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The Lotus Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
- Chapter Ten
- The Teacher of the Law
At that time the World-Honored One addressed Bodhisattva Medicine King.
And through him the eighty thousand great men, saying: "Medicine King, do you see in
this great assembly the immeasurable number of heavenly beings, dragons kings, yakshas,
gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, human and nonhuman beings, as well as
monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen, those who seek to become voice-hearers, who seek to
become pratyekabuddhas, or those seek the Buddha way? Upon these various kinds of beings
who in the presence of the Buddha listen to one verse or one phrase of the Lotus Sutra of
the Wonderful Law and for a moment think of it with joy I will bestow on all of them a
prophecy that they will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
The Buddha said to Medicine King: "In addition, if after the Thus
Come One has passed into extinction there should be someone who listens to the Lotus Sutra
of the Wonderful Law, even one verse or one phrase, and for a moment thinks of it with
joy, I will likewise bestow on him a prophesy that he will attain
anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Again if there are persons who embrace, read, recite, expound
and copy the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, even only one verse, and look upon this
sutra with the same reverence as they would the Buddha, presenting various offerings of
flowers, incense, necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, incense for burning, silken
canopies, streamers and banners, clothing and music, and pressing their palms together in
reverence, then, Medicine King, you should understand million Buddhas that such person
have already offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas and in the place of the
Buddhas have fulfilled their great vow, and because they take pity on living beings they
have been born in this human world
"Medicine King, if someone should ask what living beings will be
able to attain Buddhahood in a latter-day existence, then you should show him all these
people in a latter-day existence are certain to attain Buddhahood. Why? Because if good
men and good women embrace, read, recite, expound and copy the Lotus Sutra, even one
phrase of it, offer various kinds of alms to the sutra, flowers, incense, necklaces,
powdered incense, paste incense, incense for burning, silken canopies, streamers and
banners, clothing and music, and press their hands together in reverence, then these
persons will be looked up to and honored by all the world. Alms will be offered to them
such as would be offered to the Thus Come One. You should understand that these persons
are great bodhisattvas who have succeeded in attaining anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Pitying
living beings, they have vowed to be born among them where they may broadly expound and
make distinctions regarding the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law. How much more so is this
true, then, of those who embrace the entire sutra and offer various types of alms to it!
"Medicine King, you should understand that these persons
voluntarily relinquish the reward due for their pure deeds and, in the time after I have
passed into extinction, because they pity living beings, they are born in this evil world
so they may broadly expound this sutra. If one of these good men or good women in the time
after I have passed into extinction is able to secretly expound the Lotus Sutra to one
person, even one phrase of it, then you should know that de or she is the envoy of the
Thus Come One. He has been dispatched bf the Thus Come One and carries out the Thus Come
One's work. And how much more so those who in the midst of the great assembly broadly
expound the sutra for others!
"Medicine King, if there should be an evil person who, his mind
destitute of goodness, should for the space of a kalpa appear in the presence of the
Buddha and constantly curse and revile the Buddha, that person's offense would still be
rather light. But if there were a person who spoke only one evil word to curse or defame
the lay persons or monks or nuns who read and recite the Lotus Sutra, then his offense
would be very grave.
"Medicine King, these persons who read and recite the Lotus
Sutra-you should understand that these persons adorn themselves with the adornments of the
Buddhas they are borne upon the shoulders of the Thus Come One. Wherever they may go, one
should greet them with bows, with palms pressed single-mindedly together, with reverence
and alms, with respect and praise, flowers, incense, necklaces, powdered incense, paste
incense, incense for burning, silken canopies, streamers and banners, clothing, delicacies
and the making of music. The finest alms that can be offered to a person should be offered
to them. Heavenly treasures should be scattered over them, the treasure hoards of heaven
should be given them as gifts. Why do I say this? Because these persons delight in
expounding the Law. And if one listens to them for even a moment, he will immediately
attain the ultimate anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
An that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once
more, spoke in verse form, saying:
If you wish to abide in the Buddha way
and successfully gain the wisdom that comes of itself,
you should be constantly diligent in offering alms
to those who embrace the Lotus Sutra.
If you have a wish to quickly obtain
wisdom regarding all species of things,
you should embrace this sutra
and at the same time give alms to those who do so.
If one is capable of embracing
the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law,
know that such a person is an envoy of the Buddha
who thinks wit pity of living beings.
