The Lotus Sutra Part 4

"But the fault is ours, not that of the World-Honored One. Why do I say this? If he had been willing to wait until the true means for attaining anuttara-samyak-sambodhi was preached, then we would surely have obtained release through the Great Vehicle. But we failed to understand that the Buddha was employing expedient means and preaching what was appropriate to the circ.u.mstances. So when we first heard the Law of the Buddha, we immediately believed and accepted it, supposing that we had gained understanding.

"World-Honored One, for a long time now, all day and throughout the night, I have repeatedly taxed myself with this thought. But now I have heard from the Buddha what I had never heard before, a Law never known in the past, and it has ended all my doubts and regrets. My body and mind are at ease and I have gained a wonderful feeling of peace and security. Today at last I understand that truly I am the Buddha's son, born from the Buddha's mouth, born through conversion to the Law, gaining my share of the Buddha's Law!"

At that time Shariputra, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: When I heard the sound of this Law, I gained what I had never had before.

My mind was filled with great joy, I was released from all bonds of the net of doubt.

From past times I have received the Buddha's teachings and have not been denied the Great Vehicle.

The Buddha's sound is very rarely heard, but it can free living beings from distress.

Already I have put an end to outflows, and hearing this, am freed from care and distress.

I lived in the mountain valleys or under the forest trees, sometimes sitting, sometimes walking around, and constantly I thought of this matter-- how severely I taxed myself!

"Why have I been deceived?" I said.

"I and the others are sons of the Buddha too, all alike have entered the Law that is without outflows, yet in times to come we will never be able to expound the unsurpa.s.sed way.

The golden body, the thirty-two features, the ten powers, the various emanc.i.p.ations-- though all alike share a single Law, these we will never attain!

The eighty types of wonderful characteristics, the eighteen unshared properties-- merits such as these are all lost to us!"

When I was walking around alone, I saw the Buddha among the great a.s.sembly, his fame filling the ten directions, bringing benefit far and wide to living beings, and I thought to myself, I am deprived of such benefits!

How greatly have I been deceived!

Constantly, day and night, whenever I pondered over this, I wanted to ask the World-Honored One whether I had indeed been deprived or not.

Constantly, when I saw the World-Honored One praising the bodhisattvas, then day and night I would mull this matter over.

But now as I listen to the voice of the Buddha, I see he preaches the Law in accordance with what is appropriate, using this hard-to-conceive doctrine of no outflows to lead people to the place of practice.

Formerly I was attached to erroneous views, acting as teacher to the Brahmans.

But the World-Honored One, knowing what was in my mind, rooted out my errors and preached nirvana.

I was freed of all my errors and gained understanding of the Law of emptiness.

At that time my mind told me I had reached the stage of extinction, but now I realize that was not true extinction.

If the time should come when I can become a Buddha, then I will possess all the thirty-two features and heavenly and human beings, the many yakshas, dragons, spirits and others will hold me in reverence.

When that time comes, then I can say that at last all has been wiped out without residue.

In the midst of the great a.s.sembly, the Buddha declared that I will become a Buddha.

When I heard the sound of the this Law my doubts and regrets were all wiped away.

At first, when I heard the Buddha's preaching, there was great astonishment and doubt in my mind.

Is this not a devil pretending to be the Buddha, trying to vex and confuse my mind? I thought.

But the Buddha employed various causes, similes, and parables, expounding eloquently.

His mind was peaceful as the sea, and as I listened, I was freed from the net of doubt.

The Buddha said that in past ages the countless Buddhas who have pa.s.sed into extinction rested and abided in the midst of expedient means, and all likewise preached this Law.

The Buddhas of the present and future, whose numbers are beyond calculation, they too will use expedient means in expounding this same Law.

Thus the present World-Honored One, being born and later leaving his family, attaining the way and turning the wheel of the Law, likewise employs expedient means in preaching.

The World-Honored One preaches the true way.

Papiyas would not do that.

Therefore I know for certain this is not a devil pretending to be the Buddha.

But because I fell into the net of doubt I supposed this to be the devil's work.

Now I hear the Buddha's soft and gentle sound, profound, far-reaching, very subtle and wonderful, expounding and discoursing on the pure Law, and my mind is filled with great joy.

My doubts and regrets are forever ended, I will rest and abide in true wisdom.

I am certain I will become a Buddha, to be revered by heavenly and human beings, turning the wheel of the unsurpa.s.sed Law and teaching and converting the bodhisattvas.

