Chapter XX: special attention is drawn to a certain long-suffering monk (4)

“As the Great Law-King of the triple world, teaching and converting the living by his Law, when he sees his wise and holy army fighting with the Mara of the five mental processes, the Mara of earthly ills, and the Mara of death, and doing so with great exploits and merits, exterminating the three poisons, escaping from the triple world, and breaking through the nets of the Maras, then the Tathagata also is greatly pleased. Now at last he preaches this Law-Flower Sutra which has never before been preached, and which is able to cause all the living to reach perfect knowledge, though the world greatly resents and has difficulty in believing it. Manjuśri! This Law-Flower Sutra is the supreme teaching of the Tathagatas and the most profound of all discourses. I give it to you last, just as that powerful king at last gives the brilliant jewel he has guarded for long. Manjuśri! This Law-Flower Sutra is the mysterious treasury of the Buddha-Tathagatas, which is supreme above all Sutras. For long has it been guarded and not prematurely declared; to-day for the first time I proclaim it to you.”

“It is like to a powerful
Wheel-rolling King
Who, to his war-distinguished soldiers,
Makes presents of many rewards,
Elephants, horses, carriages,
Litters, personal ornaments,
As well as fields and houses,
Villages and cities;
Or bestows garments,
Various kinds of jewels,
Slaves and other wealth,
Bestowing all with joy;
But only for one, heroic
And of rare exploits,
Does the king take from his head
The crown-jewel to give him.

Thus also is it with the Tathagata;
He is the king of the laws,
Possessing great powers of endurance
And the treasury of wisdom;
With great benevolence,
He transforms the world with his Law.
Seeing every human being
Suffering from pains and distresses,
Seeking for deliverance,
Fighting against the Maras,
To these living beings,
He has preached various laws
And, in great tactfulness,
Has preached these numerous Sutras;
Finally knowing the living
Have attained developed powers,
At the very last he to them
Preaches this Law-Flower,
As the king takes from his head
The jewel and bestows it.
So this Sutra is pre-eminent
Among all the Sutras.

I have always carefully guarded
And not prematurely revealed it.
Now, indeed, is the time
To preach it to you all.
After my extinction,
Whoever seeks Buddhahood
And desires in serenity
To proclaim this Sutra,
Should associate himself with
Such four rules as these.

He who reads this Sutra
Will ever be free from worry
And free from pain and disease;
His face will be fresh and white;
He will not be born poor,
In low estate, or ugly.
All creatures will delight to see him
As of a longed-for saint;
Heavenly cherubim
Will be his servitors.
Nor sword, nor staff, will be laid on him;
Poison cannot harm him;
If any one would curse him,
That man’s mouth will be closed.
Fearlessly he will roam
Like to a Lion-king.
The radiance of his wisdom
Will shine forth like the sun.
If he should be in dreams,
He will only behold the wonderful,
Seeing the Tathagatas
Seated on Lion-Thrones,
Preaching the Law to hosts
Of surrounding bhikshus.
. . . . .
He will also see the Buddhas,
With the sign of the golden body,
Emitting boundless light,
Illuminating all beings,
And with their Brahma-voices,
Discoursing on the laws.
While Buddha to the four groups
Is preaching the Supreme Law,
He will find himself in the midst
Praising Buddha with folded hands;
Hearing the Law with joy.”

XV

The Great Bodhisattvas, numerous as the sands of Ganges, who had
come from other Buddha-realms, now offer their services to Śakyamuni
Buddha in his realm. But to them he replies that he already has vast
numbers of Great Bodhisattvas of his own.

“Enough! My good sons! There is no need for you to protect and keep this Sutra. Wherefore? Because in my Saha-world there are in fact Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas as the sands of sixty thousand Ganges; each one of these Bodhisattvas has a retinue as the sands of sixty thousand Ganges; these persons are able, after my extinction, to protect and keep, read and recite, and preach abroad this Sutra.”

“When the Buddha has thus spoken, the earth of the Three-Thousand-Great-Thousandfold Land of the Saha-world trembles and quakes and from its midst there issue together innumerable thousands, myriads, kotis of Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas. All these Bodhisattvas with their golden-hued bodies, thirty-two Signs, and boundless radiance, have before been dwelling below this Saha-world, in the space supporting this world. These Bodhisattvas, hearing the voice of Śakyamuni Buddha preaching, spring forth from below. Each one of them is the commander of a great host, each leading a retinue as the sands of the sixty thousand Ganges; moreover, others lead their retinues as the sands of fifty thousand, forty thousand, thirty thousand, twenty thousand, ten thousand Ganges, down to the sands of one Ganges, the sands of half a Ganges, a quarter of it, down to a fraction of it, the decimal point of thousands, myriads, kotis of nayutas; moreover, a thousand myriad kotis of nayutas of followers, a myriad kotis of followers, a thousand myriad, a hundred, or even ten; moreover, those who lead five, four, three, two disciples, or even one disciple; moreover, one who is alone, happy in the practice of isolation. Such Bodhisattvas as these are immeasurable, illimitable, beyond the powers of comprehension by calculation or comparison.

“When these Bodhisattvas have emerged from the earth, each goes up to the wonderful Stupa of the Precious Seven in the sky, where are the Tathagata Abundant-Treasures and Śakyamuni Buddha. On their arrival they make obeisance with faces to the ground towards both the World-honoured Ones and, going to the Buddhas seated on the lion-thrones under the jewel-trees, they also salute them, three times making procession round them on their right, with folded hands revering them, and extolling them with all kinds of Bodhisattva hymns. Then they stand on one side, with delight gazing upon both the World-honoured Ones.

“From the time that these Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas first issue from the earth and extol the Buddhas with all kinds of Bodhisattva hymns, in the interval there pass fifty minor kalpas. During this time Śakyamuni Buddha sits in silence; silent also are the four groups; but the fifty kalpas, through the divine power of the Buddha, seem to the great multitude as but half a day.”

