The Lotus Sutra Part 8

World-Honored One, now we have gained the way, gained its fruit; through the Law of no outflows we have gained the undefiled eye.

Through the long night we observed the pure precepts of the Buddha and today for the first time we have gained the fruit, the recompense.

In the Law of the Dharma King we have long carried out brahma practices; now we obtain the state of no outflows, the great unsurpa.s.sed fruit.

Now we have become voice-hearers in truth, for we will take the voice of the Buddha way and cause it to be heard by all.

Now we have become true arhats, for everywhere among the heavenly and human beings, devils and Brahmas of the various worlds we deserve to receive offerings.

The World-Honored One in his great mercy BELIEF AND UNDERSTANDING.

makes use of a rare thing, in pity and compa.s.sion teaching and converting, bringing benefit to us.

In numberless millions of kalpas who could ever repay him?

Though we offer him our hands and feet, bow our heads in respectful obeisance, and present all manners of offerings, none of us could we pay him.

Though we lift him on the crown of our heads, bear him on our two shoulders for kalpas numerous as Ganges sands reverence him with all our hearts; though we come with delicate foods, with countless jeweled robes, with articles of bedding, various kinds of potions and medicines; with ox-head sandalwood and all kinds of rare gems, construct memorial towers and spread the ground with jeweled robes; though we were to do all this by way of offering for kalpas numerous as Ganges sands, still we could not repay him.

The Buddhas possess rarely known, immeasurable, boundless, unimaginable great transcendental powers.

Free of outflows, free of action, these kings of the doctrines for the sake of the humble and lowly exercise patience in these matters; to common mortals attached to appearances they preach in accordance with what is appropriate.

With regard to the Law, the Buddhas are able to exercise complete freedom.

They understand the various desires and joys of living beings, as well as their aims and abilities, and can adjust to what they are capable of, employing innumerable similes to expound the Law for them.

Utilizing the good roots laid down by living beings in previous existences, distinguis.h.i.+ng between those whose roots are mature and those whose roots are not yet mature, they exercise various calculation, BELIEF AND UNDERSTANDING.

discriminations and perceptions, and then take the one vehicle way and in accordance with what is appropriate, preach it as three.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE PARABLE OF THE MEDICINAL HERBS.

At that time the World-Honored One said to Mahakashyapa and the other major disciples: "Excellent, excellent, Kashyapa. You have given an excellent description of the true blessings of the Thus Come One. It is just as you have said. The Thus Come One indeed has immeasurable, boundless, asamkhyas of blessings, and though you and the others were to spend immeasurable millions of kalpas in the effort, you could never finish describing them.

"Kashyapa, you should understand this. The Thus Come One is king of the doctrines. In what he preaches, there is nothing that is vain. With regard to all the various doctrines, he employs wisdom as an expedient means in expounding them. Therefore the doctrines that he expounds all extends to the point where there is comprehensive wisdom. The Thus Come One observes and understands the end to which all doctrines tend. And he also understands the workings of the deepest mind of all living beings, penetrating them completely and without hindrance. And with regard to the doctrines he is thoroughly enlightened, and he reveals to living beings the totality of wisdom.

"Kashyapa, it is like the plants and trees, thickets and groves, and the medicinal herbs, widely ranging in variety, each with its own name and hue, that grow in the hills and streams, the valleys and different soils of the thousand-millionfold world. Dense clouds spread over them, covering the entire thousand-millionfold world and in one moment saturating it all. The moisture penetrates to all the plants, trees, thickets and groves, and medicinal herbs equally, to their big roots, big stems, big limbs and big leaves. Each of the trees, big and small, depending upon whether it is superior, middling or inferior in nature, receives its allotment. The rain falling from one blanket of clouds accords with each particular species and nature, causing it to sprout and mature, to blossom and bear fruit.

Though all these plants and trees grow in the same earth and moistened by the same rain, each has its differences and particulars.

"Kashyapa, you should understand that the Thus Come One is like this. He appears in the world like a great cloud rising up. With a loud voice he penetrates to all the heavenly and human beings and the asuras of the entire world, like a great cloud spreading over the thousand-millionfold lands. And in the midst of the great a.s.sembly, he addresses these words, saying: " I am the 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. Those who have not yet crossed over I will cause to cross over, those not yet freed I will free, those not yet at rest I will put to rest, those not yet in nirvana I will cause to attain nirvana. Of this existence and future existences I understand the true circ.u.mstances. I am one who knows all things, sees all things, understands the way, opens up the way, preaches the way. You heavenly and human beings, asuras and others, you must all come here so that I may let you hear the Dharma!"

