T262 The Lotus Sutra, Revised Second Edition

Chapter 5: Herbs

Chapter V

Herbs

Thereupon the Bhagavat addressed Mahākāśyapa and other great disciples saying: "Splendid! Splendid! O Kāśyapa! You have skillfully explained the real merit of the Tathāgata. It is exactly as you have said. The Tathāgata has immeasurable, unlimited, and incalculable merits. Thus even in a period of immeasurable koṭis of kalpas you will never fully be able to explain all of his merits.

"O Kāśyapa! You should know that the Tathāgata is the king of all the teaching. What he teaches is never false. He explains all the teaching using his wisdom and skillful means and what he teaches leads everyone to the stage of omniscience.

"The Tathāgata perceives the goal of all teachings and knows the underlying mental disposition of all sentient beings, perceiving all with no obstructions. He completely understands all teachings and displays omniscience to all sentient beings.

"O Kāśyapa! Suppose in the great manifold cosmos there are mountains, rivers, valleys, and plains where many kinds of grasses, trees, shrubs, and herbs of different names and colors grow. Dense clouds thoroughly cover this great manifold cosmos and rain falls at the same time everywhere, moistening the small, medium, and large roots, stems, branches, and leaves of all the grasses, trees, shrubs, and herbs.

"The sizes of all the trees depend on whether their capacities are superior, mediocre, or inferior; and the rain falling from the same cloud makes them grow according to the nature of their various seeds. Flowers blossom in the same place and fruit ripens in the same place moistened by the same rain, yet there are differences among these grasses and trees. "O Kāśyapa! You should know that the Tathāgata is exactly like this. He appears in this world like a great overspreading cloud. His great voice resounds over the devas, humans, and asuras in the world, just as the great cloud thoroughly covers the great manifold cosmos. He declares to the assembly: 95

19b

19c

The Lotus Sutra

I am the Tathāgata, Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavat. I set free those who have not been freed. I enlighten those who have not been enlightened and bring calm to those who have not been calmed. I cause those to obtain nirvana who have not yet obtained it. I am the one who knows the present and future worlds exactly as they are. I am the All-Knower, the All-Seer, the Knower of the Path, the One who discloses the path and explains it. All of you devas, humans, and asuras! Come and listen to my teachings.

"At that time innumerable thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings approach the Buddha and listen to his teaching. Then the Tathāgata, perceiving the faculties of sentient beings—whether they are sharp or dull, diligent or idle—explains the teachings according to their capacities in a variety of immeasurable ways, gladdening and benefiting them all. "Having heard his teaching, all of these beings are at peace in this world and are born into a good existence in the future. Through this they will receive peace of mind and be able to hear the teaching. Having already heard the teaching they will become free from obstructions and be able to gradually enter the path to the Dharma according to their capacities. "Just like the great cloud that rains upon all the grasses, trees, shrubs, and herbs, whose seeds are watered and which grow according to their capacities, the Tathāgata teaches the Dharma of one aspect and character; that is to say, the character of liberation, dispassion, and cessation which ultimately leads to omniscience.

"Those sentient beings who hear, hold, and recite the teachings of the Tathāgata and practice it accordingly will nevertheless not perceive the merit that they have obtained.

"Why is this? Only the Tathāgata knows the seed, character, disposition, and capacity of sentient beings. Only he knows what they contemplate, think, and practice; how they contemplate, think, and practice; what teachings they contemplate, think, and practice; and what teaching they obtain through what teaching. Only the Tathāgata exactly perceives and knows without obstructions the various states in which sentient beings reside.

96

Chapter V

"It is just like the grasses, trees, shrubs, and herbs that do not know their own natures, whether they are superior, mediocre, or inferior. Yet the Tathāgata knows the teachings of one aspect and character, the character of liberation, dispassion, cessation, complete nirvana, and eternal tranquility which ultimately leads to emptiness. "The Buddha knows this and perceives the aspirations of sentient beings. For this reason, in order to protect them, he does not immediately teach omniscience.

"O Kāśyapa! It is a rare thing that all of you know that the Tathāgata teaches according to your capacities and that you believe and accept it. "Why is this? Because the Dharma taught by all the Buddha Bhagavats, according to what is appropriate to sentient beings, is difficult to understand and difficult to know.

"

Thereupon the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

The King of the Dharma,

The destroyer of delusive existence, Appears in the world

And keeping in mind the aspirations of sentient beings Teaches the Dharma in various ways According to the wishes of sentient beings. The Tathāgata is greatly distinguished, And his wisdom is profound.

He has been silent for a long time And intentionally has not taught the essential in haste. Those who are wise

Will be well convinced when they hear it; Those who are not wise will have doubts And remain confused for a long time. That is why, O Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata teaches According to the capacities of sentient beings, And enables them to attain the correct perspective By using various illustrations. O Kāśyapa, you should know

97

The Lotus Sutra

20a

That it is as if a great cloud Arises in the world

And covers everything.

This beneficent cloud contains moisture And bright lightning flashes from it. The sound of its thunder shakes the earth afar And gladdens the people.

It conceals the sun

And cools the earth.

The spreading cloud hangs so low, As if it could be touched. Everywhere, equal, and immeasurable The rain pours down and moistens the earth. Grasses, herbs, large and small trees, All kinds of crops, seedlings, sugarcane, and grapes Growing in the depths of the mountains, In rivers and in precipitous valleys, Are all watered and completely nourished by the rain. The dry earth is moistened everywhere And the herbs and trees grow up thickly. Out of this cloud the same rain Waters these grasses, trees, and shrubs Each according to their capacities. All the trees, small, medium, or large Are able to grow in accordance with their capacities. The luster and colors of the roots, stems, Branches, leaves, and flowers Are all freshened by the same rain. Each of these, although receiving the same moisture, Reaches a greater or lesser size In accordance with their different Dispositions, characteristics, and natures. The Buddha is exactly like this. He appears in the world

As a great cloud

98

Chapter V

Which covers everything universally. Once appearing in this world He illuminates and explains The essence of the teachings For the sake of sentient beings. The Great Seer, the Bhagavat, expounds this To the assembly of all the devas and humans. I am the Tathāgata, the Best of Humans. I appear in the world to nourish sentient beings Just as the great cloud

Moistens all the withered trees. I cause everyone to be rid of suffering And attain ease of heart, Worldly happiness, and the joy of nirvana. So, devas and humans, listen carefully! Come, all of you,

And look at the Highest One! I am the Bhagavat.

No one is equal to me.

I appear in this world

To bring peace of mind to sentient beings And to teach the Dharma of immortality To the great assembly.

