same instant, the same moment, the same second, they will attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, each in their own buddha realm among the worlds in the ten directions. They will be tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas named Ratnaketurāja.344 Their lifespans will be an entire eon. Their buddha realms will have the same display of qualities. Their gatherings of śrāvakas and gatherings of bodhisattvas will also be the same in number. They will all pass into nirvāṇa at the same time. Their Dharma also will remain for the same length of time.”
Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Those śrāvakas, both those in training and those who had passed beyond training, upon hearing directly from the Bhagavān the prophecies for each of them, became contented, delighted, elated, and joyful, and became glad and happy.
Thereupon they recited these verses to the Bhagavān:
This concludes “The Prophecies to Ānanda, Rāhula, and Two Thousand Bhikṣus,” the ninth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Dharmabhāṇakas
Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and eighty thousand other bodhisattvas, “Bhaiṣajyarāja, do you see this assembly’s numerous devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas and upāsikās, and followers of the Śrāvakayāna and the Bodhisattvayāna who have heard this Dharma teaching directly from the Tathāgata?” [F.84.a]
“I see them, Bhagavān,” he answered. “I see them, Sugata.”
“Bhaiṣajyarāja,” said the Bhagavān, “these are all bodhisattvas, mahāsattvas. Whoever among them has heard even one verse, or heard one line of a verse, or with just one aspiration has rejoiced in this sūtra, for all those in the fourfold assembly, Bhaiṣajyarāja, I prophesy that they will attain the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, if anyone after my nirvāṇa hears this Dharma teaching, or hears just one verse of it, or with just one aspiration rejoices in it, I prophesy that those noble men or noble women will attain the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, those noble men or noble women will have served a full hundred thousand quintillion buddhas.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, those noble men or noble women will have prayed to many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, know that those noble men or noble women will have taken birth as humans in this Jambudvīpa out of compassion for beings.
“Whoever retains even just one verse from this Dharma teaching, or reads it, or teaches it, or recites it,346 or writes it, or having written it remembers it, or from time to time looks at it; and whoever has the same veneration for the text as one would have for the Tathāgata, and honors, venerates, and makes offerings to it, venerating it as if it were the Teacher; and whoever offers flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, divine flags, [F.84.b] the sound of music, and so on, to the text, while bowing down and putting hands together in homage; and those noble men or noble women, Bhaiṣajyarāja, who rejoice in just one verse from this Dharma teaching, Bhaiṣajyarāja, I prophesy that all of them will attain the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, if any man or woman asks, ‘What kind of beings are these who will become tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas in the future?’ Bhaiṣajyarāja, those men or women, those noble men or noble women should be taught in this way: ‘Behold! Whoever possesses or hears even one four-line verse from this Dharma teaching, or teaches it, or honors this Dharma teaching, it is that noble man or noble woman who in the future will come into the world as a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha.’
“Why is that? Bhaiṣajyarāja, any noble man or noble woman who retains just one verse from this Dharma teaching should be seen by the world and its devas as tathāgatas and be honored by them as if they were tathāgatas, let alone someone who obtains the entirety of this Dharma teaching and retains it, teaches it, recites it, writes it, or having written it remembers it, and honors it by making offerings of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, divine flags, the sound of music, and so on, to the text, and with hands together in homage bows down to it.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, that noble son or noble woman should be known to have attained the highest, complete enlightenment. [F.85.a] They should be known to have seen the tathāgatas. They have, out of compassion, in order to benefit the world, been born as humans in this Jambudvīpa through the power of prayer in order to teach this Dharma teaching. Know that they will leave behind vast Dharma activity and rebirth in buddha realms, in order to perfectly teach this Dharma teaching, and after my nirvāṇa they will be born here out of compassion for beings and in order to benefit them.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, after the Tathāgata’s passing into nirvāṇa, the one who teaches this Dharma teaching, even someone who secretly and deviously teaches it to just one being, Bhaiṣajyarāja, that noble man or noble woman should be known to be the Tathāgata’s messenger. That noble man or noble woman should be known to have been sent to do the Tathāgata’s work.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, I state that if someone speaks badly to dharmabhāṇakas who hold this sūtra, be they laypeople or renunciants, and whether what is said be true or not, the bad karma will be much more dreadful than if a being with an angry mind, an evil mind, and a wrathful mind were to speak badly to the Tathāgata to his face for an entire eon. Why is that? Bhaiṣajyarāja, it is because that noble man or noble woman should be known to be an adornment that adorns the Tathāgata.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, those who write out this Dharma teaching to create a text and carry it on their shoulder carry the Tathāgata on their shoulder. Wherever they go, there beings should honor, venerate, and make offerings to them, and with hands together in homage, they should honor those dharmabhāṇakas by making offerings to them of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothing, parasols, [F.85.b] banners, divine flags, the sound of music, food and drink—hard food and soft food—carriages, and supreme, divine heaps of jewels. They should offer heaps of divine jewels to those dharmabhāṇakas. Why is that? It is because through this Dharma teaching being taught just once, through hearing it, countless, innumerable beings will quickly attain the highest, complete enlightenment.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, I declare to you, I proclaim to you350 that I, Bhaiṣajyarāja, have given, am giving, and will give many Dharma teachings, but from among all those many Dharma teachings, Bhaiṣajyarāja, it is this Dharma teaching that is unacceptable to the entire world, and which will not be believed by the entire world.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, this is the great secret from the higher knowledge351 of the Tathāgata that has been kept through the power of the Tathāgata and has not previously been revealed, has not previously been told. Bhaiṣajyarāja, many beings will reject this Dharma teaching while the Tathāgata lives, let alone after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, the noble men or noble women who, after I have passed into nirvāṇa, have faith in this Dharma teaching, read it, write it, honor it, and make others hear it, should be known to be wearing the Tathāgata’s Dharma robes. The tathāgatas who are present in other world realms will see them and bless them. [F.86.b] They will have the power of their faith, the power of their roots of merit, and the power of their prayers.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, those noble men and noble women dwell in the same temple as the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata places his hand upon their heads.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, wherever this Dharma teaching is spoken, or taught, or written, or recited for oneself, or chanted for others, in that place, Bhaiṣajyarāja, one should build a great caitya of the Tathāgata that is made from precious materials. However, it is not necessary to place the relics of the Tathāgata within it. Why is that? It is because the relics of the Tathāgata have all been combined into one within it. The stūpa that is in352 that place where this Dharma teaching has been spoken, taught, recited for oneself, chanted for others, or written out and made into a text that is kept there, should be honored, venerated, shown respect, and offerings made to it. One should make offerings of all flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, parasols, banners, flags, banners of victory, songs, music, dance, and the sounds of musical instruments, and of percussion instruments.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, the beings who come to that caitya of the Tathāgata in order to pay homage to it, or to see it, should all be known, Bhaiṣajyarāja, to be close to the highest, complete enlightenment. Why is that? Bhaiṣajyarāja, many bodhisattvas, both householders and renunciants, even though they have practiced bodhisattva conduct, have never encountered listening to, writing, or making offerings to this kind of Dharma teaching.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, as long as they have not heard this Dharma teaching they are not skilled in bodhisattva conduct. [F.87.a] When they listen to and hear this Dharma teaching, and aspire to it, engage in it, understand it, and possess it, then at that time they have come near to the highest, complete enlightenment—they are close to it.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, it is like this: There is a man who wants water and is searching for it. In order to find water, he digs a well in an arid land. While he is digging, but sees that the soil being dug out is dry and pale, he will know, ‘The water is still farther down than this.’ But when, at another time, that man digs out wet earth and mud dripping with water, and sees that the bodies of men digging the well are covered in mud, that man, Bhaiṣajyarāja, will take those sights as a sign, and without any uncertainty or doubt he will think, ‘The water is near.’
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, in that way, while bodhisattva mahāsattvas do not hear, do not possess, do not comprehend, do not practice, and do not contemplate this Dharma teaching, those bodhisattva mahāsattvas are far from the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, when the bodhisattva mahāsattvas hear, possess, comprehend, practice, recite, contemplate, and meditate on this Dharma teaching, at that time they are near to the highest, complete enlightenment. Why is that? It is because this Dharma teaching is the supreme elucidation of the teachings that have an implied meaning of the secret aspect of the Dharma taught by the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas so that the bodhisattva mahāsattvas may attain complete accomplishment.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, if a bodhisattva is frightened of this Dharma teaching, is afraid and terrified of it, then you should know that bodhisattva to be new to the Bodhisattvayāna. [F.87.b] Also, if a follower of the Śrāvakayāna is frightened of this Dharma teaching, is afraid and terrified of it, then, Bhaiṣajyarāja, you should know that this individual who is following the Śrāvakayāna is conceited.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, if in the later times, after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, a bodhisattva mahāsattva teaches this Dharma teaching to the fourfold assembly, then, Bhaiṣajyarāja, that bodhisattva has entered the residence of the Tathāgata, wears the Dharma robe of the Tathāgata, sits upon the seat of the Tathāgata, and then teaches this Dharma teaching to the fourfold assembly.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, what is the residence of the Tathāgata? Bhaiṣajyarāja, it is the vihāra of love for all beings.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, what is the Dharma robe of the Tathāgata? Bhaiṣajyarāja, the Tathāgata’s Dharma robe is great patience and gentleness.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, what is the Dharma seat of the Tathāgata? Bhaiṣajyarāja, it is entering the emptiness of all phenomena.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, that noble man will sit upon the Dharma seat of the Tathāgata. Having sat there he will teach this Dharma teaching to the fourfold assembly. The bodhisattva without any lack of confidence will teach before the fourfold assembly, which is a gathering of bodhisattvas who have entered the Bodhisattvayāna.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, I will be residing in another world realm but I will emanate to be that noble man’s assembly. I shall send emanations as bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas and upāsikās to listen to the Dharma. [F.88.a] They will not turn away or reject that dharmabhāṇaka’s teaching. If he is in the forest, I will emanate as many devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas to listen to the Dharma.
“Bhaiṣajyarāja, although I reside in another world realm I will reveal my face353 to that noble man. Whatever sentences and syllables of this Dharma teaching that are taught I will myself repeat and recite them.”
Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:
This concludes “The Dharmabhāṇakas,” the tenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B8]
The Appearance of the Stūpa
Then a stūpa made of the seven precious materials arose from the center of the assembly, directly in front of the Bhagavān. It was five hundred yojanas tall and of a corresponding circumference. Having risen up, it remained suspended in the air, bright and beautiful, adorned with five thousand encircling railings358 covered in flowers, and beautified by many thousands of toraṇas, hung with thousands of sacred flags and banners of victory, [F.89.a] hung with thousands of strings of jewels, hung with thousands of streamers and bells, and emitting the aroma of bay leaves and sandalwood. That aroma spread throughout the entire all-containing world. Its crowning parasol reached as high as the palaces in the paradises of the Four Mahārājas. It was made of the seven precious materials, which are gold, silver, beryl, white coral, emerald, red pearl, and chrysoberyl. At the stūpa, devas of the Trāyastriṃśa paradise scattered coral tree and great coral tree flowers on the precious stūpa, bestrewing it with them, and covering it with them.
These words came from the precious stūpa:359 “The tathāgatas have no thinking, no thoughts, and manifest all modes of conducts. The tathāgatas do not originate from skandhas, dhātus, and āyatanas. They do not come into being from karma, kleśas, parents, and the primary elements. They have no connection with flesh, blood, and veins.
They have no inhalation, no exhalation, and no connection with life. The tathāgatas are the same as space; they are not permanent and not impermanent. However, the tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, who passed into nirvāṇa many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons ago, who is free of thoughts and ideas, is seen for the sake of beings, through the power of his previous prayers, in order that the Dharma be heard and in order to ripen beings, but the body of the Tathāgata is without the slightest thought. The tathāgatas do not speak even a single syllable. The beings who are guided360 hear the teaching of the Dharma from the tathāgatas in accord with their individual natures and their individual aspirations. A tathāgata is the true nature, [F.89.b] and that true nature is the limit of reality. That limit of reality is the essence of phenomena. That true nature, limit of reality, and essence of phenomena is the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. When the completely pure tathāgatas come, are seen, and speak, through the power of their previous prayers they teach the great skillful method of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to completely pure beings.”
Then the precious stūpa also said:361 “It is excellent, excellent, Bhagavān Śākyamuni, that you have taught well the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. It is thus, Bhagavān. It is thus, Sugata!” Those are the words that were emitted.
The fourfold assembly became happy, delighted, joyful, and overjoyed on seeing that precious stūpa that remained suspended in the air. At that time they rose from their seats and stood with palms together in homage.
At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Mahāpratibhāna, seeing that the world with its devas, humans, and asuras was astonished, asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what is the cause of the appearance of such a great precious stūpa as this? What are the conditions for its appearance? Bhagavān, who uttered the words that came from this great precious stūpa?”
The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, “Mahāpratibhāna, inside this great precious stūpa there is the complete body of a tathāgata. This is his stūpa. He uttered those words.
“Mahāpratibhāna, in the eastern direction, beyond countless thousands362 of worlds, [F.90.a] there is a world named Ratnaviśuddhā. In that realm there appeared the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna. That bhagavān made a prayer. He said, ‘In the past when I was practicing bodhisattva conduct, the highest, complete enlightenment did not arise while I had not heard the instruction to bodhisattvas, the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. After I had heard this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, I attained the highest, complete enlightenment.’363 Mahāpratibhāna, when the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna was about to pass into nirvāṇa, he said to the world and its devas who were before him, ‘Bhikṣus, when I have passed into nirvāṇa, a great precious stūpa that contains my body should be made.’ Mahāpratibhāna, then the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna made this resolution:364 ‘This stūpa that is mine, the stūpa that contains my body, may it appear within the buddha realms in world realms in the ten directions wherever this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma will be taught. When those buddha bhagavāns are giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, may it be suspended in the air above the circle of the assembly. May the stūpa that contains my body congratulate the Buddha Bhagavān who is giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.’ [F.90.b]
“Therefore, Mahāpratibhāna, this is the stūpa that contains the body of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, which on my giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in this world realm, Sahā, has appeared from the middle of the circle of the assembly, remained suspended in the air, and congratulated me.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, through your365 power let us see the body of the tathāgata.”
The Bhagavān replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, “Mahāpratibhāna, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna made a momentous366 prayer. This was his prayer: ‘When buddha bhagavāns in other realms are giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, may the stūpa that contains my body come into the presence of those tathāgatas in order to listen to this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. When those buddha bhagavāns wish to expose my body and reveal it to the fourfold assembly, then may those tathāgatas assemble together all the emanations from their own bodies that are in the form of tathāgatas in the ten directions, each in their own buddha realm, each with their own name, and teaching the Dharma in those buddha realms. Then afterward, together with those emanations from their own bodies in the forms of tathāgatas, may they open the stūpa that contains my body and reveal it to the fourfold assembly.’
“Therefore, Mahāpratibhāna, I shall gather here all my many emanations in the form of tathāgatas teaching the Dharma to beings in other buddha realms in thousands of other world realms.” [F.91.a]
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we shall pay homage to all those tathāgatas that are emanations from the Tathāgata’s own body.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān emitted a ray of light from his ūrṇā hair. The instant that ray of light shone forth, all those buddha bhagavāns that resided in the eastern direction in hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers were revealed. The buddha realms with their grounds made of crystal, beautified by trees made of precious materials, adorned by wreaths of calico and silk, filled with many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas, overspread with canopies, and covered with a network of gold and the seven precious materials were revealed. The bhagavāns teaching the Dharma with their mellifluous and gentle voices to beings in those realms were revealed. The hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas who filled those realms were revealed.
In the same way in the southeast, in the same way in the south, in the same way in the southwest, in the same way in the west, in the same way in the northwest, in the same way in the north, in the same way in the northeast, in the same way above, in the same way below—in each of the ten directions—all of those many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers, who were in many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers, were revealed.
Those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas in the ten directions each instructed their own multitude of bodhisattvas, [F.91.b] “Noble youths, I should go to the Sahā world realm, into the presence of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni, so that I may pay homage to the stūpa that contains the body of the tathāgata Prabhūtaratna!”
So those buddha bhagavāns, accompanied by either one or two367 of their own attendants, came to this Sahā world realm.
At that time this all-containing Sahā world realm became adorned by precious trees. Its ground became made of beryl and was covered with a network of the seven precious materials and of gold. It became perfumed by very precious incense and perfumes. It became strewn with coral tree and great coral tree flowers. It became adorned with strings of little bells. It became divided eightfold like a checkerboard by golden cords.368 There were no longer any villages, towns, market towns, districts, countries, or capitals. There were no Kāla mountain ranges. There were no Mucilinda or Mahāmucilinda Mountains. There were no Cakravāla or Mahācakravāla mountain ranges. There were no Sumerus, which are the kings of mountains. There were no other great mountains or mountains. There were no great oceans. There were no rivers or great rivers that were present there. There were no devas, asuras, or humans. There were no hells, animals, or realm of Yama. At that time, apart from those who were in that assembly, all beings that had been born into the six classes of existence in this Sahā world realm were transferred to other world realms.
The buddha bhagavāns with their one or two attendants then arrived in this Sahā world realm. Having arrived, the tathāgatas approached the bases of precious trees and stayed there. [F.92.a] Each of those precious trees was five hundred yojanas high, with branches, leaves, and petals in succession at their extremities.369 They were perfectly adorned with flowers and fruit. A lion throne had been arranged at the foot of each precious tree. They were five hundred yojanas in height and adorned with huge jewels. Each of the tathāgatas sat cross-legged upon one. In that way, tathāgatas sat cross-legged at the foot of all the precious trees in all the worlds in this world realm of a billion worlds.
At that time all the worlds in this world realm of a billion worlds were filled with tathāgatas, but all the emanations of the body of the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni had not yet come even from just one direction.
The tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni now manifested places for the bodies of the tathāgatas who were coming and arriving. In all ten directions there were two hundred thousand million buddha realms made of beryl, covered with a network made of the seven precious materials and of gold, adorned with strings of little bells, strewn with coral tree and great coral tree flowers, overspread with canopies, hung with divine flower garlands, and perfumed by divine incense and perfume.
In those two hundred thousand million buddha realms there were no villages, towns, market towns, districts, countries, or capitals. There were no Kāla mountain ranges. There were no Mucilinda or Mahāmucilinda Mountains. There were no Cakravāla or Mahācakravāla mountain ranges. There were no Sumerus, the kings of mountains. There were no other great mountains or mountains. There were no great oceans. [F.92.b] There were no rivers or great rivers. There were no devas, asuras, or humans. There were no hells, animals, or realm of Yama.
All those buddha realms were created as if they were one buddha realm, as if they were one land,370 which was flat, delightful, and adorned by trees made of the seven precious materials. Those trees were five hundred yojanas high, with branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit in succession at their extremities. Arranged at the foot of all those precious trees there were magnificent, beautiful lion thrones that were five hundred yojanas in height and were made from divine jewels. The tathāgatas who came and arrived sat cross-legged on the lion thrones in front of those trees. In this way, moreover, Śākyamuni purified371 two hundred thousand million buddha realms in each direction in order to create space for the tathāgatas who were coming and arriving.
In those two hundred thousand million world realms in each direction there were no villages, towns, market towns, districts, countries, or capitals. There were no Kāla mountain ranges. There were no Mucilinda or Mahāmucilinda Mountains. There were no Cakravāla or Mahācakravāla mountain ranges. There were no Sumerus, the kings of mountains. There were no other great mountains or mountains. There were no great oceans. There were no rivers or great rivers. There were no devas, asuras, or humans. There were no hells, animals, or realm of Yama. [F.93.a] Those beings had been transferred to other world realms.
Those buddha realms were made of beryl, covered with a network made of the seven precious materials and of gold, adorned with strings of little bells, completely bestrewn with coral tree and great coral tree flowers, overspread with divine canopies, hung with divine flower garlands, perfumed by divine incense and perfume, and adorned by trees made of the seven precious materials. Those trees were five hundred yojanas high, and lion thrones that were five hundred yojanas in height were also manifested. The tathāgatas sat cross-legged on those lion thrones in front of those precious trees.
It was then that the tathāgatas emanated by Bhagavān Śākyamuni who had been in the eastern direction, teaching the Dharma in hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in ten million Ganges Rivers, arrived. In the same way they came and arrived from the ten directions and were seated in the eight directions.
At that time those tathāgatas in each of the eight directions arrived in three hundred million world realms. Then those tathāgatas each sat on their own lion throne and sent their own attendants carrying a basket of precious flowers to Bhagavān Śākyamuni. They said to them, “Noble men, go to the Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha. Pay homage to the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and with my words ask him and his host of bodhisattvas, and host of śrāvakas, ‘Are you untroubled? Are you well? Are you strong? Are you constantly happy?’ [F.93.b] Then scatter upon him this heap of jewels and say, ‘The Bhagavān expresses his wish that the Tathāgata’s372 precious stūpa be opened.’ ”
All the tathāgatas sent their attendants in that way. Then the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni, knowing that the entirety of his emanations was assembled, knowing that they were seated on their lion thrones, knowing that the attendants of the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas had all arrived, and knowing that those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas had expressed their wish, rose up from his Dharma seat and remained floating up in the air. The entire fourfold assembly also rose from their seats and stood with hands together in homage, gazing upon the Bhagavān.
Then the Bhagavān, with the fingers of his right hand, opened the center of the great precious stūpa that was floating in the air. He opened it and separated two parts of the wall panels, as when the two great doors of a great city’s gate separate after the bolt has been removed.
In that way, the Bhagavān, with the fingers of his right hand, opened the center of the great precious stūpa and revealed its interior. As soon as the great precious stūpa of the Tathāgata was opened the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna could be seen, his whole body withered,373 seated cross-legged and upright on a lion throne as if he was in meditation. [F.94.a] He said, “It is excellent, excellent, Bhagavān Śākyamuni, that you have taught well the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. It is excellent, Bhagavān Śākyamuni, that you are giving the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.374 Bhagavān, I have come here to listen to the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The fourfold assembly was amazed and astonished on seeing375 the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons before, speaking.
At that time, heaps of human and divine jewels were tossed toward the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni. Then the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna offered half the lion throne seat to the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and from within the great precious stūpa said, “Sit here, Bhagavān Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”
So the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni sat on that half of the lion throne together with that tathāgata.376 Both tathāgatas could be seen seated in the center of the great precious stūpa that remained suspended in the air.
The fourfold assembly now thought, “We are far from these tathāgatas; may we also rise up into the air through the power of the tathāgatas!” [F.94.b]
At this, the Bhagavān, knowing the thoughts in the minds of the fourfold assembly, at that time, through his miraculous power, suspended the fourfold assembly up in the air.
The bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni then asked the fourfold assembly, “Bhikṣus, who among you in this Sahā world realm has the enthusiasm to give the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma? This is the moment. This is the time. You are in the presence of the Buddha. Having bestowed the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, the Tathāgata wishes to enter nirvāṇa.”
Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Then the Bhagavān instructed the entire host of bodhisattvas, [F.96.b] and the world with its devas and asuras, saying, “Bhikṣus, in the past, in a time gone by, I sought The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma, without weariness, without fatigue, for countless, innumerable eons. In the past, for many hundreds of thousands of eons I was a king who prayed for the highest, complete enlightenment and my mind never wavered from that. I was dedicated to fulfilling the six perfections. I performed immeasurable acts of generosity, giving away gold, jewels, pearls, beryls, conch, crystal, corals, refined gold, silver, emeralds, white coral, red pearls, village towns, market towns, districts, lands, capitals, wives, sons, daughters, male slaves, female slaves, elephants, horses, chariots, and so on, up to my own body—my hands, feet, head, limbs, smaller body parts—and my life. I never had any clinging arise in my mind.
“At that time, life in this world was long. One lived for many hundreds of thousands of years. During that time I was a king for the sake of the Dharma and not for the sake of dominion. I consecrated my oldest son to be king and dedicated myself to searching in the four directions for the highest Dharma.
“I rang a bell and announced, ‘I will become the slave of anyone who will give me the highest Dharma and teach me its meaning!’
“At that time there was a rishi who said to me, ‘Great King, I have the Dharma teaching of the supreme sūtra called The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. [F.97.a] If you promise to be my slave I will enable you to hear it.’
“When I heard the words of the rishi I was happy, content, delighted, and overjoyed, and I approached that rishi and said to him, ‘I will do whatever work a slave would do for you!’
“In that way I promised to be that rishi’s slave and then I did the work of collecting straw, wood, water, roots, tubers, fruit, and so on. I was even the guard at his door. I did that kind of work during the day and at night I grasped the feet of his bed.384 However, I never had any physical fatigue and I never had any mental fatigue.”
Thereupon, in order to make this clear, the Bhagavān recited these verses:
“Bhikṣus, what do you think? If you have the thought that at that time, on that occasion, [F.97.b] the king was someone else, do not see it in that way. Why is that? At that time, on that occasion, I was that king. Bhikṣus, if you have the thought that at that time, on that occasion, the rishi was someone else, do not see it in that way. Why is that? Bhikṣus, at that time, on that occasion, this Devadatta was that rishi.
“Bhikṣus, Devadatta was my kalyāṇamitra, and relying on that kalyāṇamitra I fulfilled the six perfections. It was through relying upon Devadatta that I perfected great love, great compassion, great rejoicing, great equanimity, the thirty-two signs and eighty features of a great being, a fathom-wide aura, a golden color, the ten strengths, the four fearlessnesses, the four methods of attracting disciples, the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha, the great miraculous powers, and the liberating of beings in the ten directions.
“Bhikṣus, I declare to you,385 I make it known to you, this Devadatta, bhikṣus, will in a future time, after countless innumerable eons, in a world realm named Devasopānāyā be the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha386 Devarāja.
“Bhikṣus, the lifespan of Tathāgata Devarāja will be twenty intermediate eons long and he will teach the Dharma extensively. Beings as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges will eliminate the kleśas and manifest arhathood. Many beings will develop the aspiration to enlightenment. Beings as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges will develop the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment and attain irreversible patience. [F.98.a]
“Bhikṣus, after Tathāgata Devarāja has passed into nirvāṇa, the Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons. The relic of his body will not be divided but remain as one whole that will be placed inside a stūpa made of the seven precious materials. That stūpa will be sixty387 yojanas high and forty yojanas wide. All devas and humans will make offerings to it of incense, perfume, flowers, garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, parasols, banners, flags, banners of victory, and so on, and they will praise it in song.
“Whoever will circumambulate that stūpa or bow down to it will manifest the supreme result of arhathood, some will attain pratyekabuddhahood, and countless, innumerable devas and humans will develop an irreversible aspiration to the highest, supreme enlightenment.”
The Bhagavān then said to the bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, in future times, noble men or noble women who listen to this chapter from The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma, and having heard it have no doubt,388 and with pure minds are dedicated to it, will close the doorway to the lower existences. They will not be reborn in the hells, as an animal, or in the realm of Yama. They will be reborn in the buddha realms in the ten directions and in lifetime after lifetime will hear this sūtra. If they are reborn in a deva or human world they will have a superior status. Whatever buddha realm they are born into, they will be born miraculously in front of the Tathāgata from within a lotus made of the seven precious materials.” [F.98.b]
At that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Prajñākūṭa, who had come from the buddha realm of Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna that was in the downward direction,389 said to Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, “Bhagavān, let us return to our own buddha realm.”
But the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni said to the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa, “Noble one, stay a little while, gain some ascertainment of the Dharma with my bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, and then after that return to your buddha realm.”
At that time, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, who was seated upon a lotus that had a thousand petals and was the size of a cartwheel, and who was encircled by many bodhisattvas, rose from the palace of the nāga king Sāgara within the ocean high into the sky and floated through the sky to Vulture Peak Mountain, into the presence of the Bhagavān.
Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta descended from the lotus and bowed his head to the feet of Bhagavān Śākyamuni and Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna. He then approached the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa, spoke with the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa about many pleasant and joyful things, and then sat down to one side.
The bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa then asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, how many beings have you guided since you entered the ocean?” [F.99.a]
“I have guided countless, innumerable beings of a number that it is not possible to describe in words or to conceive of in the mind,” answered Mañjuśrī. “Noble one, stay a little while until you see an omen.”
As soon as Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said those words, many thousands of lotuses rose up into the sky from within the oceans. Many thousands of bodhisattvas were seated upon those lotuses. Then those bodhisattvas came through the sky to Vulture Peak and remained suspended in the sky above it. Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta had guided all of them toward the highest, complete enlightenment. Those bodhisattvas who had previously entered the Mahāyāna praised the six perfections and the qualities of the Mahāyāna, while the bodhisattvas who had previously been śrāvakas praised the Śrāvakayāna. All of them knew the qualities of the Mahāyāna and the emptiness of all phenomena.
Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa, “Noble one, since I entered the ocean I have guided all these beings390 that have appeared here.”
Then the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta questions by chanting these verses:
Mañjuśrī answered, “In the ocean I taught The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma and nothing else.” [F.99.b]
“This sūtra is profound, subtle, and difficult to see,” said Prajñākūṭa. “There is no other sūtra that is its equal. Is there a being who is able to comprehend this sūtra jewel and attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood?”