"At that time living beings of countless thousands, ten thousands, millions of species come to the place where the Buddha is, to listen to the Dharma. The Thus Come One then observes whether they are diligent in their efforts or lazy. And in accordance with each is capable of hearing, he preaches the Law for them in an immeasurable variety of ways so that all of them are delighted and are able to gain excellent benefits there-from.

"Once these living beings have heard the Law, they will enjoy peace and security in their present existence and good circ.u.mstances in future existences, when they will receive joy through the way and again be able to hear the Law. And having heard the Law, they will escape from obstacles and hindrances, and with regard to the various doctrines will be able to exercise their powers to the fullest, so that gradually they can enter into the way. It is like the rain falling from that great cloud upon all the plants and trees, thickets and groves, and medicinal herbs. Each, depending upon its species and nature, receives its full share of moistening and is enabled to sprout and grow.

"The Law preached by the Thus Come One is of one form, one flavor, namely, the form of emanc.i.p.ation, the form of separation, the form of extinction, which in the end comes down to a wisdom embracing all species. When the living beings hear the law of the Thus Come One, though they may embrace, read and recite it, and practice it as it dictates, they themselves do not realize or understand the blessings they are gaining thereby. Why is this? Because only the Thus Come One understands the species, the form, the substance, the nature of these living beings, he knows what things they dwell on, what things they ponder, that things they practice. He knows what Law they dwell on, what Law they ponder, what Law they practice, through what Law they attain what Law.

"Living beings exist in a variety of environments, but only the Thus Come One sees the true circ.u.mstances and fully understands them without hindrance. It is like those plants and trees, thickets and groves, and medicinal herbs which do not themselves know whether they are superior, middling or inferior in nature. But the Thus Come One knows that this is the Law of one form, one flavor, namely, the form of emanc.i.p.ation, the form of separation, the form of extinction, the form of ultimate nirvana, of constant tranquility and emptiness.

The Buddha understands all this. But because he can see the desires that are in the minds of living beings, he guides and protects them, and for this reason does not immediately preach to them the wisdom that embraces all species.

"You and the others, Kashyapa, have done a very rare thing, for you can understand how the Thus Come One preaches the Law in accordance with what is appropriate, you can have faith in it, you can accept it. Why do I say this? Because the fact that the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, preach the Law in accordance with what is appropriate is hard to comprehend, hard to understand."

At that time the World-Honored One, wis.h.i.+ng to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: The Dharma King, destroyer of being, when he appears in the world accords with the desires of living beings, preaching the Law in a variety of ways.

The Thus Come One, worthy of honor and reverence, is profound and far-reaching in wisdom.

For long he remained silent regarding the essential, in no hurry to speak at once.

If those who are wise hear of it they can believe and understand it, but those without wisdom will have doubts and regrets and for all time will remain in error.

For this reason, Kashyapa, he adjusts to the person to gain a correct view.

Kashyapa, you should understand that it is like a great cloud that rises up in the world and covers it all over.

This beneficent cloud is laden with moisture, the lightening gleams and flashes, and the sound of thunder reverberates afar, causing the mult.i.tude to rejoice.

The sun's rays are veiled and hidden, a clear coolness comes over the land; ma.s.ses of darkness descend and spread- you can almost touch them.

The rain falls everywhere, coming down on all four sides, its flow and saturation are measureless, reaching to every area of the earth, to the ravines and valleys of the mountains and streams, to the remote and secluded places where grow plants, bushes, medicinal herbs, trees large and small, a hundred grains, rice seedlings, sugar cane, grape vines.

The rain moistens them all, none ails to receive its full share, the parched ground is everywhere watered, herbs and trees alike grow lush.

What falls from the cloud is water of a single flavor, but the plants and trees, thickets and groves, each accept the moisture that is appropriate to its portion.

All the various trees, whether superior, middling or inferior, take that is fitting for large or small and each is enabled to sprout and grow.

Root, stem, limb, leaf, the glow and hue of flower and fruit- one rain extends to them and all are able to become fresh and glossy, whether their allotment of substance, form and nature is large or small, the moistening they receive is one, but each grows and flourishes in its own way.