This Dharma has a single flavor Of liberation and nirvana. I expound its meaning with the same subtle voice, Always making the Mahayana The subject of my illustrations. I see everywhere, and regard all as equal. I have no feelings of like or dislike; For me there is no this or that. Nor do I have either love or hate. I have no attachments and make no distinctions, And so always teach the Dharma equally to all; And teach the same thing to one person 99

The Lotus Sutra

As I teach to everyone else. I always teach the Dharma and nothing else. Going or coming, sitting or standing, I never tire of satisfying the world, Just like the rain that gives nourishment universally. I tirelessly pour down the rain of the Dharma Equally on those who are noble or humble, Superior or inferior, who keep or break the precepts, Who have good or bad conduct, right or wrong views, Sharp or dull faculties.

According to their power to understand, All sentient beings who hear my teaching Dwell in various stages.

Those living among humans, Devas, noble emperors, Śakra, and Brahma kings Are like the small herbs.

Those who know the incorruptible Dharma, Who are able to attain nirvana, Have the six transcendent powers, and Have attained the three sciences. Those who live alone in mountain forests Always practicing meditation, and Who attain the enlightenment of the pratyekabuddhas Are like the medium-sized herbs. Those who seek the stage

Of the Bhagavat, thinking that They will become buddhas,

And practice persistence and meditation, Are like the large herbs.

The heirs of the buddhas

Who concentrate on the path of the Buddha, Who always cultivate compassion within themselves And know definitely without a doubt That they will become buddhas, Are like the small trees.

100

Chapter V

Those who are comfortable with transcendent powers, Who turn the irreversible wheel [of the Dharma] And save innumerable hundreds Of thousands of koṭis of sentient beings, Are the bodhisattvas

Who are like the large trees. The Buddha's equal teaching Is like the rain of one flavor. The sentient beings accept it According to their different capacities, Just as the grasses and trees Each differently absorb the rain. The Buddha reveals the single teaching With illustrations, using skillful means And explains it with various explanations, And yet it is just a drop in the ocean Compared to the Buddha's wisdom. I pour down the rain of the Dharma, Fulfilling the world,

And the sentient beings

Practice the Dharma of one flavor According to their capacities. Just as the shrubs, herbs, and trees Flourish in accordance with their capacities, Reaching either a greater or lesser size, The teaching of the buddhas Is always of one flavor

And fulfills the entire world. Anyone who practices it little by little Obtains the fruit of the path. The śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas Living in mountain forests, Who, in their last bodies, Hear the Dharma and attain its fruit, Are just like the flourishing herbs. 20b

101

The Lotus Sutra

The bodhisattvas who are firm in wisdom, Who completely understand the triple world, And seek the highest vehicle, Are just like the flourishing small trees. Those who abide in meditation, Attain transcendent powers, Listen to the teaching regarding the emptiness Of every existence with great joy, And save sentient beings

By emitting innumerable rays of light, Are just like the flourishing large trees. In this way, O Kāśyapa,

The Dharma that the Buddha teaches Is just like the great cloud that enriches human flowers With the rain of one flavor, So that each attains its fruits. O Kāśyapa!

You should know that I reveal the buddha path Using various explanations and illustrations And that this is my skillful means. All of the buddhas are just like this. I will now teach the highest truth for your sake: There are no śrāvakas who attain nirvana. What you practice is the bodhisattva path; And if you practice step by step, You will all become buddhas. 102

Chapter 6: Prediction

Chapter VI

Prediction

At that time, after the Bhagavat had spoken these verses, he addressed the great assembly, proclaiming: "This disciple of mine, Mahākāśyapa, in the future will be able to meet three hundred myriads of koṭis of Buddha Bhagavats to whom he will pay homage, respect, veneration, and praise; and he will extensively expound the immeasurable great teachings of these buddhas. In his last body he will become a buddha called Raśmiprabhāsa, a Tathāgata, Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavat.

"His world will be called Ava bhāsaprāpta in the kalpacalled Mahāvyūha. The lifespan of this buddha will be twelve intermediate kalpas. The True Dharma will last in the world for twenty intermediate kalpas and the Semblance Dharma will also last for twenty intermediate kalpas.

"His world will be adorned and there will be no dirt, shards, thorns, excrement, or other impurities. The earth will be level without irregularities, hollows, or hills. The earth will be made of lapis lazuli with jeweled trees in rows. Golden cords will line the borders of these roads, which will be scattered with precious flowers, and everywhere will be pure.

"In his world there will be immeasurable thousands of koṭis of bodhisattvas as well as innumerable śrāvakas. All malice will be far removed; and even though Māra and his minions will be there, they will all protect the Buddha-Dharma.

"

Thereupon the Bhagavat, wanting to explain the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

I tell you, O monks,

That I see with the buddha-eye

That Kāśyapa in the future

Will become a buddha

103

20c

The Lotus Sutra

After innumerable kalpas have passed. In the future he will meet and pay homage To three hundred myriads of koṭis of Buddha Bhagavats And practice the pure path of discipline and integrity, Seeking for the wisdom of the buddhas. Having offered respect to the highest and best of humans And having completely grasped the ultimate wisdom, He will become a buddha while in his last body. His land will be pure.

The earth will be made of lapis lazuli, And many jeweled trees will be in rows Along roads bordered with golden cords, And those who see it will be gladdened. The air will be always filled With a pleasant fragrance, And many beautiful flowers Will be strewn about.

Various wonderful things Will adorn this earth,

Which will be level

Without hills or hollows. There will be an incalculable number Of bodhisattvas there

Who will have the power of self-control, Be versed in transcendent powers, And who will preserve the sutras of the Mahayana Taught by the buddhas.

The multitude of śrāvakas, Bearing their last bodies, free from corruption, Heirs of the Dharma King, Will also be unreckonable; Their number will be impossible to calculate Even with the divine eye. The lifespan of this buddha Will be twelve intermediate kalpas. 104

Chapter VI

The True Dharma will last in the world For twenty intermediate kalpas. And the Semblance Dharma will also last For twenty intermediate kalpas. Thus will things be with The Bhagavat Raśmiprabhāsa. At that time Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Subhūti, and Mahākātyā yana were all charged with excitement, and with palms pressed together they attentively gazed at the Bhagavat, never turning their eyes from him. They immediately spoke these verses in unison: O Bhagavat, Great Hero!

O King of the Dharma of the Śākyas! Bestow the Buddha's words upon us Out of your compassion for us. If, knowing the depths of our hearts, You give us your predictions, It will be like cooling our fevers By sprinkling us with the Dharma of immortality. It is as though someone coming From a country suffering from famine Were suddenly to find

A great king's feast spread before him, Yet is stricken with doubt And does not venture to eat, Until, being instructed by the king, He dares at last to do so. We are exactly like this. We have been constantly thinking About the faults of the inferior vehicle, And so we had no knowledge of the way To obtain the highest wisdom of the Buddha. Although we hear the Buddha's voice Saying that we will become buddhas, We still have doubt in our minds 21a

105

The Lotus Sutra

As if we dare not eat the meal.

