The World-Honored One is vary rarely met with, appearing only once in many long ages.

One hundred and eighty kalpas have pa.s.sed in vain without a Buddha, when the three evil paths were everywhere and the mult.i.tude of heavenly beings was reduced in number Now the Buddha has appeared in the world to be an eye for living beings.

The world will hurry to him and he will save and guard one and all.

He will be a father to living beings, comforting and benefiting them.

We through the good fortune of past existences, now we are able to encounter the World-Honored One!

"At that time, after the Brahma kings had recited these verses in praise of the Buddha, they each spoke these words: "We beg the World-Honored One to pity and comfort one and all, to turn the wheel of the Law and cause the heavenly beings "Then the Brahma kings with a single mind and joined voices spoke in verse form, saying: Great sage, turn the wheel of the Law, reveal the characteristics of teachings, save living beings in their suffering and anguish, allow them to attain great joy.

When living beings hear this Law they will gain the way or be reborn in heaven; those in the evil paths will be reduced in number and those patient in goodness will increase.

"At that time the Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Thus Come One silently agreed to do so. Now, monks, in five hundred ten thousand million lands in the southern region the Brahma kings each observed that his palace was shining with a brilliant light such as had never been in the past. Dancing with joy, entering a frame of mind seldom experienced, they went about visiting with one another and discussing these things together, saying, 'What is the reason our palaces put forth this brilliant light?'

"Among their group there was a great Brahma king named Wonderful Law who, on behalf of the mult.i.tude of Brahma kings, spoke in verse form, saying: Our palaces shine with exceeding brilliance.

This cannot be without reason- it is well we should inquire.

In the past hundred thousand kalpas such a sign has never been seen.

It is because some heavenly being of great virtue has been born, or because the Buddha has appeared in the world.

"At that time the five hundred ten thousand million Brahma kings, accompanied by their palaces, each king taking his outer robe and filling it with heavenly flowers, journeyed together to the northern region to observe the signs there. They saw the Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Thus Come One in the place of practice, seated on a lion seat beneath a bodhi tree, with heavenly and human beings, dragon kings, gandharvas, kimnaras, mahoragas, human and nonhuman beings surrounding him and paying reverence. And they saw the sixteen princes entreating the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Law.

"At that time the Brahma kings touched their heads to the ground and bowed before the Buddha, circled around him a hundred thousand times, and then took the heavenly flowers and scattered them over the Buddha. The flowers they scattered piled up like Mount Sumeru. They also offered them as alms to the Buddha's bodhi tree. When they had finished offering the flowers, each one took his palace and presented it to the Buddha, speaking these words: 'We hope you will bestow comfort and benefit on us. We beg you to accept and occupy these palaces that we present.'

"At that time the Brahma kings, in the presence of the Buddha, with a single mind and joined voices recited these verses of praise: World-Honored One, most difficult to encounter, destroyer of all earthly desires, one hundred and thirty kalpas have pa.s.s and now at last we can see you.

Living beings in their hunger and thirst are made full with the rain of the Dharma.

One such as was never seen in the past, one of immeasurable wisdom, like the udumbara flower today at last appears directly before us.

Our palaces because they receive your light are wonderfully adorned.

World-Honored One, of great mercy and compa.s.sion, we beg you to accept them.

"At that time, after the Brahma kings had recited these verses in praise of the Buddha, they each spoke these words: 'We beg the World-Honored One to turn the wheel of the Law and cause the heavenly beings, devils, Brahma kings, shramanas, and Brahmans throughout the world all to gain peace and tranquility and to attain salvation.'

At that time the Brahma kings with a single mind and joined voices recited in praise, saying; We beg the most honored of heavenly and human beings to turn the wheel of the unsurpa.s.sed Law.

Strike the great Dharma drum, blow the great Dharma conch, rain down the great Dharma rain all around to save immeasurable living beings!

We direct all our faith and entreaties to you- let your profound and far-reaching voice sound out!

"At that time the Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Thus Come One silently agreed to do so. In the southwestern region, and so an to the lower region, a similar succession of events occurred.

"At that time in the upper region, the Brahma Kings of five hundred ten thousand million lands all observed that the palaces where they were residing shone with a brilliant light such as had never been known in the past. Dancing with joy, entering a frame of mind seldom experienced, they went about visiting one another and discussing these things together, saying, 'What is the reason our palaces puts forth this bright light?'

"Among their group there was a Brahma king named Wonderful Law who, on behalf of the mult.i.tude of Brahma kings, spoke in verse form, saying: Now what is the reason that our places glow and shine with such authority and virtue, adorned as never before?