The four leaders of this vast host then ask the Buddha:

“Is the World-honoured One at ease,
With few ailments and troubles?
In instructing the living beings,
Is he free from weariness?
And are all the living
Readily accepting his teaching?
Do they not cause the World-honoured
To become weary and tired?”

“Yes! Yes! My good sons!” replies the Buddha, “The Tathagata is at ease, with few ailments and few troubles. These beings are easy to convert and transform and I am free from weariness.... All these beings from first seeing me and hearing my preaching, have received it in faith, and entered the Tathagata-wisdom, save those who had practised and learnt the Hinayana; but even such as these I have now caused to hear this Sutra and enter the Buddha-Wisdom.”

The Bodhisattvas reply:

“Good! Good!
Great Hero, World-honoured One!
All these living creatures
Are easily transformed by thee,
Are able to inquire into
The profound wisdom of Buddhas
And, hearing, to believe and discern.
We therefore felicitate thee.”

Maitreya and the disciples are amazed at this vast concourse, and at
Śakyamuni claiming them as his Bodhisattvas.

“These countless thousands, myriads,
This great host of Bodhisattvas,
We have never seen their like.
Be pleased to tell, honoured of men,
Whence came they and why
They are thus assembled
Mighty of frame, transcendent in power,
Of wisdom inscrutable,
Strong of will and memory,
Firm in endurance,
Whom all rejoice to see—
Whence came they?”

A long account follows descriptive of their countless numbers:

“If any one tried to keep tally
Through kalpas as Ganges’ sands
He still could not tell their number.
All these great, majestic,
Zealous Bodhisattva hosts—
Who has preached the Law to them,
Instructed and perfected them?
. . . . .
From every quarter of the riven earth
They all spring forth from its midst.
World-honoured One! From of old
We have never witnessed such beings.
. . . . .
We know not a single one
Among this countless host,
Who suddenly spring from the earth.
Be pleased to tell us the cause!
. . . . .
What is the course of their history?
World-honoured One of measureless Virtue
Wilt thou resolve our doubts?”

In like manner the disciples of the concourse of other Buddhas
present, each asks his own Buddha the same question: This vast
concourse of the glorified—whence came they?

“Good, good! Ajita!” replies Śakyamuni to Maitreya, “Well have you asked the Buddha concerning so great a matter. Do you all, with one mind, don the armour of zeal and exhibit a firm will, for the Tathagata now intends to reveal and proclaim the wisdom of Buddhas, the sovereign and supernatural power of Buddhas, the lion-eagerness of Buddhas, and the awe-inspiring forceful power of Buddhas.”

From an A.D. 1681 facsimile of an A.D. 1331 edition of the illustrated Kuan-yin chapter of this Sutra]

Then first in prose, afterwards in verse Maitreya is told:

“Ajita! Know thou!
These Great Bodhisattvas,
Who, from past numberless kalpas,
Have observed the Buddha wisdom,
All of these are my converts,
Whose minds I have set on the Great Way.
These Bodhisattvas are my sons
Who dwell in this Buddha-world.
Ever practising the Dhuta deeds,
Joyfully devoted to quiet places,
Shunning the clamour of crowds,
With no pleasure in many words.
All these sons of mine,
Learning and keeping the Law of my Way,
Are always zealous day and night,
For the sake of seeking Buddhahood;
They dwell below the Saha-world,
In the region of space beneath it.
Firm in their powers of will and memory,
Ever diligent in seeking wisdom,
They preach every kind of mystic law,
Their minds devoid of any fear.
I, near the city of Gaya,
Sitting beneath the Bodhi-tree,
Accomplished Perfect Enlightenment;
And rolling the supreme Law-wheel,
I then taught and converted them
And caused them to seek the One Way.
Now they all abide in the never-relapsing state,
And every one will become a Buddha.
What I now speak is the truth;
Believe it with single mind!
I from a long distant past
Have taught and trained all this host.”

Maitreya and the disciples again express their perplexity, wondering
how the Master can have instructed such a countless host in so short
a time. They remind him that but forty years have passed since his
own enlightenment under the bodhi-tree. How can he have accomplished
such mighty Buddha-deeds in so brief a period? If the host were
counted through all time, their numbers could not be told. These
Bodhisattvas are not beings of earth, but have lived through the far
past under countless numbers of Buddhas.

“World-honoured One! Such a claim the world will find it hard to credit.

“It is much as if there were a man, of fine complexion and black hair, twenty-five years old, who pointed to centenarians and said: ‘These are my sons’; and as if these centenarians also pointed to the youth and said: ‘This is our father who begot and reared us’. This matter is hard of belief. So also is it with the Buddha, whose attainment of the Way is truly not long since. Yet this great host of Bodhisattvas, for numberless, thousands, myriads, kotis of kalpas, for the sake of Buddahood, have devoted themselves with zeal; they have entered deep into, come out of and dwelt in infinite hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of samadhis; have attained the great transcendent faculties and for long lived noble lives; have been well able, step by step, to learn all kinds of good laws; they are skilful in question and answer, are treasures amongst men and of extreme rareness in all the world. Yet to-day the World-honoured One has just said that, when he attained to Buddhahood, he then caused them to set their minds on enlightenment, instructed and led, and caused them to proceed toward Perfect Enlightenment. It is not long since the World-honoured One became a Buddha, yet he has been able to do this great meritorious deed! Though we ourselves still believe that what the Buddha has opportunely preached, and the words the Buddha has uttered, have never been false, and also the Buddha’s knowledge is all perceived by us, yet if newly-converted bodhisattvas hear this statement after the Buddha’s extinction, they may not believe it, with resultant misdeeds, to the destruction of the Law. So, World-honoured One, be pleased to explain it, removing our doubts so that thy good sons in future generations, on hearing this matter, shall also not beget doubt.”