“Noble one,” answered Mañjuśrī, “there is the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, who was born eight years ago. She has great wisdom, sharp faculties. The actions of her body, speech, and mind are preceded by wisdom. She has attained the retention by which she remembers the words and meaning of the teachings of all tathāgatas. She has attained in an instant a thousand samādhis of meditation on all phenomena and all beings. She has irreversible aspiration for enlightenment. She has made vast prayers. She cares for all beings as she would for herself. She can develop qualities and never lose them. She has a smiling face. She has a perfect, magnificent complexion. She has a loving mind. She speaks with compassion. She is able to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.”
Prajñākūṭa said, “I have seen that when the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni had become a bodhisattva dedicated to attaining enlightenment, he generated much merit, and his diligence never weakened throughout thousands of eons. There is nowhere throughout the worlds of the realm of a billion worlds, not even a place the size of a mustard seed, where he has not given up his own body for the sake of beings. Only after all that did he attain the enlightenment of buddhahood. Who can believe that the daughter of Sāgara could attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in an instant?”
Then at that time the daughter of Sāgara, the king of the nāgas, appeared before them. She bowed her head to the feet of the Bhagavān, sat down on one side, and recited these verses:
At that time Śāriputra said to the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, “Noble lady, although you have an irreversible aspiration for enlightenment and immeasurable wisdom, it will be difficult for you to attain enlightenment. Noble lady, a woman may maintain diligence, create merit for many thousands of eons, and complete the six perfections, but still she will not attain buddhahood. Why is that? It is because a woman has still not attained five states. What are these five? The first is the state of being a Brahmā, the second is the state of being a Śakra, the third is the state of being one of the four mahārājas, the fourth is the state of being a cakravartin, and the fifth is the state of being an irreversible bodhisattva.”
At that time, the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, had a jewel of the value of an entire realm of a billion worlds. The daughter of the nāga king offered it to the Bhagavān, and the Bhagavān accepted it out of compassion.
The daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, then asked Prajñākūṭa and Sthavira Śāriputra, “Did the Bhagavān quickly accept the jewel that I offered to the Bhagavān, or not?”
“You offered it quickly and the Bhagavān accepted it quickly,” the sthavira answered.
The daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, said, “Venerable Śāriputra, if I have great miraculous power, I will attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood even more quickly than that jewel was accepted.” [F.100.b]
Thereupon, in front of the entire world, and in front of Sthavira Śāriputra, the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, manifested the vanishing of her female genitalia, the appearance of male genitalia, and her transformation into a bodhisattva.
That bodhisattva now went to the south and, in a southern world realm named Vimalā, manifested the attainment of perfect buddhahood while seated at the foot of a tree made of the seven precious materials.
That buddha had a body that possessed all thirty-two signs and the excellent features, and shone with a light that pervaded the ten directions as he gave the teaching of the Dharma. All beings in this Sahā world realm saw all the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans paying homage to that tathāgata and saw him teaching them the Dharma. All those beings who listened to that tathāgata’s Dharma teaching attained irreversible progress toward the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.
That Vimalā world realm and this Sahā world realm both shook in six ways. Three thousand beings within the circle of Bhagavān Śākyamuni’s assembly attained receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena, and three thousand received the prophecies of their attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.
At this, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Prajñākūṭa and Sthavira Śāriputra fell silent.
This concludes “The Appearance of the Stūpa,” the eleventh chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [F.101.a]
Resolutions
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, together with a following of two hundred thousand bodhisattvas, facing the Bhagavān, said, “Bhagavān, have no concern over this matter. Bhagavān, we will teach, we will expound this Dharma teaching to beings after the nirvāṇa of the Tathāgata.
“Bhagavān, in that time beings will be wicked, have few roots of merit, be arrogant, be devoted to gain and honor, engage in roots of demerit, be difficult to guide, have no interest, and be filled with disinterest, but, Bhagavān, we will demonstrate the power of patience and in that time we will teach this sūtra, we will uphold it, we will expound it, we will write it out, we will honor it, we will venerate it, and we will make offerings to it. Bhagavān, we will cast aside body and life and teach this sūtra. Therefore, Bhagavān, have no concern.”
That assembly’s bhikṣus, both those in training and those who had passed beyond training, and the five hundred bhikṣus, then said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we too are resolved to teach this Dharma teaching and will do so in other world realms.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān gave prophecies of the highest, complete enlightenment to all the Bhagavān’s śrāvakas, both those in training and those who had passed beyond training. All the eight thousand bhikṣus, with their hands together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, do not be concerned. In the later times, in the later era, after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, we also will expound this Dharma teaching in other world realms. [F.101.b] Why is that? Bhagavān, the beings in this Sahā world realm will be arrogant, with few roots of merit, constantly malicious, deceitful, and dishonest.”
The Bhagavān’s maternal aunt Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī and six thousand bhikṣuṇīs, both bhikṣuṇīs in training and those who had passed beyond training, now arose from their seats at the same time, with their hands together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavān, and stood there gazing at the Bhagavān.
The Bhagavān said to Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī, “Gautamī, do not stand394 gazing at the Tathāgata, unhappily thinking, ‘The Tathāgata has not spoken to me, has not prophesied the highest, complete enlightenment for me.’ For when I gave a prophecy to the entire assembly, you too, Gautamī, received a prophecy accordingly.
“Gautamī, from now on you will be a bodhisattva mahāsattva dharmabhāṇaka under thirty-eight hundred thousand quintillion buddhas. These six thousand bhikṣuṇīs, both bhikṣuṇīs in training and those who have passed beyond training, will be bodhisattva dharmabhāṇakas with you under those tathāgatas.
“Beyond that and even further beyond that, you will complete your bodhisattva practice and appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Sarvasattvapriyadarśana.
“Gautamī, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Sarvasattvapriyadarśana will give a prophecy to those six thousand bodhisattvas [F.102.a] of their successive attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.”
Then the bhikṣuṇī Yaśodharā, the mother of Rāhula, thought, “The Bhagavān has not said my name.”
The Bhagavān, knowing the thoughts that were in the mind of Bhikṣuṇī Yaśodharā, said to Bhikṣuṇī Yaśodharā, “Yaśodharā, I declare to you, I make it known to you,395 that you will be a bodhisattva dharmabhāṇaka under a hundred thousand million buddhas. You will eventually complete your bodhisattva practice and in the world realm named Bhadrā you will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Raśmiśatasahasraparipūrṇadhvaja. The lifespan of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Raśmiśatasahasraparipūrṇadhvaja will be immeasurable.”
At this, Bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī and her following of six thousand bhikṣuṇīs, and Bhikṣuṇī Yaśodharā and her following of four thousand bhikṣuṇīs, were astonished and amazed by obtaining from the Bhagavān the prophecy of their highest, complete enlightenment.
At that time they recited this verse:
Having recited that verse, the bhikṣuṇīs said to the Bhagavān, [F.102.b] “Bhagavān, we too are resolved to teach this Dharma teaching in a future time, in a future era, in other world realms.”
The Bhagavān now looked toward the eighty thousand396 bodhisattvas who had attained retention and had turned the irreversible Dharma wheel.
As soon as the Bhagavān looked at them, those bodhisattva mahāsattvas rose from their seats. With their hands placed together in homage they bowed toward the Bhagavān and thought, “The Bhagavān is going to exhort us to teach this Dharma teaching.” At that thought, they all trembled and said to each other, “Noble ones, if the Bhagavān exhorts us to teach this Dharma teaching in the future times, how shall we respond?”
Then those noble ones, because of their veneration for the Bhagavān and because of their past practice and prayers, roared the lion’s roar in the presence of the Bhagavān. “Bhagavān, in the future time when the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, we will go into the ten directions, and through the power of the Bhagavān we will have beings write out this Dharma teaching, recite it, contemplate it, and teach it. And the Bhagavān, who will be residing in other world realms, will guard us, protect us, and hide us.”
Thereupon those bodhisattva mahāsattvas together spoke these verses to the Bhagavān:
This concludes “Resolutions,” the twelfth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B9]
Dwelling in Happiness
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what these bodhisattva mahāsattvas are resolved to do because of their reverence for the Bhagavān is a difficult task, extremely difficult. Bhagavān, how should these bodhisattva mahāsattvas expound this Dharma teaching in the later times, in a later era?”
The Bhagavān said to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should expound this Dharma teaching in the later times, in a later era, by maintaining four qualities. What are these four?
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should expound this Dharma teaching in the later times, in a later era, by maintaining their practice and field of activity.
“Mañjuśrī, in what way do bodhisattva mahāsattvas maintain their practice and field of activity?
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas are patient, self-controlled, have attained the level of self-control, and their minds are without anger or envy. [F.104.a]
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas do not practice within any phenomenon whatsoever. They see correctly the specific characteristics of those phenomena. They have no analysis or examination of those phenomena. That, Mañjuśrī, is what is called the practice of bodhisattva mahāsattvas.
“Mañjuśrī, what is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ field of activity? Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas do not associate with a king, do not associate with, revere, serve, or visit princes, the king’s ministers, or the king’s courtiers. They do not associate with, revere, or serve those other practitioners, mendicants, beggars, and naked ones who are tīrthikas,398 nor those who teach poetry. They do not associate with, revere, serve, or become familiar with those who possess worldly mantras, nor with Lokāyatas. They do not frequent the company of caṇḍālas, swindlers, pig sellers, chicken sellers, deer hunters, fishermen, singers and dancers, musicians,399 or wrestlers. They do not frequent places of entertainment for others. They do not associate with them. Other than that, they teach the Dharma freely to them at those times when they approach them. They do not associate with, revere, serve, or become familiar with the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas and upāsikās who follow the Śrāvakayāna. They do not mingle with them either on their walkways or in their temples. Other than that, they teach the Dharma freely to them at those times when they approach them.
“Mañjuśrī, that is the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ field of activity.
“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva [F.104.b] mahāsattva does not constantly teach the Dharma to women while possessing one or another sign of attachment to them. He does not constantly desire to be looking at women. He does not approach families constantly thinking of teaching the Dharma to the women, the girls, and the wives, and does not delight in doing so. He does not teach the Dharma to paṇḍakas and does not become familiar with them, nor delight in them. He does not enter homes alone to procure alms, unless he is recollecting the Tathāgata.
“If he does teach the Dharma to a woman, he does not even teach the Dharma with desire for the Dharma, let alone with desire for the woman. He teaches the Dharma without even revealing his teeth, let alone any obvious facial expression.
“He does not associate with śrāmaṇeras or śrāmaṇerīs, bhikṣus or bhikṣuṇīs, young men or young women, and does not converse with them.400 He is someone who reveres isolation and always remains in isolation.
“Mañjuśrī, that is the first field of activity of bodhisattva mahāsattvas.
“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas see the emptiness of all phenomena—phenomena as they are, not as they are not—as they truly are, unwavering, unshakeable, immutable, unchanging, always as they truly are, having the nature of space, beyond definition and terminology, unborn, neither existing nor not existing, not composite, not continuous, spoken of through the word nonexistence, in an unimpeded state, and manifested from erroneous conceptualization.
“Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas are always seeing phenomena in that way, and by remaining in that state, they maintain the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ field of activity.
“Mañjuśrī, that is the second field of activity of bodhisattva mahāsattvas.” [F.105.a]
Thereupon the Bhagavān taught on this topic in detail, speaking these verses:
“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, [F.106.a] after I have passed into nirvāṇa, in the later times, in a later era, when the Dharma is being destroyed, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to teach this Dharma teaching will be established in happiness. Thus established in happiness, they will teach the Dharma. When they teach it to others, whether it is from memory or based on a book, they will not be those who are seeking for faults in others, they will not speak ill of other bhikṣu dharmabhāṇakas, they will not say unpleasant things about them, they will not state unpleasant things about them. They will not say unpleasant things about them while mentioning by name bhikṣus of the Śrāvakayāna. They will not speak unpleasant things about them, nor will they have the concept of being their opponent. Why is that? It is because they will be remaining in a state of happiness. They will teach the Dharma to those who come to listen to them beneficially and without envy. They will not quarrel and will not answer questions with an answer from the Śrāvakayāna, but instead they will answer as one would who has attained the enlightenment of the wisdom of buddhahood.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, when the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, in the final age when the Dharma will vanish, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess this sūtra will be without envy, or deceit, or fraud. They will speak no ill of other individuals of the Bodhisattvayāna. They will not malign them and will not criticize them. They will not inspire regret in the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who follow the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, or the Bodhisattvayāna. [F.107.a]
“They will not inspire regret in those who follow the Bodhisattvayāna by saying, ‘Noble ones, you are far from the highest, complete enlightenment; it will not appear to you. You should remain utterly inattentive, and do not have the power to attain the Tathāgata’s wisdom in complete buddhahood.’
“They will not delight in disputes concerning the Dharma. They will not engage in Dharma disputes. They will not abandon409 the power of love for all beings. They will perceive all the tathāgatas as their father. They will perceive all bodhisattvas as teachers. Continuously, with a higher motivation, they will pay reverential homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who are in the worlds in the ten directions. When they teach the Dharma, they will teach the Dharma without omission or addition. When teaching this Dharma teaching, they will teach the Dharma with an equal joy in all the Dharma. Even their slightest joy will be joy in the Dharma through which they bring great benefit.
“Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have this third quality,410 who teach this Dharma teaching after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, in the final times when the Dharma is coming to an end, will teach this Dharma teaching while remaining in contact with happiness and being free of harm, and will have companions with whom to chant411 the Dharma.
“There will also appear those who listen to this Dharma teaching, and those who listen to this Dharma teaching will have faith in it, have conviction in it, possess it, comprehend it, write it out, cause it to be written out, and, having made it into a text, honor it, revere it, respect it, and make offerings to it.”
That is what the Bhagavān said, and when the Tathāgata had spoken these words, the Teacher added the following verses: [F.107.b]
“Moreover, Mañjuśrī, when the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, at the time when the Dharma is abandoned, the bodhisattva mahāsattva bhikṣus who wish to possess this Dharma teaching should dwell farther than far away from householders and renunciants. They should dwell there through dwelling in love. They should have compassion for all those beings who are not yet412 dedicated to enlightenment. They should think, ‘Oh! Those beings who do not listen to the Tathāgata’s skillful method, to his teaching with an implied meaning, and do not know it, do not understand it, do not ask questions about it, have no faith in it, and have no aspiration for it—those beings have extremely corrupt knowledge . Moreover, those beings are not following and have not understood this Dharma teaching. [F.108.a] I shall attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, and then, wherever they are, through my miraculous power I will cause them to be attracted to it, have conviction in it, follow it, and I will completely ripen them.’
“Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have this fourth quality413 and teach this Dharma teaching after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa will not be harmed. Bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, kings, princes, the king’s prime ministers, the king’s counselors, the people of the city, the people of the country, the brahmins, and the householders will honor them, respect them, revere them, and make offerings to them. The devas who live in the air and have faith will follow them in order to hear the Dharma. The devas will constantly follow them in order to protect them. Whether they are in a village or in a temple there will come to them day and night those who wish to ask them about the Dharma and they will delight and please them with their answers.
“Why is that? Mañjuśrī, it is because this Dharma teaching has been blessed by all the buddhas. Mañjuśrī, it is because this Dharma teaching is constantly blessed by the past, future, and present tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas.
“Mañjuśrī, it is difficult in many worlds to be able to hear the words, the sound, or the name of this Dharma teaching.
“Mañjuśrī, it is like this: A balacakravartin king obtains his kingdom through his might. The allied kings who are his adversaries go to battle with him. [F.108.b] The balacakravartin king has numerous warriors. They go into battle with his enemies. When the king sees his warriors battling, he is delighted, pleased, and overjoyed because of those warriors. Being delighted, pleased, and overjoyed, he gives various gifts to those warriors. He gives them villages and the land of the villages, towns and the land of the towns, clothing, turbans, bracelets, anklets,414 short necklaces, cords of gold, earrings, medium-length necklaces, long necklaces, cowries, gold, silver, jewels, pearls, beryls, conch, crystal, and corals. He gives them elephants, cavalry, chariots, infantry, male slaves, and female slaves. He gives them carriages and palanquins. However, he does not give his crest jewel to anyone. Why is that? It is because there is only the one jewel that is affixed on his topknot. Mañjuśrī, if the king were to give away his crest jewel, all four divisions415 of the king’s army would be astonished and amazed.
“Mañjuśrī, it is likewise that the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha creates through the might of his arms and his merit the three realms of a Dharma king within the three realms, which is trampled on by evil Māra. Then the ārya warriors of the Tathāgata battle with Māra.
“Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, the King of the Dharma, the Lord of the Dharma, teaches hundreds of thousands of sūtras to those battling ārya warriors. In order to make happy the fourfold assembly he gives them the gift of the town of nirvāṇa and the great city of the Dharma, teaching them through nirvāṇa,416 but not teaching them this kind of Dharma teaching. [F.109.a]
“Mañjuśrī, the balacakravartin king is amazed by the great strength of the men when the warriors are fighting, and subsequently he does give them his crest jewel, the supreme of all his possessions,417 which the world does not believe in, and which is amazing.
“Mañjuśrī, just as that king keeps the crest jewel fixed upon his topknot for a long time, in the same way, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, who is the great King of the Dharma, while he is the King of the Dharma sees the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas battling with the Māra of the skandhas or the Māra of the kleśas. When they battle with them, desire, anger, and ignorance cease, they escape from all three realms, and have the great strength of a great being who defeats all the māras. This pleases the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly awakened Buddha, who then teaches those ārya warriors this kind of Dharma teaching, which is contrary to the world, which is not believed in by the world, which has previously not been expounded, which has previously not been taught. The Tathāgata gives to the śrāvakas that which causes all to attain omniscience, which is like the great crest jewel.
“Mañjuśrī, this is the supreme Dharma taught by the tathāgatas. This is the final418 Dharma teaching of the tathāgatas. Among all Dharma teachings this is the most profound Dharma teaching. It does not accord with the world.
“Mañjuśrī, just as the balacakravartin king unties the crest jewel he had kept for a long time and gives it to the supreme warriors, likewise today the Tathāgata teaches the secret Dharma teaching of the Tathāgata that has been kept for a long time, which is at the crest of all Dharma teachings, and which is known by the Tathāgata.” [F.109.b]
Thereupon the Bhagavān taught this topic in detail in verse:
This concludes “Dwelling in Happiness,” the thirteenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground
Then the bodhisattvas who had arrived from other world realms, who were as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, stood up in the circle of the assembly, bowed to the Bhagavān with hands together in homage, and said these words:
“Bhagavān, if the Bhagavān will permit us, [F.111.a] after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, we too will teach this Dharma teaching in the Sahā world realm. We will read it, write it, and make offerings to it. We shall be dedicated to this Dharma teaching. Bhagavān, teach well this Dharma teaching to us.”
The Bhagavān then asked all those bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, why would you need to do this? In this Sahā world realm there are my thousands of bodhisattvas who are as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers. Each one of those bodhisattvas has, as followers, thousands of bodhisattvas who are themselves as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers, and each of those bodhisattvas has that many followers, too. In the future times, after I have passed into nirvāṇa, they will possess this Dharma teaching and they will teach it.”
As soon as the Bhagavān had uttered those words, this entire Sahā world realm cracked apart completely, was rent with fissures, and there came out from within those fissures the bodhisattvas who lived in the Sahā world realm, the many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas, with their golden bodies and their thirty-two signs of a great being, who dwelled in the element of space beneath the great earth. They had heard the Bhagavān’s words, and came out from under the ground. Each one of these bodhisattvas had a following of bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers, in groups, great groups, along with the teachers of those groups.
Thus it was that there appeared from out of the ground of this Sahā world realm bodhisattva mahāsattvas in groups, great groups, along with the teachers of those groups—hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers, [F.111.b] let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in forty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in thirty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in twenty Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in ten Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in five Ganges Rivers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in one Ganges River, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in half a Ganges River, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with bodhisattva followers as numerous as the grains of sand in a quarter of a Ganges River, or in a sixth, or in an eighth, or in a twentieth, or in a fiftieth, or in a hundredth, or in a thousandth, or in a ten millionth, or in a billionth, or in a trillionth, or in a quintillionth, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with many quintillions of bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with ten million bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a hundred thousand bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a thousand bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with five hundred bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas [F.112.a] with four hundred or three hundred or two hundred bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a hundred bodhisattva followers, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with fifty bodhisattva followers, and likewise, let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with forty bodhisattva followers, or thirty, or twenty, or ten, or five, or four, or three, or two, and let alone bodhisattva mahāsattvas with one bodhisattva follower.
Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were beyond number, calculation, simile, or comparison emerged from the ground of the Sahā world realm. When they had emerged they went toward the precious stūpa suspended in the air within which the bhagavān tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa, and the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni were sitting together upon a lion throne. When they arrived there, they bowed their heads to the feet of both tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas.
They bowed down and paid homage to the emanations of the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni, the bodies of the tathāgatas who had gathered from the other world realms in the ten directions, the bhagavāns who were seated on lion thrones at the foot of trees made of various precious materials.
They circumambulated those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas hundreds of thousands of times and they praised them with many kinds of bodhisattva praises, and then they stood to one side with their hands together in homage and they paid homage to the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni [F.112.b] and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna.
At that time those bodhisattva mahāsattvas who had emerged from the ground paid homage to the tathāgatas and praised them with various bodhisattva praises for fifty intermediate eons. During those fifty intermediate eons Bhagavān Śākyamuni remained silent, and the fourfold assembly also remained silent for those fifty intermediate eons.
The Bhagavān now brought about a miracle, such that through that miracle the fourfold assembly thought those eons were just one afternoon. They saw this Sahā world realm became the size of a hundred thousand world realms and filled with bodhisattvas.
There were four bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were the principal ones among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas. They were the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Viśiṣṭacāritra, the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Anantacāritra, the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Viśuddhacāritra, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Supratiṣṭhitacāritra. Those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas were the principal figures among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas.
Those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas now stood before that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas, and in front of the Bhagavān, with hands placed together in homage, they inquired of the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, do you have few troubles, do you have little illness, are you happy? Bhagavān, are the beings in your care of good character? [F.113.a] Do they have good understanding? Are they easy to guide? Are they easy to purify? Are they not a cause of sadness for the Bhagavān?”
Those four bodhisattvas then spoke these verses to the Bhagavān:
In reply, the Bhagavān answered those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were the principal figures among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, it is like this: I dwell in happiness; I have little harm, little illness. The beings in my care are of good character, have good understanding, are easily guided, and are easily purified. They do not cause me sadness while they are being purified. Why is that? Noble ones, it is because these beings of mine have trained during the time of previous perfectly enlightened buddhas. Noble ones, they become devoted just on seeing me and hearing me, and they enter and remain in the wisdom of the buddhas, except for those who are engaged in the practice of the level of the śrāvakas.429 But I have also now brought them into the wisdom of the buddhas, and caused them to hear the ultimate truth.”
At this those bodhisattva mahāsattvas responded with these verses:
The Bhagavān said to those four bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were the principal figures among that great gathering of bodhisattvas, that great aggregation of bodhisattvas, [F.113.b] “Excellent, noble ones, excellent! Noble ones, your praise of the Tathāgata is excellent, excellent!”
At that moment, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and hundreds of thousands of quintillions of other bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, thought, “A great gathering of bodhisattvas, a great aggregation of bodhisattvas has emerged from the ground, and standing before the Bhagavān has honored, revered, and pleased the Bhagavān.431 This is something we have never seen and never heard of before. Where did these bodhisattva mahāsattvas come from?”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was aware of his own doubt and uncertainty and knew in his own mind the thoughts that were in the minds of hundreds of thousands of quintillions of other bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers. He placed his hands together in homage, and to the Bhagavān he expressed these thoughts in verses:
At that time, the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni’s emanations as other tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who had arrived from a hundred thousand quintillion world realms were teaching beings in other worlds.434 They were sitting cross-legged on lion thrones made of precious materials at the foot of trees made of precious materials in all eight directions from the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni. The followers of those tathāgatas also saw a great gathering of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, [F.115.a] a great aggregation of bodhisattvas emerge from the ground, and remain suspended in the sky. They were astonished and amazed. They asked their own tathāgatas, “Bhagavān, from where did these countless, innumerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas come?”
Each of those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas said to their own followers, “Noble ones, wait a little while, because the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, whose highest, complete enlightenment has been prophesied by Bhagavān Śākyamuni, has asked Bhagavān Śākyamuni that same question. Buddha Śākyamuni is going to answer, so you should listen to him.”
The Bhagavān then said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, this question you have asked me concerning this vast subject is excellent, Ajita, excellent!”
The Bhagavān now turned to the entire assembly of bodhisattvas and announced to them, “Noble ones, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha is going to teach the Tathāgata’s wisdom insight, the Tathāgata’s leadership, the Tathāgata’s activity, the Tathāgata’s displays, the Tathāgata’s expanding power, and the Tathāgata’s heroism.435 Therefore, noble ones, this entire assembly of bodhisattvas should be attentive, focused, and stable.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān pronounced these verses:
Having pronounced those verses, Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, I declare to you, I proclaim to you,439 Ajita, as for these innumerable, numberless, inconceivable, unequaled, uncountable bodhisattvas whom you have never seen before, who emerged from the ground, after I had attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in this Sahā world realm, Ajita, I inspired and developed440 all these bodhisattva mahāsattvas toward the highest, complete enlightenment. Noble ones, I ripened them for this bodhisattva Dharma, established them in it, and caused them to follow it, remain in it, and understand it.
“Ajita, these bodhisattva mahāsattvas live in this Sahā world realm by occupying the realm of space below, where they are engaged in reciting and receiving the teachings, and correctly contemplating them.
“These noble ones do not delight in the activities of society, they delight in the absence of society. Their diligence does not weaken, they apply themselves with diligence. Ajita, these noble ones delight in solitude and find pleasure in solitude. These noble ones do not live by relying upon either devas or humans. These noble ones delight in activities that are devoid of worldly gatherings, delight in the pleasure of the Dharma, and are dedicated to the wisdom of buddhahood.”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and the many hundred thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas were then astonished and amazed. How could the Buddha in a moment—in such a short time—inspire and ripen for the highest, complete enlightenment all these countless bodhisattvas?
So the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya inquired of the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, when the Tathāgata was a young man, you left the Śākya town of Kapilavastu for homelessness. You went to the supreme Bodhimaṇḍa that is not very far from the city of Gayā. You attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. [F.116.b] Bhagavān, since that time until today more than forty years have passed. Bhagavān, how could the Tathāgata in such a short time as this accomplish such countless tathāgata activities as these? How did you attain the preeminence of a tathāgata, and the heroism of a tathāgata?442 Bhagavān, you have inspired and ripened for the highest, complete enlightenment this great gathering of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, this great aggregation of bodhisattvas, in just that amount of time. Bhagavān, one would not be able to count this great gathering of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, this great aggregation of bodhisattvas, even in a hundred thousand quintillion eons. Bhagavān, such innumerable, countless bodhisattvas have practiced celibacy for a long time, creating roots of merit under many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, and perfecting themselves over many hundreds of thousands of eons.
“Bhagavān, it is as if there were a young man, a lad of twenty-five years of age, with black hair, in the first phase of his adulthood, who revealed that he has sons that are a hundred years old. He says, ‘These noble ones are my sons; they are my sons,’ and they say, ‘This man is our father.’ Bhagavān, what they say would not be believed. It would be difficult for the world to believe them.
“Bhagavān, similarly, it is not very long since you, Tathāgata, attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. These countless, innumerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas have practiced celibacy for many hundreds of thousands of eons; they have gained certainty in the wisdom of buddhahood during a long period of time; they are skilled in resting in hundreds of thousands of samādhis; [F.117.a] they have developed the great higher knowledges; they are wise in the level of buddhahood; they are skilled in teaching the dharmas of the Tathāgata; they are an amazement and wonder in this world; and they have attained great diligence, strength, and might.
“The Bhagavān has said of them, ‘I am the one who first established them on the level of being a bodhisattva; I am the one who has ripened and developed them. It is through my attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood that I have accomplished all this diligence and heroism.’
“Bhagavān, we will have faith in whatever the Tathāgata says, thinking, ‘The Tathāgata speaks infallibly. The Tathāgata knows the truth.’ However, Bhagavān, those newly following in the Bodhisattvayāna will have doubts. After the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, they will hear this Dharma teaching and they will not believe it, will not have faith in it, and will not be attracted to it. Therefore, Bhagavān, they will accrue the karma of rejecting the Dharma.
“Therefore, Bhagavān, explain the meaning of this well, so that we will not have any kind of doubt in this Dharma, and so that in the future time, when noble men and noble women who are on the Bodhisattvayāna hear it, they will not doubt it.”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya then addressed these verses to the Bhagavān:
This concludes “The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground,” the fourteenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B10] [F.118.a]
The Lifespan of the Tathāgata
Then the Bhagavān said to the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”
The Bhagavān said a second time, and a third time, to those bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak. Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”
At this, the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, with bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya standing in front to them, with hands together in homage, requested, “Bhagavān, explain the meaning to us. Sugata, explain it to us. We will believe what the Tathāgata says.” A second time, the complete assembly of bodhisattvas requested the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, explain the meaning to us. Sugata, explain it to us. We will believe what the Tathāgata says.” A third time, the complete assembly of bodhisattvas requested the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, explain the meaning to us. Sugata, explain it to us. We will believe what the Tathāgata says.”