Those who are capable of embracing
the Lotus of the Wonderful Law
relinquish their claim to the pure land
and out of pity for living beings are born here.
Know that persons such as these
freely choose where they will be born,
and choose to be born in this evil world
so they may broadly expound the unsurpassed Law.
You should offer heavenly flowers and incense,
robes decked with heavenly treasures,
the wonderful treasure hoards of heaven
as alms to those who preach the Law.
In the evil world following my extinction
if there are those who can embrace this sutra,
you should press your palms together in reverence
and offer alms to them as you would to the
World-Honored One.
The choicest delicacies, all that is sweet and tasty,
along with various types of clothing
you should offer as alms to these Buddha sons
in hopes you may hear a moment of their preaching.
If there are those in a later age
who can accept and embrace this sutra,
they are my envoys sent out among the people
to perform the Thus Come One's work.
If for the space of a kalpa
one should constantly harbor a mind destitute of good
and with angry looks should revile the Buddha,
he will be committing an offense of immeasurable gravity.
But if toward those who read, recite and embrace
this Lotus Sutra
one should even for a moment direct evil words,
his offense will be even greater.
If there is someone who seeks the Buddha way
and during a certain kalpa
presses palms together in my presence
and recites numberless verses of praise,
because of these praises of the Buddha
he will gain immeasurable blessings.
And if one lauds and extols those who uphold this sutra,
his good fortune will be even greater.
For the space of eighty million kalpas,
with the most wonderful shapes and sounds,
with that which is pleasing to smell, taste and touch,
offer alms to the upholders of this sutra!
If you have offered alms in this manner
and have heard the teachings for even a moment,
then you will experience joy and good fortune,
saying, "I have gained great benefit!"
Medicine King, now I say to you,
I have preached various sutras,
and among those sutras
the Lotus is foremost!
At that time the Buddha spoke once more to the bodhisattva and
mahasattva Medicine King, saying: "The sutras I have preached number immeasurable
thousands, ten thousands millions, among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will
preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to
understand. Medicine King, this sutra is the storehouse of the secret crux of the Buddhas,
it must not be distributed recklessly transmitted to others. It has been guarded by the
Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, and from times past until now has never been openly
expounded, and since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come
One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?
"Medicine King, you should know that after the Thus Come One has
entered extinction, if there are those who can copy, uphold, read and recite this sutra,
offer alms to it and expound it for others, then the Thus Come One will cover them with
his robe, and they will also be protected and kept in mind by the Buddhas who are now
present in other regions. Such persons possess the power of great faith, the power of
aspiration, the power of good roots, you should know that such persons lodge in the same
place as the Thus Come One, and the Thus Come One pats them on the head with his hand.
"Medicine King, in any place whatsoever where this sutra is
preached, where it is read, where it is recited, where it is copied, or where a roll of it
exists, in all such places there should be erected towers made of the seven kinds of gems,
and they should be made very high and broad and well adorned. There is no need to enshrine
the relics of the Buddha there. Why? Because in such towers the entire body of the Thus
Come One is already present. All kinds of flowers, incense, necklaces, silken canopies.
Streamers and banners, music and hymns should be offered as alms to these towers. And they
should be accorded reverence, honor and praise. If when people see these towers they bow
in obeisance and offer alms, then you should know that such persons have all drawn near to
anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
"Medicine King, suppose there is a man who is parched with thirst
and in need of water. On an upland plateau he begins digging a hole in search of water,
but he sees that the soil is dry and knows that water is still far away. He does not cease
his efforts, however, and bit by bit he sees the soil becoming damper, until gradually he
has worked his way into mud. Now he is determined in his mind to go on, for he knows that
he is bound to be nearing water.
"The way of the bodhisattva is the same as this. As long as a
person has not yet heard. Not yet understood. And not yet been able to practice this Lotus
Sutra, then you should know that person is still far away from anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Why? Because all bodhisattvas who attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi in all cases do so
through this sutra. This sutra opens the gate of expedient means and shows the form of
true reality. This storehouse of the Lotus Sutra is hidden deep and far away where no
person can reach it. But the Buddha, teaching, converting and leading to success the
bodhisattvas, opens it up for them.