If we receive the Buddha's prediction

It will immediately put us at ease.

The Bhagavat, the Great Hero,

Always wants to put the world at ease;

And so we entreat you to bestow

Upon us your predictions,

As though to starving people

Waiting for permission to eat.

Then the Bhagavat, knowing what lay in the thoughts of the great disciples, addressed the monks saying: "This Subhūti in the future will meet, respect, venerate, praise, and pay homage to three hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of buddhas; and he will always practice the pure path of discipline and integrity, and complete the bodhisattva path. In his last body he will become a buddha called Yaśasketu, a Tathāgata, Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavat.

"His land will be called Ratnasaṃbhava in the kalpa called Ratnāva bhāsa. The land will be even and the earth will be made of crystal and adorned with jeweled trees. It will be without pits, pebbles, thorns, or the filth of excrement. The earth will be covered with precious flowers and will be everywhere pure. "The people in this world will all live in wonderful towers with jeweled terraces. The śrāvakas, the disciples there will be innumerable and limitless, beyond calculation and metaphor, and there will also be innumerable thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of bodhisattvas.

"The lifespan of this buddha will be twelve intermediate kalpas. The True Dharma will last in the world for twenty intermediate kalpas and the Semblance Dharma will also last for twenty intermediate kalpas. This Buddha will always dwell in the air, teaching the Dharma for the multitude, and he will save incalculable bodhisattvas and śrāvakas. "

Thereupon the Bhagavat, wanting to explain the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

106

Chapter VI

O monks!

I shall now make something known to you. You should attentively listen To what I have to say.

My great disciple Subhūti Will become a buddha called Yaśasketu. He will pay homage to innumerable Myriads of koṭis of buddhas, And, following the Buddha's practice, He will gradually come to complete the great path. He will attain the thirty-two marks In his last body,

And his form will be fine and beautiful Just like a jeweled mountain. His buddha world will be ultimately pure. Of the sentient beings who see it There will be none who do not rejoice. There the Buddha will bring Incalculable sentient beings to enlightenment. In the midst of his Dharma There will be many bodhisattvas With keen faculties,

Who turn the irreversible wheel [of the Dharma]. This world will always

Be graced with bodhisattvas. There will also be

Incalculable numbers of śrāvakas. All of them will have perfected the three sciences, And the six transcendent powers, Will abide in the eight liberations, And have great dignity and virtue. The Buddha will expound the Dharma And reveal immeasurable, Unthinkable, transcendent powers. All the devas and humans, 21b

107

21c

The Lotus Sutra

As numerous as the sands of the Ganges River,

Will listen to the Buddha's words

With palms pressed together.

The lifespan of this buddha

Will be twelve intermediate kalpas.

The True Dharma will last in the world

For twenty intermediate kalpas,

And the Semblance Dharma will also last

For twenty intermediate kalpas.

Thereupon the Bhagavat addressed the monks, saying: "I will now tell you that this Mahākātyāyana in the future will honor, respect, and pay homage to eight thousand koṭis of buddhas with offerings. After the parinirvāṇas of these buddhas, he will erect stupas, each of which will be one thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in both width and depth. These stupas will all be constructed of the seven precious treasures—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, agate, pearls, and rubies. He will pay homage to these stupas with many flowers and necklaces, fragrant ointments, scented powders, burning incense, canopies, flags, and banners. "After this he will also pay homage to two myriads of koṭis of buddhas in exactly the same way and, having done so, he will perfect the bodhisattva path and become a buddha called Jāmbūna dā bhāsa, a Tathāgata, Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavat.

"His land will be level. The earth will be made of crystal and it will be adorned with jeweled trees. The roads will be bordered with golden cords and beautiful flowers will cover the earth. It will be pure everywhere and those who see it will rejoice.

"There will be none of the four troubled states of being, namely the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras. There will be many devas and humans, and immeasurable myriads of koṭis of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas will grace this world.

"The lifespan of this buddha will be twelve intermediate kalpas. The True Dharma will last in the world for twenty intermediate kalpas and the Semblance Dharma will also last for twenty intermediate kalpas. "

108

Chapter VI

At that time the Bhagavat, wanting to explain the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

O monks, listen carefully! What I shall say

Is nothing but the truth. This Kātyāyana

Will pay homage to the buddhas With various wonderful offerings. After the parinirvāṇas of those buddhas, He will erect stupas constructed Of the seven precious treasures And offer respect to their relics With flowers and incense. In his last body

He will attain the wisdom of the Buddha And will achieve complete enlightenment. His world will be pure

And he will save incalculable Myriads of koṭis of sentient beings. He will be venerated in the ten directions. There is nothing that surpasses This Buddha's ray of light, So this buddha

Will be called Jāmbūnadābhāsa. There will be innumerable, uncountable Bodhisattvas and śrāvakas gracing this world, Who have shaken free from every state of being. Thereupon the Bhagavat again addressed the assembly saying: "I will now tell you that this Mahāmaudgalyāyana will respect, venerate, and pay homage to eight thousand buddhas with various offerings; and after the parinirvāṇas of these buddhas, he will erect stupas, each of which will be one thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in both depth and width. These stupas will be constructed with the seven precious treasures— gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, agate, pearls, and rubies. He will 109

The Lotus Sutra

offer them various flowers, necklaces, fragrant ointments, scented powders, burning incense, canopies, flags, and banners. "After this he will pay homage to two hundred myriads of koṭis of buddhas in exactly the same way, and will become a buddha called Tamālapatracandanagandha, a Tathāgata, Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavat. "His world will be called Mano'bhirāma in the kalpacalled Ratiprapūrṇa. The land will be level. The earth will be made of crystal, adorned with jeweled trees, and strewn with flowers of pearls. It will be pure everywhere and those who see it will rejoice. There will be many devas and humans, innumerable bodhisattvas, and śrāvakas.

"The lifespan of this buddha will be twenty-four intermediate kalpas. The True Dharma will last in this world for forty intermediate kalpas and the Semblance Dharma will also last for forty intermediate kalpas. "

Then the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on this meaning, spoke these verses:

22a

This disciple of mine, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Having abandoned this body,

Will meet eight thousand and then two hundred Myriads of koṭis of Buddha Bhagavats. For the sake of the buddha path He will pay them homage and respect them, And always practice holy conduct (brahmacarya) Of discipline and integrity

In the presence of these buddhas. He will uphold the Buddha-Dharma For immeasurable kalpas.

After the parinirvāṇas of these buddhas He will erect stupas

Constructed with the seven precious treasures On which golden banners

Will be long displayed.