“We ourselves believe the Buddha
And have no doubts upon this matter;
But beg the Buddha, for future hearers,
To explain, that they may understand.
For if any in regard to this Sutra
Should beget unbelief and doubt,
He would fall into evil karma.
Be pleased to make explanation
How these numberless Bodhisattvas
In so short a space of time,
Have been instructed and developed,
And abide in this ever-advancing stage.”

XVI

In reply to these questions Śakyamuni now makes his great
revelation. This chapter is the climax. It contains the author’s
declaration that the Buddha is Eternal, beyond all limits of time
and space. It is the Eternal Buddha who is in Śakyamuni. His is the
voice that speaks, His the vast host, His the Eternal Life which
gives its name to this chapter.

Then says the Buddha to the Bodhisattvas and the vast assembly:

“Believe and discern, all you good sons, the Tathagata’s word of Truth.”

Thrice he repeats it.

Maitreya, with folded hands, implores the Buddha, and all the
disciples cry with him three times,

“We beseech thee explain; we will believe the Buddha’s word.”

“Then the World-honoured, perceiving that the bodhisattvas thrice without ceasing repeated their request, addressed them saying:

“‘Listen then each of you attentively to the secret, mysterious and supernatural power of Tathagata. All the worlds of gods, men and asuras declare: “Now has Śakyamuni-Buddha, coming forth from the palace of the Sakya-clan, and seated at the place of enlightenment, not far from the city of Gaya, attained to Perfect Enlightenment.” But, good sons, since I veritably became Buddha, there have passed infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis, nayutas of kalpas. For instance, suppose there were five hundred thousand myriad kotis, nayutas of numberless Three-Thousand-Great-Thousandfold-Worlds; let some one grind them to atoms, pass eastward through five hundred thousands, myriads, kotis, nayutas of numberless countries, and then drop one of those atoms; suppose he thus proceeded eastward till he had finished those atoms,—what do you think, good sons, is it possible to imagine and calculate all those worlds so as to know their number?’

.....

“‘Good sons! Now I must clearly announce and declare to you. Suppose you take as atomized all those worlds, everywhere that an atom has been deposited, and everywhere that it has not been deposited, and count an atom as a kalpa, the time since I became the Buddha still surpasses these by hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis, nayutas of numberless kalpas. From that time forward I have constantly been preaching and teaching in this Saha-world, and also leading and benefitting the living in other places in hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis, nayutas of numberless domains. Good sons! During this time, I have spoken of the Buddha “Burning Light” and other Buddhas, and also have told of their entering Nirvana. Thus have I tactfully described them all. Good sons! Whenever living beings came to me, I beheld with a Buddha’s eyes all the faculties, keen or dull, of their faith, and so forth; and I explained to them, in stage after stage, according to their capacity and degree of salvation, my different names and the length of my lives, and moreover plainly stated that I must enter Nirvana. I also, with various expedients, preached the Wonderful Law which is able to cause the living to beget a joyful heart. Good sons! Beholding the propensities of all the living towards lower things, so that they have little virtue and much vileness, to these the Tathagata declares: ‘I, in my youth, left home and attained to Perfect Enlightenment.’ But since I veritably became Buddha, thus have I ever been, only by my expedient methods teaching and transforming all the living, so that they may enter into Buddhahood, and thus have I made declaration.

“Good sons! All the sutras which the Tathagata preaches are for the deliverance of the living—whether they speak of himself or speak of others, whether they indicate himself or others, and whether they indicate his own affairs or those of others; whatever they say is all real, and not empty air. Wherefore? Because the Tathagata knows and sees the character of the triple world as it really is; to him there is neither birth nor death, neither going away nor coming forth; neither existence in the world nor cessation of existence; neither reality nor unreality; neither thus nor otherwise. Unlike the way the triple world beholds the triple world, the Tathagata sees clearly such things as these without mistake. Because all the living have various natures, various desires, various activities, various ideas and reasonings, so, desiring to cause them to produce the roots of goodness, the Tathagata by so many reasonings, parables, and discourses has preached his various Truths. The Buddha-deeds which he performs never fail for a moment. Thus it is, since I became Buddha in the far distant past, that my lifetime is of numberless kalpas, forever existing and immortal.

“Good sons! The lifetime which I fulfil in following the Bodhisattva-Way is not even yet completed, but will be again twice the previous number of kalpas. But now in this unreal Nirvana, I announce that I must enter the real Nirvana. In this expedient way the Tathagata teaches all living. Wherefore? If the Buddha abides long in the world, men of little virtue—who do not cultivate the roots of goodness and are spiritually poor and mean, greedily attached to the five desires, and caught in the net of wrong reflection and false views—if they see the Tathagata constantly present and not extinct, will become puffed up and lazy, and unable to conceive the idea that it is difficult to meet a Buddha, and be unable to develop a mind of reverence for him. Therefore the Tathagata tactfully says: “Know, Bhikshus! The appearance of a Buddha in the world is a rare occurrence.” Wherefore? In the course of countless hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of kalpas, some men of little virtue may happen to see a Buddha, or none may see him. For this reason I say: “Bhikshus! A Tathagata may rarely be seen!” All these living beings, hearing such a statement, must indeed realize the thought of the difficulty of meeting a Buddha and cherish a longing and a thirst for him; thus will they cultivate the roots of goodness. Therefore the Tathagata, though he does not in reality become extinct, yet announces his extinction.’”

_The Parable of the Physician._

“Suppose, for instance, a good physician, who is wise and perspicacious, conversant with the medical art, and skilful in healing all sorts of diseases. He has many sons, say ten, twenty, even up to a hundred. Because of some matter he goes abroad to a distant country. After his departure his sons drink his poisonous medicines, which send them into a delirium and they lie rolling on the ground. At this moment their father comes back to his home. Of the sons who drank the poison, some have lost their senses, others are still sensible and, on seeing their father approaching in the distance, they are greatly delighted, and kneeling greet him:

‘“How good it is that you are returned in safety! We, in our foolishness, have mistakenly dosed ourselves with poison. We beg that you will heal us and give us back our lives.’