Then the Bhagavān, knowing that the bodhisattvas had made their request three times, said to those bodhisattvas, “And so, noble ones, listen to what has arisen because of the power of my samādhi.444
“Noble ones, the world with its devas, humans, and asuras thinks and believes, ‘Bhagavān Śākyamuni departed from his Śākya clan into mendicancy, went to the preeminent, supreme Bodhimaṇḍa, and attained the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood by the city of Gayā.’ [F.118.b] However, noble ones, I attained the highest, complete enlightenment of buddhahood many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons ago.
“Noble sons, it is like this: If there were a man who picked up one atom from among the atoms of the element of earth in countless445 fifty hundred thousand quintillion world realms, and he were to carry it in an eastern direction until he had passed countless, fifty hundred thousand quintillion world realms, and were then to deposit that atom there; and if he were to continue on further in that way446 until the entire element of earth in all those world realms was gone, depositing the atoms in that manner, in that way, into world realms in an eastern direction, then, noble ones, do you think that anyone could conceive of, or calculate, count, or determine the number of those world realms?”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and the complete assembly of bodhisattvas said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, those world realms are numberless, are innumerable, and are beyond the capacity of the mind. Bhagavān, even all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas with their higher wisdom could not conceive of, calculate, or determine their number. Bhagavān, even for us bodhisattvas on the level of irreversibility this subject is beyond the scope of our thoughts. Bhagavān, the number of those world realms would be incalculable.”
The Bhagavān said to those bodhisattva mahāsattvas, “Noble ones, I declare to you, I proclaim to you,447 [F.119.a] noble ones, in those world realms in which that man would deposit atoms, and, noble sons, those in which he did not deposit them, there are not, in all those hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms, noble sons, as many atoms as there are hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons since I attained the highest complete enlightenment of buddhahood. Since I began teaching the Dharma to beings in this Sahā world realm and in another hundred thousand quintillion world realms, noble ones, those other tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas whom I have previously mentioned, beginning with Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara, and the passing into nirvāṇa of those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas, were my emanations, noble ones, in order to accomplish the teaching of the Dharma through skillful methods. Moreover, noble ones, the Tathāgata, on seeing the extent of the faculties and diligence of the successive beings of future times, states what will be his name in those times, and states when his passing into nirvāṇa will occur, and in that way he will satisfy beings with various kinds of Dharma teachings.448
“Noble ones, the Tathāgata says to beings with various aspirations, few roots of merit, and many kleśas, ‘Bhikṣus, I am young; I renounced my family and it has not been long, bhikṣus, since I have attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’
“Noble ones, even though it has thus been a long time since the Tathāgata attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, he says, ‘It has not been long since I attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.’ [F.119.b] That kind of Dharma was taught solely for the purpose of ripening beings and bringing them into the teaching.
“Noble ones, all those Dharma teachings were taught by the Tathāgata in order to guide beings.
“Noble ones, the words the Tathāgata speaks in order to guide beings, whether spoken by myself or spoken by someone else, whether concerning myself or concerning anyone else—whatever Dharma teachings the Tathāgata has taught, all are the truth that is spoken by the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata does not lie.
“Why is that? The Tathāgata has seen the three realms exactly as they are:449 there is no birth, no death, no transmigration, no becoming, no saṃsāra, no nirvāṇa, no being, no nonbeing, no existence, no nonexistence, no ‘like this,’ no ‘not like this,’ no ‘untrue,’ and no ‘not untrue.’ The Tathāgata does not see the three realms in the way that ordinary, foolish beings see them. Concerning this, the Tathāgata has the direct perception of phenomena, and there is no phenomenon of which he is oblivious. Therefore, whatever the Tathāgata says is all the truth, without any lies. However, as beings have different kinds of conduct, different kinds of aspirations, and different kinds of perception and conception, in order that they may develop roots of merit, the Tathāgata teaches many kinds of Dharma teachings, with many kinds of goals.
“Noble ones, whatever the Tathāgata has to do, that is what the Tathāgata does. The Tathāgata, who has attained perfect buddhahood a long time ago, has an immeasurable lifespan. [F.120.a] He always remains and does not pass into nirvāṇa, but creates the appearance of passing into nirvāṇa in order to benefit his students.
“Noble ones, I still have an entire lifespan of twice times a hundred thousand quintillion eons. Although I will not pass into nirvāṇa, I state that I am going to pass into nirvāṇa. Why is that? Noble ones, it is in order to ripen beings through this Dharma teaching. If I were not to pass into nirvāṇa and were to remain for a long time, because I would be constantly seen, beings would not create roots of merit. They would become destitute, devoid of merit, indulging in desires, blind, and caught in the net of wrong views. Thinking, ‘The Tathāgata remains,’ they would perceive him as easy to meet450 and would not perceive him as difficult to meet. They would think, ‘The Tathāgata is with us,’ and would not be diligently dedicated to escaping from the three realms. They would not view a tathāgata as being rare.
“Therefore, noble ones, the Tathāgata, using skillful method, states, ‘Bhikṣus, it is very difficult to find the appearance of the tathāgatas.’ Why is that? For those beings, it is possible that they may see a tathāgata after many hundred thousands of quintillions of eons, and it is possible that they will not.
“Noble ones, considering this, I say, ‘Bhikṣus, the appearance of a tathāgata is difficult to find,’ so that conceiving that the appearance of a tathāgata is difficult to find they perceive it as a wonder, and they have the understanding that a tathāgata passes into nirvāṇa. When they do not see the Tathāgata,451 [F.120.b] they will thirst for the sight of him. The roots of merit from the mind being focused upon the Tathāgata will bring good results, benefits, and happiness for a long time. Knowing this, for the sake of those to be guided, the Tathāgata announces that he will pass into nirvāṇa even though he does not pass into nirvāṇa.
“Noble ones, that which the Tathāgata states is a Dharma teaching; he does not speak lies.
“Noble ones, it is as if there were a man who is a physician who is wise, eminent, learned, intelligent, very skilled,452 and could cure all illnesses, and that man has many sons—ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, or a thousand. That physician goes away to somewhere else, and all his sons take a poisonous drink, or a venomous drink. As a result of that poison or venom, they are tormented and tortured by the sensations of suffering and roll around on the ground. Then their father, the physician, returns from his journey. His sons are in distress from the suffering caused by that poison or venom. Some have deluded perceptions and some do not have deluded perception but all are in distress from suffering. They are happy to see their father and say to him, ‘Father, you have returned happily and safely. Free us from this poison or venom that is destroying our bodies. Save our lives!’
“Their father sees that they are distressed by suffering, that they are tormented and tortured by illness and are rolling around on the ground. He gathers together great herbs with excellent color, aroma, and taste and grinds them on a stone. He tells his sons to drink this mixture, saying, ‘Sons, drink this great medicine that is colorful, aromatic, and tasty [F.121.a] Noble ones, if you drink this excellent medicine you will quickly be freed from the poison or venom, and will be happy and healthy.’
“Then the physician’s sons who do not have deluded perception see the color of the medicine, smell its aroma, taste its flavor, and quickly drink it. They become completely free from all illness. His sons who have deluded perception praise their father, saying, ‘Father, you have returned happily and safely. Heal us!’ but they do not drink the medicine. Why is that? Because their perception is deluded, they did not like the color of the medicine, did not like its smell, and did not like its taste. Then the physician thinks, ‘These sons of mine have deluded perception because of the poison or venom and so will not drink the medicine, but they are praising me. I will use a skillful method to make them drink this medicine.’
“Then the physician, wishing to use a skillful method to make his sons drink the medicine, says to them, ‘Noble ones, I am old, advanced in years, and aged. The time of my death is close. Sons, do not be sad. Do not be unhappy. If you need great medicine, take this medicine.’ Having instructed them in this way as a skillful method he goes to another land, and having gone there, sends news to his sick sons that he is dying. Then they become very sad, wail and weep, thinking, ‘Our only father, protector, progenitor, who had compassion for us has died, and so now we have no protector!’ They see that they are without a protector; they see that they have no refuge, and are overcome by sorrow.
“Through becoming overcome by sorrow, those whose perceptions are deluded gain undeluded perception. Then they can perceive the color, aroma, and taste of the medicine’s color, aroma, and taste, and at that time they drink it. [F.121.b] Once they have drunk it they become free from their illness. When the physician knows that his sons have been cured he then reveals himself to them.
“Noble ones, what do you think? Should someone who has used such a skillful method be called a liar?”
“No, Bhagavān,” they answered. “No, Sugata.”
“Noble ones,” he continued, “in the same way, although I attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood countless, innumerable hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons ago, I sometimes teach as a skillful method such as this in order to guide beings. In this matter, I am not in any way a liar.”
Then the Bhagavān taught the meaning of this extensively in verses:
This concludes “The Lifespan of the Tathāgata,” the fifteenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Extent of the Merit
When the teaching of the Tathāgata’s lifespan was taught it benefited innumerable, countless beings. The Bhagavān said at that time to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, when the Dharma teaching that teaches the Tathāgata’s lifespan was given, a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-eight Ganges Rivers, developed receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena.
“A thousand times more bodhisattva mahāsattvas than that attained the power of retention.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in a world realm of a thousand458 worlds, heard this Dharma teaching and attained unimpeded eloquence.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in a world realm of a million worlds,459 heard this Dharma teaching and attained a hundred thousandfold power of retention.460
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in a world realm of a billion worlds,461 [F.123.a] heard this Dharma teaching and turned the irreversible wheel.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in the intermediate thousandfold world realm,462 heard this Dharma teaching and turned the Dharma wheel called stainless light.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in the lesser thousandfold world realm,463 heard this Dharma teaching and developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment after eight lifetimes.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in four four-continent world realms, heard this Dharma teaching and developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment after four lifetimes.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in three four-continent world realms, heard this Dharma teaching and developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment after three lifetimes.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in two four-continent world realms, heard this Dharma teaching and developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment after two lifetimes.
“Other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, as numerous as the atoms in one four-continent world realm, heard this Dharma teaching and developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment in one lifetime.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas as numerous as the atoms in eight world realms of a thousand million worlds heard this Dharma teaching and developed the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment.”
As soon as the Bhagavān had taught this foundation, this understanding of the Dharma, to those bodhisattvas, in that moment, from the sky above [F.123.b] there descended a great rainfall of coral tree flowers and great coral tree flowers. They were sprinkled and scattered over a hundred thousand quintillion buddhas seated on lion thrones at the foot of precious trees in a hundred thousand quintillion world realms.
They were sprinkled and scattered over the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa, who were both seated on lion thrones. They were sprinkled and scattered over the complete gathering of bodhisattvas. They were sprinkled and scattered over the fourfold assembly. Divine sandalwood and agarwood powders fell from the sky. There resounded from the sky above the beautiful, melodious, and gentle sounds of drums, without their being beaten. Hundreds of thousands of pairs of divine calico cloths fell from above. Short necklaces, long necklaces, flower garlands, precious jewels, and huge precious jewels were hung in every direction. Hundreds of thousands of censers made from precious materials and containing priceless incense moved around by themselves. Above each tathāgata, bodhisattva mahāsattvas in the sky held a tier of precious parasols that reached up to the realm of Brahmā. In this way, above all those hundred thousand quintillion buddhas, bodhisattva mahāsattvas in the sky held tiers of precious parasols, reaching as high as the realm of Brahmā. Each of them praised those tathāgatas with praises of the buddhas rendered into verse.
The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, those beings who have just once developed aspiration, developed motivation, or gained faith when this Dharma teaching that teaches the extent of the lifespan of the Tathāgata was taught, how much merit have such noble men or noble women created? Listen well and remember, for I shall explain how much merit they have created.
“Ajita, it is like this: If a noble man or noble woman, wishing for the highest, complete enlightenment, were to practice, for eight hundred thousand quintillion eons, the five perfections, which are the perfection of generosity, the perfection of correct conduct, the perfection of patience, [F.125.a] the perfection of diligence, and the perfection of meditation, without the perfection of wisdom, and, Ajita, if there were a noble man or noble woman who had one time developed aspiration, developed motivation, or gained faith when this Dharma teaching that teaches the extent of the lifespan of the Tathāgata was taught, then that former accumulation of the roots of merit—the merit accumulated by completing the five perfections during eight hundred thousand quintillion eons—would not equal a hundredth part, not a thousandth, not a hundred thousandth, not a ten millionth, not a thousand millionth, not ten thousand millionth, not a million millionth, and not even a hundred thousand quintillionth part. The merit could not be calculated; even a fraction of it could not be calculated—there is no suitable analogy for it, and there is no suitable simile for it.
“Ajita, it is impossible for the progress toward the highest, complete enlightenment made by a noble man or noble woman who possesses such an accumulation of merit to be reversible.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
“Moreover, Ajita, if someone who hears, enters, follows, and comprehends this Dharma teaching that teaches the lifespan of the Tathāgata will generate a supremely incalculable accumulation of merit that leads to the wisdom of buddhahood, it goes without saying that someone who hears this kind of Dharma teaching, proclaims it, maintains it, writes it, has it written, and honors the text or has others honor it with flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, flags, sesame oil lamps, ghee lamps, and perfumed oil lamps will generate a far greater accumulation of merit that leads to the wisdom of buddhahood.
“Ajita, when a noble man or noble woman hears this Dharma teaching that teaches the lifespan of the Tathāgata and aspires to it with a superior motivation, know that their superior motivation has these characteristics: They see me at Vulture Peak, encircled and honored by an assembly of bodhisattvas, teaching the Dharma at the center of the saṅgha of śrāvakas. They see my buddha realm, this Sahā world realm, to have a ground made of beryl that is level, divided like a checkerboard with golden cords, and to be adorned by trees made of precious materials. They see bodhisattvas residing in perfectly enjoyable kūṭāgāras. [F.126.b]
“Ajita, know these to be the characteristics of the superior motivation of the noble men or noble women who have aspiration with a superior motivation.
“Moreover, Ajita, I say that those noble ones who have a superior motivation are those who hear this Dharma teaching after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa and do not reject it, but rejoice in it, let alone those who maintain it and read it.
“Ajita, the noble man or noble woman who makes a text of this Dharma teaching and carries it on their shoulder is carrying the Tathāgata on their shoulder.467
“Ajita, that noble man or noble woman does not need to build a stūpa for me, does not need to build a temple, nor do they need to give utensils to the saṅgha of bhikṣus, or medicine when they are ill.
“Why is that? Ajita, that noble man or noble woman will have made an offering to my body, having created a stūpa made of the seven precious materials that is as high as the realm of Brahmā, encircled by a circumambulatory walkway, with parasols upon it, with flags and ringing bells. They will have honored it in many ways with divine and human flowers, perfume, incense, garlands, ointments, powders, cloth, parasols, banners, flags, and flags of victory. For many countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons, they will have honored it with beautiful, melodious, clear sounds of many kinds of kettledrums,468 and large kettledrums; the sound of musical instruments and percussion; different kinds of song, dance, and amusements; and countless different kinds of music.
“Ajita, the one who after my passing into nirvāṇa possesses this Dharma teaching and reads it, writes it out, and teaches it, [F.127.a] will for my sake have created a high, vast temple made of red sandalwood, with thirty-two mansions that have eight floors, as a residence for a thousand bhikṣus, with gardens beautified by flowers, with groves that have walkways, with beds and seats, filled with food and drink—hard food and soft food—and medicine for when there is illness, and adorned with things that bring happiness. They will have offered many of these, countless numbers of these—a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand, ten million, a thousand million, a trillion, a hundred thousand quintillion—in my presence, to the saṅgha of śrāvakas, and it should be known that I will have enjoyed them.
“Ajita, I say that if someone possesses this Dharma teaching after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, and reads it, teaches it, writes it, or has someone write it, then because of this Dharma teaching there is no need for them to build a stūpa for my relics after I have passed into nirvāṇa, and no need to make an offering to the saṅgha, let alone, Ajita, someone who while possessing this Dharma teaching accomplishes generosity, correct conduct, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. That noble man or noble woman will generate an infinite, countless, innumerable aggregation of merit, Ajita, in the same way that the directions of east, south, west, north, above and below, and the intermediate directions in the element of space have no end.
“That noble man or noble woman who possesses this Dharma teaching, and reads it, teaches it, writes it, or has someone write it, accumulates an infinite, countless, innumerable aggregation of merit for the wisdom of buddhahood. They will be dedicated to honoring the caitya of the Tathāgata. [F.127.b] They will recite the praises of the Tathāgata’s śrāvakas. They will describe the hundred thousand quintillion qualities of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas and teach them to others again and again.
“They will accomplish patience, possess correct conduct, and will delight in the company of those with virtuous qualities; they will be patient, self-controlled, without envy, free of anger, without malicious intentions, mindful, strong, diligent, and constantly dedicated to seeking the Buddha’s Dharma; they will be meditators, will be devoted to solitary meditation, will frequently be in solitary meditation, and be skilled in questions and discrimination, and able to answer a hundred thousand quintillion questions.
“Ajita, I have described the qualities of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who will maintain this Dharma teaching after I have passed into nirvāṇa, and that is what they will be like.
“Ajita, this is what a noble man or noble woman should know: That noble man or noble woman will be seated at the Bodhimaṇḍa. They will go to the foot of the Bodhi tree in order to attain the enlightenment of buddhahood.
“Ajita, wherever that noble man or noble woman stands, sits, or walks, there should be built a caitya for the Tathāgata. The world and its devas should say, ‘This is a caitya of the Tathāgata.’ ”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
This concludes “The Extent of the Merit,” the sixteenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
Teaching the Merit of Rejoicing
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya asked the Bhagavān, [F.129.a] “Bhagavān, if a noble man or noble woman rejoices after hearing this Dharma teaching explained, how much merit, Bhagavān, does that noble man or noble woman create?” And at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya also addressed to him this verse:
The Bhagavān then answered the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, when the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, suppose there are noble men or noble women, bhikṣus or bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas or upāsikās, wise adults, boys or girls who listen to this Dharma teaching being given, and having heard it, rejoice. And having listened to the Dharma they get up and leave, and whether they go to a temple, a house, a forest, a street, a town, or the countryside, they explain those causes, those causal factors, that Dharma, to other beings just as they have heard it, just as they remember it, to the extent of their ability, whether it be to their father, mother, or relative, and to anyone else who will be pleased, with whom they are acquainted. Then suppose those other beings rejoice on having heard it, and having rejoiced they tell it to others who will rejoice on hearing it, and then those tell it to others, so that this Dharma teaching is passed on from one to another until it reaches a fiftieth person.
“Ajita, thus suppose there is a person who is the fiftieth to hear it and rejoice after it has been passed on from one to another. Ajita, I shall describe the merit that is accumulated through such a noble man or noble woman’s rejoicing, so listen well and remember. [F.129.b]
“Ajita, it is like this: Suppose there are four hundred thousand innumerable world realms in which there are beings that have been born into the six kinds of existence: that have been born from eggs, born from wombs, born from warm moisture, or born miraculously; beings with form and without form; beings with perception, without perception, and neither with nor without perception; beings with no legs, with two legs, with four legs, or with many legs—an entire multitude of beings that are included within that realm of beings, that have entered that realm of beings. Then a man appears there who wishes to create merit, who wishes to benefit others, and who gives to that multitude of beings lovely, beautiful, cherished, desired pleasures and enjoyments of happiness. In order that each of the beings that fill Jambudvīpa might enjoy what they desire, what they delight in, and what they take pleasure in, he gives them cowries, gold, silver, jewels, pearls, beryls, conch, crystal, corals, horse-drawn carriages, ox-drawn carriages, elephant-drawn carriages, palaces, and kūṭāgāras.
“Ajita, this man, this lord of generosity, this lord of great generosity, gives these gifts in that way for eighty years. Then, Ajita, this man, this lord of generosity, this lord of great generosity thinks, ‘I have brought all these beings delights, pleasures, and happiness. These beings have now become old. They have white hair, are covered with wrinkles, are eighty years old and they are close to the time of their deaths. I shall introduce them to the Dharma’s guidance that has been taught by the Tathāgata and teach it to them.’
“Then, Ajita, that man introduces those beings to the Dharma’s guidance that has been taught by the Tathāgata, [F.130.a] and when they have been introduced to the Dharma they listen to it, and having heard it for just one moment, just one instant, briefly, they attain the results of becoming stream entrants, once-returners, and nonreturners, up to becoming arhats, who have brought the defilements to cessation, become meditators, great meditators, and meditate on the eight liberations.
“What do you think, Ajita? Would this man, this lord of generosity, this lord of great generosity, have generated vast countless immeasurable merit through that as a cause?”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya replied to the Bhagavān, “It is so, Bhagavān. It is so, Sugata. That man, that lord of generosity, that lord of great generosity, would have generated vast merit through that causal factor, through giving to those beings the things that bring happiness—not to speak, Bhagavān, of establishing them in the higher state of arhathood.”
Then the Bhagavān said to bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, I declare this to you,472 I make this known to you. There is the merit generated by that man, that lord of generosity, that lord of great generosity through providing the things that brought happiness to all the beings in four hundred thousand countless world realms, and establishing them in arhathood. There is also the amount of merit generated by the fiftieth person who heard and rejoiced in just one verse from this Dharma teaching, or rejoiced in just one line, after it had been passed from one to another. The amount of merit possessed by that person who rejoiced—who rejoiced in just one verse from this Dharma teaching or rejoiced in just one line—after it had been passed from one to another fifty times, would be far greater than the amount of merit gained by that man, that lord of generosity, that lord of great generosity through his generosity and establishing beings in arhathood. [F.130.b]
“Ajita, the accumulation of merit through generosity and establishing beings in arhathood that was previously described does not equal a hundredth of the merit, of the good karma, accumulated from that rejoicing. It does not equal a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a ten millionth, a thousand millionth, a ten thousand millionth, a million millionth, or even a hundred thousand quintillionth. That merit cannot be calculated—even a fraction of it cannot be calculated; there is no suitable analogy for it, and there is no suitable simile for it.
“Ajita, that is the amount of merit generated by rejoicing in one verse or one line from this Dharma teaching by that fiftieth person, Ajita, not to mention someone who in my presence hears and rejoices in this Dharma teaching. Ajita, I teach that the accumulation of such merit is immeasurable, unquantifiable.
“Ajita, the noble man or noble woman who, in order to listen to this Dharma teaching, leaves their home and goes to a temple, and having arrived there, whether standing or sitting, listens briefly to this Dharma teaching will create and accumulate such an accumulation of merit. Then when they depart from that life, in their next lifetime, they will have a life in which they acquire ox-drawn carriages, horse-drawn carriages, elephant-drawn carriages, palanquins, boats,473 bull-drawn carriages, and the airborne palaces of a deity.
“If they sit down for just a moment where the Dharma of the sūtra is being taught and listen to this Dharma teaching, or make another person sit down, or share their seat with another being, through that merit they accumulate they will attain the throne of Śakra, the throne of Brahmā, and the lion throne of a cakravartin. [F.131.a]
“Ajita, if a noble man or noble woman says to another person, ‘Hey, come here! Listen to this Dharma teaching called The White Lotus of the Good Dharma!’ and if that person is inspired and comes, and if they listen for just a moment, through the roots of merit that are accumulated through having inspired that being, the noble man or woman will be among the company of bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have attained retention. They will not be stupid. They will have sharp faculties and be wise. For a hundred thousand lifetimes they will not have a foul-smelling mouth, bad breath, illness of the tongue, illness of the mouth, blackened teeth, uneven teeth, yellow teeth, disarranged teeth, broken teeth,474 lost teeth, crooked teeth, a prominent lower lip, thin lips, too wide lips, a cleft lip, crooked lips, dark lips, ugly lips, a flat nose, a crooked nose, a long face, a crooked face, a black face, or an ugly face.
“Ajita, in that way they will have delicate and well-formed tongues, teeth, and lips, a prominent nose, a beautifully shaped face, lovely eyebrows, a well-formed forehead, and they will attain the complete features of a superior being. They will find the Tathāgata and the instructions he teaches, and will quickly be among the company of the buddha bhagavāns.
“Ajita, see the amount of merit that is generated by inspiring just one being, let alone by one who respectfully listens to, respectfully reads, respectfully teaches, and respectfully elucidates this Dharma teaching.” [F.131.b]
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
This concludes “Teaching the Merit of Rejoicing,” the seventeenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B11]
The Benefits of the Purity of the Six Āyatanas
Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Satatasamitābhiyukta, “If any noble man or noble woman possesses, reads, teaches, or asks questions about this Dharma teaching, that noble man or noble woman will gain eight hundred qualities of the eyes, will gain twelve hundred qualities of the nose, will gain eight hundred qualities of the ears, will gain twelve hundred qualities of the tongue, will gain eight hundred qualities of the body, and will gain twelve hundred qualities of mind.
“Through those many hundreds of qualities the combination476 of the six sensory faculties will be purified, completely purified. The purified faculty of the eye, the ordinary physical eyes that have come from the father and mother, [F.132.b] will see the outside and inside of the world realm of a thousand million worlds, with its mountains477 and forests, seeing all as far down as the Avīci hell and as far upward as the summit of existence. With ordinary eyes of flesh they will see all the birthplaces of beings, and know the ripening of their karma.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
“Moreover, Satatasamitābhiyukta, the noble man or noble woman who teaches and explains to others this Dharma teaching will have those twelve hundred qualities of the ears. They will hear all the outer and inner sounds that arise in the world realm of a thousand million worlds, from as far down as the Avīci hell to as high up as the summit of existence, such as the sounds of elephants, the sounds of horses, the sounds of camels, the sounds of oxen, the sounds of goats, the sounds of carts, the sounds of weeping, the sounds of misery, the sounds of fear, [F.133.a] the sounds of conches, the sounds of bells, the sounds of drums, the sounds of play, the sounds of song, the sounds of music, the sounds of men, the sounds of women, the sounds of boys, the sounds of girls, the sounds of the Dharma, the sounds of that which is not the Dharma, the sounds of happiness, the sounds of suffering, the sounds of fools, the sounds of the āryas, the sounds that are pleasant, the sounds that are unpleasant, the sounds of devas, the sounds of nāgas, the sounds of yakṣas, the sounds of gandharvas, the sounds of asuras, the sounds of garuḍas, the sounds of kinnaras, the sounds of fire, the sounds of water, the sounds of the air, the sounds of villages, the sounds of towns, the sounds of bhikṣus, the sounds of śrāvakas, the sounds of pratyekabuddhas, the sounds of bodhisattvas, and the sounds of tathāgatas—all the sounds that arise outside and inside within a world realm of a thousand million worlds.
“Although they will not yet have accomplished divine hearing, they will understand the sounds of each and every being and be able to differentiate them and understand them by listening with that ordinary faculty of the ears. That faculty of the ears will hear the sounds that the various beings make but the faculty of hearing will not be overwhelmed by all those sounds. Satatasamitābhiyukta, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas will acquire that kind of sense of hearing, but will not yet at that time have attained divine hearing.”
As soon as the Tathāgata had said these words, the Teacher added these verses:
“Moreover, Satatasamitābhiyukta, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess this Dharma teaching, teach it, recite it, or write it will have the eight hundred qualities of the nose; the sensory faculty of their nose will be completely purified.
“That completely pure nasal faculty will sense the multitude of different smells, both inside and outside in the world realm of a thousand million worlds, such as rotten smells, pleasant smells, and unpleasant smells.
“They will smell the scents of different flowers, namely, the scents of royal jasmine, jasmine, magnolias, and bignonia flowers.
“They will smell the scent of water-borne flowers, namely, the scents of blue lotuses, red lotuses, night lotuses, and white lotuses.
“They will smell the scent of the flowers of various fruit- and flower-bearing trees, and the scent of fruits, namely, the scents of sandalwood, bay leaves, valerian, and agarwood.
“If there are a hundred thousand aromas in one place they will smell them all and know them all.
“They will also smell the many different scents of animals, namely, the scents of elephants, horses, oxen, goats, sheep, and cattle.
“They will smell the scents of the bodies of many different kinds of creatures reborn as animals.
“They will smell the scents of the bodies of men and of women. They will smell the scents of the bodies of boys and girls. They will smell the scents of grasses, bushes, [F.134.b] herbs, and forests that are far away. They will smell them correctly and know what they are, but they will not be fascinated by those smells; they will not be intoxicated by them.
“While being here in this world, they will smell the scents of the devas, namely, the scents of the divine night-flowering jasmine, orchid tree, coral tree, great coral tree, spider lily, and great spider lily flowers. They will smell the scents of a hundred thousand different kinds of divine flowers and know their names.
“They will smell the scents of the bodies of the devas; namely, they will smell the scent of the body of Śakra, lord of devas, and know if he is enjoying amusements and pleasures in Vaijayanta, his palace; if he is teaching the Dharma to the devas of Trāyastriṃśa in Sudharma, the assembly hall of the devas; or if he has come into the park there for pleasure. They will also smell the scents of the bodies of other devas. They will also smell the scents of the bodies of the deva maidens and the deva wives. They will also smell the scents of the bodies of the deva boys. They will also smell the scents of the bodies of the deva girls. They will not be fascinated by those smells, or intoxicated by them.
“In that way they will smell the scents of the bodies of beings up to the summit of existence. They will smell the scents of bodies of the Brahmakāyika devas and of the Mahābrahmās. In that way they will smell the scents of the bodies of all classes of devas.
“They will smell the scents of the bodies of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and tathāgatas. They will smell the scents of the thrones of the tathāgatas. They will know where the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas are seated. Their nasal faculty will not be overwhelmed, impaired, or damaged by those multitudes of smells.” [F.135.a]
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
“Moreover, Satatasamitābhiyukta, the noble man or noble woman who possesses this Dharma teaching, teaches it, explains it, and has it written out [F.136.b] will attain twelve hundred qualities of the sensory faculty of the tongue.
“With that sense of the tongue, whatever taste is experienced, whatever taste is perceived, and any taste with which the sensory organ of the tongue comes into contact, will all become an excellent divine taste. Any delightful taste that has not been experienced before will be experienced. Whatever taste is unpleasant will be transformed, when it comes in contact with the tongue, into a divine flavor.
“When they teach the Dharma in the midst of an assembly, they will bring pleasure to the senses of those beings. They will be satisfied, completely satisfied and overjoyed. The words they hear will be beautiful, delightful, and profound. They will touch the heart and be beloved. They will make those beings happy and they will rejoice.
“Whenever they teach the Dharma to anyone, the devas, hearing the beautiful, delightful sound, will come to them so as to see them, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma. Male and female devas will wish to come to them so as to see them, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma. Śakras, Brahmās, and Brahmakāyika devas will wish to come to them so as to see them, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma. Male and female nāgas will wish to come to them so as to see them, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma. Male and female garuḍas will wish to come to them so as to see them, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma. Male and female kinnaras, male and female mahoragas,484 male and female yakṣas, and male and female piśācas will wish to come to them so as to see them, pay homage to them, honor them, and listen to the Dharma. They will revere them, venerate them, admire them, make offerings to them, praise485 them, and show them respect.
“They will also wish to see the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, and the upāsakas and upāsikās. [F.137.a] They will wish to see the kings, the princes, and the king’s ministers. They will wish to see and to revere the balacakravartin king, the cakravartin who possesses the seven jewels, with his princes, his ministers, his harem, and his attendants.
“Those dharmabhāṇakas will teach the beautiful Dharma exactly as it was spoken by the Tathāgata. Brahmins, householders, and other people of the towns486 and the land will always, continuously be their followers, and attendants of the dharmabhāṇakas, until the end of their lives.
“The Tathāgata’s śrāvakas will also wish to see them. The pratyekabuddhas will also wish to see them. The buddha bhagavāns will also wish to see them.
“Wherever that noble man or noble woman is, they will be teaching the Dharma in the presence487 of the Tathāgata. They will have become vessels for the Buddha’s Dharma. They will emit the profound, beautiful words of the Dharma.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
“Moreover, Satatasamitābhiyukta, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess this Dharma, read it, teach it, explain it, or write it out, will attain eight hundred qualities of the body. Their bodies will be purified. Their skin will be the pure color of beryl, and will bring happiness to those beings who see it.
“They will see the world realm of a thousand million worlds within their purified bodies. They will see in their bodies all the beings in the world realm of a thousand million worlds, whether they are dying or being born, good or bad, of a good color or a bad color, in the higher existences or the lower existences, dwelling on the Cakravāla or Mahācakravāla Mountains, [F.138.a] on the kings of mountains, Meru or Sumeru, or who live as far down below as the Avīci hell or as high above as the summit of existence.
“They will see in their own bodies the bodies that have been attained by the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and tathāgatas who are present in the world realm of a thousand million worlds, and of those to whom the tathāgatas are teaching the Dharma, and the beings who are honoring those tathāgatas. Why is that? It is because their bodies will have become completely purified.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
“Moreover, Satatasamitābhiyukta, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess this Dharma, read it, teach it, explain it, or write it out will attain twelve hundred qualities of mental activity, and their mental faculty will be purified. Those who have a purified mental faculty will understand many meanings from hearing just one verse. And, comprehending that, they will be able to teach it for a month, for four months, or for a year. They will never forget any Dharma that they have been taught. They will be able to apply to the Dharma all of the world’s languages, incantations, and mundane terminology. They will know all the movement and activity in the minds of all those beings born in the six classes of existence in the world realm of a thousand million worlds.
“Even though they will not yet have attained the wisdom of the āryas, they will still have acquired that kind of purified mental faculty. Whatever Dharma definition they have contemplated, they will teach, and they will teach all of that correctly. They will teach all that the Tathāgata has taught. They will teach all the Dharma teachings taught by the jinas of the past.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
This concludes “The Benefits of the Purity of the Six Āyatanas,” the eighteenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
Sadāparibhūta
Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, “Mahāsthāmaprāpta, you should know that this Dharma teaching is like this: Whoever rejects this Dharma teaching, and scolds, rebukes, and speaks crudely489 and harshly to the bhikṣus, [F.139.b] bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess such a sūtra as this, will experience the undesirable result ripening from that, which is that they will be unable to speak words. Whoever possesses such a sūtra as this, reads it, studies it, teaches it, and teaches it extensively to others will have the desirable result ripening from that, which is, as I have said before, that they will attain purified eyes, nose, ears, tongue, body, and mind.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, in the past, in a time gone by, countless, innumerable, incalculable, vast asaṃkhyeya eons ago, at that time, in that era, in the Vinirbhoga eon, in the world realm Mahāsaṃbhavā, there appeared in the world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja, in that world realm Mahāsaṃbhavā, taught the Dharma before the world with its devas, humans, and asuras in this way: To the śrāvakas he taught the Dharma conjoined with the four truths of the āryas, and nirvāṇa as the ultimate goal, as well as the process of dependent origination, in order that they might transcend birth, aging, sickness, death, misery, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and distress.490 To the bodhisattva mahāsattvas he taught the Dharma that commences with the highest, complete enlightenment conjoined with the six perfections, and concludes with omniscient wisdom. [F.140.a]
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja’s lifespan was a hundred thousand quintillion eons, as numerous as the grains of sand in four Ganges Rivers. After he passed into nirvāṇa, his Dharma remained for hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons, as numerous as the atoms in Jambudvīpa. The outer form of his Dharma remained for hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons, as numerous as the atoms in four continents.
“Then, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, after both the Dharma and the outer form of the Dharma of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja, who had passed into nirvāṇa, had ceased to exist, another tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja appeared in the world realm Mahāsaṃbhavā.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, in that way, one after another, there appeared two million quintillion tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas named Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja in the world realm Mahāsaṃbhavā.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, in the Vinirbhoga eon, in the world realm Mahāsaṃbhavā, when the bhagavān who was the first tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha, one with perfect wisdom and conduct, sugata, knower of the world, unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, teacher of gods and humans, buddha, bhagavān named Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja had passed into nirvāṇa, [F.140.b] his Dharma had ceased to exist, and the outer form of his Dharma was coming to an end; his teachings were being trodden down by arrogant bhikṣus. Then there appeared a bodhisattva mahāsattva bhikṣu named Sadāparibhūta.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, why was that bodhisattva mahāsattva named Sadāparibhūta?
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, whenever that bodhisattva mahāsattva saw a bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī, an upāsaka or upasikā, he would come before them and say, ‘I do not ridicule you, brothers and sisters. You are not ridiculous. Why is that? It is because you have all been practicing bodhisattva conduct and you will all become tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas.’
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, in this way, whenever that bodhisattva mahāsattva bhikṣu saw a being, even if he was far away, he would come before them and make that proclamation. He did not recite scripture or a daily recitation, but would come before a bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī, an upāsaka or upasikā and say, ‘I do not ridicule you, brothers and sisters. You are not ridiculous. Why is that? It is because you have all been practicing bodhisattva conduct and you will all become tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas.’
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, when that bodhisattva mahāsattva bhikṣu made that proclamation before a bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī, an upāsaka or upasikā, or anyone, most of them became angry, malicious, and disbelieving. They abused and scolded him, thinking, ‘Why does this bhikṣu, without our asking, [F.141.a] say that he does not intend to ridicule us? And yet he does ridicule us, because he gives us a prophecy of our highest, complete enlightenment, without our having thought of it or wished for it.’
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, that bodhisattva mahāsattva spent many years being scolded and abused in that way, but he never had any anger or malice toward anyone. When he made such a proclamation and they threw clods and and sticks at him, he would call to them with a loud voice from a distance, saying, ‘I do not ridicule you!’ Therefore the arrogant bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās to whom he constantly made his proclamations gave him the name Sadāparibhūta.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, when the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sadāparibhūta was near death, when he was dying, he heard this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. The tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja had taught this Dharma teaching in twenty hundred thousand quintillion times a hundred thousand trillion491 verses. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Sadāparibhūta, when he was dying, when he was near death, heard from the air the words of this Dharma teaching. Without anyone speaking, he heard these words from the air. He remembered this Dharma teaching and attained pure eyes, a pure nose, pure ears, a pure tongue, a pure body, and a pure mind. As soon as he had attained those purities, he empowered his composite life to continue for a further twenty hundred thousand quintillion years and proclaimed widely this Dharma teaching.
“Those arrogant bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās [F.141.b] to whom he had previously said, ‘I am not ridiculing you,’ and who gave him the name Sadāparibhūta, when they saw the might of the power of his miracles, the might of the power of his commitment, the might of the power of his eloquence, and the great might of the power of his wisdom, they became his followers in order to listen to the Dharma.
“He also taught many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of other beings, and they were all introduced to the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, that bodhisattva mahāsattva, having passed away from that life, then pleased twenty thousand million tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who were all named Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja, and in all those times he taught this Dharma teaching. Through that previous root of merit he eventually pleased twenty thousand million tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who were all named Meghasvararāja, and in all those times he possessed this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and taught it to the fourfold assemblies. In all those times he possessed pure eyes. He also possessed a pure nose, pure ears, a pure tongue, a pure body, and a pure mind.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, that bodhisattva mahāsattva Sadāparibhūta revered, venerated, worshiped, made offerings to, praised,492 and showed respect to many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas. [F.142.a] He revered, venerated, worshiped, made offerings to, and praised493 many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas. In all those times he possessed this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. Through the ripening of his previous root of merit, he attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the one known by the fourfold assemblies as Sadāparibhūta at the time, on that occasion of the teaching of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja, pleased that number of tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. If you doubt, are uncertain, are unsure, or are wondering if the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sadāparibhūta was someone else, then, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, do not have such a view. Why not? Because at that time, on that occasion, I was the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sadāparibhūta.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, if I had not previously obtained and possessed this Dharma teaching I would not have quickly attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in this way.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, in that way I obtained this Dharma teaching directly from the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas of the past, and read it and taught it. That is why I quickly attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sadāparibhūta proclaimed this Dharma teaching, which had been taught by the Bhagavān, to many hundreds of bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, saying, ‘I do not ridicule you. [F.142.b] You have all been practicing bodhisattva conduct and you will all become tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas.’
“Those who felt malice toward that bodhisattva did not see a tathāgata, nor hear the word Dharma, nor hear the word saṅgha for twenty thousand million eons. They experienced the unendurable suffering of the great Avīci hell for ten thousand eons. When they were all freed from that obscuration of karma, that bodhisattva mahāsattva ripened them for the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, if you doubt, are uncertain, are unsure, or are wondering who at that time, on that occasion, were the beings who disparaged and censured that bodhisattva mahāsattva, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, they are the five hundred bodhisattvas such as Bhadrapāla, and the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, such as Siṃhacandrā, and the five hundred upāsikās, such as Sugatacetanā, who are in this assembly, who are all irreversibly progressing to the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Mahāsthāmaprāpta, there is that kind of great benefit from the aggregation of merit acquired by those who possess and teach this Dharma teaching. It causes the bodhisattva mahāsattvas to attain the highest, complete enlightenment.
“Therefore, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, when I, the Tathāgata, have passed into nirvāṇa, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas should continuously possess this Dharma teaching, teach it, read it, and explain it.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
This concludes “Sadāparibhūta,” the nineteenth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Tathāgata’s Miracles
Then those hundreds of millions of quintillions of bodhisattvas who had emerged from the ground, as numerous as the atoms in a world realm, placed their hands together in homage and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we will teach this Dharma teaching in all the buddha realms where the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, and in the buddha realms where the Bhagavān will pass into nirvāṇa.
“Bhagavān, we will possess this vast Dharma teaching, and read it, teach it, explain it, and write it out.”
At this, many hundred thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas, such as Mañjuśrī, who dwelled in the world realm Sahā, as well as bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and bodhisattva mahāsattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, when the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, we shall teach this Dharma teaching. Bhagavān, without a body we will reside in the air and we will proclaim it with our voices. We will make beings who are without roots of merit create roots of merit.” [F.144.a]
Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Viśiṣṭacāritra—the one who was foremost among the previously described multitudes, great multitudes, and masters of the multitudes of bodhisattva mahāsattvas—and said to the multitudes, great multitudes, and masters of the multitudes of bodhisattva mahāsattvas, “Excellent, Viśiṣṭacāritra, excellent! Do so! The Tathāgata ripened you for the sake of this Dharma teaching.”494
At that moment both the bhagavān, tathāgata Śākyamuni and the bhagavān who had passed into nirvāṇa, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who were seated on a lion throne inside the stūpa, smiled. From the mouths of both, the organs of their tongues emerged. Those tongues extended as far as the realm of Brahmā, and from both those tongues many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of light rays radiated. From those light rays, from each light ray, there emanated many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of bodhisattvas whose bodies were the color of gold, who possessed the thirty-two signs of a great being, and were seated upon lion thrones in the center of lotuses. Those bodhisattvas went to hundreds of thousands of world realms in the main and intermediate directions. In those main and intermediate directions they taught the Dharma while remaining in midair.
Just as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna performed this miracle with their tongues, tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas in other hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms, [F.144.b] who were seated on their individual lion thrones at the foot of precious trees, also performed this miracle with their tongues.
The Bhagavān Śākyamuni, Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, and all those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas performed this miracle for a hundred thousand years. Then, after a hundred thousand years had passed, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas concluded their miracle, and simultaneously, in the same instant, the same moment, the same second, made the great sound of clearing their throats and the sound of snapping their fingers once. That great sound of clearing their throats and the great sound of their finger snaps shook all the hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms in the ten directions. They shook, shook strongly, shook intensely; shuddered, shuddered strongly, shuddered intensely; and quaked, quaked strongly, and quaked intensely. All the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans who were in those buddha realms, while remaining there, through the power of the buddhas saw this Sahā world realm. They saw the hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas seated on their individual lion thrones at the foot of precious trees, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna seated upon a lion throne in the center of the stūpa, and the fourfold assembly. [F.145.a] Seeing them they were astonished, amazed, and overjoyed, and they heard these words that came from the air: “Oh friends, beyond countless, innumerable hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni is teaching to bodhisattva mahāsattvas the Dharma teaching, the extensive sūtra called The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all buddhas. You should, with a superior motivation, rejoice in this! Pay homage to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni! Make offerings to him!”
All those beings, having heard those words from the air, while remaining in their worlds now said, “We pay homage to the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni!” In order to make offerings to the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni and this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, they placed their hands together in homage and scattered in the direction of this Sahā world realm many flowers, incenses, perfumes, garlands, ointments, powders, monastic robes,495 parasols, banners, divine flags, and banners of victory. They also scattered jewelry, clothing, long necklaces, short necklaces, jewels, and many kinds of precious materials. All those flowers, incenses, perfumes, garlands, ointments, powders, robes, parasols, banners, divine flags, banners of victory, long necklaces, short necklaces, jewels, and precious materials came to this Sahā world realm. [F.145.b] All those flowers, incenses, perfumes, garlands, ointments, powders, robes, parasols, banners, divine flags, banners of victory, long necklaces, short necklaces, jewels, and precious materials covered the all-inclusive Sahā world realm. At the same time they also covered those other hundred thousand quintillion world realms. In those hundred thousand world realms where those tathāgatas were present, the skies above them were each completely covered by a vast canopy of flowers.
Then the Bhagavān said to Viśiṣṭacāritra and the other bodhisattva mahāsattvas, “Noble ones, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas have inconceivable power. Noble ones, in order to bestow upon you this Dharma teaching, I could teach the many kinds of benefits through many aspects of the Dharma for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons; but even if I were to teach these benefits, I would not have finished describing the many kinds of benefits of this Dharma teaching.
“Noble ones, in brief, all the dharmas of the Buddha, all that is preeminent from the Buddha, all the great secrets of the Buddha, all the profundities of the Buddha, I teach within this Dharma teaching.
“Therefore, noble ones, after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa you should be in possession of this Dharma teaching. You should teach it, write it out, read it, explain it, meditate upon it, and make offerings to it.
“Noble ones, wherever this Dharma teaching is read, taught, explained, [F.146.a] written out, contemplated, spoken about, chanted, or made into texts, whether it is a park, a temple, a palace, the foot of a tree, a house, or a cave, a caitya for the Tathāgata should be erected in that place. Why is that? It is because that place should be perceived as being the Bodhimaṇḍa of all the tathāgatas. It should be perceived as the place where all the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas attain the highest, complete enlightenment of complete buddhahood. It should be perceived as the place where all the tathāgatas turn the wheel of the Dharma, and the place where all the tathāgatas pass into nirvāṇa.
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
This concludes “The Tathāgata’s Miracles,” the twentieth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B12]
Dhāraṇīs
498Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, [F.147.a] and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how much merit will a noble man or noble woman generate by carrying this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma on their body or making a text of it?”
The Bhagavān answered the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, “Bhaiṣajyarāja, if a noble man or noble woman were to honor, venerate, worship, and make offerings to hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas, as numerous as the grains of sand in eighty Ganges River, what do you think, would that noble man or noble woman generate much merit as a result of that?”
“Much merit, Bhagavān,” he answered. “Much merit, Sugata.”
“Bhaiṣajyarāja,” the Bhagavān continued, “I declare to you, I proclaim to you,499 Bhaiṣajyarāja, that the noble man or noble woman who possesses just one verse, or one line from this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and reads it, studies it, and assiduously practices it, that noble man or noble woman, Bhaiṣajyarāja, will have even greater merit as a result of that.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we give these dhāraṇī-mantra words to a noble man or noble woman who carries on their body or makes a text of this Dharma teaching and upholds it, so that they may be protected, guarded, and hidden:
“Tadyathā:500 anye manye mane501 mamane502 citte503 carite504 śame505 śamayitā viśānte506 mukte507 muktatame508 same avisame509 samasame510 jaye kṣaye akṣaye akṣīṇe511 śānte512 śamite513 dhāraṇi514 ālokabhāṣe pratyavekṣaṇi515 viviru516 abhyantaraniviṣṭe517 abhyantarapāriśuddhi518 utkule519 mutkule520 arḍe521 parḍe522 sukāṅkṣi523 asamasame buddhavilokite524 dharmaparīkṣite525 saṃghanirghoṣaṇi526 nirghoṣaṇi527 bhayābhayaśodhani528 mantre529 mantrākṣayate530 rutakauśalye531 akṣaye532 akṣayavanatāye533 vakkule valoḍa534 amanyanatāya.535 [F.147.b]
“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words have been taught by buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty536 Ganges Rivers. If anyone opposes that kind of dharmabhāṇaka, someone who upholds this sūtra, they will offend all those buddha bhagavāns.”
At this, the Bhagavān congratulated the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, saying, “Bhaiṣajyarāja, through your reciting these dhāraṇī-mantra words you have benefited many beings. It is excellent, Bhaiṣajyarāja, excellent that you protect, guard, and conceal through your compassion for beings.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Pradānaśūra said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I537 too shall provide the words of a dhāraṇī-mantra for this kind of dharmabhāṇaka. If someone is seeking an opportunity to harm this kind of dharmabhāṇaka, such as a yakṣa, a rākṣasa, a pūtana, a kṛtya, a kumbhāṇḍa, or a preta, through this they will not find an opportunity to do so.”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Pradānaśūra then recited the words of the dhāraṇī-mantra:
“Tadyathā:538 jvale mahājvale539 ukke mukke540 aḍe541 aḍāvati542 nṛtye nṛtyāvati543 iṭṭini544 viṭṭini545 ciṭṭini546 nṛtyani547 nṛtyāvati548 svāhā.
“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words [F.148.a] have been taught and rejoiced in by tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. If anyone opposes that kind of dharmabhāṇaka, they will offend all those tathāgatas.”
Next, the mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I also shall recite the words of a dhāraṇī-mantra in order to compassionately benefit, bring happiness to, guard, protect, and conceal this kind of dharmabhāṇaka:
“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words will protect those dharmabhāṇakas for a hundred yojanas. It will protect those dharmabhāṇakas, the noble men or noble women who uphold such a sūtra, and will bring them good fortune.”
Now the mahārāja Virūḍhaka, leading a following of a hundred thousand quintillion kumbhāṇḍas,556 joined that assembly. He then rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I too will recite the words of a dhāraṇī-mantra for the guarding, protection, and concealment of that kind of dharmabhāṇaka who upholds a sūtra such as this:
“Tadyathā:557 agaṇe gaṇe558 gauri559 gāndhāri560 cāṇḍāli561 mātaṅgi562 pukkasi563 saṃkule564 vrūśali565 svāhā.
“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words have been taught by four hundred and twenty million buddhas. If anyone opposes that kind of dharmabhāṇaka, they will offend all those tathāgatas.”
Then the rākṣasī named Lambā, the rākṣasī named Vilambā, the rākṣasī named Kūṭadantī, [F.148.b] the rākṣasī named Puṣpadantī, the rākṣasī named Makuṭadantī, the rākṣasī named Keśinī, the rākṣasī named Acalā, the rākṣasī named Mālādhārī, the rākṣasī named Kuntī, the rākṣasī named Sarvasattvojohārī, and the rākṣasī named Hārītī, with her children and servants—all those rākṣasīs came to where the Bhagavān was, and having arrived they all said in one voice to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we too will guard, protect, and conceal that kind of dharmabhāṇaka who upholds a sūtra such as this, so that if someone is seeking an opportunity to harm those dharmabhāṇakas they will not find an opportunity to do so.”
Then those rākṣasīs in one voice, with the same words, offered these dhāraṇī-mantra words to the Bhagavān:
“Tadyathā:566 itime itime itime itime itime567 nime nime nime nime nime ruhe ruhe568 ruhe ruhe ruhe569 stuhe stuhe stuhe stuhe stuhe570 svāhā.571
“If this is placed upon the head, there is no one who will be able to injure the dharmabhāṇakas. A yakṣa, rākṣasa, preta, piśāca, pūtana, kṛtya, vetāla, kumbhāṇḍa, stabdha, ostāraka,572 or apasmāraka; a kṛtya that is a yakṣa, a kṛtya that is nonhuman, or a kṛtya that is a human; those that cause illness for a day, for two days, for three days, for four days, or permanently; and those who appear in dreams in the form of a woman, the form of a man, or the form of a boy, or the form of a girl so as to cause harm, will not be able to do so.”
Then those rākṣasīs in one voice, with the same words, recited these verses to the Bhagavān:
Kuntī and the other rākṣasīs said to the Bhagavān, “In this way we will protect the dharmabhāṇakas. We will bring them good fortune, prevent punishments, and counter poisons.”
The Bhagavān said to the rākṣasīs, “Excellent, O rākṣasīs, excellent! Protect, guard, and conceal those dharmabhāṇakas! You, Kuntī, and your followers should protect even those who only possess the name of this Dharma teaching, let alone those who have learned the entirety of this Dharma teaching, have made texts of it, have honored them, and offered to those texts flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, divine flags, lamps of sesame oil, lamps of ghee, lamps of perfumed oil, lamps of magnolia oil, lamps of gardenia oil, lamps of blue lotus oil, and lamps of royal jasmine oil, honoring them with hundreds of thousands of many kinds of offering such as those. You, Kuntī, and your followers should protect them!”
This concludes “Dhāraṇīs,” the twenty-first chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [F.149.b]
The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, through what cause is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja active in this Sahā world realm? Bhagavān, he must have undergone many hundred thousands of quintillions of hardships. I request the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha to speak of just a fraction of what the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja has practiced, so that those who have heard the Bhagavān—the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, and the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have arrived here from other world realms and these great śrāvakas—will all be pleased, delighted, and happy.”
The Bhagavān, knowing the request made by the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, then said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, “Noble one, in the past, in a time gone by, as many eons ago as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, at that time there appeared in the world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the tathāgata, the arhat [F.150.a], perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī had a great following of eighty million bodhisattvas. He had a following of as many śrāvakas as there are grains of sand in seventy-two Ganges Rivers. In the time of his teaching there were no women, there were no beings in hell, there were no births as animals, there were no pretas, and no asuras. His buddha realm was delightful, as flat as the palm of a hand, its ground made of divine beryl, which was adorned by precious sandalwood trees. It was beautified by nets of jewels, hung with silk streamers, and perfumed by incense from precious censers. At an arrow-shot distance from the foot of all the precious trees there were precious high platforms. Upon each of those precious high platforms there were billions of devas playing musical instruments and cymbals, and singing songs in order to make offerings to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī.
“The Bhagavān taught those śrāvakas and bodhisattva mahāsattvas extensively this Dharma teaching, The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, commencing with the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī’s lifespan was forty-two thousand eons. The lifespans of those bodhisattva mahāsattvas and those śrāvakas were the same. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana was dedicated to hardship in following the teaching of that Bhagavān. For twelve thousand years he progressed574 [F.150.b] with great diligence in his practice. After twelve thousand years had passed he attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms. As soon as he attained that samādhi, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana was pleased and delighted, joyous and happy.
“At that time, he thought, ‘I have attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms through this Dharma teaching, The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.’ Also at that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana thought, ‘In this way, I shall make an offering to the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī and to this Dharma teaching, The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.’
“He then entered that samādhi, and as soon as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana entered that samādhi, at that moment, there fell from the sky above a great rain of divine coral tree flowers and great coral tree flowers. Clouds of benzoin resin and sandalwood formed, and there fell a great rain of uragasāra sandalwood.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, this entire Sahā world realm would not be enough for the price of two karṣa of that kind of perfume.575
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana mindfully and knowingly arose from that samādhi. After arising from that samādhi, he thought, ‘This manifestation of miraculous events cannot serve as an offering to the Bhagavān in the way that giving my own body would be.’ [F.151.a]
“Then at that time, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana ate agarwood, frankincense, and mastic resin, and drank magnolia oil.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in this way the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana continually ate incenses and drank magnolia oil for twelve years.
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, after twelve years had passed, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana wrapped his body in divine cotton and soaked it with sesame oil, and, having made his firm resolve,576 he burned his own body as an offering to the Tathāgata and to this Dharma teaching, The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the light from the burning body of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana shone throughout as many world realms as there are grains of sand in eighty Ganges Rivers. The buddha bhagavāns, as numerous as the grains of sand in eighty Ganges Rivers, who were in those world realms exclaimed, ‘Excellent, noble one! Excellent! This is the true application of the diligence of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas. This is the true offering to a tathāgata and to the Dharma. The offering of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, and divine flags, and the offering of other material gifts, and the offering of uragasāra sandalwood does not compare. Noble one, this is the supreme gift. [F.151.b] Giving away one’s kingdom does not compare. Giving away one’s beloved children and spouses does not compare. Noble one, this Dharma offering of giving away your own body is the preeminent, the highest offering—the best, the most excellent offering.’
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, those buddha bhagavāns spoke those words and then were silent.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana’s body burned without going out for twelve years. Afterward, when twelve years had passed, the fire went out.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana made that kind of offering to the Tathāgata and to the Dharma. Then after he had died, during the time of the teaching of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī, he was reborn into the family of King Vimaladatta. He was miraculously born sitting cross-legged on his mother’s lap. As soon as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana was born, at that time he recited this verse to his parents:
“After the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana had recited that verse, he said to his parents, ‘Father and Mother, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī is now alive, present, and continues to remain in this world. He is the Bhagavān to whom I made this offering and attained the power of retention that is skill in all words. He is the Bhagavān from whom I heard this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma [F.152.a] taught in eighty times577 a hundred thousand quintillion verses, a thousand trillion verses,578 a hundred thousand trillion579 verses, and ten quintillion580 verses. Therefore, Father, Mother, it would be excellent for me to go before the Bhagavān. Then when I am there I will make offerings to the Bhagavān.’
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana rose into the air to the height of seven palm trees and, sitting cross-legged in a kūṭāgāra made of the seven precious materials, he went into the presence of the Bhagavān. Having arrived there he bowed his head to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān seven times, and with his hands together in homage he bowed toward the Bhagavān and, paying homage to the Bhagavān, he praised him by reciting this verse:
“Then he said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī, ‘Bhagavān, will you continue to remain?’
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī [F.152.b] replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, ‘Noble one, the time for me to pass into nirvāṇa has come. Noble one, the time when my life is to end has come. Noble one, go and prepare my dais, for I will pass into nirvāṇa.’
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, ‘Noble one, I entrust this teaching to you. I entrust to you these bodhisattva mahāsattvas, these great śrāvakas, this enlightenment of buddhahood, this world realm, these precious platforms, these precious trees, and these devas who are honoring me. Noble one, I also entrust to you whatever relics there will be from my passing into nirvāṇa. Noble one, make vast offerings to my relics, distribute my relics widely, and construct many thousands of stūpas.’