The Buddha is like this when he appears in the world, comparable to a great cloud that covers all things everywhere, Having appeared in the world, for the sake of living beings he makes distinctions in expounding the truth regarding phenomena.

The great sage, the World-Honored One, to heavenly and human beings, in the midst of all beings, p.r.o.nounces these words: I am the Thus Come One, most honored of two-legged beings.

I appear in the world like a great cloud that showers moisture upon all the dry and withered living beings, so that all are able to escape suffering, gain the joy of peace and security, the joys of this world and the joy of nirvana.

All you heavenly and human beings of this a.s.sembly, listen carefully and with one mind!

All of you should gather around and observe the one of unexcelled honor.

A am the World-Honored One, none can rival me.

In order to bring peace and security to living beings I have appeared it the world and for the sake of this great a.s.sembly I preach the sweet dew of the pure Law.

This Law is of a single flavor, that of emanc.i.p.ation, nirvana.

With a single wonderful sound I expound and unfold its meaning; constantly for the sake of the Great Vehicle I create causes and conditions.

I look upon all things as being universally equal, I have no mind to favor this or that, to love one or hate another.

I am without greed or attachment and without limitation or hindrance.

At all times, for all things I preach the Law equally; as I would for a single person, that same way I do for numerous persons, constantly I expound and preach the Law, never have I done anything else, coming, going, sitting, standing, never to the end growing weary or disheartened.

I bring fullness and satisfaction to the world, like rain that spreads its moisture everywhere, Eminent and lowly, superior and inferior, observers of precepts, violators of precepts, those fully endowed with proper demeanor, those not fully endowed, those of correct views, of erroneous views, of keen capacity, of dull capacity- I cause the Dharma rain on all equally, never lax or neglectful.

When all the various living beings hear my Law, they receive it according to their power, dwelling in their different environments.

Some inhabit the realm of human and heavenly beings, of wheel-turning sage kings, Shakra, Brahma ane the other kings- these are the inferior medicinal herbs.

Some understand the Law of no outflows, are able to attain nirvana, to acquire the six transcendental powers and gain in particular the three understandings, or live alone in mountain forests, constantly practicing meditation and gaining the enlightenment of pratyekabuddhas- these are the middling medicinal herbs.

Still others seek the place of the World-Honored One, convinced that they can become Buddhas, putting forth diligent effort and practicing meditation-these are the superior medicinal herbs.

Again there are sons of the Buddha who devote their minds solely to the Buddha way, constantly practicing mercy and compa.s.sion, knowing that they themselves will attain Buddhahood, certain of it and never doubting- these I call small trees.

Those who abide in peace in their transcendental powers, turning the wheel of non-regression, saving innumerable millions of hundreds of thousands of living beings- bodhisattvas such as these I call large trees.

The equality of the Buddha's preaching is like a rain of a single flavor, but depending upon the nature of the living being, the way in which it is received is not uniform, just as the various plants and trees each receive the moisture in a different manner.

The Buddha employs this parable as an excellent means to open up and reveal the matter, using various kinds of words and phrases and expounding the single Law, but in terms of the Buddha wisdom this is no more than one drop of the ocean.

I rain down the Dharma rain, filling the whole world, and this single-flavored Dharma is practiced by each according to the individual's power.

It is like those thickets and groves, medicinal herbs and trees which, according to whether they are large or small, bit by bit grow lush and beautiful.

The Law of the Buddhas is constantly of a single flavor, causing the many worlds to attain full satisfaction everywhere; by practicing gradually and stage by stage, all beings can gain the fruits of the way.

The voice-hearers and pratyekabuddhas inhabit the mountain forests, dwelling in their final existence, hearing the Law and gaining its fruits- we may call them medicinal herbs that grow and mature each in its own way, if there are Bodhisattvas who are steadfast and firm in wisdom, who fully comprehend the threefold world and seek the supreme vehicle, these we call the small trees that achieve growth and maturity.

Again there are those who dwell in meditation, who have gained the strength of transcendental powers, have heard of the emptiness of all phenomena, greatly rejoice in it in their minds and emit countless rays of light to save living beings- these we call large trees that have gained growth and maturity In this way, Kashyapa, the Law preached by the Buddha is comparable to a great cloud which, with a single-flavored rain, moistens human flowers so that each is able to bear fruit.

Kashyapa, you should understand that through various causes and conditions, various kinds of simile and parable, I open up and reveal the Buddha way.

This is an expedient means I employ and the same is true of the other Buddhas.

Now for you and the others I preach the utmost truth: none in the Mult.i.tude of voice-hearers has entered the stage of extinction.

What you are practicing is the bodhisattva way, and as you gradually advance in practice and learning you are all certain to attain Buddhahood.

CHAPTER SIX: BESTOWAL OF PROPHECY.

At that time the World-Honored One, having finished reciting these verses, made an announcement to the great a.s.sembly, speaking in these words: "This disciple of mine Mahakashyapa in future existences will be able to enter the presence of three thousand billion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, to offer alms, pay reverence, honor and praise them, widely proclaiming the innumerable great doctrines of the Buddhas. And in his final incarnation he will be able to become a Buddha named Light Bright 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.

His land will be called Light Virtue and his kalpa will be called Great Adornment. The life span of this Buddha will be twelve small kalpas. His Correct Law will endure in the world for twenty small kalpas, and his Counterfeit Law for twenty small kalpas.

"His realm will be majestically adorned, free of defilement or evil, shards or rubble, thorns or briers, or the unclean refuse of latrines. The land will be level and smooth, without high places or sags, pits or knolls. The ground will be of lapis lazuli, with rows of jeweled trees and ropes of gold to mark the boundaries of the roads. Jeweled flowers will be scattered around, and everywhere will be pure and clean. The bodhisattvas of that realm will number countless thousands of millions, and the mult.i.tude of voice-hearers will likewise be innumerable. There will be no workings of the devil, and although the devil and the devil's people will be there, they will protect the Law of the Buddha."

At that time the World-Honored One, wis.h.i.+ng to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: I announce this to the monks: when I employ the Buddha eye to observe Kashyapa here, I see that in a future existence, after innumerable kalpas have pa.s.sed, he will be able to attain Buddhahood.

In future existences he will offer alms and enter the presence of three thousand billion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones.

For the sake of the Buddha wisdom he will carry out brahma practices meticulously and will offer alms to the unexcelled ones, the most honored of two-legged beings.

After he has done so. And has practiced all the unsurpa.s.sed types of wisdom, in his final incarnation he will be able to become a Buddha.

His land will be pure and clean, the ground of lapis lazuli.

Many jeweled trees will line the roadsides, with golden ropes to mark the roads, and those who see it will rejoice.

It will constantly emit a pleasing fragrance, with heaps of rare flowers scattered around and many kinds of strange and wonderful things for its adornment.

The land will be level and smooth, without hills or depressions.

The mult.i.tude of bodhisattvas will be beyond calculation, their minds subdued and gentle, having attained great transcendental powers, and they will uphold and embrace the Great Vehicle scriptures of the Buddhas.

The mult.i.tude of voice-hearers will be free of outflows, in their last incarnation, sons of the Dharma King, and their number too will be beyond calculation- even when one looks with the heavenly eye one cannot determine their number.

This Buddha will have a life span of twelve small kalpas, and his Counterfeit Law for twenty small kalpas.

Light Bright World-Honored One will be of this description.

At that time the great Maudgaly~yana, Subhuti and Mahakatyayana, all of them trembling with agitation, pressed their palms together with a single mind and gazed up at the World-Honored One, their eyes never leaving him for an instant. Joining their voices in a single sound, they spoke in verse form, saying: Great hero and stalwart, World-Honored One, Dharma King of the Shakyas, because you have pity on us, favor us with the Buddha voice!

If, because you understand our innermost minds, it would be like sweet dew bathing us, was.h.i.+ng away fever and imparting coolness.

Suppose that someone coming from a land of famine should suddenly encounter a great king's feast.

His heart still filled with doubt and fear, he would not dare to eat the food at once, but if he were instructed by the king to do so, then he would venture to eat.

We now are like such a person, for whenever we recall the errors of the Lesser Vehicle, we do not know what we should do to gain the Buddha's unsurpa.s.sed wisdom.

Though we hear the Buddha's voice telling us that we will attain Buddhahood, in our hearts we still harbor anxiety and fear, like that person who did not dare to eat.

But now if the Buddha's prophecy is bestowed upon us, then joy and peace of mind will quickly be ours.