“The father, seeing his sons in such distress, in accordance with his prescriptions, seeks for good herbs, perfect in colour, scent and fine flavour, and then pounds, sifts, and mixes them and gives them to his sons to take, saying thus:

“‘This excellent medicine with colour, scent and fine flavour all perfect, do you take, and it will at once rid you of your distress so that you will have no more suffering.’

“Those amongst the sons who are sensible, seeing this excellent medicine with colour and scent both good, take it immediately and are wholly delivered from their illness. The others who have lost their senses, seeing their father come, though they are also delighted, salute him and ask him to heal their illness, yet when he offers them the medicine, they are unwilling to take it. Wherefore? Because the poison has entered deeply, they have lost their senses, and even in regard to this medicine of excellent colour and scent they say that it is not good. The father reflects thus:

“‘Alas! for these sons, afflicted by this poison, and their minds all unbalanced! Though they are glad to see me and implore for healing, yet they are unwilling to take such excellent medicine as this. Now I must arrange an expedient plan so that they will take this medicine.’

“Then he says to them: ‘Know, all of you, that I am now worn out with old age and that the time of my death has arrived. This excellent medicine I now leave here. You may take it and have no fear of not being better.’ After thus admonishing them, he departs again for another country and sends a messenger back to inform them: ‘Your father is dead.’ And now, when these sons hear that their father is dead, their minds are greatly distressed and they thus reflect: ‘If our father were alive, he would have pity on us, and we should be saved and preserved. But now he has left us and died in a distant country.’

“Deeming themselves orphans with no one to rely on, continuous grief brings them to their senses; they recognize the colour, scent and excellent flavour of the medicine, and thereupon take it, when their poisoning is entirely relieved. Their father, hearing that the sons are recovered, seeks an opportunity and returns, showing himself to them all.

“‘Good sons! What is your opinion? Are there any who could say that this good physician has committed the sin of falsehood?’”

The verse portion is much briefer than the prose, and contains only
a part of the teaching. The following is a selection from it.

“In order to save all creatures,
I expediently speak of Nirvana,
Yet truly I am not extinct,
But ever here preaching the Law.
I ever remain in this world,
In supernatural power,
So that all perverted creatures
Fail to see me, though near,
Looking on me as extinct,
Everywhere worshipping my relics,
Cherishing desire for goodness
And thirsting with aspiration.
When all creatures have submitted,
Are upright, and gentle in mind,
Whole-heartedly looking for Buddha,
Not caring for their own lives,
Then I with all the Samgha
On the Spirit Vulture-Peak appear,
And then I tell all creatures
That I exist here forever undying,
By means of expedients revealing
Myself as dead, yet not dead.
If in other regions there are beings,
Reverent and joying in faith,
Again I am in their midst
To preach the Supreme Law.
You, not hearing of this,
Only say I am extinct.
I, beholding all living creatures
Sunk in the sea of suffering,
At first do not show myself,
But set them expectant and thirsting,
Then, when their hearts are longing,
I appear to preach the Law.
In supernatural power,
Through kalpas numberless
On the Spirit Vulture-Peak am I,
And in other dwelling-places.
While the living see, at the kalpa’s end,
The conflagration in its burning,
Tranquil remains this realm of mine,
Ever full of gods and men,
Parks and many palaces
With every sort of gem adorned,
Blooming and fruitful jewel trees,
Where all creatures pleasure take;
The gods strike up their heavenly drums
And music make for evermore,
Showering down celestial flowers
On Buddha and His mighty host.
My Pure Land is not destroyed,
Though all view it as being burnt up,
And grief and horror and distress
Thus fill them to the full.
Those creatures, full of sin
By reason of their evil karma,
Through kalpas numberless hear not
The name of the most Precious Three.
But those who virtuous deeds shall do,
Are gentle and of upright nature,
These will ever me behold
Here expounding to all the Law.
At times unto this eager throng
I preach the Buddha’s eternal life.”

And, lastly:

“Like the physician who, with clever device
In order to cure his demented sons,
Though indeed alive, announces his death,
Yet none is able to charge him with falsehood.
I, too, being Father of this world,
Who heal all misery and affliction,
For the sake of the perverted people,
Though truly alive, say I am extinct;
Lest, because they always see me,
They should arrogant minds beget,
Be dissolute, set in their five desires,
And fall into karma-paths of ill.”

XVII

During the length of time that the Buddha tells of the eternity of
his life, vast hosts, numerous as sands of Ganges, attain to the
assurance of no further re-incarnation; others attain powers of
hearing and keeping the Law; others powers of eloquence and
argument; others of insight into infinite motion; others of
preaching the Law; others, after various stages, of Perfect
Enlightenment. The numbers given for each group are as the atoms of
various kinds and numbers of worlds.

While the Buddha is telling of the eternity of his life, on the host
of Buddhas seated on their lion-thrones beneath the jewel-trees and
on their retinues, on the Bodhisattvas and their retinues, and on
the assembly, there rain down celestial flowers and fine incense. In
the heavens the celestial drums resound with deep reverberation.
Celestial robes, jewels, necklaces, censers burning priceless
incense, descend upon the congregation. Celestial canopies arise
high as the Brahma-heavens; and countless Bodhisattvas sing praises
to the Buddhas.

Maitreya then arises from his seat and repeats this, in lengthy
verse.

“The Buddha has preached the rare Law
Never heard by us before.
Great is the power of the World-honoured,
And His lifetime beyond estimation.
. . . . .
With thousands, myriads of stanzas
The Buddha’s praise is sung.
. . . . .
Learning the Buddha’s life is limitless
All creatures are filled with joy,
The Buddha’s fame sounds through the Universe,
Enriching all the roots
Of goodness of the living,
To bring them to the Supreme Truth.”