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī having thus instructed the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, in the last division of that night he passed into nirvāṇa, into the realm of nirvāṇa that has no remainder.
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, when the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana saw that the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī had passed into nirvāṇa, [F.153.a] he made a heap of uragasāra sandalwood and cremated the body of the Tathāgata. When he saw that the cremation fire of the Tathāgata had gone out, he collected the relics, weeping, wailing, and lamenting.
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, weeping, wailing, and lamenting, had eighty-four thousand vases made of the seven precious materials, and he placed the relics of the Tathāgata inside them. He had eighty-four thousand stūpas constructed that were also made of the seven precious materials and were so high they reached the realm of Brahmā. They were adorned by a tier of parasols and were hung with streamers and bells. Having had these stūpas constructed he thought, ‘I have made an offering to the relics of Bhagavān Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī, of the Tathāgata, but I shall make a far greater and higher offering than that to the relics of the Tathāgata.’
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana said to the all-inclusive assembly of bodhisattvas, and the assembly of the great śrāvakas, and the devas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, ‘Noble ones, think of making offerings to the relics of the Bhagavān!’
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, in front of the eighty-four thousand stūpas, burned his arm that was adorned by a hundred merits. Burning his arm, he made an offering to those stūpas of the Tathāgata for seventy-two thousand years. [F.153.b] Through making that offering, he guided countless hundred thousands of quintillions of śrāvakas. Also all the bodhisattvas attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms.
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the all-inclusive assembly of bodhisattvas, and the great śrāvakas, seeing that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana had lost a limb, wept, wailed, lamented, and cried out to each other, ‘Our master and teacher, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, does not now have all his limbs; he has lost an arm!’
“Then, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana said to those bodhisattva mahāsattvas, great śrāvakas, and devas, ‘Noble ones, do not weep on seeing that I have lost a limb. Do not wail! Do not lament! Noble ones, I take as my witness all the buddha bhagavāns that live, are present, and remain in the endless infinite world realms in the ten directions, and before them I make this resolution of the truth. Through the truth, through true words, through having given up my arm as an offering to the Tathāgata, may my body become golden. Through the truth, the true words of that, may my arm be restored as it was before. May this great earth shake six times, and may a great rain of flowers be cast down by the devas who dwell in the sky.’ [F.154.a]
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, as soon as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana had made that resolution of the truth, the world realm of a thousand million worlds shook in six ways, a rain of flowers fell from the sky, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana’s arm was restored as it was before, which was due to the bodhisattva mahāsattva’s having gained the power of wisdom and having gained the power of merit.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, are you uncertain, unsure, undecided, thinking that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana at that time, on that occasion, was anyone else? Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, do not have that view. Why is that? Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, this bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja was at that time, on that occasion, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja accomplished those hundred thousand quintillion hardships, and he gave up his body.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the noble man or noble woman who enters the Bodhisattvayāna, through wishing for this highest, complete enlightenment, should burn the big toe of a foot for the caityas of the Tathāgata—they should burn a finger or a toe or a limb or an arm. That noble man or noble woman who has entered the Bodhisattvayāna [F.154.b] will thus create a much greater amount of merit. Giving up a kingdom is not comparable. Giving up a beloved spouse, son, or daughter is not comparable. Giving up a world realm of a billion worlds with its forests, oceans, mountains, rivers, lakes, ponds, wells, and parks is not comparable.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, if a noble man or noble woman who has entered the Bodhisattvayāna were to give this world realm of a billion worlds filled with the seven precious materials to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, that noble man or noble woman would not create as much merit as that created by the noble man or noble woman who possesses just one four-line verse from this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. It is taught that their merit would be much greater. Giving this world realm of a billion worlds filled with the seven precious materials to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas is not comparable.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that the ocean is supreme over all rivers, lakes, and ponds.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is supreme over all the sūtras taught by all the tathāgatas.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, [F.155.a] it is like the way that Sumeru, the king of mountains, is supreme over the Kāla, Cakravāla, and Mahācakravāla mountains.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is supreme over all the sūtras taught by all the tathāgatas.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that the moon is supreme in brightness over the stars.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, the bright light of this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is supreme over that of a hundred thousand quintillion moons.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that the disk of the sun eliminates all darkness.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma eliminates all the darkness of bad actions.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that Śakra is the lord of devas among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is the lord of all the sūtras taught by the tathāgatas.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that Brahmā, lord of Sahā, is the king over all the Brahmakāyika devas and acts as their father in the Brahmā paradise.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is the father of all beings, both those in training and those who have transcended training, and all who have entered the Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna,581 or Bodhisattvayāna. [F.155.b]
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that the stream entrants, the once-returners, the nonreturners, the arhats, and pratyekabuddhas have transcended all ordinary, foolish beings.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma has transcended all the other sūtras taught by the tathāgatas, is superior to them, and is supreme among them.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, know that those who possess this king of the sūtras are supreme among all beings.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that the bodhisattva is supreme over all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in that same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is supreme over all the sūtras taught by the tathāgatas.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, it is like the way that the Tathāgata is crowned King of the Dharma among all the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in the same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is like the Tathāgata for all those who have entered the Bodhisattvayāna.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma protects beings from all fear, and frees them from all suffering. It is like a pond for those who are thirsty. It is like clothing for the naked. [F.156.a] It is like a caravan leader for merchants. It is like a mother for children. It is like a boat for those crossing to the opposite shore. It is like medicine for the sick. It is like a lamp for those in the obscuration of darkness. It is like jewels for those wishing for wealth. It is like a cakravartin for all minor kings. It is like the ocean for rivers. It is like a torch for dispelling all darkness.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in the same way, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma frees from all suffering. It ends all illness. It frees from all the distress of the bondage of saṃsāra.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, for the person who hears this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, writes it down, or has someone write it, and who, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, possesses this Dharma teaching, or teaches it, hears it, writes it down or has someone write it, makes a volume of it, honors it, venerates it, worships it, and makes offerings to it—makes many kinds of offerings to it, such as flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, cloth, parasols, banners, flags, music, clothing, the act of placing hands together in homage, lamps of ghee, lamps of sesame oil, lamps of perfumed sesame oil, lamps of magnolia oil, and lamps of royal jasmine, bignonia, gardenia, and shrubby jasmine oils—even the wisdom of the buddhas is unable to know the limits of the merit created by such honoring, venerating, worshiping, and offering. [F.156.b]
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, the noble man or noble woman who has entered the Bodhisattvayāna and possesses this chapter, ‘The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja,’ teaches it, or listens to it will generate much merit. If a woman hears and possesses this Dharma teaching, that will be her last life as a woman.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, a woman who, in the final five hundred years, hears and practices this chapter, ‘The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja,’ when she dies will be reborn in the world realm Sukhāvatī. There he582 will be born upon a lion throne in the center of a lotus where the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Amitāyus, encircled by an assembly of bodhisattvas, lives, is present, and remains. There he will not be afflicted by desire, anger, ignorance, pride, envy, rage, or malice. As soon as he is born there he will possess the five higher knowledges. He will also attain receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, that bodhisattva mahāsattva, having attained receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena, will see tathāgatas as numerous as the grains of sand in seventy-two Ganges Rivers. With his purified eyes he will see those buddha bhagavāns. In that way the faculty of his eyes will be purified. Also those buddha bhagavāns will congratulate him, saying, ‘Noble one, it is excellent that you have heard this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, [F.157.a] and had bestowed upon you, recited, meditated on, and contemplated the words of Buddha Śākyamuni. Noble one, the merit you have created cannot be burned by fire or swept away by water. Noble one, the merit you have created cannot be described even by a hundred thousand buddhas. Noble one, you have defeated the opposing forces of the māras, you have crossed the ocean of existence, you have crushed the assault of the enemy. You have been empowered by a hundred thousand buddhas. Noble one, there is no one like you in the world with its devas. Other than the Tathāgata, no śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, or bodhisattva can outshine your merit, knowledge, wisdom, or samādhi.’
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, that bodhisattva mahāsattva will attain that kind of development of knowledge.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, if someone hears the teaching of this chapter, ‘The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja,’ and says, ‘It is excellent! Excellent!’ the scent of the blue lotus will come from their mouth, and their body will have the aroma of sandalwood. One who, when this Dharma teaching is being taught, says, ‘This is excellent!’ gains these kinds of evident qualities that I have taught.
“Therefore, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, I entrust you with this chapter on the history of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana so that in the future, in the later times, during the final five hundred years, it will be practiced in Jambudvīpa and will not vanish; so that Māra, the evil one, will find no opportunity to attack it; and so that the devas, nāgas, [F.157.b] yakṣas, gandharvas, and mahoragas who belong to the class of māras will find no opportunity to attack it.
“Therefore, Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, this Dharma teaching is blessed to be like medicine for those beings in Jambudvīpa who are sick, who are afflicted by illness. When one has heard this Dharma teaching, the body will not be afflicted by illness, and there will no aging or premature death.
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, if someone who has entered the Bodhisattvayāna sees a bhikṣu who possesses this sūtra, they should sprinkle him with sandalwood powder and with blue lotuses. And having scattered those, they should have the thought, ‘This noble man is going to the Bodhimaṇḍa, he will obtain grass, he will lay out the grass at the Bodhimaṇḍa, he will defeat the māras, he will blow the conch of the Dharma, he will beat the drum of the Dharma, and he will cross the ocean of saṃsāra.’
“Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, a noble man or noble woman who has entered the Bodhisattvayāna should develop that thought when they see a bhikṣu who possesses this kind of sūtra. In that way there will be those qualities that are the qualities that have been described by the Tathāgata.”
When the chapter “The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja” was taught, eighty-four thousand bodhisattvas attained the power of retention that possesses skill in words.
The bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna also commended Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, saying, “It is excellent, excellent that you have asked the Tathāgata about the Dharma that has inconceivable qualities.” [F.158.a]
This concludes “The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja,” the twenty-second chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
Gadgadasvara
Then at that time the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni emitted light from the ūrṇā hair between his eyebrows, which was a sign of a great being. That light shone throughout hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms in the east, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in eighteen Ganges Rivers. Beyond those hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in eighteen Ganges Rivers, there was the world realm named Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā, in which there lived, was present, and remained the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña. He was accompanied and revered by an immeasurably great saṅgha of bodhisattvas. Then the ray of light emitted by the bhagavān tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni from his ūrṇā hair shone at that time throughout the world realm Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā.
In that Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā world realm there was the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, who had through his past roots of merit seen such light rays from many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara had attained many samādhis: the samādhi of the crest adornment of the victory banner, the samādhi of the white lotus of the good Dharma, the samādhi of the stainless gift, the samādhi of the play of the king of stars, the samādhi like-the-wind, the samādhi of the seal of knowledge, the samādhi of the lamp of the moon, [F.158.b] the samādhi of skill in all sounds, the samādhi of the accumulation of all merit, the samādhi of possessing faith, the samādhi of the display of miraculous powers, the samādhi of the torch of knowledge, the samādhi of the king of arrays, the samādhi of stainless light, the samādhi of stainless essence, the samādhi of completion through water,583 the samādhi of the disk of the sun, and so on, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara having attained hundreds of thousands of quintillions of samādhis, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River.
The light struck the body of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, and then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, “Bhagavān, I am going to the Sahā world realm in order to see, pay homage to, and honor the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni, and to see the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, to see the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, to see the bodhisattva Pradānaśūra, to see the bodhisattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, to see the bodhisattva Viśiṣṭacāritra, to see the bodhisattva Vyūharāja, and to see the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyasamudgata.”
Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña [F.159.a] said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, “Noble one, when you go to the world realm Sahā and have arrived there, do not perceive it as inferior. Noble one, the world realm Sahā is uphill and downhill, made of earth, crowded with dark mountains, and filled with cesspools.584 The bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni has a short body; the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have short bodies also. Noble one, the body you have gained is forty-two thousand yojanas high. Noble one, my body is sixty-eight hundred thousand yojanas high. Noble one, you are handsome, attractive, with an excellent body that has an excellent color and is perfectly developed. You have exceptional splendor from a hundred thousand merits. Therefore, noble one, when you go to the Sahā world realm, do not perceive that tathāgata, those bodhisattvas, or that buddha realm as inferior.”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, “Bhagavān,585 I go to the Sahā world realm through the Tathāgata’s blessing, through the Tathāgata’s development of power, the Tathāgata’s display, the Tathāgata’s arrays, and the Tathāgata’s superior wisdom.”
Then at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, without departing from that buddha realm, without rising up from his seat, entered samādhi in this way. [F.159.b] As soon as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara entered samādhi, at that moment, in front of the Dharma seat of the Tathāgata on Vulture Peak in the Sahā world realm there appeared eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion lotuses with gold stems, silver petals, and pericarps the color of flame of the forest flowers.586
When Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta saw that array of lotuses he asked the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni, “Bhagavān, of whose coming are these eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion lotuses with gold stems, silver petals, and pericarps the color of flame of the forest flowers an omen?”
The Bhagavān answered Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, these are an omen that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, accompanied by a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, will come to this Sahā world realm from the east from the world realm Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā, which is the buddha realm of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in order to see me, to pay homage to me, to honor me, and to listen to this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what accumulation of good karma has that noble one created such that through that creation of an accumulation of good karma he has attained this excellence? Bhagavān, what samādhi has that bodhisattva practiced? Bhagavān, we should587 listen to what that samādhi is. Bhagavān, we should practice that samādhi. [F.160.a] What is that bodhisattva mahāsattva like? What is his color? What is his form? What kind of characteristics588 does he have? What kind of shape does he have? What kind of practice does he have? We should see what this bodhisattva is like. Bhagavān, what cause will inspire this bodhisattva mahāsattva to come to the Sahā world realm? I request that the Tathāgata create that cause.”
Then at that time the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni requested of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa, “Bhagavān, create a cause to inspire the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara to come to this Sahā world realm.”
Then at that time the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna created this cause to invoke the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara: “Come, noble one, to this Sahā world realm! This Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta will delight in seeing you!”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara bowed his head to the feet of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, circumambulated him three times and, leading a retinue of a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, they all at the same time vanished from the Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā world realm and came to this Sahā world realm. The worlds shook. [F.160.b] A rain of lotuses fell. A hundred thousand quintillion musical instruments played. Gadgadasvara arrived in the sky at the height of seven palm trees, leading a retinue of bodhisattvas, residing in a kūṭāgāra made of the seven precious materials, with eyes that were like the petals of a blue lotus; with a face that was superior to a hundred thousand quintillion moons;589 with a body the color of gold; with a body adorned by a hundred thousand merits, shining with splendor, with an exceptional brilliance; with a body adorned by the signs of a superior being; and with a body as indestructible as Nārāyaṇa’s.
He came to where Vulture Peak is in the Sahā world realm, and having arrived he descended from the kūṭāgāra and, holding a string of pearls worth a hundred thousand silver coins, he approached the Bhagavān and bowed his head down to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated him seven times, and gave the string of pearls to the Bhagavān as an offering.
When Gadgadasvara had given the string of pearls to the Bhagavān he said to him, “Bhagavān, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña asks after your welfare, saying, ‘Are you free from harm, free from distress, and in good health?590 Do you remain strong and happy?’ The bhagavān asks, ‘Bhagavān, do you have that which you must be patient with? That you have to wait for? Are your elements in harmony? Are the beings who follow you able to understand easily? Are they easy to guide? Are they easy to nurture? Do they wish for purity? Do they avoid the conduct of very strong desire? Do they avoid the conduct of very strong anger? Do they avoid the conduct of very strong ignorance? Bhagavān, are your beings without strong envy? Are they without greed? Do they have no disrespect for their mothers? Do they have no disrespect for their fathers? Do they have no disrespect for bhikṣus? Do they have no disrespect for brahmins? [F.161.a] Do they have no wrong views? Do they not have untamed minds? Do they not have uncontrolled senses? Bhagavān, have your beings banished the adversary who is Māra? Has the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has passed into nirvāṇa, and who resides in a stūpa made of the seven precious materials, come to the Sahā world realm in order to listen to the Dharma?’
“The bhagavān also asked the bhagavān, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, ‘Bhagavān, Tathāgata591 Prabhūtaratna, do you have that which you must be patient with? That you have to wait for? Bhagavān Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, are you going to remain long? We also wish to see the body that is the relic of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, and therefore may the Tathāgata reveal well the body that is the relic of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna.’ ”
Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa, “Bhagavān, this bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has come wishing to see the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has passed into nirvāṇa.”
Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, “Noble one, [F.161.b] it is excellent that you have come because you wish to see the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and myself, to listen to The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, and to see Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what kind of roots of merit has the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara created in the past, and in the presence of which tathāgata?”
Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī, “Noble one, in the past, in a time gone by,592 in an eon called Priyadarśa, in the world realm Sarvarūpasaṃdarśanā, there appeared in the world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Meghadundubhisvararāja.
“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, for eighty-four thousand years, made an offering with a hundred thousand musical instruments to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Meghadundubhisvararāja, and gave him eighty-four thousand bowls made of the seven precious materials.
“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara attained that kind of faith593 in the teaching of Tathāgata Meghadundubhisvararāja. If you are you uncertain, unsure, or undecided, thinking that it was someone else who at that time, on that occasion, made an offering to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Meghadundubhisvararāja, [F.162.a] and gave him those eighty-four thousand bowls, noble one, do not have such a view. Why is that? Noble one, the one who made the offering to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Meghadundubhisvararāja, and gave him those eighty-four thousand bowls, was this bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara.
“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara honored many buddhas, generated roots of merit, and trained under many hundreds of thousands of buddhas. This bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has seen as many buddha bhagavāns in the past as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River.
“Padmaśrī, do you see the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara?”
“Bhagavān, I see him,” replied Padmaśrī. “Sugata, I see him.”
“Padmaśrī,” said the Bhagavān, “this bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in many forms: He teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma sometimes in the form of Brahmā, sometimes in the form of Śakra, sometimes in the form of Īśvara, sometimes in the form of Maheśvara,594 sometimes in the form of a general, sometimes in the form of Vaiśravaṇa,595 sometimes in the form of a cakravartin, sometimes in the form of a king of a region, sometimes in the form of a head merchant, sometimes in the form of a householder, sometimes in the form of a townsman, and sometimes in the form of a brahmin.
“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches beings this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma [F.162.b] sometimes in the form of a bhikṣu, sometimes in the form of a bhikṣuṇī, sometimes in the form of an upāsaka, sometimes in the form of an upāsikā, sometimes in the form of the wife of a head merchant, sometimes in the form of the wife of a householder, sometimes in the form of the wife of a townsman, sometimes in the form of a boy, and sometimes in the form of a girl.
“Noble one, through teaching in these numerous forms, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches beings this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to beings, teaching some in the form of an asura, some in the form of a garuḍa, some in the form of a kinnara, and to some in the form of a mahoraga.
“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara is even the protector of beings in the unfortunate existences of the hells, rebirths as animals, and the realm of Yama.
“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara even teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to the beings in the royal harems by manifesting in the form of a woman.
“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gagdadasvara teaches the Dharma to beings in this Sahā world realm by teaching this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“Padmaśrī, the bodhisattva [F.163.a] mahāsattva Gadgadasvara is a protector of the beings who have been born into the Sahā world realm. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has emanated in such numerous forms in this Sahā world realm and taught beings this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“The miraculous powers of this excellent being do not decline. His wisdom does not decline. Noble one, the lights of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara’s wisdom illuminate this Sahā world realm. And in other world realms as numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges River, he has taught the Dharma in the form of a bodhisattva for the beings who are to be guided by a bodhisattva. He has taught the Dharma as a śrāvaka for the beings who are to be guided by a śrāvaka. He has taught the Dharma as a pratyekabuddha for the beings who are to be guided by a pratyekabuddha. He has taught the Dharma as a tathāgata for the beings who are to be guided by a tathāgata. And so on up to manifesting the relics of a tathāgata for beings who are to be guided by the relics of a tathāgata. And so on up to passing into nirvāṇa for beings who are to be guided by his passing into nirvāṇa.
“Padmaśrī, in that way the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has attained the development of the power of wisdom.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what samādhi does the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara remain in for this creation of roots of merit? What is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara’s samādhi for guiding this many beings?” [F.163.b]
The bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī, “Noble one, the samādhi that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara remains in so as to benefit in that way countless beings is this samādhi called manifestation of all forms.”
When this “Gadgadasvara” chapter was taught, the eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas who had come with the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara into this Sahā world realm all attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms. Also, the countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas who dwelled in this Sahā world realm attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms.
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara made vast, extensive offerings to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and to the stūpa of the relics of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna. Then he entered his kūṭāgāra made of the seven precious materials. The realm shook, a rain of lotuses fell, and there was the music of a hundred thousand quintillion musical instruments. Leading his retinue of a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, they returned together to their own buddha realm.
When they had arrived there, he said to [F.164.a] the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, “Bhagavān, I have benefited beings in the Sahā world realm. I also saw the stūpa of the relics of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, and paid homage to it. I also saw and paid homage to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni. I also saw Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. I also saw the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, who has attained the might of the power of diligence, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Pradānaśūra. All those eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms.”
When the chapter of the coming and going of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara was being taught, forty-two thousand bodhisattvas attained receptivity to the nonarising of phenomena, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī attained the white lotus of the good Dharma samādhi.
This concludes “Gadgadasvara,” the twenty-third chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B13]
Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of Avalokiteśvara
596Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, why is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara called Avalokiteśvara?” [F.164.b]
The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati, “Noble one, if the hundred thousand quintillion beings in this world who are experiencing suffering were to hear the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara they would all become freed from that mass of suffering.
“Noble one, if those who possess the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara were to fall into a great mass of flames, they would all, through the splendor of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, be freed from that burning great mass of flames.
“Noble one, if they call out to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara when they are swept away by rivers, those rivers will bring them to shallow waters.
“Noble one, if a hundred thousand quintillion beings were to set out to sea in a ship, sailing to find cowries, gold, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, emeralds, coral, white coral, red pearls, and so on, and if a tempest blew them to the island of the rākṣasīs, and if among them one being would call on Avalokiteśvara, they would all become freed from that island of the rākṣasīs.
“Noble one, if someone being led to execution were to call on Avalokiteśvara, the weapons of the executioners would break into pieces and be scattered around.
“Noble one, if this world realm of a thousand million worlds [F.165.a] were to be filled with yakṣas and rākṣasas, none of them would even be able to look angrily at someone who possesses the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.
“Noble one, if there were beings who were bound in iron fetters or were placed in wooden stocks, whether they were guilty or not guilty, through calling out the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara those iron fetters and those wooden stocks would open. Noble one, that is the kind of power that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has.
“Noble one, if this world realm of a thousand million worlds were to be filled with rogues, bandits, and foes who were holding weapons in their hands, and if a caravan leader was leading a great caravan of merchants who had obtained a great wealth in jewels, and those travelers saw the rogues, bandits, and foes holding weapons in their hands, and seeing them were frightened and terrified, knowing that they had no protection, and the caravan leader said to the caravan, ‘Do not be afraid! Noble ones, do not be afraid! Through calling out in one voice to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, who brings freedom from fear, he will free you from this fear of bandits and the fear of foes,’ and then the entire great caravan called out in one voice to Avalokiteśvara, saying, ‘We pay homage, we pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, who brings freedom from fear,’ the instant they called out his name, that entire great caravan would be freed from fear. Noble one, that is the kind of power that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has.
“Noble one, if those beings who engage in the conduct of desire pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, [F.165.b] they will become free from desire. If those beings who engage in the conduct of anger pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, they will become free from anger. If those beings who engage in the conduct of ignorance pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, they will become free from ignorance. Noble one, that is the kind of great miraculous power that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has.
“Noble one, if a woman wishes to have a son and she pays homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, she will give birth to a boy who has the qualities of having a good body, being good looking, and being attractive. He will be dear and pleasing to many people and will generate roots of merit. A woman who wishes to have a girl will give birth to a girl, a girl who has the qualities of having a good body, being good looking, and being attractive. She will be dear and pleasing to many people and will generate roots of merit. Noble one, that is the kind of power that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara has.
“Those who pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara and possess his name597 will obtain fruitful results.
“If we compare—to those who pay homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara and possess his name—those who pay homage to and possess the names of buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers, or those who offer clothing, alms, [F.166.a] beds, medicine at times of illness, and necessary utensils to living, present, and remaining buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers, then, noble son, what do you think? How much merit has such a noble man or noble woman created?”
“Bhagavān, it will be great!” replied the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati. “Sugata, the merit that those noble men and noble women will have created on that basis will be great.”
“Noble one,” continued the Bhagavān, “the merit created by honoring those buddha bhagavāns will be the same, not more and not higher, as the merit created by paying homage just once to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara and possessing his name.
“The accumulation of merit from paying homage to and possessing the names of buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-two Ganges Rivers, and that created by paying homage just once to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara and possessing his name, will not easily be exhausted even in a hundred thousand quintillion eons.
“Noble one, in that way the merit from possessing the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara is immeasurable.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati inquired of the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how does the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara move around in this Sahā world realm? How does he teach the Dharma to beings? [F.166.b] What is the scope of the skillful methods of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara like?”
The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati, “Noble one, there are world realms where the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Dharma to beings in the form of buddhas. There are world realms where the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Dharma to beings in the form of bodhisattva mahāsattvas. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Dharma to some beings in the form of a pratyekabuddha, to some in the form of a śrāvaka, to some in the form of Brahmā, and to some in the form of Śakra. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara teaches the Dharma to some beings in the form of a gandharva. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a yakṣa to those beings who are to be guided by a yakṣa. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Īśvara to those beings who are to be guided by Īśvara. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Maheśvara to those beings who are to be guided by Maheśvara. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a cakravartin to those beings who are to be guided by a cakravartin. He teaches the Dharma in the form of piśāca to those beings who are to be guided by a piśāca. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Vaiśravaṇa to those beings who are to be guided by Vaiśravaṇa. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a general to those beings who are to be guided by a general. He teaches the Dharma in the form of a brahmin to those beings who are to be guided by a brahmin. He teaches the Dharma in the form of Vajrapāṇi to those beings who are to be guided by Vajrapāṇi.598 [F.167.a]
“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara possesses such inconceivable qualities. Therefore, make offerings to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara!
“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara gives freedom from fear to beings who are afraid. Therefore in this Sahā world realm he is known as ‘He Who Gives Freedom From Fear.’”
Then Akṣayamati said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we will give a Dharma gift to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.”
“Noble one,” said the Bhagavān, “know that it is the time, and give it.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati took from around his own neck a long necklace of pearls of the value of a hundred thousand silver coins and gave it as a Dharma gift to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, saying, “Superior being, accept from me this Dharma gift.” When he did not take it, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati implored the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, “Noble one, accept this string of pearls out of compassion for me!”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, with compassion for the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati, and through compassion for devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, [F.167.b] accepted the string of pearls from the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati. When he had accepted it he divided it into two. One half he offered to Bhagavān Śākyamuni and one half he offered to the precious stūpa of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna.
“Noble son, this is the manner in which the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara miraculously moves around in this Sahā world realm.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Dharaṇīṃdhara rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, the beings who hear the chapter on the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, who hear of his miraculous power, who hear the chapter called ‘Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara,’ will not have inferior roots of merit.”
When the Bhagavān was teaching this teaching of this chapter “Facing Everywhere,” eighty-four thousand beings within that assembly developed the aspiration to attain the unequaled,624 highest, complete enlightenment.
This concludes “Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of Avalokiteśvara,” the twenty-fourth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [F.169.b]
The Past of King Śubhavyūha
Then the Bhagavān said to the all-inclusive assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, in the past, in a time gone by, countless eons ago, at that time, in that era, in an eon named Priyadarśana, in a world named Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā, there appeared in that world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña.
“During the time of the teaching of Tathāgata Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, there was a King Śubhavyūha.
“Noble ones, King Śubhavyūha had a wife named Vimaladattā.
“Noble ones, King Śubhavyūha had two sons. One was named Vimalagarbha and one was named Vimalanetra. Those two boys had miraculous power, wisdom, merit, and knowledge. They were dedicated to the practices of a bodhisattva, which means they were dedicated to the perfection of generosity, the perfection of good conduct, the perfection of patience, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of meditation, the perfection of wisdom, and the perfection of skillful method, love, compassion, rejoicing, equanimity, and the thirty-seven factors for enlightenment. They had perfected them all. They had perfected the samādhi stainless. [F.170.a] They had perfected the samādhi of the constellations, stars, and the sun. They had perfected the samādhi of stainless light. They had perfected the samādhi of bright, stainless light. They had perfected the samādhi of glorious625 adornment. They had perfected the samādhi of the essence of great brilliance.
“At that time, during that period, the Bhagavān, with compassion for beings and with compassion for King Śubhavyūha, taught this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“Then, noble ones, the boy Vimalagarbha and the boy Vimalanetra went to their birth mother and, with their ten fingers and palms placed together in homage, they said to their birth mother, ‘Mother, please come into the presence of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, so as to see, pay homage to, and honor the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña. For what reason? Mother, it is because the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña is teaching extensively the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to the world and its devas, and we are going to listen to it.’