"Medicine King, if there are bodhisattvas who, on hearing this
Lotus Sutra, respond with surprise, doubt and fear, then you should know that they are
bodhisattvas who have only newly embarked on their course. And if there are voice-hearers
who, on hearing this sutra, respond with surprise, doubt, and fear, then you should know
that they are persons of overbearing arrogance.
"Medicine King, if there are good men and good women who, after
the Thus Come One has entered extinction, wish to expound this Lotus Sutra for the four
kinds of believers, how should they expound it? These good men and good women should enter
the Thus Come One's room put on the Thus Come One's robe, sit in the Thus Come One's seat,
and then for the sake of the four kinds of believers broadly expound this sutra.
"The 'Thus Come One's room' is the state of mind that shows great
pity and compassion toward all living beings. The Thus Come One's robe is the mind that is
gentle and forbearing. The 'Thus Come One's seat is the emptiness of all phenomena. One
should seat oneself comfortably therein and after that, with a mind never lazy or remiss,
should for the sake of the bodhisattvas and the four kinds of believers broadly expound
this Lotus Sutra.
"Medicine King, I will send persons conjured up by magic to other
lands to gather together assemblies to listen to the Law, and I will also send monks,
nuns, laymen and laywomen conjured up by magic to listen to the preaching of the Law,
believe and accept it, and abide by it without violation. If the preachers of the Law are
in an empty and silent place, I will at that time send large numbers of heavenly beings,
dragons, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, and others to listen to their preaching of the law.
Though I should be in another land, from time to time I will make it possible for the
preachers of the Law to see my body. If they should forget a phrase of this sutra, I will
appear and prompt them so that they are able to recite the text correctly and in
full."
At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once
more, spoke in verse form, saying:
If you wish to put aside all sloth and remissness,
you must listen to this sutra,
It is hard to get a chance to hear this sutra,
and believing and accepting it too is hard.
If a person is thirsty and wants water
he may dig a hole in the high plateau,
but as long as he sees the soil dry
he knows the water is still far away.
But bit by bit he sees the soil grow damp and muddy
and then he knows for certain he is nearing water.
Medicine King, you should understand
that people are like this-
if they do not hear the Lotus Sutra,
they will be far removed from the Buddha's wisdom,
But if they hear this profound sutra
which defines the Law of the voice-hearer,
if they hear this king of the sutras
and afterward carefully ponder it,
then you should know such persons
are close to the wisdom of the Buddha.
If a person expounds this sutra,
he should enter the Thus Come One's room,
put on the Thus Come One's robe,
sit in the Thus Come One's seat,
confront the assembly without fear
and broadly expand it for them, making distinctions.
Great pity and compassion are the room.
Gentleness and patience are the robe.
The emptiness of all phenomena is the seat,
and from that the position one should expound the Law for them.
If when a person expounds this sutra
there is someone who speaks ill and reviles him
or attacks him with swords and staves, tiles and stones,
he should think of the Buddha and for that reason be patient.
In a thousand, ten thousand, million lands
I will manifest my pure and durable body
and for immeasurable millions of kalpas
will expound the Law for living beings,
If after I have entered extinction
there are those who can expound this sutra,
I will send the four kinds of believers, magically conjured,
monks and nuns
and men and women of pure faith,
to offer alms and cause them to listen to the Law;
they will lead and guide living beings,
assemble them and cause them to listen to the Law.
If someone thinks to do evil to the preachers
with swords and staves or with tiles and stones,
I will dispatch persons magically conjured
who will act to guard and protect them.
If those who expound the Law
are alone in an empty and silent place,
and in that stillness where no human voice sounds
they read and recite this sutra
at that time I will manifest
my pure and radiant body for them.
If they forget a passage or a phrase
I will prompt them so they will be thorough and effective,
If persons endowed with these virtues
should expound to the four kinds of believers
and read and recite the sutra in an empty place,
I will enable all of them to see my body.
And if the expounders are in an empty and silent place
I will send heavenly beings, dragon kings,
yakshas, spirits and others
to be an assembly and listen to the Law.
Persons such as this will delight in expounding the Law,
making distinctions and encountering no hindrance.
Because the Buddhas guard and keep them in mind.
They will be able to bring joy to the great assembly.
If one stays close to the teachers of the Law
he will speedily gain the bodhisattva way.
By following and learning from these teachers
he will see Buddhas as numerous as the Ganges sands.
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