The Buddha then proceeds to say that those who have heard and
believed, however feebly, his truth of the Eternal Life of the
Buddha, have merit surpassing the merit of works.

“Suppose,” he says, “there be any good son or daughter who, to obtain Perfect Enlightenment, during eight hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, puts in practice the Five Paramitas ... these merits, compared with the above-mentioned merit, are not equal to even the hundredth part, the thousandth part, or indeed one part of a hundred thousand myriad kotis of it; indeed neither numbers nor comparison can make it known. If any good son or daughter possesses only such merit of faith, there is no such thing as failing to obtain Perfect Enlightenment.”

The verse part is still more elaborate in its comparison of the
respective values of faith and works. Though a man should live the
most devoted life and sacrifice everything—

“Yet, any good son or daughter
Who hears me declare my Eternity,
And believes with a single thought,
This one’s reward surpasses his.
. . . . .
Just as the present World-honoured One
Who, King of all the Sakyas,
On his Wisdom-Throne raised the Lion’s roar,
And fearlessly preached the Law,
So may we, in future ages,
Honoured and revered by all,
Sit on the Wisdom throne
And tell of long life in like manner.”

If any have faith in the Eternal Life of the Buddha, he will see the
Buddha always on the Spiritual Vulture Peak surrounded by the
celestial host ever preaching this Law. He will see, too, the realm
in which he lives resplendent with palaces and jewels. But he who
devotes himself to this Sutra will have joys even greater. Such a
one carries the Tathagata on his head, or as we may say, is crowned
with the Tathagata.

“Such a good son or daughter need no more erect stupas, temples or monasteries for me, or make offerings to the monks.”

The implication is that such a one, himself or herself, is the
shrine or temple of the living Buddha. The narrative shows that
faith is works—

“By reason of devotion to the Lotus Sutra, he or she has in effect already erected stupas, built monasteries, and made offerings to the monks; that is to say, has spiritually erected for the Buddha’s relics, stupas of the Precious Seven, high and broad, and tapering up to the Brahma-heaven, with flags and canopies and precious bells, and with flowers, perfumes, garlands, sandal-powder, unguents, incense, drums, instruments, pipes, flutes, harps, all kinds of dances and plays—singing and lauding with wondrous notes—he or she has already made these offerings for innumerable thousands, myriads, kotis of kalpas.

“Ajita! If any one, after my extinction, hears this Sutra, and is able either to receive and keep, or himself copy, or cause others to copy it, he has already erected monasteries and built red sandal-wood temples of thirty-two shrines, tall as eight Tala-trees, lofty, spacious, splendid, in which abide hundreds, thousands of bhikshus; adorned also with gardens, groves, and bathing-pools, promenades and meditation-cells; with clothing, victuals, bedding, medicaments, and all aids to pleasure provided to the full therein. Such monasteries and such numbers of temples, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis, countless in their number, he has here in my presence, offered to me and to my bhikshu-monks. Therefore I say, if any one after the extinction of the Tathagata, receives and keeps, reads and recites it, preaches it to others, either himself copies it, or causes others to copy it, and pays homage to the Sutra, he need no longer erect stupas and temples, or build monasteries, and make offerings to the monks. How much less he who is able to keep this Sutra and thereto add alms-giving, morality, forbearance, zeal, concentration, and wisdom. His merit will be most excellent, infinite and boundless; even as the sky which east, west, south, and north, the four intermediate directions, the zenith and nadir, is infinite and boundless, so also the merit of this man will be infinite and boundless, and he will speedily reach Perfect Knowledge. If any one reads and recites, receives and keeps this Sutra, preaches it to other people, or himself copies it, or causes others to copy it; moreover, is able to erect stupas and build monasteries, and to serve and extol the Sravaka-monks, and also with hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of ways of extolling, extols the merits of the Bodhisattvas; also if he to other people, with various reasonings, according to its meaning, expounds this Law-Flower Sutra; again, if he is able to keep the commandments in purity, amicably to dwell with the gentle, to endure insult without anger, to be firm in will and thought, ever to value meditation, to attain to profound concentration, zealously and boldly to support the good, to be clever and wise in ably answering difficult questionings; Ajita! again, if after my extinction, there be good sons and daughters who receive and keep, read and recite this Sutra, and who possess such excellent merits as these, you may know that those people have proceeded towards the Wisdom-terrace, and are near to Perfect Enlightenment, sitting under the tree of enlightenment. Ajita! Wherever those good sons or good daughters either sit or stand or walk, in that place you should erect a stupa; all gods and men should pay homage to it as a stupa of Buddha.”

“If any one, after my extinction,
Is able to honour and keep this Sutra,
His happiness will be infinite.
. . . . .
By this act he has made
Every kind of offering
And erected relic-stupas
Adorned with the precious seven,
. . . . .
With thousands, myriads of gem-bells
Stirred by the wind to mystic music,
As if for numberless kalpas
He had paid homage to stupas
With flowers, incense, garlands.
. . . . .
He who is able to keep this Sutra
Will be as if Buddha were present,
And he, with finest sandal-wood,
Built Him monasteries in service,
Built them of thirty-two halls
Eight Tala-trees in height,
With the best of food and garments,
Complete with beds for sleeping,
With rooms for hundreds and thousands,
With gardens, groves and bathing-pools,
With walks and meditation-cells,
All beautifully adorned.
. . . . .
Whoever does homage to it
Will obtain infinite merit
Boundless as the realms of Space
Such will be his merit.
How much more he who humbly keeps it.”

The indwelling Buddha is especially emphasized in the closing
stanzas:

“If one meets with such a teacher,
Strew him with celestial flowers,
Clothe him in divine clothing,
Salute him at his feet
With a mind as if thinking of Buddha.
. . . . .
Wherever he dwells or stays,
Where he walks, or sits, or lies,
Or speaks but a phrase of the Sutra,
In that place erect a stupa,
Adorn it and make it beautiful,
And in every way pay it homage.
Where’er dwells a Buddha-son,
That place the Buddha uses
And constant within it abides,
And walks and sits and reclines.”

XVIII

Maitreya then asks the Buddha what will be the happiness of one who
receives with joy the Law-Flower message. The Buddha’s reply is that
the reward of him who hears, not direct, nor second-hand, but even
at fiftieth-hand will be incalculable.

“It is like the number of all the living creatures in the six states of existence in four hundred myriad kotis of numberless worlds, born in the four ways, egg-born, womb-born, humidity-born, or born by metamorphosis, whether they are formed or formless, whether conscious or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious; footless, two-footed, four-footed, or many-footed, it is as the sum of all these living creatures. Suppose some one, seeking their happiness, provides them with every article of pleasure they may desire, giving each creature the whole of a world with its gold, silver, lapis-lazuli, moon-stone, agate, coral, amber, and every sort of wonderful jewel, with elephants, horses, carriages, and palaces, towers built of the Precious Seven—and so forth. This great master of gifts thus bestows gifts for full eighty years and then reflects thus:

“‘I have bestowed on all these beings articles of pleasure according to their desires, but now they have grown old and worn, and over eighty years of age, with hair grey and faces wrinkled, and death is not far off—I ought to instruct and guide them in the Buddha-Law.’

“Thereupon, gathering together those beings, he proclaims to them the Law’s instruction; and by his revealing, teaching, benefiting and rejoicing, they all in a moment become disciples ... free from imperfections, having acquired mastery of profound meditation, and completed the Eight Emancipations. What is your opinion? May the merits obtained by this great master of gifts be considered many or not?”

“World-honoured One!” said Maitreya to the Buddha, “The merits of this man are very many, infinite and boundless. Even though this master of giving had only made gifts of all those articles of pleasure to those creatures, his merits would be infinite; how much more when he causes them to attain to sainthood?’

“Then said the Buddha to Maitreya: ‘I will now speak clearly to you. The merits attained by such a man, if he bestowed those means of happiness on all beings in the Six States of existence of four hundred myriad kotis of numberless worlds, and caused them to attain to sainthood, would not compare with the merits of that fiftieth person who, hearing a single verse of the Law-Flower Sutra, receives it with joy; they are not equal to one hundredth, or one thousandth, or one fraction of a hundred thousand myriad kotis; the power of figures or comparisons cannot express it. Ajita! If the merits of such a fiftieth person who in turn hears the Law-Flower Sutra and accepts it with joy, are indeed so infinite, so boundless and numberless; how much more surpassingly infinite, boundless and beyond number or compare is the happiness of him who is amongst the first hearers in the assembly and receives it joyfully.”

If any one hears this preaching even momentarily, his merit is so
great that in his next reincarnation “he will acquire the most
excellent kind of elephants, horses and carriages, jewelled
palanquins and litters, and ride in celestial cars”. It is
reasonable to accept these as celestial or spiritual ideas,
conceived of through the medium of material forms.

Again, if any one invites another to sit down, or share his seat, in
order to hear this good news, or persuades another to go and hear
it; he will be reborn where wise Bodhisattvas dwell, and himself
have all his faculties glorified. His lips will be pure and
beautiful, only fragrance will come from them, and his presence will
be a joy.

“Age after age his mouth will not suffer,
His teeth not be gaping, yellow or black;
His lips not thick, awry or cracked,
With no disgusting appearance;
His tongue neither dried, black nor shrunk;
His nose high, long and straight;
His forehead broad and smooth;
His face refined and dignified,
A joy for men to behold;
No fetid breath from his mouth,
The scent of the Utpala-flower
Ever exhaling from his lips.”

XIX

If the merits of a hearer are so vast, how much greater those of a
preacher of this Sutra! We are told that such a one—and it is
interesting to note, whether male or female—will obtain great
increase of natural powers, both now and hereafter.

The Buddha is shown as addressing the great Bodhisattva, Ever
Zealous. To him he says:

“If any good son or good daughter receives and keeps this Law-Flower Sutra, or reads, or recites, or expounds, or copies it, that person will obtain eight hundred merits of the eye, twelve hundred merits of the ear, eight hundred merits of the nose, twelve hundred merits of the tongue, eight hundred merits of the body, and twelve hundred merits of the mind; with these merits he will dignify his six organs, making them all serene. That good son or good daughter, with serene eyes of flesh, begotten by his parents, will see whatever exists within and without the Three-Thousand-Great-Thousandfold World, mountains, forests, rivers, and seas, down to the Avici hell and up to the summit of existence, and also see the living beings in it, as well as see and know in detail all their karma-causes and re-birth states of retribution.”

The twelve hundred merits of the ear are thus described in verse:

“His ears, those begotten by his parents,
Are serene, unsullied, untainted.
By these ordinary ears he hears
The sounds in the Three-Thousand World,
The sounds of elephants, horses, carts, and oxen,
The sounds of gongs, bells, conches, drums,
The sounds of lutes and harps,
The sounds of pipes and flutes,
The sounds of pure lovely song;
Listening without undue attachment,
He hears countless human sounds,
And can understand all he hears;
He hears also the sounds of gods,
And mystic voices of singing;
Hears sounds of men and women,
And sounds of youths and maidens.
In mountains, streams and gorges,
The sounds of Kalavinkas,
Ming-ming and other birds,
All these sounds he hears.
The pangs of the hosts in hell
And all the sounds of their tortures;
Hungry ghosts driven by hunger and thirst
And the sounds of their importunity;
The voices of asuras,
Inhabiting the ocean shores,
When they converse together,
And bellow forth their cries.
Such a preacher as this,
Calmly dwelling here
From afar hears these sounds
Without harm to his organ of hearing.
In the worlds in every direction,
Birds and beasts cry to each other,
And the Preacher here abiding
Hears them in every detail.
All the Brahma heavens above,
From Light-Sound and Universal-Purity
To the Heaven of the Summit of Existence,—
The sounds of their conversation,
The Preacher here abiding,
Hears them in every detail.
All the hosts of bhikshus
And of bhikshunis
Reading or reciting the Sutra,
Or preaching it to others,
The Preacher here abiding
Hears them in every detail.
Also the Bodhisattvas
Who intone this Sutra-Law,
Or preach it unto others,
Collating and expounding its meaning,—
All such sounds as these,
He hears in every detail.”

The eight hundred powers of his organ of smell are so enhanced that,
by means of his serene organ, the fragrance of the world is his. He
can also discern everything by their odour—elephants, cattle, men,
grasses, the gods in their heavens, even Brahma; “from afar he will
smell all these and know where they abide.” Nevertheless, “though he
smell these odours, yet his organ of smell will not be injured, nor
will he make any error; and if he wishes to define and tell them to
others, his meaning will not err.”

.....

“The gods, whether walking or seated,
Their rambles and magic powers,
He who keeps this Law-Flower
By smell can know them all.
. . . . .
Lions, tigers, wolves, elephants,
Bisons, buffaloes and their kind,
He by smell knows their place.
If there be a woman with child,
Who discerns not yet its sex,
Male, female, organless, or inhuman,
He by smell can discern it.
By his power of smell
He knows if the newly pregnant
Will succeed or not in being
Joyfully delivered of happy children.
By his perceptive power of smell
He knows the thoughts of men and women,
Their lusts, foolishness or anger,
And also the maintainers of goodness.
All the hidden treasures,
Gold, silver, and jewels,
Stored in copper vessels,
By smell he can clearly distinguish,
Every kind of jewelled necklace,
Of price beyond all knowledge,
By smell he knows its value,
Its source and its location.”

The twelve hundred merits of his tongue are the merits of taste and
speech. “Whatever pleasant or unpleasant, sweet or not sweet, bitter
or astringent thing meets his tongue will become of the finest
flavour, like heavenly nectar; nothing will be unpleasant. If, in
the assembly, he uses his organ of the tongue to preach, sonorous
and beautiful sounds will enter the hearts of all, giving them
pleasure and enjoy.” Celestial beings, dragons, demons, monks and
nuns, disciples, kings, princes, and ministers, will flock to hear
him preach the Law. The Buddhas will delight to hear him and will
also preach toward him.

“If this Preacher desires
To make his lovely voice
Fill the whole universe,
He is able at will to achieve it.”

The eight hundred merits of the body not only give him a body clear
as crystal which all admire, but to him all other bodies are
displayed, for everything of every kind is reflected to him in the
crystal mirror of his own body.

“Downward to the Avici-Hell, upward to the Summit of all Existence, all things and all living beings are displayed in his body.”

“As on a pure bright mirror
Every image is seen,
So, in his own pure body,
The Bodhisattva sees the whole world.
. . . . .
Though not yet possessed of the flawless,
Mystic, spiritual body,
Yet in his pure ordinary body
Everything is revealed.”

The twelve hundred merits of thought enable him, “on hearing a
single verse or sentence, to penetrate its infinite and boundless
meanings. Having discerned those meanings, he will be able to
discourse on that single sentence or verse for a month, four months,
even a year”—for one verse of this Sutra like “the flower in the
crannied wall” opens up vast questions.

“Whatever he ponders, estimates, and speaks, will be the Buddha-Law, nothing but truth, and that which former Buddhas have taught.”

“Every living creature
Of this world, within and without,
Gods, dragons, humans,
Yakshas, demons, spirits, others,
These in the six destinations,
Whatever they may be thinking—
In reward for keeping the Law-Flower,
Instant he knows them all.
The countless Buddhas of the universe,
With their hundreds of felicitous signs,
Who preach to all the living,
He hears and retains it all.
He ponders on the infinite,
And preaches the Law without stint,
Never forgets or makes a mistake,
Because he keeps the Law-Flower.
Knowing the form of all laws,
Perceiving their ordered meaning,
Comprehending the terms and words,
He explains them according to knowledge.
Whatever this man preaches
Is the Law of former Buddhas;
And because he proclaims this Law,
He is fearless of the throng.
A keeper of the Law-Flower Sutra
Has an organ of thought such as this.
Though not yet possessed of faultlessness,
Such is the foretoken he possesses.”

XX

We are now introduced to a further interlude, in which the Buddha
addresses the great Bodhisattva, Might-Endowed. He tells him of a
former Buddha-realm, over which was a Buddha known as King of
Majestic Voice. On his entering into Nirvana, his successors
followed each other to the number of twenty thousand kotis, each
being of the same title. After the Nirvana of the first “Buddha of
the Majestic Voice”, and after the first period of the pure doctrine
had passed, monks of the utmost arrogance obtained the chief power,
who cruelly persecuted the hero of the parable that follows. It will
be observed that by these the Hinayana School is meant.

That hero is a monk called Never Despise, so styled because he
refused to contemn any one, being assured that every one was a
prospective buddha. It is a parable of the Mahayanist persecuted by
his fellow monks, the Hinayanists, because he preaches universal
buddhahood for all the living.

“Might-endowed! For what reason was he named Never Despise? Because he paid respect to and commended everybody he saw, monks, nuns, men and women disciples; speaking thus: ‘I deeply revere you. Wherefore? Because you are walking in the bodhisattva way and are to become Buddhas.’ That monk did not devote himself to reading and reciting the Sutras, but only to paying respect, so that when he saw afar off a member of the four classes of disciples, he would specially go and pay respect to them, commending them, saying: ‘I dare not slight you, because you are all to become Buddhas.’ Amongst the four classes, there were those who, irritated and angry and low-minded, reviled and abused him saying: ‘Where does this ignorant bhikshu come from, who takes it on himself to say, “I do not slight you,” and who predicts us as destined to become Buddhas? We need no such false predictions.’ Thus, he passed many years, constantly reviled but never irritated or angry, always saying: ‘You are to become Buddhas.’ Whenever he spoke thus, they beat him with clubs, sticks, potsherds, or stones. But, while escaping to a distance, he still cried aloud: ‘I dare not slight you. You are all to become Buddhas.’ And because he always spoke thus, the haughty monks, nuns, and their disciples dubbed him: Never Despise.