A wonderful sign of this kind has never been seen or heard of in the past.

It is because some heavenly being of great virtue has been born, or because the Buddha has appeared in the world.

"At that time the five hundred ten thousand million Brahma kings, accompanied by their palaces, each king taking his outer robe and filling it with heavenly flowers, journeyed together to the lower region to observe the signs there. They saw the Great Universal wisdom Excellence Thus Come One in the place of practice, seated on a lion seat beneath a bodhi tree, with heavenly beings, dragon kings, gandharvas, kimnaras, mahoragas, human and nonhuman beings surrounding him and paying reverence. And they saw the sixteen princes entreating the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Law.

"At that time the Brahma kings touched their heads to the ground and bowed before the Buddha, circled around him a hundred thousand times, and then took the heavenly flowers and scattered them over the Buddha. The flowers they scattered piled up like Mount Sumeru. They also offered them as alms to the Buddha's bodhi tree. When they had finished offering the flowers, each one took his place and presented it to the Buddha, speaking these words: 'We hope you will bestow comfort and benefit on us. We beg you to accept and occupy these palaces that we present.'

"At that time the Brahma kings, in the presence of the Buddha, with a single mind and joined voices recited these verses of praise: How fine, that we may see the Buddhas, sage and venerable ones who save the world, capable of rescuing and releasing living beings from the h.e.l.l of the threefold world!

Venerable among heavenly and human beings, of universal wisdom, you pity and have mercy on the ma.s.s of burgeoning creatures, you are capable of opening the gates of sweet dew and broadly saving one and all.

Formerly, immeasurable kalpas pa.s.sed in vain when no Buddha was present.

The time had not yet come for the World-Honored One to appear, and all in the ten directions were in constant darkness.

Those in the three evil paths increased in number and the realm of the asuras flourished; the mult.i.tude of heavenly beings was reduced, and many when they died fell into the evil paths.

Since no one could attend the Buddha and hear the Law, constantly people followed ways that were not good and their physical strength and wisdom all diminished and declined.

Because of the sinful deeds they had done, they lost all delight or the thought of delight.

They rested in heretical doctrines and had no knowledge of good customs or rules.

Unable to be converted by the Buddha, constantly they fell into the evil paths.

But now you, the Buddha, who will be the eye of the world, after this long time have at last come forth.

In order to bring pity and comfort to living beings you have appeared it the world.

You have transcended the world to gain correct enlightenment; we are filled with delight and admiration.

We and all others in the a.s.sembly rejoice, delighting in what we have never known before.

Our palaces because they receive your light are wonderfully adorned.

Now we present them to the World-Honored One, hoping he will have pity and accept them.

We beg that the merit gained through these gifts may be spread far and wide to everyone, so that we and other living beings all together may attain the Buddha way.

"At that time, after the five hundred ten thousand million Brahma kings had recited these verses in praise of the Buddha, they each spoke to the Buddha, saying: 'We beg the World-Honored One to turn the wheel of the Law, bringing peace and tranquility to many, bringing salvation to many.' Then the Brahma kings spoke in verse form, saying: World-Honored One, turn the wheel of the Law, strike the Dharma drum of sweet dew, save living beings in their suffering and anguish, open up and show us the way to nirvana!

We beg you to accept our entreaties and with a great, subtle and wonderful sound to bring pity and comfort by expounding the Law you have practiced for immeasurable kalpas.

At that time the Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Thus Come One, receiving entreaties from the Brahma kings of the ten directions and from the sixteen princes, immediately gave three turnings to the twelve-spoked wheel of the Law. Neither shramana, Brahman, heavenly being, devil, Brahma, nor any other being in the world was capable of such a turning. He said, 'Here is suffering, here is the origin of suffering, here is the annihilation of suffering, here is the path on the annihilation of suffering.'

"Then he broadly expounded the Law of the twelve-linked chain of causation: ignorance causes action, action causes consciousness, consciousness causes name and form, name and form cause the six sense organs, the six sense organs cause contact, contact causes sensation, sensation causes desire, desire causes attachment, attachment causes existence, existence causes birth, birth causes old age and death, worry and grief, suffering and anguish. If ignorance is wiped out, then action will be wiped out. If action is wiped out, then consciousness will be wiped out. If consciousness is wiped out, then name and form will be wiped out. If name and form are wiped out, then the six sense organs will be wiped out, then contact will be wiped out. If contact is wiped out, then sensation will be wiped out.

If sensation is wiped out, then desire is wiped out. If desire is wiped out, then birth will be wiped out. If birth is wiped out, then old age and death will be wiped out. If birth is wiped out, then old age and death, worry and grief, suffering and anguish will be wiped out.