“Noble sons, when they had said that, Queen Vimaladattā replied to Vimalagarbha and Vimalanetra, ‘Noble ones, your father, King Śubhavyūha, has faith in the brahmins; therefore you will not be given permission to see the Tathāgata.’
“Then, noble ones, the boy Vimalagarbha and the boy Vimalanetra, [F.170.b] with their ten fingers and palms placed together in homage, said, ‘We have been born into a family that holds the wrong view; we are not sons of a Dharma king.’
“ ‘Then, noble ones,’ Queen Vimaladattā said to the boys, ‘perform some miracle, so that your father, King Śubhavyūha, will be sympathetic toward you. It is possible that he will be favorably inclined626 toward you. If he is favorably inclined, he will give us permission to go to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña.’
“Then, noble ones, at that time the boy Vimalagarbha and the boy Vimalanetra rose into the air to the height of seven palm trees, and so that King Śubhavyūha would be sympathetic toward them they together performed miracles that are permitted by the Buddha. Having gone up into the air, they lay down there, they walked in the air, they shook themselves free of dust in the air, and then while in the air, the lower half of their bodies emitted streams of water, and the upper half of their bodies blazed with fire, and then the lower half of their bodies blazed with fire, and the upper half of their bodies emitted streams of water. Up in the air they became huge and then became small; they became small and then became huge. Up in the air they vanished and appeared down on the ground. After appearing on the ground they rose up into the air.
“Noble ones, those two boys, through performing those miracles, guided their father, King Śubhavyūha.
“Noble ones, when King Śubhavyūha saw the miracles that those two boys performed, he was pleased, delighted, overjoyed, joyful, and experienced happiness and pleasure. He placed his ten fingers and palms together in homage and asked those boys, [F.171.a] ‘Noble ones, who is your teacher? Whose students are you?’
“Then, noble ones, those two boys said to King Śubhavyūha, ‘Great King, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña is alive, present, and remaining in this world. He sits upon a Dharma seat at the foot of a precious Bodhi tree. Before the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā,627 he is teaching extensively the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. That Bhagavān is our teacher. Great King, we are his students.’
“Then, noble ones, King Śubhavyūha said to the two boys, ‘Noble ones, I also shall go before the Bhagavān and see your teacher.’
“Then, noble ones, the two boys descended from the sky, and went to where their birth mother was, and having arrived, placed their ten fingers and palms together in homage, and they said to their birth mother, ‘Mother, we have guided our father toward the highest, complete enlightenment. We have performed the role of teacher for our father. Therefore, Mother,628 it is now appropriate for you to let us go. We shall become renunciants under the Bhagavān.
“Then, noble ones, at that time the boy Vimalagarbha and the boy Vimalanetra recited these verses to their birth mother:
“Noble sons, when those boys had recited those verses, they said to their father and mother, ‘Father, Mother, this is excellent. Come, and together with you we shall go into the presence of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, in order to see the Bhagavān, pay homage to him, and honor him. For what reason? Because, Father, Mother, it is as difficult to find the appearance of a buddha as a flower on a fig tree, or for a turtle to put its neck through the hole of a yoke. Father, Mother, it is difficult to find the appearance of a buddha bhagavān and therefore, Father, Mother, based upon the highest merit, we have been born in the time of this teaching. Father, Mother, it is excellent that you let us go. We shall leave, we shall become renunciants under the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña. For what reason? It is difficult to obtain the sight of a tathāgata, it is difficult to find a king of the Dharma such as this in the present time, and because it is extremely difficult to attain being endowed with this kind of opportunity.’
“Noble ones, at that time King Śubhavyūha, together with his harem numbering eighty-four thousand, became recipients for the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“The boys Vimalagarbha and Vimalanetra practiced this Dharma teaching for a hundred thousand quintillion eons, thinking,629 ‘How can we eliminate the lower existences?’ [F.172.a] They practiced the samādhi of eliminating the lower existences of all beings.
“Queen Vimaladattā, the mother of those boys, understood what is taught by all the buddhas, and the secret parts of the Dharma of all the buddhas.
“Then, noble ones, those two boys guided King Śubhavyūha into the teaching of the Tathāgata, and caused him to follow it, and become completely ripened together with all his court.630 Together with Queen Vimaladattā and her courtiers, the two sons of King Śubhavyūha, forty-two thousand people, the harem, and the ministers, they all went into the presence of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña. When they had arrived, they bowed their head to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān seven times, and sat down to one side.
“Then, noble ones, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, knowing that King Śubhavyūha had arrived, taught them through speaking excellently about the Dharma, causing them to engage in it, encouraging them, and delighting them.
“Then, noble ones, when the Bhagavān taught King Śubhavyūha by speaking excellently about the Dharma, causing him to engage in it, encouraging him, and delighting him, the king became pleased, delighted, and overjoyed; he became joyful, and felt happiness and pleasure. He bound his turban on his younger brother’s head and made him king. [F.172.b] Then together with his court, Queen Vimaladattā, the entire retinue of a crowd of women,631 and the two boys, accompanied by eighty-four thousand other beings, they became renunciants, leaving home for homelessness within the teaching of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña.
After becoming renunciants, King Śubhavyūha and his followers diligently contemplated, meditated on, and studied the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma for eighty-four thousand years.
“Then, noble ones, after eighty-four thousand years had passed, King Śubhavyūha attained the samādhi called the array of all adorning good qualities. As soon as he attained that samādhi, King Śubhavyūha rose in the air up to the height of seven palm trees.
“Then, noble ones, in the middle of the sky King Śubhavyūha said these words to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña: ‘Bhagavān, my two sons are teachers. Through their miracles they turned me away from severe false doctrines and brought me into the Tathāgata’s teaching. They ripened me and caused me to practice. They inspired me to come see and pay homage to the Bhagavān. Bhagavān, these two boys are my kalyāṇamitras, who in order to make me remember my past roots of merit were born in my family in the form of boys.’
“The bhagavān tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña [F.173.a] said to King Śubhavyūha, ‘Great King, it is so. It is as you have said. The noble men or noble women who have planted roots of merit, even though they are born in all the states where they come into existence and die and pass away, they will easily find a kalyāṇamitra, they will be near someone who will act as a teacher, and they will be given a prophecy of the highest, complete enlightenment, be guided toward it and ripened for it. In that way, Great King, it is a great occasion for someone to be cared for by a kalyāṇamitra and guided to see a tathāgata. Great King, do you see these two boys?’
“ ‘I see them, Bhagavān,’ the king replied. ‘I see them, Tathāgata.’
“ ‘Great King,’ said the Bhagavān, ‘these two boys have made offerings to as many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas as there are grains of sand in sixty-five Ganges Rivers. Because of their compassion for beings, and in order to cause beings who have wrong views to be dedicated to the true view, they will be holders of this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.’
“Then, noble ones, King Śubhavyūha descended from the sky, and with his ten fingers and palms placed together in homage, he said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, ‘Bhagavān, what kind of wisdom does the Tathāgata possess, by which the Bhagavān, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha has a beautiful uṣṇīṣa, stainless eyes, a beautiful ūrṇā hair between the eyebrows that is as white and beautiful as the moon or a conch, the beautiful rows of teeth in his mouth that are even and perfectly aligned, [F.173.b] the Sugata’s lips that are as red as the bimbā fruit,632 and the Sugata’s beautiful eyes? I request the Tathāgata to teach this.’
“Noble ones, King Śubhavyūha, having praised the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña through describing those qualities, then praised the Bhagavān through describing another hundred thousand quintillion qualities. At that time, he said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña, ‘Bhagavān, it is marvelous how much great benefit there is in the teaching of the Tathāgata, how the guidance of the Dharma taught by the Bhagavān is endowed with inconceivable qualities, and how excellent is the training of the Tathāgata. Bhagavān, from today onward, I will never again fall under the power of my mind. I will never again fall under the power of wrong views. I will never again fall under the power of anger. I will never again fall under the power of the arising of wicked thoughts. Bhagavān, if I again possess these bad qualities, I will not seek to come before the Bhagavān.’633
“Then he bowed his head to the feet of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña and rose up into the air and remained there.
“Then King Śubhavyūha and Queen Vimaladattā cast into the air above the Bhagavān a string of pearls worth a hundred thousand silver coins. As soon as they threw that string of pearls, it transformed into a kūṭāgāra in the air above the Bhagavān, [F.174.a] which was made of strings of pearls, was quadrangular, with four pillars, well proportioned, symmetrical, and beautiful. In that kūṭāgāra appeared a throne spread with many hundreds of thousands of calico cloths. The Tathāgata appeared sitting cross-legged upon that throne.
“Then King Śubhavyūha thought, ‘This wisdom of buddhahood is very powerful. The Tathāgata has inconceivable qualities so that in this way the Tathāgata’s body is within the kūṭāgāra and is resplendent, beautiful, and has the perfect color.’
“Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña asked that fourfold assembly, ‘Bhikṣus, do you see King Śubhavyūha roaring the lion’s roar in the middle of the sky?’
“ ‘We see him,’ they answered.
“ ‘Bhikṣus,’ said the Bhagavān, ‘King Śubhavyūha, having become a bhikṣu within my teaching, will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Śālendrarāja, in an eon named Abhyudgatarāja, in the world realm Vistīrṇavatī.
“ ‘Bhikṣus, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śālendrarāja will have an innumerable saṅgha of bodhisattvas and an innumerable saṅgha of śrāvakas. The world realm Vistīrṇavatī will be as level as the palm of a hand. In that way, that tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha will have inconceivable qualities.’ [F.174.b]
“Noble ones,634 if you are uncertain, unsure, or undecided, thinking that King Śubhavyūha at that time, on that occasion was someone else, do not have such a view. Why is that? This bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī was at that time, on that occasion, King Śubhavyūha.
“Noble ones, if you are uncertain, unsure, or undecided, thinking that Queen Vimaladattā at that time, on that occasion was someone else, do not have such a view. Why is that? This bodhisattva mahāsattva Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitadhvajarāja was at that time, on that occasion, Queen Vimaladattā, who out of compassion for King Śubhavyūha and those beings had made a commitment to become the wife of King Śubhavyūha.
“Noble ones, if you are uncertain, unsure, or undecided, thinking that the two boys at that time, on that occasion were someone else, do not have such a view. Why is that? It is635 Bhaiṣajyarāja and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata who at that time, on that occasion, were the sons of King Śubhavyūha.
“Therefore, noble ones, both Bhaiṣajyarāja and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata possess inconceivable qualities. They have planted roots of merit under many hundred thousand quintillions of buddhas. These higher beings are both truly superior through their inconceivable qualities. The world and its devas will pay homage to those who possess the names of these two high beings.”
When this chapter on the past was taught, [F.175.a] eighty-four thousand beings gained pure, immaculate, stainless Dharma eyes.
This concludes “The Past of King Śubhavyūha,” the twenty-fifth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
Samantabhadra’s Encouragement
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, leading a following of countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas, and leading a following of countless devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, came from the east, and the realms shook, a rain of lotuses fell, and a hundred thousand quintillion musical instruments played. With the great power of a bodhisattva, with the great manifestations of a bodhisattva, with the great miraculous power of a bodhisattva, with the great majesty636 of a bodhisattva, with the great brilliant magnificence of a bodhisattva, with the great way637 of a bodhisattva, with the great miracles of a bodhisattva, and with the great miraculous manifestation of leading a following638 of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans—it was with such an inconceivable miraculous manifestation that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra came to this Sahā world realm.
He came to Vulture Peak, to the Bhagavān, bowed his head to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān seven times, and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I have come here from the buddha realm of the bhagavān tathāgata Ratnatejobhyudgatarāja. Bhagavān, [F.175.b] I have come before the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni in order to listen to this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in this Sahā world realm. Bhagavān, these hundred thousand bodhisattvas have also come to listen to this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. Therefore, Bhagavān, Tathāgata, Arhat, perfectly enlightened Buddha, teach extensively this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to these bodhisattva mahāsattvas.”
The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, “Noble one, these bodhisattva mahāsattvas all have instant comprehension. This639 Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is like this: it is inseparable from the true nature, the limit of reality, and the essence of phenomena.”640
“Bhagavān it is so!” exclaimed those bodhisattvas. “Sugata, it is so!”
Then in order to establish the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who had gathered in that assembly in this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, “Noble one, a woman who has four qualities will obtain The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in her hands. What are these four? She will have the blessing of the buddha bhagavāns, she will have planted the roots of merit, [F.176.a] she will be among the class of those who are determined,641 and she will have developed the aspiration to attain the highest, complete enlightenment in order to protect all beings.
“Noble son, a woman who has those four qualities will obtain this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in her hands.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra declared, “Bhagavān in the later times, during the later times, in the last five hundred years of the Dharma, I will protect the bhikṣus who are upholding such a sūtra as this. I will bring them happiness. I will cause them to avoid punishment, and I will neutralize poison. Bhagavān, I will continually guard and protect those dharmabhāṇakas so that whoever seeks to harm them and seeks such an opportunity will not be able to find such an opportunity.
“The evil Māra, Māra’s sons, and the Mārakāyika devas, Māra’s maidens, and Mara’s retinue who seek to harm them and seek such an opportunity will not be able to find such an opportunity. No deva, yakṣa, rākṣasa, preta, pūtana, kṛtya, or vetāla that seeks to harm those dharmabhāṇakas and seeks for such an opportunity, will be able to find such an opportunity.
“Bhagavān, when the dharmabhāṇakas are walking while dedicated to the practice of contemplating this Dharma teaching, at that time, in order to protect this Dharma teaching, I will mount a white, six-tusked king of elephants and, accompanied by an entourage of bodhisattvas, I shall come before those dharmabhāṇakas in the place where the dharmabhāṇakas are walking.
“When the dharmabhāṇakas [F.176.b] who are dedicated to the practice of contemplating this Dharma teaching make a mistake in even one word or one letter of this Dharma teaching, at that time I will mount a white, six-tusked king of elephants and reveal myself to them and I will repeat the Dharma teaching correctly. Those dharmabhāṇakas will see my body and hear from me this Dharma teaching correctly and they will be pleased, delighted, and overjoyed—they will be joyful, and experience happiness and pleasure—and they will be dedicated to this Dharma teaching. As soon as they see me they will attain samādhi. They will attain the power of mental retention that is called the convergence of retentions. They will attain the power of mental retention that is called a trillion convergences. They will attain the power of mental retention that is called expertise in all sounds.
“Bhagavān, in the later times, during the later times, in the last five hundred years of the Dharma, I will reveal my body, the sight of which brings happiness to all beings, to the bhikṣus or bhikṣuṇīs, the upāsakas or upāsikās who possess such a sūtra as this, who write out such a sūtra as this, who seek for such a sūtra as this, who read such a sūtra as this, and who in the later times, during the later times, in the last five hundred years of the Dharma, are dedicated to walking, for the sake of this Dharma teaching, for three weeks—twenty-one days. I will mount a white, six-tusked king of elephants and, accompanied by an entourage of bodhisattvas, I shall come before those dharmabhāṇakas in the place where those dharmabhāṇakas are walking for twenty-one days. When I have arrived there I will reveal myself to those dharmabhāṇakas, inspire them to uphold it, encourage them, and bring them joy. I shall give them a dhāraṇī so that no one will be able to harm those dharmabhāṇakas, [F.177.a] no human or nonhuman will find such an opportunity and no woman will beguile them. I shall protect them. I shall save them from punishment. I shall counteract poison. Bhagavān, I shall give the dharmabhāṇakas these dhāraṇī words:
“Tadyathā:642 adaṇḍe643 daṇḍapati644 daṇḍāvartani645 daṇḍakuśale646 daṇḍasudhāri647 sudhārapati648 buddhapaśyane649 sarvadhāraṇi650 āvartani651 saṃvartani652 saṃghaparīkṣite653 saṃghanirghātani654 dharmaparīkṣite655 sarvasattvarutakauśalye kauśalyānugate656 siṃhavikrīḍite657 anuvarte658 vartani vartāli659 svāhā.660
“Bhagavān, the bodhisattvas, to whose faculty of hearing comes the sound of these dhāraṇī words, should know that they are the blessing of Samantabhadra.
“Bhagavān, while this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma is existing in this Jambudvīpa, the bodhisattvas into whose hands it comes, those dharmabhāṇakas, Bhagavān, should know that this Dharma teaching has come into their hands through the power of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, and through the magnificence of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra.
“Bhagavān, the beings who write out this sūtra and who uphold it have obtained the activity of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Those beings will be those who have planted roots of merit under many buddhas.
“Bhagavān, those beings will have their heads stroked by the hand of the Tathāgata.
“Bhagavān, those beings who write out this sūtra, and those who study it after having written it out, Bhagavān, when they pass away they will be reborn as one of the devas of Trāyastriṃśa. The moment they are reborn there, in front of them will be eighty-four thousand deva maidens, and as devas with crowns the size of bherī drums they will dwell among those deva maidens.662
“Bhagavān, the accumulation of merit of those beings who write out this Dharma teaching is like that, let alone that of those who transmit it, chant it, contemplate it, and keep it in mind.
“Therefore, Bhagavān, this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma should be contemplated in the mind663 and written out. If someone keeps it in mind without distraction and writes it out, a hundred thousand buddhas will extend their hands toward them. When they die they will see a thousand buddhas. They will not fall into the lower existences at death. When they pass away from this world they will be reborn among the devas of Tuṣita. They will be reborn where the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, possessing the thirty-two signs of a superior being, is teaching the Dharma accompanied by an entourage of bodhisattvas and attended upon by a hundred thousand quintillion deva maidens.
“Therefore, a wise noble man or noble woman should respectfully write out this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. They should respectfully transmit it. They should respectfully read it aloud. They should respectfully keep it in mind.
“Bhagavān, someone who writes out this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, transmits it, reads it aloud, meditates on it, and keeps it in mind will have countless qualities.
“Therefore, Bhagavān, a wise noble man or noble woman should possess this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and they will have the benefit of that great number of qualities. [F.178.a]
“Therefore, Bhagavān, I will give my blessing to this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma so that through my blessing this Dharma teaching will continue to exist in Jambudvīpa.”
Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, “It is excellent, Samantabhadra, excellent that for the benefit of many beings664 you, who are thus endowed with inconceivable qualities, with a superior motivation of compassion, and with an inconceivable aspiration, are blessing this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.
“The noble men or noble women who possess the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra should be known to be those who have seen the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and have heard this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma directly from Tathāgata Śākyamuni, have made offerings to Tathāgata Śākyamuni, have lauded Tathāgata Śākyamuni’s teaching of the Dharma, and have rejoiced in this Dharma teaching. Tathāgata Śākyamuni will have placed his hand upon their heads. They will have dressed Śākyamuni in Dharma robes.
“Samantabhadra, those noble men or noble women should be known to be the holders of the Tathāgata’s teaching. They will not delight in the Lokāyatas. [F.178.b] They will not delight in those who recite poetry. They will not delight in dancing, music, wrestling, meat sellers, butchers, chicken sellers, pig sellers, or pimps. Those who have heard, have written out, possess, and read such a sūtra as this will have no craving for anything else. Those beings will possess the essence of the Dharma. They will have their own correct attention. They will possess the power of their own merit. Beings will be happy to see them.
“The bhikṣus who possess such a sūtra as this will not be tormented by desire. They will be without anger, ignorance, envy,665 miserliness, hypocrisy, pride, arrogance, and mistaken pride.
“Samantabhadra, those dharmabhāṇakas will be satisfied with whatever they obtain.
“Samantabhadra, in the later times, during the later times of the last five hundred years of the Dharma, if someone sees a bhikṣu who is a holder of this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, they should think, ‘This noble man is going to go to the Bodhimaṇḍa. This noble man is going to be victorious over Māra’s army.666 This noble man is going to turn the wheel of the Dharma. He is going to beat the drum of the Dharma. He is going to blow the conch of the Dharma. He is going to send down a rain of the Dharma. He is going to sit upon the lion throne of the Dharma.’ Those are the thoughts that should arise in their minds.
“In the later times, during the later times of the last five hundred years of the Dharma, the bhikṣus who are holders of this Dharma teaching will not have cravings, [F.179.a] will have no attachment to Dharma robes, and will have no attachment to their alms bowls. Those dharmabhāṇakas will be honest. Those dharmabhāṇakas will have attained the three liberations.667 They will have turned away from this life.
“Those who criticize bhikṣus who are holders of such a sūtra as this will become blind. Those who speak unpleasantly to bhikṣus who are holders of such a sūtra as this will in that life have a discolored body. Those who ridicule and mock those who write out such a sūtra as this will have broken teeth, blackened teeth, ugly lips, flat noses, disfigured legs and arms, defective eyes, and a bad body odor. Their bodies will be covered with blisters, rashes, sores, abscesses, and itching spots.
“If someone says something unpleasant, whether it is true or not, to someone who upholds such a sūtra as this, who writes out such a sūtra as this, who reads aloud such a sūtra as this, who teaches such a sūtra as this, they should be known to have extremely heavy, bad karma.
“Therefore, Samantabhadra, one should stand up for bhikṣus who hold this Dharma teaching, even when they are far away. One should respect those bhikṣus who hold such a sūtra as this just as one would respect the Tathāgata.”
When this chapter on “Samantabhadra’s Encouragement” was being taught, bodhisattva mahāsattavas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River attained the power of mental retention called a trillion convergences.
This concludes “Samantabhadra’s Encouragement,” the twenty-sixth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
The Entrusting
Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni [F.179.b] rose from his Dharma seat and manifested the miracle of his right hand taking hold of the right hands of those in the entire gathering of bodhisattvas. At that time he said, “Noble ones, this highest, complete enlightenment that I accomplished after a hundred thousand quintillion asaṃkhyeya eons I place in your hands: I entrust it to you, I present it to you, and I pass it on to you. Noble ones, you should do whatever will make it extensively widespread.”
A second time and a third time the Bhagavān with his right hand took hold of the right hands of those in the entire gathering of bodhisattvas and said, “Noble ones, this highest, complete enlightenment that I accomplished after a hundred thousand quintillion asaṃkhyeya eons I place in your hands: I entrust it to you, I present it to you, and I pass it on to you.
“Noble ones, you should receive this and possess it, read it, study it, teach it, explain it, and make it known to all beings.
“Noble ones, I am without avarice, I have no clinging, and I fearlessly give to you the wisdom of buddhahood. I give you the wisdom of the tathāgatas and the self-arisen wisdom.
“Noble ones, you should practice as I have. Be without avarice and make known to the noble men and noble women who come to you this Dharma teaching that is a great skillful method for seeing the wisdom of the tathāgatas. Lead into this Dharma teaching the noble men or noble women who have faith, and also those beings who do not have faith. [F.180.a]
“Noble ones, if you do that, then you will have repaid the Tathāgata.”
When the bhagavān tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni had said that, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas were overjoyed and filled with happiness. With great veneration they bowed, bowed down, bowed deeply toward the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni, and with their heads bowed down and their hands placed together in homage they spoke in one voice to the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni: “Bhagavān, we shall accomplish all that the Tathāgata has instructed us to do. We shall fulfill all the instructions that the Tathāgata has given. Bhagavān, be at ease and be content.” That entire gathering of bodhisattvas declared a second time and a third time in one voice, “Bhagavān, be at ease and be content. We shall accomplish all that the Tathāgata has instructed us to do. We shall fulfill all the instructions that the Tathāgata has given.”
Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni gave leave to the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who had come from other world realms to depart, telling those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas to dwell happily by saying, “Tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas, dwell happily!”
The stūpa of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna was remaining in the same place, [F.180.b] and he also said, “Dwell happily,” to that tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha.
When the Bhagavān had said those words, the countless, innumerable tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who had come from other world realms and were seated on lion thrones at the foot of precious trees, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, the entire gathering of countless, innumerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas, the great śrāvakas, the fourfold assembly, and the world with its devas, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced, and praised the words of the Bhagavān.
This concludes “The Entrusting,” the twenty-seventh chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
This concludes the glorious Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma,” the great extensive sūtra, the instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all the buddhas, which is the great secret of the buddhas, which is concealed by all the buddhas, which is the family of all the buddhas, which is the secret subject of all the buddhas, which is the essence of enlightenment of all the buddhas, which is the Dharma wheel turned by all the buddhas, which is the union of all the buddhas in one body, which is the great skillful method taught as one yāna, and which is the sūtra that teaches the ultimate accomplishment.
Notes
Bibliography
Tibetan Editions of the Sūtra
dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo (Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra) [The White Lotus of the Good Dharma]. Toh 113, Degé Kangyur, 103 vols. New Delhi: Karmapae Chodhey Gyalwae Sungrab Patrun Khang, 1976–79, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1a–180b.
———. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), pp. 3–427.
———. Choné Kangyur (co ne bka’ ’gyur). 108 vols. Choné: co ne par khang, 1926, vol. 31 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1–212b.
———. Lhasa Kangyur (lha sa bka’ ’gyur). 100 vols. Lhasa: zhol bka’ ’gyur par khang, 1934, vol. 53 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1b–285b.
———. Narthang Kangyur (snar thang bka’ ’gyur). 102 vols. Narthang: snar thang par khang, eighteenth century, vol. 53 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1b–281b.
———. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma bka’ ’gyur). 109 vols. Leh: smad rtsis shes rig dpe mdzod, 1975–80. vol. 67 (mdo sde, ma), folios 1a–270b.
———. Urga Kangyur (ur ga bka’ ’gyur). New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1990–94. vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1a–180b.
Khangkar, Tsultrim Kelsang (ed.) bod gyur dam pa’i chos padma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo: Tibetan Translation of Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. Nyin bod nang rig deb grangs (Japanese and Tibetan Buddhist Culture Series) XI. Kyoto: Tibetan Buddhist Culture Association, 2009.
Sanskrit Editions of the Sūtra
Zhongxin, Jiang. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Fragments from the Lüshun Museum Collection. Tokyo: Sōka Gakkai, 1997.
Vaidya, P. L. Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1960.
Watanabe, Shōkō. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Manuscripts Found in Gilgit. Tokyo: Reiyukai, 1972–75.
Wogihara, Unrai and Tsuchida, Chikao. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtram: Romanized and Revised Text of the Bibliotheca Buddhica publication by consulting a Sanskrit Ms. & Tibetan and Chinese translations. Tōkyō: Seigo-Kenkyūkai, 1934–35.
Translations of the Sūtra
Borsig, Margareta von. Lotos-Sutra: Das Große Erleuchtungsbuch des Buddhismus. Freiburg: Herder, 2003.
Burnouf, Eugene. Le lotus de la bonne loi. Paris: L’imprimerie Nationale, 1852.
Hurvitz, Leon. Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976.
Katō, Bunnō. “The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law.” In The Threefold Lotus Sutra, translated by Bunnō Katō, Yoshirō Tamura, and Kōjirō Miyasaka, with revisions by W. E. Soothill, Wilhelm Schiffer, and Pier P. Del Campana, 18–213. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill and Kosei, 1993.
Kern, H. Saddharma-Puṇḍarīka or the Lotus of the Good Law. Sacred Books of the East XXII. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1884.
Kubo, Tsugunari and Akira Yuyama. The Lotus Sutra. Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research (revised second edition), 2007.
Montgomery, Daniel B. The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. Tokyo: Nichiren Shu Headquarters, 1991.
Murano, Senchū. The Lotus Sutra: Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma. Hayward, CA: Nichiren Buddhist International Center, 1974.
Reeves, Gene. The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2008.
Soothill, W.E. The Lotus of the Wonderful Law, or The Lotus Gospel. Richmond: Curzon Press, 1987.
Watson, Burton. The Lotus Sutra. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.
Other Kangyur Texts
rgya cher rol pa’i mdo (Lalitavistarasūtra, Toh 95. Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1b–216b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation committee (2013).
ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo (Samādhirājasūtra), Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1a–175b. English translation in Roberts (2018).
de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi gsang ba’i mdo (Tathāgataghuyakasūtra) [The Secret of the Tathāgatas Sūtra]. Toh 443, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud, ca), folios 90a–157b.
phal po che’i mdo (Avataṁsakasūtra) [A Multitude of Buddhas Sūtra]. Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vols. 35–38 (phal chen, ka–a), folios ka 1a–nga 363a.
lang kar gshegs pa’i mdo (Laṅkāvatārasūtra) [The Entry into Laṅka Sutra]. Toh 107, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 56a–191b.
shes rab pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa (Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā) [The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses]. Toh 12, Degé Kangyur vol. 33 (brgyad stong pa, ka), folios 1b–286a.
sa bcu pa’i mdo (Daśabhūmikasūtra) [The Sūtra of the Ten Bhūmis]. Chapter 31, in Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, kha), folios 166a–283a. English translation in Roberts (2021).
gser ’od dam pa’i mdo (Suvarṇaprabhāsūtra) [The Golden Light Sūtra]. Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud, pa), folios 151b–273a.
Tengyur Texts
Abhayākaragupta. thub pa’i dgongs pa’i rgyan (Munimatālaṁkāra). Toh 3903, Degé Tengyur vol. 210 (dbu ma, a), folios 73b–293a.