He will pay homage to

These stupas of the buddhas

110

Chapter VI

With flowers, incense, and music. After having mastered

The bodhisattva path step by step, In a land called Mano'bhirāma, He will become a buddha

Called Tamālapatracandanagandha. The lifespan of this buddha Will be twenty-four intermediate kalpas. He will always expound the buddha path For the sake of devas and humans. There will be countless śrāvakas, As numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, Who will have perfected the three sciences, And six transcendent powers, And have great dignity and virtue. There will be innumerable bodhisattvas, Resolute and persevering, who will never turn away From the wisdom of the buddhas. After the parinirvāṇaof this buddha The True Dharma will last For forty intermediate kalpas, And the Semblance Dharma Will also be like this.

All of my disciples,

Five hundred in number,

Who are endowed with dignity and virtue, Will also receive my prediction. In the future they will all become buddhas. I will now explain the relationships That you and I have formed in past lives. All of you, listen carefully! 111

Chapter 7: The Apparitional City

Chapter VII

The Apparitional City

The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: "Once upon a time, immeasurable, limitless, inconceivable, incalculable kalpas ago, there was a buddha called Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū Tathāgata, an Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavat. His land was called Susaṃbhavā in the kalpacalled Mahārūpa. "O monks, it has been an extremely long time since this buddha entered nirvana. Suppose there were a man who ground the earth of the entire great manifold cosmos into powdered ink, and he were to then pass through a thousand worlds to the east, where he let fall a single particle of ink, the size of a speck of dust.

"After passing through another thousand worlds, he let fall another particle; and he continued in this way until he had completely used all the ink. "What do you think about this? Do you think that a mathematician or a mathematician's pupil would be able to count those worlds to the last particle or not?"

"O Bhagavat! No, they could not.

"

"O monks! Suppose that all the worlds this man passed through, whether letting fall a particle or not, were all ground into dust, and one speck of this dust were equal to one kalpa.The time since the parinirvāṇaof this buddha surpasses this number by immeasurable, limitless, incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas; and through the power of the Tathāgata's wisdom and insight, I can see his distant past, as if it were today. "

Thereupon the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

I recall that in the past,

Immeasurable kalpas ago,

There was a buddha, the most honored among two-legged beings, 113

22b

The Lotus Sutra

Called Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū. Suppose there was a man

Who vigorously ground up in its entirety The earth of the great manifold cosmos And turned it all to powdered ink. After passing through one thousand worlds, He let fall one particle of ink; And in this way

He continued to let fall particles Until he had used up all the ink. If all these worlds,

Those where he let fall a particle And those where he did not, Were to be ground into specks of dust, And one speck of dust were equal to a single kalpa, Their number would be surpassed By the number of kalpas

That have passed since that buddha's parinirvāṇa, So incalculable has this number of kalpas been. With the Tathāgata's unobstructed wisdom, I know of these bodhisattvas and śrāvakas And the parinirvāṇaof this buddha; It is as if I see his parinirvāṇatoday. O monks, you should know

That with the knowledge of the Buddha, Which is pure and subtle,

Incorrupted and without obstructions, I perceive what happened immeasurable kalpas ago. The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: "The lifespan of this buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū was five hundred and forty myriads of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas. When that buddha was seated on the terrace of enlightenment after having defeated Māra's army, he tried to obtain highest, complete enlightenment, yet the Dharma of the buddhas did not appear to him. In this way, even after having sat cross-legged for one to ten intermediate 114

Chapter VII

kalpas, undisturbed in body and mind, the Dharma of the buddhas still did not appear to him.

"At that time a group of thirty-three devas first prepared for that buddha a lion seat one yojanain height under the bodhitree, for this buddha was to attain highest, complete enlightenment on that seat. As soon as the Buddha sat on this seat, all the Brahmas rained down various heavenly flowers for a hundred yojanas around; periodically a fragrant breeze would blow away the withered flowers and they would rain down fresh ones. "In this way they unceasingly paid homage to the Buddha for a full ten intermediate kalpas, raining down these flowers continuously until his parinirvāṇa.The devas of the four quarters constantly struck heavenly drums to honor the Buddha, and in the same way all the other devas made divine music for a full ten intermediate kalpas until his parinirvāṇa. "O monks! The Dharma of the buddhas appeared to the Buddha Mahā bhijñājñānābhibhū after ten intermediate kalpas had passed, and he attained highest, complete enlightenment.

"This Buddha had had sixteen children before he renounced household life. The eldest child was called Jñānākara. Each child had various kinds of rare toys. After hearing about their father's attain ment of highest, complete enlightenment, they all put aside their toys and set out for where the Buddha was. Weeping sad tears, their mothers saw them off. Their grandfather, the wheel-turning sage king, went with them, along with a hundred ministers and hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of people. "When they arrived at the terrace of enlightenment, they all wanted to approach the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, and pay homage and respect, honor, and praise him. They came up to him and bowed until their foreheads touched his feet, and then circled around him. Attentively, with palms pressed together, they gazed at the Bhagavat and spoke these verses: The Bhagavat of great, virtuous dignity,

In order to bring sentient beings to the path,

After immeasurable koṭis of kalpas

And perfecting all the vows,

Finally became a buddha.

How wonderful!

There is nothing more auspicious!

115

22c

23a

The Lotus Sutra

The Bhagavat is truly extraordinary! He sat tranquil for ten intermediate kalpas With his body and limbs immobile. His mind was always calm and never distracted. He has attained ultimate, eternal tranquility, And is firmly established In the incorruptible Dharma. Now seeing the Bhagavat, Who has serenely attained the buddha path, We receive benefit and celebrate With great joy.

Sentient beings, ever suffering, Are blind and without a teacher. They are unaware of the path that leads To the extinction of suffering, Ignorant of the way to seek liberation. From one blind state to the next, Those in the troubled states of being daily increase While the devas decrease. They never hear the Buddha's name. Now the Buddha has attained the highest, Serene, and incorruptible Dharma. Thus we and the devas and humans, Shall obtain the greatest benefit. Therefore we all bow and pay homage To the highest Lord.

"At that time the sixteen princes, having praised the Buddha in verse, requested that the Bhagavat turn the wheel of the Dharma, saying: O Bhagavat, teach the Dharma! Put all the devas and people at ease and benefit them through your compassion! "They spoke further in verse, saying: O Hero of the World,

The One Who Has No Equal, 116

Chapter VII

Who is adorned with a hundred merits, And has attained the highest wisdom! We entreat you to teach

For the sake of the world,

And bring us and all the other Sentient beings to the path. Illuminate and reveal this wisdom So that we may attain it.