“When this monk was drawing near his end, from the sky he heard, and was perfectly able to receive and retain, twenty thousand myriad kotis of verses of the Law-Flower Sutra, which the Buddha, King of Majestic Voice, had formerly preached. Whereupon he obtained, as stated above, clearness and purity of eye-organ, as also of the organs of ear, nose, tongue, body, and thought. Having obtained the purity of these six organs, he further prolonged his life for two hundred myriad kotis of nayutas of years, and abundantly preached this Law-Flower Sutra to the people. Then the haughty four orders of monks, nuns, and male and female disciples, who had slighted and contemned this man, and given him the name Never-Despise, seeing him possessed of great transcendent powers, of power of eloquent discourse, and power of excellent meditation, and having heard his preaching, believed in and followed him. This Bodhisattva again converted thousands, myriads, kotis of beings to Perfect Enlightenment.”

Afterwards he preached the Sutra to countless Buddhas in different
realms through infinite aeons. And who was this Bodhisattva
Never-Despise? The Buddha says:

“He was I myself. If I, in my former lives, had not received and kept, read and recited this Sutra, and preached it to others, I should not have been able so soon to attain to Perfect Enlightenment. Because, under former Buddhas, I received and kept, read and recited this Sutra, and preached it to others, I so soon attained to Perfect Enlightenment.”

“The Never-Despise of that time
Is really I myself.
The four groups of that time
Attached to external things
. . . . .
Are you of this assembly.
Age by age have I kept
This so wonderful a Sutra.
During kotis and kotis of kalpas
Of inconceivable extent,
Rare are the times that we heard
This Law-Flower Sutra preached.
During kotis and kotis of kalpas,
Inconceivable of extent,
Buddhas, World-honoured Ones,
But rarely preach this Sutra.
Therefore, let his followers,
After the Buddha’s extinction,
On hearing such Sutra as this,
Conceive no doubt or perplexity.
But let them with single mind
Publish abroad this Sutra
And, age by age meeting Buddhas,
To Buddhahood will they speedily attain.”

XXI

The vast body of Bodhisattvas who sprang out of the earth, as
recorded in Chapter XV, now fold their hands before the Buddha and,
looking towards him, declare that they will preach this Sutra, in
whatsoever worlds the Buddha, in any of his transformations, may
exist and cease to exist.

By this declaration the World-honoured One is now moved to reveal
his majestic divine power. In a miraculous way, attractive only to
those who can see in it the symbolism intended, he showed the
illuminating and far-reaching power of his organ of speech. In the
presence of

“Manjuśri and the countless hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of Great Bodhisattvas, as well as of monks, nuns, male and female disciples, gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human and non-human beings, and so forth”—before all these beings, he “reveals his great divine power, by putting forth his broad and far-stretched tongue, till it reaches upward to the Brahma-world, every pore radiating the light of infinite, numberless colours, shining everywhere throughout each direction of the universe. Under the jewel-trees, the Buddhas, each seated on a Lion-throne, also in like manner put forth their broad far-stretched tongues, radiating infinite light. While Śakyamuni-Buddha, and the other Buddhas under the jewel-trees, are thus revealing their divine powers, fully hundreds of thousands of years pass. After this they draw back their tongues, cough simultaneously, and snap their fingers in unison. These two sounds reach through every region of the Buddha-worlds, those worlds being shaken in every direction.

♦ “Yashada” replaced with “Yashas”

“In the midst of these worlds, all living beings ... through the divine power of the Buddha, while in their world, see infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of Buddhas, seated on Lion-thrones under the jewel-trees; and see Śakyamuni-Buddha, together with the Tathagata Abundant-Treasures, seated on Lion-thrones in the midst of the Stupas; and also see infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of Great Bodhisattvas, and the four groups of disciples who reverently surround ♦Śakyamuni-Buddha.”

♦ “Sakyamuni-Buddha” replaced with “Śakyamuni-Buddha”

The gods, too, see and rejoice, crying “Namah! Śakyamuni-Buddha”.
Then from every quarter the gods from afar strew flowers, incense,
garlands, and jewels, which form themselves “like gathering clouds,
transforming into a jewelled canopy, covering the sky above the
Buddhas”.

“And upon this the worlds of all the universes are united without barrier as one Buddha-land.”

Then the Buddha addresses Excellent-Conduct and the host of
Bodhisattvas:

“The divine powers of Buddhas are so infinite and boundless that they are beyond thought and expression. Even if I, by these divine powers, through infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of numberless kalpas, for the sake of entailing them, were to declare the merits of this Sutra, I should still be unable to reach their end. Essentially speaking, all the laws belonging to Tathagata, all the sovereign, divine powers of Tathagata, all the mysterious, essential treasuries of Tathagata, and the most profound affairs of Tathagata, are proclaimed, displayed, revealed, and expounded in this Sutra. Therefore you should, after the extinction of the Tathagata, whole-heartedly receive and keep, read and recite, explain and copy, cultivate and practise it as taught. In whatever land, whether it be received and kept, read and recited, explained and copied, cultivated and practised as taught; whether in a place where a volume of the Sutra is kept, or in a temple, or in a grove, or under a tree, or in a monastery, or in a lay devotee’s house, in a palace, or on a mountain, in a valley, or in the wilderness, in these places you must erect a stupa and make offerings. Wherefore? You should know that these spots are thrones of enlightenment. On these spots the Buddhas attain to Perfect Enlightenment: on these spots the Buddhas roll the Wheel of the Law; on these spots the Buddhas enter Parinirvana.”