Asaṅga. theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos rnam par bshad pa (Mahāyānottaratantraśāstravyākhyā). Toh 4025, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, phi), folios 74b–129a.
Candrakīrti. dbu ma la ’jug pa’i bshad pa (Madhyamakāvatārabhāṣya). Toh 3862, Degé Tengyur vol. 204 (dbu ma, ’a), folios 220b–348a.
———. byang chub sems dpa’i rnal ’byor spyod pa bzhi brgya pa’i ’grel pa (Bodhisattvayogacaryācatuḥśatakaṭīkā) Toh 3865, Degé Tengyur vol. 205 (dbu ma, ya), folios 30b–239a.
Daṃṣṭrāsena, Vasubandhu, or neither. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa ’bum pa dang nyi khri lnga stong pa dang khri brgyad stong pa’i rgya cher bshad pa (Śatasāhasrikāpañcaviṁśatisāhasrikaṣṭādaśasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitābṛhaṭṭīkā). Toh 3808, Degé Tengyur vol. 93 (sher phyin, pha), folios 1a–292b. English translation in Sparham (2022).
Dharmamitra. tshig rab tu gsal ba (Prasphuṭapadā). Toh 3796, Degé Tengyur vol. 87 (sher phyin, nya), folios 1a–110a.
Jānavajra. de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Tathāgatahṛdayālaṁkāra). Toh 4019, Degé Tengyur vol. 224 (mdo ’grel, pi), folios 1a–310a.
Kamalaśīla. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa bdun brgya pa rgya cher bshad pa (Saptaśatikāprajñāpāramitāṭīkā). Toh 3815, Degé Tengyur vol. 95 (sher phyin, ma), folios 89a–178a.
Maitreya-Asaṅga. theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos (Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra) [A Mahāyāna Treatise on the Supreme Continuum]. Toh 4024, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, phi), folios 54b–73a.
Nāgārjuna. mdo kun las btus pa (Sūtrasamuccaya). Toh 3934, Degé Tengyur vol. 212 (dbu ma, ki), folios 148b–215a.
Saitsalak (sa’i rtsa lag, Kuiji, Pṛthivībandhu). dam pa’i chos padma dkar po’i ’grel pa. Toh 4017, Degé Tengyur, vol. 120 (mdo ’grel, di), folios 175b–302a.
———. dam pa’i chos padma dkar po’i ’grel pa. bstan ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Tengyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 69 (mdo sde, di, vol. 135), pp. 476–826.
Śāntideva. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya). Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3a–194b.
Vasubandhu. theg pa chen po bsdus pa’i ’grel pa (Mahāyānasaṁgrahabhāṣya). Toh 4050, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, yi), folios 121b–190a.
Wantsik (wan tshig, Yuan Tso). dgongs pa zab mo nges par ’grel pa (Gambhīrasaṁdhinirmocanasūtraṭīkā). Toh 4016, Degé Tengyur vols. 220–22 (mdo ’grel, ti–ti), folios ti 1a–di 175a.
Secondary Tibetan Sources
Lodrö Gyaltsen (blo gros rgyal mtshan). dam chos pad dkar gyi tshig don la gzhan gyi log par rtog pa dgag pa. In Sa skya bka’ ’bum vol. 15, Kathmandu: Sachen International, 2006, folios 469–485.
Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub). bde bar gshegs pa’i bstan pa’i gsal byed chos kyi ’byung gnas gsung rab rin po che’i mdzod. In The Collected Works of Bu-ston. Edited by Lokesh Chandra from the collections of Raghu Vira. 28 volumes. Zhol bka’ ’gyur par khang edition. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1965–71, 633–1056.
Changkya Rölpai Dorjé (lcang skya rol pa’i rdo rje). dam chos pad ma dkar po’i kha byang. In lcang skya rol pa’i rdo rje’i gsung ’bum, vol. 5 (ca), Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2003, folios 525–532.
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———. “The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra at Gilgit: Manuscripts, Worshippers, and Artists.” Journal of Oriental Studies22 (2012): 52–67.
———. Bronzes of the Ancient Kingdom of Gilgit and Royal Patronage in Early North-Western India and Pakistan. Online lecture: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2010).
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Glossary
Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding source language
Attested in source text
This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.
Attested in other text
This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.
Attested in dictionary
This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding language.
Approximate attestation
The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.
Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering
This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.
Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering
This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.
Source unspecified
This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.
Ābhāsvara
- ’od gsal
- འོད་གསལ།
- ābhāsvara
Abhijñājñānābhibhū
- mngon shes ye shes zil gnon
- མངོན་ཤེས་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཟིལ་གནོན།
- abhijñājñānābhibhū
Abhijñaprāpta
- mngon par shes thob
- མངོན་པར་ཤེས་ཐོབ།
- abhijñaprāpta
Abhirati
- mngon par dga’ ba
- མངོན་པར་དགའ་བ།
- abhirati
Abhyudgatarāja
- mngon ’phags rgyal po
- མངོན་འཕགས་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- abhyudgatarāja
absence of aspiration
- smon pa med pa
- སྨོན་པ་མེད་པ།
- apraṇihita
absence of attributes
- mtshan ma med pa
- མཚན་མ་མེད་པ།
- animitta
Acalā
- me
- མེ།
- acalā
ācārya
- slob dpon
- སློབ་དཔོན།
- ācārya
accounts of miracles
- rmad byung
- རྨད་བྱུང་།
- adbhuta
Adhimātrakāruṇika
- rab tu snying rje can
- རབ་ཏུ་སྙིང་རྗེ་ཅན།
- adhimātrakāruṇika
Adorned by Great Jewels
- rin po che chen pos brgyan pa
- རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཆེན་པོས་བརྒྱན་པ།
- mahāratnapratimaṇḍita
agarwood
- a ga ru
- ཨ་ག་རུ།
- agaru
airborne palace
- gzhal med khang
- གཞལ་མེད་ཁང་།
- vimāna
Ajātaśatru
- ma skyes dgra
- མ་སྐྱེས་དགྲ།
- ajātaśatru
Ajita
- ma pham pa
- མ་ཕམ་པ།
- ajita
Ājñātakauṇḍinya
- kun shes kauN+di n+ya
- ཀུན་ཤེས་ཀཽཎྡི་ནྱ།
- ājñātakauṇḍinya
Akaniṣṭha
- ’og min
- འོག་མིན།
- akaniṣṭha
Ākāśapratiṣṭhita
- nam mkha’ la gnas pa
- ནམ་མཁའ་ལ་གནས་པ།
- ākāśapratiṣṭhita
Akṣayamati
- blo gros mi zad pa
- བློ་གྲོས་མི་ཟད་པ།
- akṣayamati
Akṣobhya
- mi ’khrugs pa
- མི་འཁྲུགས་པ།
- akṣobhya
Amitābha
- snang ba mtha’ yas
- སྣང་བ་མཐའ་ཡས།
- amitābha
Amitāyus
- tshe dpag med
- ཚེ་དཔག་མེད།
- amitāyus
Amoghadarśin
- mthong ba don yod
- མཐོང་བ་དོན་ཡོད།
- amoghadarśin
amrita
- bdud rtsi
- བདུད་རྩི།
- amṛta
Anābhibhū
- zil gnon
- ཟིལ་གནོན།
- anābhibhū
Ānanda
- kun dga’ bo
- ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།
- ānanda
Anantacāritra
- spyod pa mtha’ yas
- སྤྱོད་པ་མཐའ་ཡས།
- anantacāritra
Anantamati
- mtha’ yas blo gros
- མཐའ་ཡས་བློ་གྲོས།
- anantamati
Anantavikrāmiṇ
- mtha’ yas gnon
- མཐའ་ཡས་གནོན།
- anantavikrāmiṇ
Anavanāmitavaijayantī
- ma bsnyal ba’i rgyal mtshan
- མ་བསྙལ་བའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
- anavanāmitavaijayantī
Anavanatā Dhvajavaijayantī
- ma bsnyal rgyal mtshan rgyal ba’i ba dan
- མ་བསྙལ་རྒྱལ་མཚན་རྒྱལ་བའི་བ་དན།
- anavanatā dhvajavaijayantī
Anavatapta
- ma dros pa
- མ་དྲོས་པ།
- anavatapta
Anikṣiptadhura
- brtson pa mi gtong ba
- བརྩོན་པ་མི་གཏོང་བ།
- anikṣiptadhura
Aniruddha
- ma ’gags pa
- མ་འགགས་པ།
- aniruddha
Anupamamati
- dpe med blo gros
- དཔེ་མེད་བློ་གྲོས།
- anupamamati
apasmāraka
- brjed byed
- བརྗེད་བྱེད།
- apasmāraka
apsaras
- lha mo
- ལྷ་མོ།
- apsaras
arhat
- dgra bcom pa
- དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།
- arhat
ārya
- ’phags pa
- འཕགས་པ།
- ārya
asaṃkhyeya
- grangs med pa
- གྲངས་མེད་པ།
- asaṃkhyeya
Asaṅga
- thogs med
- ཐོགས་མེད།
- asaṅga
aspects of enlightenment
- byang chub kyi yan lag
- བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག
- bodhyaṅga
asura
- lha ma yin
- ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
- asura
Aśvajit
- rta thul
- རྟ་ཐུལ།
- aśvajit
Avabhāsaprabha
- snang ’od
- སྣང་འོད།
- avabhāsaprabha
Avabhāsaprāptā
- snang ba thob pa
- སྣང་བ་ཐོབ་པ།
- avabhāsaprāptā
avadavat
- ka la ping ka
- ཀ་ལ་པིང་ཀ
- kalaviṅka
Avalokiteśvara
- spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug
- སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག
- avalokiteśvara
Avīci
- mnar med
- མནར་མེད།
- avīci
āyatana
- skye mched
- སྐྱེ་མཆེད།
- āyatana
Bakkula
- bakku la
- བཀཀུ་ལ།
- bakkula
balacakravartin
- stobs kyi ’khor los sgyur ba
- སྟོབས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
- balacakravartin
Bali
- stobs can
- སྟོབས་ཅན།
- bali
Bandé
- ban de
- བན་དེ།
- bande
basil
- a rdza ka
- ཨ་རྫ་ཀ
- arjaka
bay leaves
- ta ma la’i ’dab ma
- ཏ་མ་ལའི་འདབ་མ།
- tamālapatra
benzoin resin
- dus kyi rjes su ’brang ba
- དུས་ཀྱི་རྗེས་སུ་འབྲང་བ།
- kālānusārin
beryl
- bai dU rya
- བཻ་དཱུ་རྱ།
- vaiḍūrya
Bhadrā
- bzang po
- བཟང་པོ།
- bhadrā
Bhadrapāla
- bzang skyong
- བཟང་སྐྱོང་།
- bhadrapāla
Bhadrika
- bzang po
- བཟང་པོ།
- bhadrika
bhagavān
- bcom ldan ’das
- བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
- bhagavān
Bhaiṣajyarāja
- sman gyi rgyal po
- སྨན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- bhaiṣajyarāja
Bhaiṣajyasamudgata
- sman yang dag ’phags
- སྨན་ཡང་དག་འཕགས།
- bhaiṣajyasamudgata
Bharadvāja
- bha ra dwa dza
- བྷ་ར་དྭ་ཛ།
- bharadvāja
Bharadvājasa
- bha ra dwa dza
- བྷ་ར་དྭ་ཛ།
- bharadvājasa
bherī drum
- rnga bo che
- རྔ་བོ་ཆེ།
- bherī
bhikṣu
- dge slong
- དགེ་སློང་།
- bhikṣu
bhikṣuṇī
- dge slong ma
- དགེ་སློང་མ།
- bhikṣuṇī
Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja
- ’jigs bsgrags dbyangs kyi rgyal po
- འཇིགས་བསྒྲགས་དབྱངས་ཀྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja
bhūta
- ’byung po
- འབྱུང་པོ།
- bhūta
bignonia
- skya snar
- སྐྱ་སྣར།
- pāṭalā
bimbā
- bim pa
- བིམ་པ།
- bimbā
blue lotus
- ud pal
- ཨུད་པལ།
- utpala
Bodhimaṇḍa
- byang chub snying po
- བྱང་ཆུབ་སྙིང་པོ།
- bodhimaṇḍa
bodhisattva
- byang chub sems dpa’
- བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ།
- bodhisattva
Bodhisattvayāna
- byang chub sems dpa’i theg pa
- བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའི་ཐེག་པ།
- bodhisattvayāna
Brahmā
- tshangs pa
- ཚངས་པ།
- brahmā
Brahmadhvaja
- tshangs pa’i rgyal mtshan
- ཚངས་པའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
- brahmadhvaja
brahmaka
- tshangs pa
- ཚངས་པ།
- brahmaka
brahmakāyika
- tshangs ris [Verified]
- ཚངས་རིས། [Verified]
- brahmakāyika
brahmavihāra
- tshangs pa’i gnas
- ཚངས་པའི་གནས།
- brahmavihāra
brahmin
- bram ze
- བྲམ་ཟེ།
- brāhmaṇa
brother
- tshe dang ldan pa
- ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
- āyuṣmat
buddha
- sangs rgyas
- སངས་རྒྱས།
- buddha
Buddhayāna
- sangs rgyas kyi theg pa
- སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཐེག་པ།
- buddhayāna
caitya
- mchod rten
- མཆོད་རྟེན།
- caitya
Cakravāla
- khor yug
- ཁོར་ཡུག
- cakravāla
cakravartin
- ’khor los sgyur ba
- འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
- cakravartin
caṇḍāla
- gdol pa
- གདོལ་པ།
- caṇḍāla
Candra
- zla ba
- ཟླ་བ།
- candra
Candrakīrti
- zla ba grags pa
- ཟླ་བ་གྲགས་པ།
- candrakīrti
Candrārkadīpa
- nyi zla sgron ma
- ཉི་ཟླ་སྒྲོན་མ།
- candrārkadīpa
Candrasūryapradīpa
- nyi zla sgron ma
- ཉི་ཟླ་སྒྲོན་མ།
- candrasūryapradīpa
Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī
- nyi zla dri ma med pa’i ’od dpal
- ཉི་ཟླ་དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་འོད་དཔལ།
- candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī
causal factors
- byed rgyu
- བྱེད་རྒྱུ།
- kāraṇa
chrysoberyl
- ke ke ru
- ཀེ་ཀེ་རུ།
- karketana
coral tree
- man dA ra ba
- མན་དཱ་ར་བ།
- māndārava
crystal
- man shel
- མན་ཤེལ།
- śilā
Cunda
- skul byed
- སྐུལ་བྱེད།
- cunda
ḍamaru
- cang te’u
- ཅང་ཏེའུ།
- ḍamaru
defilements
- zag pa
- ཟག་པ།
- āsrava
deodar cedar
- thang shing
- ཐང་ཤིང་།
- devadāru
deva
- lha
- ལྷ།
- deva
Devadatta
- lhas byin
- ལྷས་བྱིན།
- devadatta
Devarāja
- lha’i rgyal po
- ལྷའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- devarāja
Devasopānāyā
- lha’i them skas
- ལྷའི་ཐེམ་སྐས།
- devasopānāyā
dhāraṇī
- gzungs
- གཟུངས།
- dhāraṇī
dhāraṇī-mantra words
- gzungs sngags kyi tshig
- གཟུངས་སྔགས་ཀྱི་ཚིག
- dhāraṇīmantrapada
Dharaṇīdhara
- sa ’dzin
- ས་འཛིན།
- dharaṇīdhara
Dharaṇīṃdhara
- sa ’dzin
- ས་འཛིན།
- dharaṇīṃdhara
Dharma
- chos
- ཆོས།
- dharma
Dharma robe
- chos gos
- ཆོས་གོས།
- civara
dharmabhāṇaka
- chos smra ba
- ཆོས་སྨྲ་བ།
- dharmabhāṇaka
Dharmadhara
- chos ’dzin
- ཆོས་འཛིན།
- dharmadhara
Dharmagaganābhyudgatarāja
- chos kyi nam mkha’ mngon ’phags rgyal po
- ཆོས་ཀྱི་ནམ་མཁའ་མངོན་འཕགས་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- dharmagaganābhyudgatarāja
dharmakāya
- chos kyi sku
- ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ།
- dharmakāya
Dharmamati
- chos kyi blo gros
- ཆོས་ཀྱི་བློ་གྲོས།
- dharmamati
Dharmamitra
- chos kyi bshes gnyen
- ཆོས་ཀྱི་བཤེས་གཉེན།
- dharmamitra
Dharmaprabhāsa
- chos rab tu snang ba
- ཆོས་རབ་ཏུ་སྣང་བ།
- dharmaprabhāsa
dhātu
- khams
- ཁམས།
- dhātu
Dhṛtarāṣṭra
- yul ’khor srung
- ཡུལ་འཁོར་སྲུང་།
- dhṛtarāṣṭra
Dhṛtiparipūrṇa
- mos pa rdzogs pa
- མོས་པ་རྫོགས་པ།
- dhṛtiparipūrṇa
dhyāna
- bsam gtan
- བསམ་གཏན།
- dhyāna
Dīpaṃkara
- mar me mdzad
- མར་མེ་མཛད།
- dīpaṃkara
Druma
- ljon pa
- ལྗོན་པ།
- druma
eloquence
- spobs pa
- སྤོབས་པ།
- pratibhāna
elucidation
- gtan la dbab pa
- གཏན་ལ་དབབ་པ།
- upadeśa
emerald
- rdo’i snying po
- རྡོའི་སྙིང་པོ།
- aśmagarbha
enlightenment
- byang chub
- བྱང་ཆུབ།
- bodhi
eon
- bskal pa
- བསྐལ་པ།
- kalpa
essence of phenomena
- chos kyi dbyings
- ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས།
- dharmadhātu
extensive
- shin tu rgyas pa
- ཤིན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ།
- vaipulya
factors for enlightenment
- byang chub kyi phyogs
- བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཕྱོགས།
- bodhipakṣa
fearlessness
- mi ’jigs pa
- མི་འཇིགས་པ།
- vaiśāradya
features of a great muni
- dpe byad bzang po
- དཔེ་བྱད་བཟང་པོ།
- anuvyañjana
flame of the forest
- ne tso’am ci
- ནེ་ཙོའམ་ཅི།
- kiṃśuka
formation
- ’du byed
- འདུ་བྱེད།
- saṃskāra
fourfold assembly
- ’khor bzhi po
- འཁོར་བཞི་པོ།
- catasra parṣada
frankincense
- du ru ka
- དུ་རུ་ཀ
- turuṣka
Gadgadasvara
- sang sang po’i dbyangs
- སང་སང་པོའི་དབྱངས།
- gadgadasvara
gandharva
- dri za
- དྲི་ཟ།
- gandharva
gardenia
- bar sha ka
- par sha ka
- བར་ཤ་ཀ
- པར་ཤ་ཀ
- vārṣika
garuḍa
- nam mkha’ lding
- ནམ་མཁའ་ལྡིང་།
- garuḍa
gaur
- ba men
- བ་མེན།
- gavaya
Gavāṃpati
- ba lang bdag
- བ་ལང་བདག
- gavāṃpati
Gayā
- ga ya
- ག་ཡ།
- gayā
Gayākāśyapa
- ga yA ’od srung
- ག་ཡཱ་འོད་སྲུང་།
- gayākāśyapa
Ghoṣamati
- dbyangs kyi blo gros
- དབྱངས་ཀྱི་བློ་གྲོས།
- ghoṣamati
Guhyagupta
- phug sbas
- ཕུག་སྦས།
- guhyagupta
guhyaka
- gsang ba pa
- གསང་བ་པ།
- guhyaka
Hārītī
- ’phrog ma
- འཕྲོག་མ།
- hārītī
He Who Gives Freedom from Fear
- mi ’jigs pa sbyin pa
- མི་འཇིགས་པ་སྦྱིན་པ།
- abhayaṃdada
higher knowledge
- mngon par shes pa
- མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།
- abhijñā
Hīnayāna
- theg pa dman pa
- ཐེག་པ་དམན་པ།
- hīnayāna
histories
- de lta byung
- དེ་ལྟ་བྱུང་།
- itivṛttaka
Indradatta
- dbang pos byin
- དབང་པོས་བྱིན།
- indradatta
Indradhvaja
- dbang po’i rgyal mtshan
- དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
- indradhvaja
Īśvara
- dbang phyug
- དབང་ཕྱུག
- īśvara
Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña
- ’brug sgra sbyangs snyan skar ma’i rgyal po me tog kun tu rgyas pa
- འབྲུག་སྒྲ་སྦྱངས་སྙན་སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ།
- jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña
Jambudvīpa
- ’dzam bu’i gling
- འཛམ་བུའི་གླིང་།
- jambudvīpa
Jāmbūnadābhāsa
- ’dzam bu’i chu bo’i gser gyi ’od
- འཛམ་བུའི་ཆུ་བོའི་གསེར་གྱི་འོད།
- jāmbūnadābhāsa
- jāmbūnadaprabhāsa
Jāmbūnadaprabhāsa
- ’dzam bu’i chu bo’i gser gyi ’od
- འཛམ་བུའི་ཆུ་བོའི་གསེར་གྱི་འོད།
- jāmbūnadaprabhāsa
- jāmbūnadābhāsa
Jānavajra
- dzA na ba dzra
- ཛཱ་ན་བ་ཛྲ།
- jānavajra
jasmine
- ma li ka
- མ་ལི་ཀ
- mallikā
jina
- rgyal ba
- རྒྱལ་བ།
- jina
Jñānākara
- ye shes ’byung gnas
- ཡེ་ཤེས་འབྱུང་གནས།
- jñānākara
Jyotiṣprabha
- skar ma’i ’od
- སྐར་མའི་འོད།
- jyotiṣprabha
Kāla
- nag po
- ནག་པོ།
- kāla
Kāla
- nag po
- ནག་པོ།
- kāla
Kālodāyin
- ’char ka nag po
- འཆར་ཀ་ནག་པོ།
- kālodāyin
kalyāṇamitra
- dge ba’i bshes gnyen
- དགེ་བའི་བཤེས་གཉེན།
- kalyāṇamitra
Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña
- pad ma’i ’dab ma dri ma med pa skar ma’i rgyal po me tog kun tu rgyas pa
- པད་མའི་འདབ་མ་དྲི་མ་མེད་པ་སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ།
- kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña
Kamalaśīla
- ka ma la shI la
- ཀ་མ་ལ་ཤཱི་ལ།
- kamalaśīla
Kapilāhvaya
- ser skya’i gnas
- སེར་སྐྱའི་གནས།
- kapilāhvaya
Kapilavastu
- ser skya’i gnas
- སེར་སྐྱའི་གནས།
- kapilavastu
Kapphiṇa
- ka pi na
- ཀ་པི་ན།
- kapphiṇa
karṣa
- zho
- ཞོ།
- karṣa
Kāśyapa
- ’od srung
- འོད་སྲུང་།
- kāśyapa
kātyāyana
- kA tyA’i bu
- ཀཱ་ཏྱཱའི་བུ།
- kātyāyana
Kauṇḍinya
- kauNDi nya
- ཀཽཎཌི་ཉ།
- kauṇḍinya
Kauṇḍinyagotra
- kauNDi nya rigs
- ཀཽཎཌི་ཉ་རིགས།
- kauṇḍinyagotra
Keśinī
- skra can
- སྐྲ་ཅན།
- keśinī
Kharaskandha
- phrag rtsub
- ཕྲག་རྩུབ།
- kharaskandha
kinnara
- mi’am ci
- མིའམ་ཅི།
- kinnara
- kiṃnara
kleśa
- nyon mongs
- ཉོན་མོངས།
- kleśa
krośa
- rgyang grags
- རྒྱང་གྲགས།
- krośa
kṛtya
- gshed byed
- གཤེད་བྱེད།
- kṛtya
kṣatriya
- rgyal rigs
- རྒྱལ་རིགས།
- kṣatriya
Kuiji
- sa’i rtsa lag
- སའི་རྩ་ལག
- pṛthivībandhu
kumbhāṇḍa
- grul bum
- གྲུལ་བུམ།
- kumbhāṇḍa
Kuntī
- mdung can
- མདུང་ཅན།
- kuntī
Kūṭadantī
- so brtsegs
- སོ་བརྩེགས།
- kūṭadantī
kūṭāgāra
- khang pa brtsegs pa
- ཁང་པ་བརྩེགས་པ།
- kūṭāgāra
Lambā
- ’phyang ma
- འཕྱང་མ།
- lambā
liberations
- rnam par thar ba
- རྣམ་པར་ཐར་བ།
- vimokṣa
limit of reality
- yang dag pa’i mtha’
- ཡང་དག་པའི་མཐའ།
- bhūtakoṭi
Lokāyata
- ’jig rten rgyang phan pa
- འཇིག་རྟེན་རྒྱང་ཕན་པ།
- lokāyata
lotsawa
- lo tsA ba
- ལོ་ཙཱ་བ།
- —
lotus
- pad ma
- པད་མ།
- padma
Madhura
- ’jam snyan
- འཇམ་སྙན།
- madhura
Madhurasvara
- dbyangs snyan
- དབྱངས་སྙན།
- madhurasvara
Magadha
- ma ga dha
- མ་ག་དྷ།
- magadha
magnolia
- tsam pa ka
- ཙམ་པ་ཀ
- campaka
Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū
- mngon par shes pa’i ye shes chen pos zil gyis gnon pa
- མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཆེན་པོས་ཟིལ་གྱིས་གནོན་པ།
- mahābhijñājñānābhibhū
Mahābrahmā
- tshangs pa chen po
- ཚངས་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahābrahmā
Mahācakravāla
- khor yug chen po
- ཁོར་ཡུག་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahācakravāla
Mahādharma
- chos chen
- ཆོས་ཆེན།
- mahādharma
Mahākāśyapa
- ’od srung chen po
- འོད་སྲུང་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahākāśyapa
Mahākātyāyana
- kA tyA’i bu chen po
- ཀཱ་ཏྱཱའི་བུ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahākātyāyana
Mahākauṣṭhila
- gsus po che
- གསུས་པོ་ཆེ།
- mahākauṣṭhila
Mahākāya
- lus chen
- ལུས་ཆེན།
- mahākāya
Mahākośa
- mdzod mang po
- མཛོད་མང་པོ།
- mahākośa
Mahāmaudgalyāyana
- maud gal gyi bu chen po
- མཽད་གལ་གྱི་བུ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāmaudgalyāyana
Mahāmucilinda
- btang bzung chen po
- བཏང་བཟུང་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāmucilinda
Mahānāman
- ming chen
- མིང་ཆེན།
- mahānāman
Mahāprajāpatī
- skye dgu’i bdag mo chen mo
- སྐྱེ་དགུའི་བདག་མོ་ཆེན་མོ།
- mahāprajāpatī
Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī
- skye dgu’i bdag mo chen mo gau ta mI
- སྐྱེ་དགུའི་བདག་མོ་ཆེན་མོ་གཽ་ཏ་མཱི།
- mahāprajāpatī gautamī
Mahāpratibhāna
- spobs pa chen po
- སྤོབས་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāpratibhāna
Mahāpūrṇa
- rdzogs chen
- རྫོགས་ཆེན།
- mahāpūrṇa
mahārāja
- rgyal po chen po
- རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahārāja
Maharddhiprāpta
- ’phrul chen thob
- འཕྲུལ་ཆེན་ཐོབ།
- maharddhiprāpta
Mahārūpa
- gzugs chen po
- གཟུགས་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahārūpa
Mahāsaṃbhavā
- cher ’byung ba
- ཆེར་འབྱུང་བ།
- mahāsaṃbhavā
Mahāsāṃghika
- dge ’dun phal chen po’i sde
- དགེ་འདུན་ཕལ་ཆེན་པོའི་སྡེ།
- mahāsāṃghika
mahāsattva
- sems dpa’ chen po
- སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāsattva
mahāśrāvaka