"When the Buddha in the midst of the great a.s.sembly of heavenly and human beings expounded this Law, six hundred ten thousand million nayutas of persons, because they ceased to accept any of the things of the phenomenal world and because their minds were able to attain liberation from the outflows, all achieved profound and wonderful meditation practice, acquired the three understandings and the six transcendental powers, and were endowed with the eight emanc.i.p.ations. And when he expounded the second, third and fourth Laws, living beings equal the a thousand ten thousand millions of Ganges sands of nayutas, because they likewise ceased to accept any of the things of the phenomenal world, were able to liberate their minds from the outflows. From that time on, the mult.i.tude of voice-hearers became immeasurable, boundless, incapable of being counted.

"At that time the sixteen princes all left their families while still young boys and became shramaneras. Their faculties were penetrating and sharp, their wisdom was bright and comprehending. Already in the past they had offered alms to a hundred thousand ten thousand million Buddhas, had carried out brahma practices in a flawless manner, and had striven to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. All together they addressed the Buddha, saying: World-Honored One, these innumerable thousands, ten thousands, millions of voice-hearers of great virtue have all ready achieved success. World-Honored One, now it is fitting that you should preach the Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi for our sake is that, once we have heard it, we all may join in practicing and studying it. World-Honored One, we are determined to attain the insight of the Thus Come One. Deep in our minds we have this in thought, as the Buddha himself must know.'

"At that time the Buddha, responding to pleas from the shramaneras, pa.s.sed a period of twenty thousand kalpas and then at last, in the midst of the four kinds of believers, preached the Great Vehicle sutra ent.i.tled the Lotus of the Wonderful Law, a Law to instruct the bodhisattvas, one that is guarded and kept in mind by the Buddhas. After he had preached the sutra, the sixteen shramaneras, for the sake of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, all together accepted and embraced it, recited and intoned it, penetrated and understood it.

"When the Buddha preached this sutra, the sixteen bodhisattva shramaneras all took faith in it and accepted it, and among the mult.i.tude of voice-hearers there were also those who believed in it and understood it. But the other thousand ten thousand million types of living beings all gave way to doubt and perplexity.

"The Buddha preached this sutra for a period of eight thousand kalpas, never once stopping to rest. After he had preached this sutra, he entered a quiet room and dwelled in meditation for a period of eighty-four thousand kalpas.

"At this time the sixteen bodhisattva shramaneras, knowing that ascended a Dharma seat and likewise for a period of eighty-four thousand kalpas for the sake of the four kinds of believers broadly preached the distinctions put forth in of the Wonderful Law. In this way each of them one by one saved living beings equal in number to six hundred ten thousand million nayutas of Ganges sands, instructing them, bringing them benefit and joy, and causing them to set their minds upon anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

"The Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Buddha, after pa.s.sing eighty-four thousand kalpas, arose from his samadhi and approached the Dharma seat. Seating himself calmly, he addressed the whole of the great a.s.sembly, saying: these sixteen bodhisattva shramaneras are of a kind very rarely to be found, their faculties penetrating and sharp, their wisdom bright and company of those Buddhas they have constantly carried brahma practices, received and embraced the Buddha wisdom, and expounded it to living beings, causing them to enter therein. Now all of you should from time to time a.s.sociate closely with them and offer them alms. Why? Because if any of you, voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas or bodhisattvas, are able to take faith in the sutra teachings preached by these sixteen bodhisattvas, and will accept and embrace them and never disparage them, then such persons will all be able to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, the wisdom of the Thus Come One.'"

The Buddha, addressing the monks, said: "These sixteen bodhisattvas have constantly desired to expound this Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Law. The living beings converted by each one of these bodhisattvas are equal in number to six hundred ten thousand million nayutas of Ganges sands. Existence after existence these living beings are reborn in company with that Bodhisattva, hear the Law from him, and all have faith in and understand it. For this reason they have been able to encounter forty thousand million Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, and have never ceased to do so down to the present.

"You monks, I will now tell you this. These disciples of the Buddha, these sixteen shramaneras, have now all attained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. In the lands in the ten directions they are at present preaching the Law, with immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of bodhisattvas and voice-hearers for their retinue. Two of these shramaneras have become Buddhas in the eastern region. One is named Akshobhya and lives in the Land of Joy. The other is named Sumeru Peak. Two are Buddhas in the southeastern region, one named Lion Voice, the other named Lion Appearance. Two are Buddhas in the southern region, one named Void-Dwelling, the other named Ever Extinguished. Two are Buddhas in the south-western region, one named Emperor Appearance, the other named Brahma Appearance. Two are Buddhas in the western region, one named Amitayus, the other named Saving All from Worldly Suffering. Two are Buddhas in the northwestern region, one named Tamalapatra Sandalwood Fragrance Transcendental Power, the other named Sumeru Appearance. Two are Buddhas in the northern region, one named Cloud Freedom, the other named Cloud Freedom King. Of the Buddhas of the northeastern region, one is named Destroying all Worldly Fears, The sixteenth is I, Shakyamuni Buddha, who in this saha land gave attained anuttara-samyaksambodhi.