At that time the Buddha said to Shariputra, "Now, in the midst of this great a.s.sembly of heavenly and human beings, shramanas, Brahmans and so forth, I say this. In the past, under twenty thousand million Buddhas, for the sake of the unsurpa.s.sed way I have constantly taught and converted you. And you throughout the long night followed me and accepted my instruction.. Now , because I want to make you recall to mind the way that you originally vowed to follow, for the sake of the voice-hearers I am preaching this Great Vehicle sutra called the Lotus of the Wonderful Law, a Law to instruct the bodhisattvas, one that is guarded and kept in mind by the Buddhas. under twenty thousand million Buddhas, for the sake of the unsurpa.s.sed way I have constantly taught and converted you. And you throughout the long night followed me and accepted my instruction.. Now , because I want to make you recall to mind the way that you originally vowed to follow, for the sake of the voice-hearers I am preaching this Great Vehicle sutra called the Lotus of the Wonderful Law, a Law to instruct the bodhisattvas, one that is guarded and kept in mind by the Buddhas.

"Shariputra, in ages to come, after a countless, boundless inconceivable number of kalpas have pa.s.sed, you will make offerings to some thousands, ten thousands millions of Buddhas, and will honor and uphold the correct Law. You will fulfill every aspect of the way of the bodhisattva and will be able to become a Buddha with the name Flower Glow Thus Come One, worthy of offerings, of right and universal knowledge, perfect clarity and conduct, well gone, understanding the world, unexcelled worthy, trainer of people, teacher of heavenly and human beings, Buddha, World-Honored One.

"Your realm will be called Free from Stain, the land will be level and smooth, pure and beautifully adorned, peaceful, bountiful and happy. Heavenly and human beings will flourish there. The ground will be of lapis lazuli, roads will crisscross it in eight directions, and ropes of gold will mark their boundaries. Beside each road will grow rows of seven-jeweled trees which will constantly flower and bear fruit. And this Flower Glow Thus Come One will employ the three vehicles to teach and convert living beings.

"Shariputra, when this Buddha appears, although it will not be an evil age, because of his original vow he will preach the Law through the three vehicles. His kalpa will be called Great Treasure Adornment. Why will it be called Great Treasure Adornment? Because in that land bodhisattvas will be looked on as a great treasure. Those bodhisattvas will be countless, boundless, inconceivable in number, beyond the reach of reckoning or of simile and parable. Without the power of Buddha wisdom, one cannot understand how many..

Whenever these bodhisattvas wish to walk anywhere, jeweled flowers will uphold their feet.

'These bodhisattvas will not have just conceived the desire for enlightenment, but all will have spent a long time planting the roots of virtue. Under countless hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, millions of Buddhas they will have carried out Brahma practices in a flawless manner, and will have been perpetually praised by the Buddhas. Constantly they will have cultivated Buddha wisdom, acquiring great transcendental powers and thoroughly understanding the gateways to all the doctrines. They will be upright in character, without duplicity, firm in intent and thought. Bodhisattvas such as this will abound in that land.

"Shariputra, the life span of the Buddha Flower Glow will be twelve small kalpas, not counting the times when he is still a prince and before he becomes a Buddha. The people of his land will have a life span of eight small kalpas. When Flower Glow Thus Come One has lived for twelve small kalpas, he will prophesy that the bodhisattva Firm Full will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. He will announce to the monks, 'This bodhisattva Firm Full will be the next to become a Buddha. He will be named Flower feet Safely Walking, tathagata, arhat, samyak-sambuddha. His Buddha land will be like mine.'

"Shariputra, after the Buddha Flower Glow has pa.s.sed into extinction, the era of the Correct Law will last for thirty-two small kalpas, and the era of the Counterfeit Law will last for another thirty-two small kalpas."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: Shariputra, in ages to come you will become a Buddha, of universal wisdom, venerable, bearing the name Flower Glow, and you will save countless mult.i.tudes.

You will make offerings to numberless Buddhas, be endowed with all the Bodhisattva practices, the ten powers and other blessings, and will realize the unsurpa.s.sed way.

After countless kalpas have pa.s.sed, your kalpa will be named Great Treasure Adornment.

Your world will be called Free from Stain, pure, without flaw or defilement.

Its land will be made of lapis lazuli, its roads bounded by ropes of gold, and seven-jeweled trees in a jumble of colors will constantly bear blossoms and fruit.

The bodhisattvas of that realm will always be firm in intent and thought.

Transcendental powers and paramitas-- each will be endowed with all of these, and under numberless Buddhas they will diligently study the bodhisattva way.

Thus these great men will be converted by the Buddha Flower Glow.

When that Buddha was still a prince, he gave up his country, abandoned worldly glory, and in his final incarnation left his family and attained the Buddha way.

Flower Glow Buddha will continue in the world for a life span of twelve small kalpas.

The numerous people of his land will have a life span of eight small kalpas.

After that Buddha has pa.s.sed into extinction, the Correct Law will endure in the world for thirty-two small kalpas, saving living beings far and wide.

When the correct law has pa.s.sed away, the Counterfeit Law will endure for thirty-two kalpas.

The Buddha's relics will circulate widely; heavenly and human beings everywhere will make offerings to them.

The actions of Flower Glow Buddha will all be as I have said.

This most saintly and venerable of two-legged beings will be foremost and without peer.

And he will be none other than you-- you should rejoice and count yourself fortunate!

At that time, when the four kinds of believers, namely, monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen, and the heavenly beings, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, and others in the great a.s.sembly saw how Shariputra received from the Buddha this prophecy that he would attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, their hearts were filled with great joy and danced without end. Each one removed the upper robe that he or she was wearing and presented it a an offering to the Buddha. Shakra Devanam Indra, King Brahma, and the countless sons of G.o.ds likewise took their wonderful heavenly robes, heavenly mandarava flowers and great mandarava flowers and offered them to the Buddha. The heavenly robes they had scattered remained suspended in the air and turned round and round of themselves. Heavenly beings made music, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand varieties, all at the same time in the midst of the air, raining down quant.i.ties of heavenly flowers and speaking these words: "In the past at Varanasi the Buddha first turned the wheel of the Law. Now he turns the wheel again, the wheel of the unsurpa.s.sed, the greatest Law of all!"

At that time the sons of G.o.ds, wishing to state their meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: In the past at Varanasi you turned the wheel of the Law of the four n.o.ble truths, making distinctions, preaching that all things are born and become extinct, bing made up of the five components.

Now you turn the wheel of the most wonderful, the unsurpa.s.sed great Law.

This Law is very profound and abstruse; there are few who can believe it.

Since times past often we have heard the World-Honored One's preaching, but we have never heard this kind of profound, wonderful and superior Law.

Since the World-Honored One preaches this Law, we all welcome it with joy.

Shariputra with his great wisdom has now received this venerable prophecy.

We too in the same way will surely be able to attain Buddhahood, throughout all the many worlds the most venerable, the unsurpa.s.sed goal.

The Buddha way is difficult to fathom, but you will preach with expedient means, according to what is appropriate.

The meritorious deeds we have done in this existence or past existences, and the blessings gained from seeing the Buddha-- all these we will apply to the Buddha way.

At that time Shariputra said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, now I have no mere doubts or regrets. In person I have received from the Buddha this prophecy that I will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. These twelve hundred persons here whose minds are free -- in the past they remained at the level of learning, and the Buddha constantly taught and converted them, saying, 'My Law can free you from birth, old age, sickness and death and enable you at last to achieve nirvana.' These persons, some of whom were still learning and some who had completed their learning, each believed that, because he had shed his views of 'self,' and also his views of 'existing' and 'not existing,' he had attained nirvana. But now from the World-Honored One they hear what they had never heard before, and all have fallen into doubt and perplexity.

"Very well, World-Honored One. I beg that for the sake of the four kinds of believers you will explain the causes and conditions and make it possible for them to shed their doubts and regrets."

At that time the Buddha said so Shariputra, "Did I not tell you earlier that when the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, cite various causes and conditions and use similes, parables, and other expressions, employing expedient means to preach the Law, it is all for the sake of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi? Whatever is preached is all for the sake of converting the bodhisattvas.

"Moreover, Shariputra, I too will now make use of similes and parables to further clarify this doctrine. For through similes and parables those who are wise can obtain understanding.

"Shariputra, suppose that in a certain town in a certain country there was a very rich man.

He was far along in years and his wealth was beyond measure. He had many fields, houses and menservants. His own house was big and rambling, but it had only one gate. A great many people--a hundred, two hundred, perhaps as many as five hundred--lived in the house. The halls and rooms were old and decaying, the walls crumbling, the pillars rotten at their base, and the beams and rafters crooked and aslant.

"At that time a fire suddenly broke out on all sides, spreading through the rooms of the house. The sons of the rich man, ten, twenty perhaps thirty, were inside the house. When the rich man saw the huge flames leaping up on every side, he was greatly alarmed and fearful and thought to himself, I can escape to safety through the flaming gate, but my sons are inside the burning house enjoying themselves and playing games, unaware, unknowing, without alarm or fear. The fire is closing in on them, suffering and pain threaten them, yet their minds have no sense of loathing or peril and they do not think of trying to escape!

"Shariputra, this rich man thought to himself, I have strength in my body and arms. I can wrap them in a robe or place them on a bench and carry them out of the house. And then again he thought, this house has only one gate, and moreover it is narrow and small.

My sons are very young, they have no understanding, and they love their games, being so engrossed in them that they are likely to be burned in the fire. I must explain to them why I am fearful and alarmed. The house is already in flames and I must get them out quickly and not let them be burned up in the fire!

"Having thought in this way, he followed his plan and called to all his sons, saying, 'You must come out at once!" But though the father was moved by pity and gave good words of instruction, the sons were absorbed in their games and unwilling to heed them. They had no alarm, no fright, and in the end no mind to leave the house. Moreover, they did not understand what the fire was, what the house was, what the danger was. They merely raced about this way and that in play and looked at their father without heeding him.

"At that time the rich man had this thought: the house is already in flames from this huge fire. If I and my sons do not get out at once, we are certain to be burned. I must now invent some expedient means that will make it possible for the children to escape harm.

"The father understood his sons and knew what various toys and curious objects each child customarily liked and what would delight them. And so he said to them, 'The kind of playthings you like are rare and hard to find. If you do not take them when you can, you will surely regret it later. For example, things like these goat-carts, deer-carts and ox-carts.

They are outside the gate now where you can play with them. So you must come out of this burning house at once. Then whatever ones you want, I will give them all to you!'

"At that time, when the sons heard their father telling them about these rare playthings, because such things were just what they had wanted, each felt emboldened in heart and, pushing and shoving one another, they all came wildly dashing out of the burning house.

"At that time the rich man, seeing that his sons had gotten out safely and all were seated on the open ground at the crossroads and were no longer in danger, was greatly relieved and his mind danced for joy. At that time each of the sons said to his father, "the playthings you promised us earlier, the goat-carts and deer-carts and ox-carts--please give them to us now!'

"Shariputra, at that time the rich man gave to each of his sons a large carriage of uniform size and quality. The carriages were tall and s.p.a.cious and adorned with numerous jewels.

A railing ran all around them and bells hung from all four sides. A canopy was stretched over the top, which was also decorated with an a.s.sortment of precious jewels. Ropes of jewels twined around, a fringe of flowers hung down, and layers of cushions were spread inside, on which were placed vermillion pillows. Each carriage was drawn by a white ox, pure and clean in hide, handsome in form and of great strength, capable of pulling the carriage smoothly and properly at a pace fast as the wind. In addition, there were many grooms and servants to attend and guard the carriage.

"What was the reason for this? This rich man's wealth was limitless and he had many kinds of storehouses that were all filled and overflowing. And he thought to himself, 'There is no end to my possessions. It would not be right if I were to give my sons small carriages of inferior make. These little boys are all my sons and I love them without partiality. I have countless numbers of large carriages adorned with seven kinds of gems. I should be fair-minded and give one to each of my sons. I should not show any discrimination. Why?

Because even if I distributed these possessions of mine to every person in the whole country I would still not exhaust them, much less could I do so by giving them to my sons!

"At that time each of the sons mounted his large carriage, gaining something he had never had before, something he had originally never expected. Shariputra, what do you think of this? When this rich man impartially handed out to his sons these big carriages adorned with rare jewels, was he guilty of falsehood or not?"

Shariputra said, "No, World-Honored One. This rich man simply made it possible for his sons to escape the peril of fire and preserve their lives. He did not commit a falsehood.

Why do I say this? Because if they were able to preserve their lives, then they had already obtained a plaything of sorts. And how much more so when, through an expedient means, they are rescued from that burning house! World-Honored One, even if the rich man had not given them the tiniest carriage, he would still not be guilty of falsehood. Why? Because this rich man had earlier made up his mind that he would employ an expedient means to cause his sons to escape. Using a device of this kind was no act of falsehood. How much less so, then, when the rich man knew that his wealth was limitless and he intended to enrich and benefit his sons by giving each of them a large carriage."

The Buddha said to Shariputra, "Very good, very good. In is just as you have said. And Shariputra, the Thus Come One is like this. That is, he is a father to all the world. His fears, cares and anxieties, ignorance and misunderstanding, have long come to an end, leaving no residue. He has fully succeeded in acquiring measureless insight, power and freedom from fear and gaining great supernatural powers and the power of wisdom. He is endowed with expedient means and the paramita of wisdom, his great pity and great compa.s.sion are constant and unflagging; at all times he seeks what is good and will bring benefit to all.

'He is born into the threefold world, a burning house, rotten and old. In order to save living beings from the fires of birth, old age, sickness and death, care suffering, stupidity, misunderstanding, and the three poisons; to teach and convert them and enable them to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

"He sees living beings seared and consumed by birth, old age, sickness and death, care and suffering, sees them undergo many kinds of pain because of their greed and attachment and striving they undergo numerous pains in their present existence, and later they undergo the pain of being reborn in h.e.l.l or as beasts or hungry spirits. Even if they are reborn in the heavenly realm or the realm of human beings, they undergo the pain of poverty and want, the pain of parting from loved ones, the pain of encountering those they detest--all these many different kinds of pain.

"Yet living beings drowned in the midst of all this, delight and amuse themselves, unaware, unknowing, without alarm or fear. They feel no sense of loathing and make no attempt to escape. In this burning house which is the threefold world, they race about to east and west, and though they encounter great pain, they are not distressed by it.