- nyan thos chen po
- ཉན་ཐོས་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāśrāvaka
Mahāsthāmaprāpta
- mthu chen thob
- མཐུ་ཆེན་ཐོབ།
- mahāsthāmaprāpta
Mahātejas
- gzi brjid chen po
- གཟི་བརྗིད་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahātejas
Mahāvikrāmin
- gnon pa chen po
- གནོན་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāvikrāmin
Mahāvyūha
- bkod pa chen po
- བཀོད་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāvyūha
Maheśvara
- dbang phyug chen po
- dbang phyug che
- དབང་ཕྱུག་ཆེན་པོ།
- དབང་ཕྱུག་ཆེ།
- maheśvara
mahoraga
- lto ’phye chen po
- ལྟོ་འཕྱེ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahoraga
Maitreya
- byams pa
- བྱམས་པ།
- maitreya
makara
- chu srin
- ཆུ་སྲིན།
- makara
Makuṭadantī
- cod pan so
- ཅོད་པན་སོ།
- makuṭadantī
Mālādhārī
- phreng ba ’chang
- ཕྲེང་བ་འཆང་།
- mālādhārī
Manasvin
- gzi can
- གཟི་ཅན།
- manasvin
Mañjughoṣa
- ’jam dbyangs
- འཇམ་དབྱངས།
- mañjughoṣa
Mañjuśrī
- ’jam dpal
- འཇམ་དཔལ།
- mañjuśrī
Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta
- ’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa
- འཇམ་དཔལ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།
- mañjuśrī kumārabhūta
Mañjusvara
- ’jam dbyangs
- འཇམ་དབྱངས།
- mañjusvara
Manobhirāma
- mngon par dga’ ba
- མངོན་པར་དགའ་བ།
- manobhirāma
Manojña
- yid du ’ong ba
- ཡིད་དུ་འོང་བ།
- manojña
Manojñaśabdābhigarjita
- yid du ’ong ba’i sgra mngon par bsgrags pa
- ཡིད་དུ་འོང་བའི་སྒྲ་མངོན་པར་བསྒྲགས་པ།
- manojñaśabdābhigarjita
Manojñasvara
- yid ’ong dbyangs
- ཡིད་འོང་དབྱངས།
- manojñasvara
mantra
- gsang tshig
- གསང་ཚིག
- mantra
Māra
- bdud
- བདུད།
- māra
Mārakāyika
- bdud kyi ris
- བདུད་ཀྱི་རིས།
- mārakāyika
marut
- lha
- ལྷ།
- marut
mastic
- pog
- པོག
- kunduru
Mati
- blo gros
- བློ་གྲོས།
- mati
Maudgalyagotra
- maud gal rigs
- མཽད་གལ་རིགས།
- maudgalyagotra
Meghadundubhisvararāja
- sprin dang rnga sgra rgyal po
- སྤྲིན་དང་རྔ་སྒྲ་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- meghadundubhisvararāja
Meghasvaradīpa
- sprin sgra mar me
- སྤྲིན་སྒྲ་མར་མེ།
- meghasvaradīpa
Meghasvararāja
- sprin sgra rgyal po
- སྤྲིན་སྒྲ་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- meghasvararāja
Meru
- lhun po
- ལྷུན་པོ།
- meru
Merukalpa
- lhun po lta bu
- ལྷུན་པོ་ལྟ་བུ།
- merukalpa
Merukūṭa
- lhun po brtsegs pa
- ལྷུན་པོ་བརྩེགས་པ།
- merukūṭa
methods of attracting disciples
- bsdu ba
- བསྡུ་བ།
- saṃgraha
monastic cloak
- rdul zan
- rngul zan
- རྡུལ་ཟན།
- རྔུལ་ཟན།
- āsevakā
mṛdaṅga drum
- rdza rnga
- རྫ་རྔ།
- mṛdaṅga
Mucilinda
- btang bzung
- བཏང་བཟུང་།
- mucilinda
muni
- thub pa
- ཐུབ་པ།
- muni
my previous lifetimes
- skyes rabs
- སྐྱེས་རབས།
- jātaka
Nadīkāśyapa
- chu klung ’od srung
- ཆུ་ཀླུང་འོད་སྲུང་།
- nadīkāśyapa
nāga
- klu
- ཀླུ།
- nāga
Nāgārjuna
- klu grub
- ཀླུ་གྲུབ།
- nāgārjuna
Nakṣatrarāja
- skar ma’i rgyal po
- སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- nakṣatrarāja
Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña
- skar ma’i rgyal po me tog kun tu rgyas pa mngon par shes pa
- སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ་མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།
- nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña
name-and-form
- ming dang gzugs
- མིང་དང་གཟུགས།
- nāmarūpa
Nanam Yeshé Dé
- sna nam ye shes sde
- སྣ་ནམ་ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།
- —
Nanda
- dga’ bo
- དགའ་བོ།
- nanda
Nanda
- dga’ bo
- དགའ་བོ།
- nanda
Naradatta
- mis byin
- མིས་བྱིན།
- naradatta
Nārāyaṇa
- sred med kyi bu
- སྲེད་མེད་ཀྱི་བུ།
- nārāyaṇa
night lotus
- ku mu ta
- ཀུ་མུ་ཏ།
- kumuda
night-flowering jasmine
- yongs ’dus
- yongs ’du
- ཡོངས་འདུས།
- ཡོངས་འདུ།
- pārijāta
nirvāṇa
- mya ngan las ’das pa
- མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
- nirvāṇa
Nityaparinirvṛta
- rtag par yongs su mya ngan las ’das pa
- རྟག་པར་ཡོངས་སུ་མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
- nityaparinirvṛta
Nityodyukta
- rtag tu brtson
- རྟག་ཏུ་བརྩོན།
- nityodyukta
nonreturner
- phyir mi ’ong ba
- ཕྱིར་མི་འོང་བ།
- anāgāmin
once-returner
- lan cig phyir ’ong ba
- ལན་ཅིག་ཕྱིར་འོང་བ།
- sakṛdāgāmin
orchid tree
- sa brtol
- ས་བརྟོལ།
- kovidāra
ostāraka
- gnon po
- གནོན་པོ།
- ostāraka
Padmaprabha
- pad ma’i ’od
- པད་མའི་འོད།
- padmaprabha
Padmaśrī
- pad ma’i dpal
- པད་མའི་དཔལ།
- padmaśrī
Padmavṛṣabhavikrāmin
- pad ma’i khyu mchog rnam par gnon pa
- པད་མའི་ཁྱུ་མཆོག་རྣམ་པར་གནོན་པ།
- padmavṛṣabhavikrāmin
paṇḍaka
- ma ning
- མ་ནིང་།
- paṇḍaka
parinirvāṇa
- yongs su mya ngan las ’da’
- ཡོངས་སུ་མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདའ།
- parinirvāṇa
partridge
- shang shang te’u
- ཤང་ཤང་ཏེའུ།
- jīvakajīvaka
perfectly enlightened buddha
- yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas
- ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས།
- samyaksambuddha
phenomena
- chos
- ཆོས།
- dharma
Pilindavatsa
- pi lin da’i bu
- པི་ལིན་དའི་བུ།
- pilindavatsa
pillar
- mchod sdong
- མཆོད་སྡོང་།
- yūpa
piśāca
- sha za
- ཤ་ཟ།
- piśāca
powers
- dbang
- དབང་།
- indriya
Prabhāsa
- rab tu snang
- རབ་ཏུ་སྣང་།
- prabhāsa
Prabhūtaratna
- rin chen mang po
- རིན་ཆེན་མང་པོ།
- prabhūtaratna
Pradānaśūra
- rab tu sbyin dpa’
- རབ་ཏུ་སྦྱིན་དཔའ།
- pradānaśūra
Prajñākūṭa
- shes rab brtsegs
- ཤེས་རབ་བརྩེགས།
- prajñākūṭa
prastha
- phul
- ཕུལ།
- prastha
pratyekabuddha
- rang sangs rgyas
- རང་སངས་རྒྱས།
- pratyekabuddha
Pratyekabuddhayāna
- rang sangs rgyas kyi theg pa
- རང་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཐེག་པ།
- pratyekabuddhayāna
pratyekajina
- rang rgyal
- རང་རྒྱལ།
- pratyekajina
preta
- yi dags
- ཡི་དགས།
- preta
Priyadarśa
- mthong na dga’ ba
- མཐོང་ན་དགའ་བ།
- priyadarśa
Priyadarśana
- mthong na dga’ ba
- མཐོང་ན་དགའ་བ།
- priyadarśana
prologue
- gleng gzhi
- གླེང་གཞི།
- nidāna
prose put into verse
- dbyangs bsnyad
- དབྱངས་བསྙད།
- geya
Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra
- byams ma’i bu gang po
- བྱམས་མའི་བུ་གང་པོ།
- pūrṇa maitrāyaṇīputra
Pūrṇacandra
- zla gang
- ཟླ་གང་།
- pūrṇacandra
Puṣpadantī
- me tog so
- མེ་ཏོག་སོ།
- puṣpadantī
pūtana
- srul po
- སྲུལ་པོ།
- pūtana
Rāhu
- sgra gcan
- སྒྲ་གཅན།
- rāhu
Rāhula
- sgra gcan
- སྒྲ་གཅན།
- rāhula
Rājagṛha
- rgyal po’i khab
- རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།
- rājagṛha
rākṣasa
- srin po
- སྲིན་པོ།
- rākṣasa
rākṣasī
- srin mo
- སྲིན་མོ།
- rākṣasī
Ralpachen
- ral pa can
- རལ་པ་ཅན།
- —
Raśmiprabhāsa
- ’od zer rab tu snang ba
- འོད་ཟེར་རབ་ཏུ་སྣང་བ།
- raśmiprabhāsa
Raśmiśatasahasraparipūrṇadhvaja
- ’od zer brgya stong yongs su rdzogs pa’i rgyal mtshan
- འོད་ཟེར་བརྒྱ་སྟོང་ཡོངས་སུ་རྫོགས་པའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
- raśmiśatasahasraparipūrṇadhvaja
Ratiprapūrṇa
- dga’ bas gang ba
- དགའ་བས་གང་བ།
- ratiprapūrṇa
Ratnacandra
- rin chen zla ba
- རིན་ཆེན་ཟླ་བ།
- ratnacandra
Ratnākara
- dkon mchog ’byung gnas
- དཀོན་མཆོག་འབྱུང་གནས།
- ratnākara
Ratnaketu
- rin chen tog
- རིན་ཆེན་ཏོག
- ratnaketu
Ratnaketurāja
- rin po che’i tog gi rgyal po
- རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་ཏོག་གི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- ratnaketurāja
Ratnamati
- dkon mchog blo gros
- དཀོན་མཆོག་བློ་གྲོས།
- ratnamati
Ratnapāṇi
- lag na rin po che
- ལག་ན་རིན་པོ་ཆེ།
- ratnapāṇi
Ratnaprabha
- rin chen ’od
- རིན་ཆེན་འོད།
- ratnaprabha
Ratnasaṃbhava
- rin po che ’byung ba
- རིན་པོ་ཆེ་འབྱུང་བ།
- ratnasaṃbhava
Ratnatejobhyudgatarāja
- dkon mchog gzi brjid mngon ’phags rgyal po
- དཀོན་མཆོག་གཟི་བརྗིད་མངོན་འཕགས་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- ratnatejobhyudgatarāja
Ratnāvabhāsa
- rin po che snang ba
- རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྣང་བ།
- ratnāvabhāsa
Ratnaviśuddhā
- rin po che rnam par dag pa
- རིན་པོ་ཆེ་རྣམ་པར་དག་པ།
- ratnaviśuddhā
realm of Yama
- gshin rje’i ’jig rten
- གཤིན་རྗེའི་འཇིག་རྟེན།
- yamaloka
retention
- gzungs
- གཟུངས།
- dhāraṇī
Revata
- nam gru
- ནམ་གྲུ།
- revata
rishi
- drang srong
- དྲང་སྲོང་།
- ṛṣi
royal jasmine
- sna ma
- སྣ་མ།
- jāti
Ṛṣipatana
- drang srong lhung ba
- དྲང་སྲོང་ལྷུང་བ།
- ṛṣipatana
Sadāparibhūta
- rtag tu brnyas pa
- རྟག་ཏུ་བརྙས་པ།
- sadāparibhūta
Sāgara
- rgya mtsho
- རྒྱ་མཚོ།
- sāgara
Sāgarabuddhidhārin
- rgya mtsho blo ’dzin
- རྒྱ་མཚོ་བློ་འཛིན།
- sāgarabuddhidhārin
Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña
- rgya mtsho mchog ’chang blo rnam par rol pa’i mngon par shes pa
- རྒྱ་མཚོ་མཆོག་འཆང་བློ་རྣམ་པར་རོལ་པའི་མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།
- sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīḍitābhijña
Sahā
- mi mjed
- མི་མཇེད།
- sahā
Śakra
- brgya byin
- བརྒྱ་བྱིན།
- śakra
Śākya
- shAkya
- ཤཱཀྱ།
- śākya
Śākyamuni
- shAkya thub pa
- ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ།
- śākyamuni
Śākyasiṃha
- shAkya seng ge
- ཤཱཀྱ་སེང་གེ
- śākyasiṃha
sal
- sA la
- སཱ་ལ།
- śāla
Śālendrarāja
- sA la’i dbang po’i rgyal po
- སཱ་ལའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- śālendrarāja
samādhi
- ting nge ’dzin
- ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།
- samādhi
Samantabhadra
- kun tu bzang po
- ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ།
- samantabhadra
Samantagandha
- kun tu dri
- ཀུན་ཏུ་དྲི།
- samantagandha
Samantaprabha
- kun tu snang
- ཀུན་ཏུ་སྣང་།
- samantaprabha
Samantaprabhāsa
- kun tu snang ba
- ཀུན་ཏུ་སྣང་བ།
- samantaprabhāsa
samāpatti
- snyoms par ’jug pa
- སྙོམས་པར་འཇུག་པ།
- samāpatti
Saṃbhavā
- ’byung ba
- འབྱུང་བ།
- saṃbhavā
saṃsāra
- ’khor ba
- འཁོར་བ།
- saṃsāra
sandalwood
- tsan dan
- ཙན་དན།
- candana
saṅgha
- dge ’dun
- དགེ་འདུན།
- saṅgha
Śāntideva
- zhi ba’i lha
- ཞི་བའི་ལྷ།
- śāntideva
Saptaratnapadmavikrāntagāmin
- rin po che sna bdun gyi pad ma la gom pas ’gro ba
- རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྣ་བདུན་གྱི་པད་མ་ལ་གོམ་པས་འགྲོ་བ།
- saptaratnapadmavikrāntagāmin
Śāriputra
- shA ri’i bu
- ཤཱ་རིའི་བུ།
- śāriputra
Śārisuta
- shA ri’i bu
- ཤཱ་རིའི་བུ།
- śārisuta
Sarvalokabhayacchambhitatvavidhvaṃsanarakara
- ’jig rten thams cad kyi ’jigs pa dang pham pa dang bag tsha ba rnam par ’joms pa
- འཇིག་རྟེན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་འཇིགས་པ་དང་ཕམ་པ་དང་བག་ཚ་བ་རྣམ་པར་འཇོམས་པ།
- sarvalokabhayacchambhitatvavidhvaṃsanarakara
Sarvalokadhātūpadravodvegapratyuttīrṇa
- ’jig rten gyi khams thams cad kyi gnod pa dang skyo ba las rab tu brgal ba
- འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་གནོད་པ་དང་སྐྱོ་བ་ལས་རབ་ཏུ་བརྒལ་བ།
- sarvalokadhātūpadravodvegapratyuttīrṇa
Sarvārthanāman
- don thams cad
- དོན་ཐམས་ཅད།
- sarvārthanāman
Sarvarūpasaṃdarśanā
- gzugs thams cad shin tu ston pa
- གཟུགས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཤིན་ཏུ་སྟོན་པ།
- sarvarūpasaṃdarśanā
Sarvasattvapriyadarśana
- sems can thams cad kyis mthong na dga’ ba
- སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱིས་མཐོང་ན་དགའ་བ།
- sarvasattvapriyadarśana
Sarvasattvatrātā
- sems can thams cad skyob pa
- སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་སྐྱོབ་པ།
- sarvasattvatrātā
Sarvasattvojohārī
- sems can thams cad kyi mdangs ’phrog
- སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་མདངས་འཕྲོག
- sarvasattvojohārī
Śaśiketu
- zla ba’i tog
- ཟླ་བའི་ཏོག
- śaśiketu
Satatasamitābhiyukta
- rtag par rgyun du brtson
- རྟག་པར་རྒྱུན་དུ་བརྩོན།
- satatasamitābhiyukta
seven precious materials
- rin chen sna bdun
- རིན་ཆེན་སྣ་བདུན།
- saptaratna
shrubby jasmine
- na pa ma li ka
- na ba ma li ka
- ན་པ་མ་ལི་ཀ
- ན་བ་མ་ལི་ཀ
- navamālikā
Śikhin
- gtsug phud can
- gtsug tor can
- གཙུག་ཕུད་ཅན།
- གཙུག་ཏོར་ཅན།
- śikhin
Siṃha
- seng ge
- སེང་གེ
- siṃha
Siṃhacandrā
- seng ge’i zla ba
- སེང་གེའི་ཟླ་བ།
- siṃhacandrā
Siṃhadhvaja
- seng ge’i rgyal mtshan
- སེང་གེའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
- siṃhadhvaja
Siṃhaghoṣa
- seng ge’i sgra
- སེང་གེའི་སྒྲ།
- siṃhaghoṣa
sixty-two fabricated views
- lta ba drug cu rtsa gnyis
- ལྟ་བ་དྲུག་ཅུ་རྩ་གཉིས།
- dvāṣaṣti dṛṣṭīkṛta
skandhas
- phung po
- ཕུང་པོ།
- skandha
spider lily
- man dzu Sha ka
- ma nya+dzu Sha ka
- man dzu Sha ka chen po
- ma nya+dzu Sha ka chen po
- མན་ཛུ་ཥ་ཀ
- མ་ཉྫུ་ཥ་ཀ
- མན་ཛུ་ཥ་ཀ་ཆེན་པོ།
- མ་ཉྫུ་ཥ་ཀ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mañjūṣaka
- mahāmañjūṣaka
śrāmaṇera
- dge tshul
- དགེ་ཚུལ།
- śrāmaṇera
śrāmaṇerī
- dge tshul ma
- དགེ་ཚུལ་མ།
- śrāmaṇerī
śrāvaka
- nyan thos
- ཉན་ཐོས།
- śrāvaka
śrāvakayāna
- nyan thos kyi theg pa
- ཉན་ཐོས་ཀྱི་ཐེག་པ།
- śrāvakayāna
Śrīgarbha
- dpal gyi snying po
- དཔལ་གྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
- śrīgarbha
stabdha
- rengs pa
- རེངས་པ།
- stabdha
sthavira
- gnas brtan
- གནས་བརྟན།
- sthavira
stream entrant
- rgyun du zhugs pa
- རྒྱུན་དུ་ཞུགས་པ།
- srota-āpanna
strengths
- stobs
- སྟོབས།
- bala
stūpa
- mchod rten
- མཆོད་རྟེན།
- stūpa
Śubhavyūha
- dge ba bkod pa
- དགེ་བ་བཀོད་པ།
- śubhavyūha
Subhūti
- rab ’byor
- རབ་འབྱོར།
- subhūti
Sudharma
- chos bzang
- ཆོས་བཟང་།
- sudharma
Sudharma
- chos bzang
- ཆོས་བཟང་།
- sudharma
śūdra
- dmangs rigs
- དམངས་རིགས།
- śūdra
sugata
- bde bar gshegs pa
- བདེ་བར་གཤེགས་པ།
- sugata
Sugatacetanā
- bde gshegs sems pa
- བདེ་གཤེགས་སེམས་པ།
- sugatacetanā
Sukhāvatī
- bde ba can
- བདེ་བ་ཅན།
- sukhāvatī
Sumati
- bzang po’i blo gros
- བཟང་པོའི་བློ་གྲོས།
- sumati
Sumeru
- ri rab
- རི་རབ།
- sumeru
Sundarananda
- mdzes dga’
- མཛེས་དགའ།
- sundarananda
Supratiṣṭhitacāritra
- spyod pa brtan pa
- སྤྱོད་པ་བརྟན་པ།
- supratiṣṭhitacāritra
Surendrabodhi
- su ren dra bo dhi
- སུ་རེན་དྲ་བོ་དྷི།
- surendrabodhi
Sūrya
- nyi ma
- ཉི་མ།
- sūrya
Sūryagarbha
- nyi ma’i snying po
- ཉི་མའི་སྙིང་པོ།
- sūryagarbha
Susaṃprasthita
- shin tu yang dag zhugs
- ཤིན་ཏུ་ཡང་དག་ཞུགས།
- susaṃprasthita
Susārthavāha
- ded dpon bzang po
- དེད་དཔོན་བཟང་པོ།
- susārthavāha
sūtra
- mdo
- མདོ།
- sūtra
Suvikrāntavikrāmiṇ
- rab kyi rtsal gyis rnam par gnon pa
- རབ་ཀྱི་རྩལ་གྱིས་རྣམ་པར་གནོན་པ།
- suvikrāntavikrāmiṇ
Suviśuddhā
- shin tu rnam par dag pa
- ཤིན་ཏུ་རྣམ་པར་དག་པ།
- suviśuddhā
Svāgata
- legs ’ongs
- ལེགས་འོངས།
- svāgata
Takṣaka
- ’jog po
- འཇོག་པོ།
- takṣaka
Tamālapatracandanagandha
- ta ma la’i lo ma dang tsan dan gyi dri
- ཏ་མ་ལའི་ལོ་མ་དང་ཙན་དན་གྱི་དྲི།
- tamālapatracandanagandha
Tamālapatracandanagandhābhijña
- ta ma la’i ’dab ma dang tsan dan gyi dri mngon par shes pa
- ཏ་མ་ལའི་འདབ་མ་དང་ཙན་དན་གྱི་དྲི་མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།
- tamālapatracandanagandhābhijña
The Great Elucidation
- nges par bstan pa chen po
- ངེས་པར་བསྟན་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahānirdeśa
thirty-two signs
- sum cu rtsa gnyis mtshan
- mtshan
- སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གཉིས་མཚན།
- མཚན།
- dvātriṃśatīlakṣaṇa
- lakṣaṇa
three existences
- srid pa gsum
- སྲིད་པ་གསུམ།
- tribhava
three insights
- gsum rig
- གསུམ་རིག
- traividya
tīrthika
- mu stegs pa
- མུ་སྟེགས་པ།
- tīrthika
Tiṣya
- skar rgyal
- སྐར་རྒྱལ།
- tiṣya
toraṇa
- rta babs
- རྟ་བབས།
- toraṇa
Trailokyavikrāmiṇ
- ’jig rten gsum gnon
- འཇིག་རྟེན་གསུམ་གནོན།
- trailokyavikrāmiṇ
tranquility
- zhi gnas
- ཞི་གནས།
- śamatha
Trāyastriṃśa
- sum cu rtsa gsum pa
- སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གསུམ་པ།
- trāyastriṃśa
Tride Tsuktsen
- khri lde gtsug brtsan
- ཁྲི་ལྡེ་གཙུག་བརྩན།
- —
Trisong Detsen
- khri srong lde btsan
- ཁྲི་སྲོང་ལྡེ་བཙན།
- —
true nature
- de bzhin nyid
- དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད།
- tathātva
Tuṣita
- dga’ ldan
- དགའ་ལྡན།
- tuṣita
unique qualities of a buddha
- sangs rgyas kyi chos ma ’dres pa
- སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཆོས་མ་འདྲེས་པ།
- āveṇikabuddhadharma
upādhyāya
- mkhan po
- མཁན་པོ།
- upādhyāya
Upananda
- nye dga’
- ཉེ་དགའ།
- upananda
Upananda
- nye dga’
- ཉེ་དགའ།
- upananda
upāsaka
- dge bsnyen
- དགེ་བསྙེན།
- upāsaka
upāsikā
- dge bsnyen ma
- དགེ་བསྙེན་མ།
- upāsikā
uragasāra
- sbrul gyi snying po
- སྦྲུལ་གྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
- uragasāra
ūrṇā hair
- mdzod spu
- མཛོད་སྤུ།
- ūrṇākośa
Uruvilvākāśyapa
- ltang rgyas ’od srung
- ལྟང་རྒྱས་འོད་སྲུང་།
- uruvilvākāśyapa
uṣṇīṣa
- gtsug tor
- གཙུག་ཏོར།
- uṣṇīṣa
Utpalaka
- ud pa la
- ཨུད་པ་ལ།
- utpalaka
Uttaramati
- bla ma’i blo gros
- བླ་མའི་བློ་གྲོས།
- uttaramati
Vaidehī
- lus ’phags ma
- ལུས་འཕགས་མ།
- vaidehī
Vaijayanta
- rnam par rgyal ba
- རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བ།
- vaijayanta
Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā
- rnam par snang ba’i ’od zer gyis brgyan pa
- རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བའི་འོད་ཟེར་གྱིས་བརྒྱན་པ།
- vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā
Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitadhvajarāja
- rnam par snang ba’i ’od zer gyis brgyan pa’i rgyal mtshan
- རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བའི་འོད་ཟེར་གྱིས་བརྒྱན་པའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
- vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitadhvajarāja
Vaiśravaṇa
- rnam thos kyi bu
- mchog gi gzugs
- རྣམ་ཐོས་ཀྱི་བུ།
- མཆོག་གི་གཟུགས།
- vaiśravaṇa
vaiśya
- rje’u rigs
- རྗེའུ་རིགས།
- vaiśya
Vajrapāṇi
- phyag na rdo rje
- ཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ།
- vajrapāṇi
valerian
- rgya spos
- རྒྱ་སྤོས།
- tagara
vallakī
- palla ki
- pa la ki
- པལླ་ཀི
- པ་ལ་ཀི
- vallakī
Vārāṇasī
- bA rA na sI
- བཱ་རཱ་ན་སཱི།
- vārāṇasī
Varaprabha
- ’od mchog
- འོད་མཆོག
- varaprabha
Vardhamānamati
- ’phel ba’i blo gros
- འཕེལ་བའི་བློ་གྲོས།
- vardhamānamati
Varuṇadatta
- chus byin
- ཆུས་བྱིན།
- varuṇadatta
Vāṣpa
- rlangs pa
- རླངས་པ།
- vāṣpa
Vāsuki
- nor rgyas kyi bu
- ནོར་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་བུ།
- vāsuki
Vemacitrin
- thags bzangs ris
- ཐགས་བཟངས་རིས།
- vemacitrin
Venerable
- btsun pa
- བཙུན་པ།
- bhadanta
verse
- tshigs su bcad pa
- ཚིགས་སུ་བཅད་པ།
- gāthā
vetāla
- ro langs
- རོ་ལངས།
- vetāla
Vilambā
- rnam par ’phyang ma
- རྣམ་པར་འཕྱང་མ།
- vilambā
Vimalā
- dri ma med
- དྲི་མ་མེད།
- vimalā
Vimaladatta
- dri ma med pas byin pa
- དྲི་མ་མེད་པས་བྱིན་པ།
- vimaladatta
Vimaladattā
- dri ma med pas byin pa
- དྲི་མ་མེད་པས་བྱིན་པ།
- vimaladattā
Vimalagarbha
- dri ma med pa’i snying po
- དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་སྙིང་པོ།
- vimalagarbha
Vimalanetra
- dri ma med pa’i mig
- དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་མིག
- vimalanetra
Vimalanetra
- dri ma med pa’i spyan
- དྲི་མ་མེད་པའི་སྤྱན།
- vimalanetra
Vimalāṅganetra
- spyan dang yan lag dri med
- སྤྱན་དང་ཡན་ལག་དྲི་མེད།
- vimalāṅganetra
Vimatisamuddhāṭin
- the tshom kun bcom
- ཐེ་ཚོམ་ཀུན་བཅོམ།
- vimatisamuddhāṭin
vīṇa
- pi wang
- པི་ཝང་།
- vīṇa
Vinirbhoga
- tha dad du gnas pa
- ཐ་དད་དུ་གནས་པ།
- vinirbhoga
Vipaśyin
- rnam par gzigs
- རྣམ་པར་གཟིགས།
- vipaśyin
Virajā
- rdul med pa
- རྡུལ་མེད་པ།
- virajā
Virūḍhaka
- ’phags skyes po
- འཕགས་སྐྱེས་པོ།
- virūḍhaka
Virūpākṣa
- mig mi bzang
- མིག་མི་བཟང་།
- virūpākṣa
Viśeṣamati
- khyad par blo gros
- ཁྱད་པར་བློ་གྲོས།
- viśeṣamati
Viśiṣṭacāritra
- spyod pa khyad par can
- སྤྱོད་པ་ཁྱད་པར་ཅན།
- viśiṣṭacāritra
Vistīrṇavatī
- yangs ldan
- ཡངས་ལྡན།
- vistīrṇavatī
Viśuddhacāritra
- spyod pa rnam par dag
- སྤྱོད་པ་རྣམ་པར་དག
- viśuddhacāritra
Vulture Peak
- rgod kyi phung po
- རྒོད་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོ།
- gṛdhrakūṭa
Vyūharāja
- bkod pa’i rgyal po
- བཀོད་པའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
- vyūharāja
white coral
- spug
- སྤུག
- musalagalva
- musāragalva
- musāgalva
white lotus
- pad ma dkar po
- པད་མ་དཀར་པོ།
- puṇḍarīka
wild water buffalo
- ma he
- མ་ཧེ།
- mahiṣa
world realm
- ’jig rten gyi khams
- འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས།
- lokadhātu
yakṣa
- gnod sbyin
- གནོད་སྦྱིན།
- yakṣa
yāna
- theg pa
- ཐེག་པ།
- yāna
Yaśaskāma
- grags ’dod
- གྲགས་འདོད།
- yaśaskāma
Yaśodharā
- grags ’dzin
- གྲགས་འཛིན།
- yaśodharā
Yeshé Dé
- ye shes sde
- ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།
- —
yogācāra
- rnal ’byor spyod pa
- རྣལ་འབྱོར་སྤྱོད་པ།
- yogācāra
yogin
- rnal ’byor can
- རྣལ་འབྱོར་ཅན།
- yogin
yojana
- dpag tshad
- དཔག་ཚད།
- yojana