"Monks, when I and these others were shramaneras, each one of us taught and converted living beings equal in number in immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of Ganges sands. They heard the Law from us and attained anuttara-samyaksambodhi. Some of these living beings are now dwelling in the ranks of voice-hearers. But we have constantly instructed them in anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, and these persons should be able, through this Law, to enter into the Buddha Way, albeit gradually. Why do I say this? Because the wisdom of the Thus Come One is difficult to believe and difficult to understand. Those living beings equal in number to immeasurable Ganges sands who converted at that time are you who are now monks, and those who, after I have entered extinction, in ages to come will be voice-hearer disciples.

"After I have entered extinction, there will be other disciples who will not hear this sutra and will not understand or be aware of the practices carried out by the Bodhisattvas, but who, through the blessings they have been able to attain, will conceive an idea of extinction and enter into what they believe to be nirvana. At that time I will be a Buddha in another land and will be known by a different name. Those disciples, though they have conceived an idea of extinction and entered into what they take to be nirvana, will in that other land seek the Buddha wisdom and will be able to hear this sutra. For it is only through the Buddha vehicle that one can attain extinction. There is no other vehicle, if one excepts the various doctrines that the Thus Come Ones preach as an expedient means.

"Monks, if a Thus Come One knows that the time has come to enter nirvana, and knows that the members of the a.s.sembly are pure and clean, firm in faith and understanding, thorough in their comprehension of the Law of emptiness and deeply entered into meditation practice, then he will call together the a.s.sembly of bodhisattvas and voice-hearers and will preach this sutra for them. In the world there are not two vehicles whereby one may attain extinction. There is only the one Buddha vehicle for attaining extinction and one alone.

"Monks, you must understand this. The Thus Come One in his use of expedient means penetrates deeply into the nature of living beings. He knows how their minds delight in petty doctrines and how deeply they are attached to the five desires. And because they are like this, when he expounds nirvana, he does so in such a way that these persons, hearing it, can readily believe and accept it.

"Let us suppose there is a stretch of bad road five hundred yojanas long, steep and difficult, wild and deserted, with no inhabitants around, a truly fearful place. And suppose there are a number of people who want to pa.s.s over this road so they can reach a place where there are rare treasures. They have a leader, of comprehensive wisdom and keen understanding, who is thoroughly acquainted with this steep road, knows the layout of its pa.s.ses and defiles, and is prepared to guide the group of people and go with them over this difficult terrain.

"The group he is leading, after going part way on the road, become disheartened and say to the leader, "We are utterly exhausted and fearful as well. We cannot go any farther.

Since there is still such a long distance ahead, we would like now to turn around and go back.'

"The leader, a man of many expedients, thinks to himself, What a pity that they should abandon the many rare treasures they are seeking and want to turn and go back! Having had this thought, he resorts to the power of expedient means and, when they have gone three hundred yojanas along the steep road, conjures up a city. He says to the group, 'Don't be afraid! You must not turn back, for now here is a great city where you can stop, rest, and do just as you please. If you enter this city you will be completely at ease and tranquil. Then later, if you feel you can go on to the place where the treasure is, you can leave the city.'

"At that time the members of the group, being utterly exhausted, are overjoyed in mind, exclaiming over such an unprecedented event, 'Now we can escape from this dreadful road and find ease and tranquility!' The people in the group thereupon press forward and enter the city where, feeling that they have been saved from their difficulties, they have a sense of complete ease and tranquility.

"At that time the leader, knowing that the people have become rested and are no longer fearful or weary, wipes out the phantom city and says to the group, 'You must go now. The place where the treasure is is close by. That great city of a while ago was a mere phantom that I conjured up so that you could rest.'

"Monks, the Thus Come One is in a similar position. He is now acting as a great leader for you. He knows that the bad road of birth and death and earthly desires is steep, difficult, long and far-stretching, but that it must be traveled, it must be pa.s.sed over. If living beings hear only of the one Buddha vehicle, then they will not want to see the Buddha, will now want to draw near him, but will immediately think to themselves, The Buddha road is long and far reaching and one must labor diligently and undergo difficulties over a long period before he can ever attain success!