If we can become buddhas,

So can the other sentient beings. The Bhagavat knows

The deep-seated intentions of sentient beings And the paths they practice, As well as the power of their wisdom. May the Bhagavat, being wholly aware Of their positive intentions, Accumulated merits, and past deeds, Turn the highest wheel of the Dharma. The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: "When the Buddha Mahā bhijñājñānābhibhū attained highest, complete enlightenment, five hundred myriads of koṭis of buddha worlds in each of the ten directions quaked in six ways. The dark places between the worlds, where the rays of the sun and moon had been unable to penetrate, were brightly illuminated. The sentient beings there were able to see each other and said: How is it possible that sentient beings have suddenly appeared here? "Moreover, those worlds from the heavenly palaces up to the palaces of the Brahmas, also quaked in six ways. The great ray of light shone everywhere, filling the worlds with a radiance that surpassed the light of the devas. "At that time the palaces of Brahmas in the five hundred myriads of koṭis of worlds in the east were illuminated twice as brightly as usual. The great Brahmas each thought:

The palaces are illuminated now as never before. What has caused this phenomenon?

117

23b

The Lotus Sutra

"At that time all of the great Brahmas approached each other to discuss this matter. In that assembly there was a great Brahma called Sarvasattvatrātar who spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse, saying: This illumination of our palaces

Has never occurred before!

Let us find out

The reason for this!

This great ray of light

Has illuminated the ten directions.

Has a devaof great merit been born,

Or has a buddha appeared in the world? "Then the great Brahmas of the hundred myriads of koṭis of worlds went toward the west with their palaces to enquire about this phenomenon, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñā jñānā bhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment, sitting on the lion seat under the bodhitree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such non humans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Then the great Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha's feet and then circled around him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered were piled as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha's bodhi tree, which was ten yojanas in height. Having reverently offered him flowers, they presented their palaces to the Buddha, saying: Please accept the palaces we now offer you, and benefit us through your compassion!

"Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

The Bhagavat, who is truly extraordinary, Is extremely difficult to meet.

He is endowed with immeasurable qualities And seeks to protect all.

118

Chapter VII

The Great Teacher of Devas and Humans Feels compassion for the world

And causes all sentient beings

In the ten directions

To be universally benefited.

All of us, who have come from

Five hundreds of myriads of koṭis of worlds, Have given up the pleasure of deep meditation In order to pay homage to the Buddha. To the Bhagavat we now present our palaces, Which the merits of our previous lives Have caused to be completely adorned. Please accept them through your compassion! "Thereupon, having praised the Buddha in verse, the great Brahmas each said this:

O Bhagavat! We entreat you to turn the wheel of the Dharma, open the path to nirvana, and guide sentient beings to it. "Then the great Brahmas attentively spoke these verses in unison: O Hero of the World, the most honored among two-legged beings!

We entreat you to expound the Dharma And bring the suffering beings to the path Through the power of your great compassion. "Then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū silently consented. "Furthermore, O monks, the great Brahmas in the five hundred myriads of koṭis of worlds in the southeast saw their palaces illuminated with a ray of light that had never occurred before. Joyful and ecstatic, they were struck with wonder. They assembled to discuss this matter. At that time there was a great Brahma called Adhimātrakāruṇika. He spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse saying: What is the reason

That this phenomenon has appeared? 119

23c

The Lotus Sutra

Even since the olden times,

This illumination of all of our palaces Is without precedent.

Has a devaof great merit been born, Or has a buddha appeared in the world? Since we have never seen such a phenomenon, We should seek thoroughly for its source. Even if we have to pass

Through thousands of myriads of koṭis of worlds, We should seek together for the source of this light. Possibly a buddha has appeared in the world To save suffering sentient beings. "Thereupon five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas went toward the northwest with their palaces, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes, to enquire about this phenomenon. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñā jñānābhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment, sitting on the lion seat under the bodhi tree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such nonhumans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma.

"Then all the Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha's feet and then circled around him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered were piled up as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha's bodhi tree. Having reverently offered the Buddha flowers, they presented their palaces to him, saying:

Please accept the palaces we now offer you and benefit us through your compassion!

"Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

O Great Sage, Deva of Devas!

We now bow to the one

Whose voice is as beautiful as the kalaviṅkabird's 120

Chapter VII

And who has compassion for sentient beings. The Bhagavat is truly extraordinary And can only be seen once In an extremely long time. One hundred and eighty kalpas Have passed away fruitlessly, And no buddhas have appeared during this time. The worlds have been filled With people in the three troubled states of being, And the devas have decreased. The Buddha has now appeared in the world To be the eyes of sentient beings. He will be the refuge of the world And will seek to protect all. As the father of sentient beings, He is the compassionate benefactor. Because of our past merits, We now have the good fortune to be able To meet the Bhagavat!

"Thereupon, having praised the Buddha in verse, the great Brahmas said this:

O Bhagavat! We entreat you to turn the wheel of the Dharma out of your compassion for all and save sentient beings. "Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison:

O Great Sage! Make us very happy! Turn the wheel of the Dharma, Reveal the character of all dharmas, Save the suffering beings! If sentient beings hear this Dharma They will attain the path and be born as devas. The beings in the troubled states of being will decrease While those who persevere in the good will increase. 24a

121

The Lotus Sutra

"Then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū silently consented. "Furthermore, O monks, the great Brahmas in the five hundreds of thousands of koṭis of lands in the south each saw their palaces illuminated as they had never been before. Joyful and ecstatic, they were struck with wonder. They immediately assembled to discuss this matter together, asking: Why have our palaces been illuminated?

"At that time there was a great Brahma, called Sudharma. He spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse saying:

Our palaces are illuminated

With brilliant light.

There must be a reason for this,

And we should seek its source.

We have not seen such a phenomenon

During the past hundreds of thousands of kalpas. Has a devaof great merit been born,

Or has a buddha appeared in the world?

"Thereupon five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas went toward the north with their palaces, to enquire about this phenomenon, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñā jñānābhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment, sitting on the lion seat under the bodhitree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such nonhumans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma.

"Then all the great Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha's feet and then circled around him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered piled up as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha's bodhitree. Having revered the Buddha with flowers, they offered their palaces to him, saying:

Please accept the palaces we now offer you, and benefit us through your compassion!

122

Chapter VII

"Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha: O Destroyer of Afflictions! It is extremely difficult to meet a Bhagavat. We are now meeting the Buddha for the first time Since one hundred and thirty kalpas have passed away. Please satisfy sentient beings, Who are suffering from hunger and thirst, By pouring down the rain of the Dharma! O One Possessed of Immeasurable Wisdom, Whom we have never met before! Today we have encountered The one who appears as rarely As the uḍumbaraflower blooms. Our palaces are beautifully adorned By this ray of light.

We entreat you to accept them Out of your great compassion! "Thereupon, having praised the Buddha in verse, the great Brahmas said this:

O Bhagavat! We request that you turn the wheel of the Dharma, thus causing the devamāras, Brahmas, śrāmaṇas, and brahmans to be at ease and saving them all! "Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison:

We entreat you, O Best of Devas and Humans, To turn the wheel of the highest Dharma, Beat the drum of the great Dharma, Blow the conch of the great Dharma, Rain the rain of the great Dharma everywhere, And save incalculable sentient beings! We have all come to request 123

24b

The Lotus Sutra

That you expound it

With your profound voice!

"Then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū silently consented. "The very same thing happened in the worlds from the southwestern to the lower regions, as well as those in other directions. "Then all the great Brahmas in the five hundred myriads of koṭis of lands in the upper region saw their palaces illuminated with a light that had never existed before. Joyful and ecstatic, they were struck with wonder. They immediately assembled to discuss this matter together, asking: Why have our palaces been illuminated?

"There was a great Brahma in that assembly called Śikhin. He spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse, saying:

Why have all our palaces

Been brilliantly illuminated

With this light of virtuous dignity

And adorned in this unprecedented way?

We have never seen such a wonderful phenomenon! Has a devaof great merit been born,

Or has a buddha appeared in the world?

"Thereupon five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas went into the lower regions with their palaces to enquire about this phenomenon, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñā jñānābhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment sitting on the lion seat under the bodhitree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such nonhumans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma.

"Then all the great Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha's feet and then circumambulated him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered were piled up as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha's bodhitree. Having reverently offered him flowers, they presented their palaces to the Buddha, saying:

124

Chapter VII

Please accept the palaces we now offer you, and benefit us through your compassion!

"Then all the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

How splendid it is to meet the buddhas, The Great Sages who deliver the world, Who diligently work to get sentient beings Out of the hell of the triple world! The Best of Devas and Humans, Who has universal wisdom,

Out of compassion for everyone Opens the gate to immortality And extensively saves all. Since olden times, immeasurable kalpas Have passed away in vain

Without the presence of the Buddha. In the time before the Bhagavat appears, The ten directions are in constant darkness. Those in the three troubled states of being increase And the asuras also flourish. The devas decrease all the more, And when they die

Many of them fall into those troubled states. Having never heard the teaching from the Buddha, All of them always behave badly, And their physical power and wisdom decreases. Because of their erring deeds They lose happiness or any notion of it. Abiding in the teaching of false views They know nothing of good conduct. Deprived of the buddhas' inspiration, They always fall into the troubled states of being. After a very long time, the Buddha has now Appeared as the Eye of the World. 24c

125

The Lotus Sutra

25a

It is out of compassion for sentient beings That the Buddha appears in the world. Transcending everything, the Buddha Has attained complete enlightenment. We are all extremely happy, And all the other beings joyfully acclaim This unprecedented experience. All our palaces are beautifully adorned By this ray of light.

We now offer them to the Bhagavat. Please accept them out of your compassion! By the universal transference of this merit, May we and all other beings Together attain the buddha path! "Thereupon the five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas, having praised the Buddha in verse, each spoke to him, saying: O Bhagavat! We strongly entreat you to turn the wheel of the Dharma, give ease to many, and enable them to attain the path. "Then all the great Brahmas spoke these verses: O Bhagavat! Turn the wheel of the Dharma, Beat the drum of the Dharma of immortality, Save the suffering sentient beings, And reveal the path to nirvana! We strongly entreat you to accept our request; And out of your compassion

And with your wonderful voice, Expound the Dharma

That you have perfected

Over immeasurable kalpas.

"And then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū acceded to the request made by all the great Brahmas from the ten directions and the sixteen princes. He then immediately turned three times the Dharma wheel of twelve spokes 126

Chapter VII

that no śrāmaṇas, brahmans, devamāras, Brahmas, or any other being in the world could turn. He taught:

This is suffering. This is the origination of suffering. This is the cessation of suffering, and this is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. (i.e., the Four Noble Truths)

"He also extensively taught the Dharma of the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination, saying:

Conditioned states are dependent on ignorance. Consciousness is dependent on conditioned states. Name and form are dependent on consciousness. The six sense fields are dependent on name and form. Contact is dependent on the six sense fields. Feelings are dependent on contact. Craving is dependent on feelings. Grasping is dependent on craving. Becoming is dependent on grasping. Birth is dependent on becoming. And old age, illness, death, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, and distress are dependent on birth.

When ignorance ceases, then conditioned states cease. When conditioned states cease, then consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, then name and form cease. When name and form cease, then the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, then contact ceases. When contact ceases, then feelings cease. When feelings cease, then craving ceases. When craving ceases, then grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, then becoming ceases. When becoming ceases, then birth ceases. When birth ceases, then old age, illness, death, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, and distress cease.

"When the Buddha explained this Dharma to the great assembly of the devas and humans, at that time six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of people, because they were not attached to any existent thing, became free of all corruption. All of them perfected profound meditations, the three sciences, the six transcendent powers, and were endowed with the eight liberations. "When he taught the Dharma for the second, third, and fourth time, thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings, equal to the sands of the Ganges River, who were not attached to any existent thing, became free of all corruption. Innumerable, immeasurable, incalculable śrāvakas followed in their turn.

127

25b

The Lotus Sutra

"At that time the sixteen princes who were still young renounced household life and became śrāmaṇeras. All their faculties were sharp, and their wisdom was penetrating. They had paid homage to hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of buddhas, practiced the pure path of discipline and integrity, and sought highest, complete enlightenment. "They all spoke to the Buddha, saying:

O Bhagavat! All of these immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of śrāvakas of great merit have all attained perfection. O Bhagavat! You should also expound the teaching of highest, complete enlightenment to us! Hearing it, we shall all practice it. O Bhagavat! We aspire for the wisdom and insight of the Tathāgata. The Buddha himself knows what is deep in our minds.

"At that time eight myriads of koṭis of people in the assembly who served the noble emperor saw the sixteen princes renounce household life and appealed to the emperor to allow their own renunciation. The emperor immediately gave his permission. "Then the Buddha accepted the request of the śrāmaṇeras. After twenty thousand kalpas had passed he taught to the fourfold assembly this Mahayana sutra called the Lotus Sutra,the instruction for bodhisattvas and treasured lore of the buddhas.

"After the Buddha taught this sutra, all the sixteen śrāmaṇeras preserved, recited, and understood it in order to achieve highest, complete enlightenment. When the Buddha taught this sutra, all the sixteen śrāmaṇeras, the bodhisattvas, completely accepted it. There were also some among the śrāvakas who believed it. But all the other thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings became confused.

"The Buddha continuously taught this sutra for eight thousand kalpas without stopping. After teaching this sutra, he immediately entered a quiet place and abided in meditation for eighty-four thousand kalpas. "At that time each of the sixteen śrāmaṇeras, the bodhisattvas, knowing that the Buddha had entered the quiet place and was abiding tranquilly in meditation, ascended the Dharma seat and extensively taught and explained the Lotus Sutra to the fourfold assembly for eighty-four thousand kalpas. Each of them saved six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings 128

Chapter VII

equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. By revealing and teaching it, they gladdened these sentient beings and awoke in them the thought of highest, complete enlightenment.

"Having arisen from samādhi after eighty-four thousand kalpas had passed, the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū approached the Dharma seat and sat down with complete mindfulness. He addressed everyone in the great assembly, saying:

These sixteen śrāmaṇeras, bodhisattvas, are extraordinary. All their faculties are sharp and their wisdom is penetrating. In times past they have paid homage to immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of buddhas and have constantly practiced the pure path of discipline and integrity under them. They preserved the wisdom of the buddhas and revealed it to sentient beings, causing them to enter into it. All of you should approach and pay them homage again and again. Why is this? If there are any śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas who are able to believe and preserve the teaching in this sutra expounded by these sixteen bodhisattvas and not disparage it, they will all attain the wisdom of the Tathāgata, highest, complete enlightenment. The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: "These sixteen bodhisattvas always willingly taught this Lotus Sutra.Each bodhisattva has inspired six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. In life after life, they remained with these bodhisattvas and, hearing this teaching from them, they believed and understood. For this reason they were able to meet four myriads of koṭis of Buddha Bhagavats during a period uninterrupted up to the present. "O monks! I shall now tell you that these sixteen śrāmaṇeras, disciples of that buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, have now attained highest, complete enlightenment and presently teach the Dharma in the lands of the ten directions. There are immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas who have become their attendants. "Two of these śrāmaṇeras have became buddhas in the east. One is called Akṣobhya in the land called Abhirati and the other is called Merukūṭa. In the southeast there are two buddhas. One is called Siṃhaghoṣa and the other is called Siṃhadhvaja. In the south there are two buddhas called 129

The Lotus Sutra

25c

Ākāśapratiṣṭhita and Nitya pari nirvṛta. There are also two buddhas in the southwest. One is called Indra dhvaja and the other is called Brahmadhvaja. In the west there are two buddhas called Amitāyus and Sarvaloka dhātū padra vodvega pratyuttīrṇa. There are two buddhas in the northwest. One is called Tamāla patracandanagandhābhijña. The other is called Meru kalpa. In the north there are two buddhas. One is called Megha svaradīpa and the other is called Meghasvara rāja. In the northeast there is a buddha called Sarva loka bha ya cchambhi tatva vidhvaṃsanakara. And the sixteenth one is myself, Buddha Śākyamuni, who in this sahā world achieved highest, complete enlightenment.

"O monks! When we were śrāmaṇeras, each of us inspired immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. Those sentient beings who heard the teaching from me attained highest, complete enlightenment. There are sentient beings who still abide in the stage of a śrāvaka and whom I will inspire to attain highest, complete enlightenment. By means of this teaching, they will gradually enter the buddha path. Why is this? "The wisdom of the Tathāgatas is hard to believe and hard to understand. Those incalculable sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River who were inspired at that time were you, O monks, and those disciples who will be śrāvakas in the future after my parinirvāṇa. "After my parinirvāṇa there will be disciples who will not hear this sutra and will neither know nor understand the bodhisattva practice; yet through the merit they have acquired, the thought of extinction will awake in them and they will enter parinirvāṇa.

"I will become a buddha in another land with a different name. Although the idea of extinction has awoken in these disciples and they have entered parinirvāṇa,in that land they will still seek the wisdom of the buddhas and will then be able to hear this sutra. They can obtain parinirvāṇaonly through the buddha vehicle. There are no other vehicles except the one taught through the skillful means of the Tathāgatas.

"O monks! When the Tathāgata realizes that the time of his parinirvāṇa is approaching, knowing that the assembly is pure, firm in belief and understanding, has penetrated the teaching of emptiness, and has deeply entered meditation, he will then gather the assembly of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas 130

Chapter VII

together and teach this sutra to them. In this world there is no second vehicle through which one can attain parinirvāṇa;only through the single buddha vehicle can one attain it.

"You should know, O monks, that the Tathāgata through skillful means deeply penetrates the dispositions of sentient beings. Knowing their inclination toward the inferior teachings and that they are deeply attached to the desires of the five senses, he teaches nirvana for their sake. If they listen, they will accept it.

"Suppose in a desolate, fearful place there were a dangerous road five hundred yojanas long. There is a large group that wants to travel along this road to reach a place where there is great treasure. They have a leader who is wise and penetrating and who knows the passable and impassable parts of this dangerous road very well. Although he wants to guide these people past the danger, they become exhausted along the way. Addressing the leader they say: We are extremely tired and frightened. We cannot go any further. We are still far away from our destination, and we want to turn back. "The leader, knowing many skillful means, thinks:

These people are to be pitied. How could they want to turn back and abandon the great treasure?

"After thinking this the leader, through his skillful means, magically creates a city three hundred yojanas away along the dangerous road. He addresses the people, saying:

Do not be frightened. Do not turn back! You may now stay in this great city and be at your leisure. If you enter this city, you can be comfortable and at ease. Once you are able to go on and reach the treasure site, then you can depart once more.

"Then the exhausted people rejoice greatly and praise this unprecedented experience, saying:

We are now free of this evil road and will be comfortable and at ease. "Then they proceed to the apparitional city and enter it. They believe that their hardships are over and feel at ease. Then the leader realizes that 131

26a

The Lotus Sutra

they are rested and their fatigue has gone. He immediately makes the apparitional city vanish and says to the people: All of you, come along! The treasure site is near. I made that great apparitional city only in order to let you rest.

"O monks! The Tathāgata is exactly like this. Now for your sake he has become a great leader who knows the long, dangerous, and evil road of birth, death, and desire's confusion. You should leave it and be saved. "If sentient beings hear only about the single buddha vehicle they will then want neither to see nor approach a buddha. They will think that the buddha path is long and attainable only after enduring severe and protracted suffering. The Buddha, knowing their minds, knowing that they are weak-willed and of lowly aspiration, teaches them the two nirvanas through skillful means in order to let them rest halfway to the goal. If there are sentient beings who abide in either of these two stages, the Tathāgata immediately teaches: What you have accomplished is not complete. The stage you abide in is close to the wisdom of the buddhas. You should observe and consider that the nirvana you have obtained is not the true one. It is only through the power of the Tathāgata's skillful means that the single buddha vehicle is explained as three. "The Buddha is just like that leader who conjured a great apparitional city to let the people rest. Knowing that they were rested, he addressed them, saying: "The treasure site is near. This city is not real. It is only my invention. "

Thereupon the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

The Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū sat

On the terrace of enlightenment for ten kalpas,

But still the Dharma of the buddhas

Did not appear to him,

And he did not attain the buddha path.

The devas, nāgakings, asuras, and others

Constantly rained down heavenly flowers

In order to pay homage to that buddha.

132

Chapter VII

The devas beat heavenly drums And played various kinds of music. The fragrant winds blew the withered flowers away And then they rained down fresh, beautiful ones. After ten intermediate kalpas had passed, He then attained the buddha path; And all the devas and humans Became joyful and ecstatic. The sixteen princes of that buddha, Surrounded by thousands of Myriads of koṭis of attendants, Came to the place where the Buddha was. Having bowed until their foreheads touched his feet, They requested him to turn the wheel of the Dharma Saying:

O Noble Lion!

Fill us and everyone else with the rain of the Dharma! It is extremely difficult to meet a Bhagavat, Since he appears only once in a very long time! To get the attention of the beings, The Buddha shook the entire world. The palaces of the Brahmas in the five hundred Myriads of koṭis of lands in the east Were illuminated as never before. All of the Brahmas, seeing this phenomenon, Came to the place where the Buddha was. They reverently scattered flowers And offered him their palaces. Requesting the Buddha

To turn the wheel of the Dharma, They praised him in verse. The Buddha knew that the right time Had not yet arrived,

And although he had been asked, 26b

133

The Lotus Sutra

26c

He sat in silence.

The other three directions, the four remaining quarters, And the upper and lower regions were all like this. All the Brahmas scattered flowers, Offered their palaces, and requested the Buddha To turn the wheel of the Dharma, Saying:

It is extremely difficult to meet a Bhagavat. We entreat you to open wide the gate to immortality And turn the wheel of the highest Dharma Through your great compassion! The Bhagavat, having immeasurable wisdom, Accepted their request

And expounded various teachings, Such as the Four [Noble] Truths And the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination, saying: Beginning with ignorance And ending with old age and death, All these derive from birth. You should know about such miseries! When the Buddha expounded this teaching, Six hundred myriads of koṭis of trillions of people Attained the complete extinction of all suffering, And became arhats.

At the time of the second teaching, Thousands of myriads of people, Equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River, Unattached to any existent thing, Also attained arhatship. After that an incalculable number Of beings attained the path. Even if one were to count For myriads of koṭis of kalpas, 134

Chapter VII

One could not finish counting their number. Then the sixteen princes renounced Household life and became śrāmaṇeras. They all asked the Buddha to expound The teaching of the Mahayana, saying: Let us and all of our attendants Attain the buddha path!

We entreat you to let us obtain The Bhagavat's eye of wisdom, supreme in purity! The Buddha, knowing the minds of his children And their past conduct, taught the six perfections And various transcendent powers Through incalculably numerous explanations And various illustrations.

Explaining the true teaching And the path to be practiced by the bodhisattvas, He taught this Lotus Sutrain verses Equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. After the Buddha taught this sutra, He entered meditation in a quiet place And sat with complete concentration in the same spot For eighty-four thousand kalpas. Those śrāmaṇeras, knowing that the Buddha Had not arisen from meditation, Taught the highest wisdom of the buddhas To immeasurable koṭis of beings. Each sat on the Dharma seat And explained this Mahayana sutra. After the great parinirvāṇaof that buddha, They propagated the Dharma and inspired others. Each śrāmaṇerasaved

Six hundred myriads of koṭis of sentient beings, Equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. Those who heard the teaching 135

The Lotus Sutra

27a

After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa Were always born together with their teachers In various other buddha lands. These sixteen śrāmaṇeras Completely cultivated the buddha path And now, in the ten directions, They have attained highest, complete enlightenment. Then those who heard the Dharma In the presence of each of these buddhas And those who are in the śrāvakastage Will gradually be taught the buddha path. I am one of the sixteen. I have also taught you in the past. Therefore through skillful means I will now also lead you to the goal Which is the wisdom of the buddhas. Through these former causes and conditions, I will now teach the Lotus Sutra In order to let you enter the buddha path. Do not be worried or frightened! Suppose there were a dangerous road In a deserted wasteland far away, Where there are many harmful beasts. There is neither water nor grass. It is a fearful place for human beings. Innumerable thousands of myriads of beings Wish to pass along this dangerous way. But that road is very long, Some five hundred yojanas. Then there is a leader,

Endowed with deep wisdom and knowledge, Discerning and resolute, Who saves the people from various calamities When they meet with danger. The people all get tired 136

Chapter VII

And address the leader, saying: We are all now totally exhausted. We want to turn back from here! The leader thinks:

These people are really to be pitied. How could they possibly want to return And lose the great treasure! He immediately thinks of skillful means And how he should now use his transcendent powers; And he makes a great apparitional city With houses adorned and surrounded With gardens, moats, and ponds. There are fortified gates and tall towers, And it is full of men and women. When the apparition is complete, He immediately consoles the people, saying: Do not be afraid!

When you enter the city, You can each do as you please. All the people enter the city. They are very happy and feel at ease, Thinking they have been saved. When the leader knows they are rested, He gathers them together and addresses them, saying: You should now proceed,

For this is just an apparitional city! Seeing that you were extremely fatigued And that you wanted to turn back After coming halfway,

I made this apparitional city through skillful means. You should now strive

To reach the treasure site together. 137

The Lotus Sutra

27b

I am exactly like this.

I am the leader of all.

Perceiving that those seeking the way Have become timid, have stopped halfway, And are unable to walk to the end of the dangerous road Of birth, death, and desire's confusion, I use skillful means and teach nirvana So that they may rest, saying: You have extinguished suffering, And you have completed what must be done. Knowing that they have reached nirvana And attained arhatship, the Buddha immediately Gathers the great assembly together And teaches the True Dharma. All the buddhas explain and teach The three vehicles through skillful means. Although there is only the single buddha vehicle, They teach two in order to provide a place of rest. For your benefit I now teach the truth: What you have attained is not the ultimate goal. You must call forth great efforts In order to obtain the omniscience of a buddha. If you attain omniscience

And the qualities of the Buddha, Such things as the ten powers, And become endowed with the thirty-two marks, Then you will have attained the ultimate goal. The buddhas, the Leaders, teach nirvana In order to let beings rest in comfort. When they know that they have rested, They lead them to the wisdom of the buddhas. 138