"The Buddha knows that the minds of the living beings are timid, weak and lowly, and so, using the power of expedient means, he preaches two nirvanas in order to provide a resting place along the road. If living beings choose to remain in these two stages, then the Thus Come One will say to them, 'You have not yet understood that is to be done. This stage where you have chosen to remain is close to the Buddha wisdom. But you should observe and ponder further. This nirvana that you have attained is not the true one. It is simply that the Thus Come One, using the power of expedient means, has taken the one Buddha vehicle and, making distinctions, has preached it as three.' the Thus Come One, using the power of expedient means, has taken the one Buddha vehicle and, making distinctions, has preached it as three.'

"The Buddha is like that leader who, in order to provide a place to rest, conjured up a great city and then, when he knew that the travelers were already rested, said to them, 'The place where the treasure is, is nearby. This city is not real. It is merely something I conjured up.'"

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: The Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Buddha sat in the place of practice for ten kalpas, but the Law of the Buddha did not appear before him and he could not attain the Buddha way.

The a.s.sembly of heavenly G.o.ds, dragon kings, asuras and others constantly rained down heavenly flowers as alms offered to that Buddha.

The heavenly beings beat on heavenly drums and made many kinds of music.

A fragrant wind blew away the withered flowers, whereupon fresh and beautiful ones rained down.

When ten small kalpas had pa.s.sed, then at last he was able to attain the Buddha way.

The heavenly beings and people of the world in their hearts all felt like dancing.

That Buddha's sixteen sons all, in company with their followers, a thousand ten thousand million of them gathered around, all came to the place of the Buddha, touching heads to the ground, bowing at the Buddha's feet and entreating him to turn the wheel of the Law, saying, "Saintly Lion, let the Dharma rain fall in full upon us and all others!"

The World-Honored One is very difficult to encounter; only once in a long time does he appear.

In order to bring enlightenment to the many beings he shakes and moves the regions all around.

In the worlds in the eastern direction in five hundred ten thousand million lands the palaces of the Brahma kings glowed with a light they had never known in the past.

When the Brahma kings saw this sign they came in search of the Buddha's place scattering flowers as a form of offering, at the same time presenting their palaces, entreating the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Law and praising him in verses.

The Buddha knew that the time had not yet come, and though they entreated, he sat in silence.

In the other three directions and the four directions in between and in the upper and lower regions, the same occurred, the Brahma kings scattering flowers, presenting their palaces, entreating the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Law, saying, "The World-Honored One is very difficult to encounter.

We beg you in your great mercy and compa.s.sion to open wide the gates of sweet dew and turn the wheel of the unsurpa.s.sed Law."

The World-Honored One, immeasurable in wisdom, accepted the entreaties of the a.s.sembly and for their sake proclaimed various doctrines, the four n.o.ble truths, the twelve-linked chain of causation, describing how, from ignorance to old age and death, all are produced through the cause of birth, saying, "With regard to these many faults and vexations, you should understand this about them."

When he expounded this Law, six hundred ten thousand million trillion beings were able to exhaust the limits of sufferings, all attaining the status of arhat.

The second time he preached the Law a mult.i.tude like a thousand Ganges sands ceased to accept the things of the phenomenal world and they too were able to become arhats.

Thereafter those who attained the way were immeasurable in number- one might calculate for ten thousand million kalpas and never be able to reckon their extent.

At that time the sixteen princes left their families and became shramaneras.

All together they entreated that Buddha to expound the Law of the Great Vehicle, saying, "We and our attendants are all certain to attain the Buddha way.

We desire the wisdom eye of foremost purity such as the World-Honored One possesses."

The Buddha understood their boyish minds and the actions they had carried out in past existences, and employing immeasurable causes and conditions and various similes and parables, he preached the six paramitas and matters concerning transcendental powers, distinguishing the true Law, the way practiced by bodhisattvas, preaching this Lotus Sutra in verses as numerous as the Ganges sands.

When the Buddha had finished preaching the sutra he entered into meditation in a quiet room, with a single mind sitting in a single place for eighty-four thousand kalpas.

The shramaneras knew the Buddha would not yet emerge from meditation and so for the a.s.sembly of immeasurable millions they preached the unsurpa.s.sed wisdom of the Buddha, each one sitting in a Dharma seat, preaching this Great Vehicle sutra.

And after the Buddha had entered peaceful tranquility, they continued to proclaim, helping to convert others to the Law.

The living beings saved by each one of those shramaneras were equal in number to six hundred ten thousand million Ganges sands.

After that Buddha had pa.s.sed into extinction, those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers.