Ornaments to adorn the bodies of persons, clothing and necklaces, all kinds of paste incense - by detecting these he will know who the wearers are.

When heavenly beings walk or sit, amuse themselves or carry out magical transformations,"

the upholder of the Lotus by detecting their scent can know all this.

Blossoms and fruits of various trees, and aroma of b.u.t.ter oil - the upholder of the sutra, dwelling here, knows where all these are.

Deep in the mountains, in steep places where blossoms of the sandalwood tree unfold, living beings are in their midst - by detecting the scent he can know all this.

Living beings in the Iron Encircling Mountains, in the great seas or in the ground - the upholder of this sutra detects their scent and knows were all of them are.

When male and female asuras and their retinues of followers fight with one another or amuse themselves, he detects the scent and knows all this.

On the broad plains, in narrow places, lions, elephants, tigers, wolves, buffaloes and water buffaloes - by detecting their scent he knows were they are.

When a woman is pregnant and no one can determine if the child is male or female, if it will lack normal faculties or be inhuman, by detecting the scent he can know all this.

And through this power to detect scents he knows when a woman will be successful or not, if the pregnancy will be successful or not, if she will be delivered safely of a healthy child.

Through his power of detect scents he knows the thoughts of men and women, if their minds are stained by desire, stupidity or anger, and he knows if they are practicing good. h.o.a.rds of goods that are stored in the earth, gold, silver and precious treasures, things heaped in bronze vessels - by detecting the scent he can tell where they all are.

Various kinds of necklaces whose value cannot be appraised - by the scent he knows if they are precious or worthless, where they came from and where they are now.

Flowers in the heavens above, mandaravas, manjushakas, parijataka trees - detecting their scent, he knows all these.

The palaces in the heavens above in their separate grades of upper, intermediate, and lower, adorned with numerous jeweled flowers - detecting their scent, he knowo them all.

The heavenly gardens and groves, the superb mansions, the observatories, the Hall of the Wonderful Law, and those taking pleasure in their midst - detecting their scent, he knows them all.

When heavenly beings listen to the Law or indulge the five desires, coming and going, walking, sitting, lying down - detecting their scent, he knows them all.

The robes worn by heavenly women when, adorned with lovely flowers and perfumes, they whirl and circle in enjoyment - detecting their scent, he knows them all.

Thus extending his awareness upward to the Brahma heaven, by detecting their scent, he knows all those who enter meditation or emerge from meditation.

In the Light Sound and All Pure heavens and up to the Summit of Being, those born for the first time, those who have departed - detecting their scent, he knows them all.

The mult.i.tude of monks diligent at all times with regard to the Law, whether sitting or walking around or reading a reciting the sutra teachings, sometimes under the forest trees concentrating their energies, sitting in meditation - the upholder of the sutra detects their scent and knows were all of them are.

Bodhisattvas firm and unbending in will, sitting in meditation or reading the sutras or preaching the Law for others - by detecting their scent he knows them all.

The World-Honored Ones, present in all quarters, revered and respected by all, pitying the mult.i.tude, preaching the Law - by detecting their scent he knows them all.

Living beings who in the Buddhas presence hear the sutra and all rejoice, who practice as the Law prescribes - by detecting their scent he knows them all.

Though he has not yet acquired the nose possessed by a bodhisattva of the Law of no outflows, the upholder of the sutra before then will acquire a nose with the marks described here.

"Moreover, Constant Exertion, if good men or good women except and uphold this sutra, if they read it, recite it, explain and preach it, or transcribe it, they will gain twelve hundred tongue benefits. Whether something is good tasting or vile, whether it is flavorful or not, and even things that are bitter or astringent, when encountered by the faculties of this person's tongue will be a changed into superb flavors as fine as the sweet dew of heaven, and there will be none that are not pleasing.

"If with these faculties of the tongue he undertakes to expound and preaching in the midst of the great a.s.sembly, he will produce a deep and wonderful voice capable of penetrating the mind and causing all who hear it to rejoice and delight. When the men and women of heaven, Shakra, Brahma and other heavenly beings, hear the sound of this deep and wonderful voice expounding and preaching, advancing and argument point by point, they will all gather to listen. Dragons and dragon daughters, yakshas and yaksha daughters, gandharvas and gandharva daughters, asuras and asura daughters, garudas and garuda daughters, kimnaras and kimnara daughters, mahoragas and mahoraga daughters will all gather close around its possessor in order to listen the Law, and will revere him and offer alms. Monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, monarchs, princes, ministers and their retinues, petty wheel-turning kings and great wheel-turning kings with their seven treasures and thousand sons and inner and outer retinues will ascend their palaces and all come to listen to the Law.

"Because this bodhisattva is so skilled of preaching the Law, the Brahmans, householders and people throughout the country will for the remainder of their lives follow and wait on him and offer him alms. Voice-hearers, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas and Buddhas will constantly delight to see him. Wherever this person is, the Buddhas will all face in that direction when they preach the Law, and he will be able to accept and uphold all the doctrines of the Buddha. And in addition he will be able to emit the deep and wonderful sound of the Law."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: The faculties of this person's tongue will be so pure that he will never experience any bad tastes, but all that he eats will become like sweet dew.

With his deep, pure and wonderful voice he will preach the Law in the great a.s.sembly, employing causes, conditions and similes to lead and guide the minds of living beings.

All who hear him will rejoice and offer him their finest alms.

Heavenly beings, dragons, yakshas, as well as asuras and others will all approach him with reverent minds and together come to hear the Law.

If this preacher of the Law wishes to use his wonderful voice to fill the three thousand worlds he can do so at will.

Wheel-turning kings great and small and their thousand sons and retinues will press their palms together with reverent minds and constantly come to hear and accept the Law.

Heavenly beings, dragons, yakshas, rakshasas and pishachas likewise with rejoicing minds will constantly delight in coming to bring alms.

The heavenly king Brahma, the devil king, the deities Freedom and Great Freedom, all the mult.i.tude of heavenly beings will constantly come to where he is.

The Buddhas and their disciples, hearing the sound of him teaching the Law, will keep him constantly in their thoughts and guard him and at times show themselves for his sake.

"Moreover, Constant Exertion, if good men or good women except and uphold this sutra, if they read it, recite it, explain and preach it, or transcribe it, they will gain eight hundred body benefits. They will acquire pure bodies, like pure lapis lazuli, such as living beings delight to see. Because of the purity of their bodies, when the living beings of the thousand-millionfold world are born or die, when they are born in upper or lower regions, in fair or ugly circ.u.mstances, in good places or bad, they will all be reflected [in these bodies]. The mountain kings of Iron Encircling Mountains, the Great Iron Encircling Mountains, Mount Meru and Mahameru, as well as living beings in their midst, will all be reflected therein.

Down to the Avichi h.e.l.l, upward to the Summit of Being, all the regions and their living beings will be reflected therein. Voice-hearers, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, Buddhas preaching the Law - the forms and shapes of these will be reflected in their bodies."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: If one upholds his body will be very pure, like pure lapis lazuli - living beings will all delight to see it.

And it will be like a pure bright mirror in which forms and shapes are all reflected.

The bodhisattva in his pure body will see all that is in the world; he alone will see brightly what is not visible to others.

Within the three thousand worlds all the ma.s.s of burgeoning creatures, heavenly and human beings, asuras, h.e.l.l dwellers, spirits, beasts - their forms and shapes in this way will all be reflected in his body.

The palaces of the various heavens upward to the Summit of Being, the Iron Encircling Mountains, the mountains Meru and Mahameru, the great seas and other waters - all will be reflected in his body.

The Buddhas and voice-hearers, Buddha sons and bodhisattvas, whether alone or in the a.s.sembly preaching the Law - all will be reflected.

Though this person has not yet acquired the wonderful body of Dharma nature, free of outflows, because the purity of his ordinary body all things we reflected in it.

"Moreover, Constant Exertion, if good men or good women except and uphold this sutra after the Thus Come One has entered extinction, if they read it, recite it, explain and preach it, or transcribe it, they will acquire twelve hundred mind benefits. Because of purity of their mental faculties, when they hear no more than one verse or one phrase [of the sutra], they will master immeasurable and boundless numbers of principles. And once having understood these principles, they will be able to expound and preach on the single phrase or a single verse for a month, for four months, or for a whole year, and the doctrines that they preach during that time will conform to the gist of the principles and will never be contrary to true reality.

"If they should expound some text of the secular world or speak on matters of government or those relating to wealth and livelihood, they will in all cases conform to the correct Law.

With regard to the living beings in the six realms of existence of a thousand-million-fold world, they will understand how the minds of those living beings work, how they move, what idle theories they entertain.

"Thus although they have not yet acquired the wisdom of no outflows, the purity of their minds will be a such that the thought of these persons, their calculations and surmises and the words they speak, will in all cases represent the Law of the Buddha, never departing from the truth, and also conform with what was preached in the sutras of former Buddhas."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to the state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: The minds of these persons will be pure, bright, keen, without stain or defilement.

And with these wonderful mental faculties they will understand the superior, intermediate and inferior Law.

Hearing no more than one verse, they will master immeasurable principles and able to preach them step by step in accordance with the Law for a month, four months, or a year.

All the living beings in the inner and our parts of this world, heavenly beings, Dragons, humans, yakshas, spirits, those in the six realms of existence and all the various thoughts they have - upholders of Lotus Sutra as their reward will know all these in an instant!

The countless Buddhas of the ten directions, adorned with the marks of a hundred blessings, for the sake of living beings preach the Law, and such persons, hearing it, will be able to accept and uphold it.

They will ponder immeasurable principles, preach the Law in an immeasurable number of ways, yet from start to finish never forget or make a mistake, because they are upholders of .

They will understand the characteristics of all phenomena, accord with principles, recognizing their proper order, be masters of names and words, and expound and preach things as they understand them.

What these persons preach is in all cases the Law of former Buddhas, and because they expound this Law they have no fear before the a.s.sembly.

Such as a purity of the mental faculties of these upholders of .

Though they have not yet obtained freedom from outflows before that they will manifest the marks described here.

While these persons uphold this sutra they will dwell safely on rare ground, by all living beings delighted in, loved and respected, able to employ a thousand, ten thousand varieties of apt and skillful words to make distinctions, expound and preach - because they uphold .

CHAPTER TWENTY: BODHISATTVA NEVER DISPARAGING.

At that time the Buddha said to the bodhisattva and mahasattva Gainer of Great Authority: 'You should understand this. When monks, nuns, laymen or laywomen uphold , if anyone should speak ill of them, curse or slander them, he will suffer severe recompense for his crime, as I have explained earlier. And I have also explained earlier the benefits gained by those who uphold the sutra, namely, purification of their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

"Gainer of Great Authority, long ago, an immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable number of asamkhya kalpas in the past, there was a Buddha named Awesome Sound King Thus Come One, worthy of offerings, of right and universal knowledge, perfect clarity and conduct, well gone, understanding the world, unexcelled trainer of people, teacher of heavenly and human beings, Buddha, World-Honored One. His kalpa was called Exempt from Decay and his land was called Great Achievement.

"This Buddha Awesome Sound King during the age when he lived preached the Law for heavenly and human beings and asuras. For those who were seeking to become voice-hearers he responded by preaching the Law of the four n.o.ble truths so that they could transcend birth, old age, sickness and death and eventually attain nirvana. For those seeking to become pratyekabuddhas he responded by preaching the Law of the twelve-linked chain of causation. For the bodhisattvas, as a means to lead them to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, he responded by preaching the Law of the six paramitas so they could eventually gain the Buddha wisdom.

"Gainer of Great Authority, this Buddha Awesome Sound King had a life span of kalpas equal to four-hundred thousand million nayutas of Ganges sands. His correct Law endured in the world for as many kalpas as there are dust particles in one Jambudvipa. His counterfeit Law endured in the world for as many kalpas as there are dust particles in the four continents. After this Buddha had finished bringing great benefits to living beings, he pa.s.sed into extinction.

"After his Correct Law and Counterfeit Law had come to an end, another Buddha appeared in the same land. He too was named Awesome Sound King 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. This process continue until twenty-thousand million Buddhas had appeared one after another, all bearing the same name.

"After the original Awesome sound King Thus Come One had pa.s.sed into extinction, and after his Correct Law had also pa.s.sed away, in the period of his Counterfeit Law, monks of overbearing arrogance exercised great authority and power. At this time there was a bodhisattva monk named Never Disparaging. Now, Gainer of Great Authority, for what reason was he named Never Disparaging? This monk, whatever persons he happened to meet, whether monks, nuns, Laymen or laywomen, would bow in obeisance to all of them and speak words of praise, saying, 'I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparaging and arrogance. Why? Because you are all practicing the bodhisattva way and are certain to attain Buddhahood.' treat you with disparaging and arrogance. Why? Because you are all practicing the bodhisattva way and are certain to attain Buddhahood.'

"This monk did not devote his time to reading or reciting the scriptures, but simply went about bowing to people. And if he happened to see any of the four kinds of believers far off in the distance, he would purposely go to where they were, bow to them and speak words of praise, saying, 'I would never dare disparage you, because you are all certain to attain Buddhahood!'

"Among the four kinds of believers there were the those who gave way to anger, their minds lacking in purity, and they spoke ill of him and cursed him, saying, 'This ignorant monk - were does he come from, presuming to declare that he does not disparage us and bestowing on us a prediction that we will attain Buddhahood? We have no use for such vain and irresponsible predictions!'

"Many years pa.s.sed in this way, during which this monk was constantly subjected to curses and abuse. He did not give way to anger, however, but each time spoke the same words, 'You are certain to attain Buddhahood.' When he spoke in this manner, some among the group would take sticks of wood or tiles and stones and beat and pelt him. But even as he ran away and took up his stance at a distance, he continued to call out in a loud voice, ' I would never dare disparage you, for you are all certain to attain Buddhahood!' And because he always spoke these words, the overbearing arrogant monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen gave him the name Never Disparaging.

"When this monk was on the point of death, he heard up in the sky fully twenty thousand, ten thousand, a million verses of that had been previously preached by the Buddha Awesome Sound King, and he was able to accept and uphold them all.

Immediately he gained the kind of purity of vision and purity of the faculties of the ear, nose, tongue, body and mind that have been described above. Having gained this purity of the six faculties, his life span was increased by two hundred ten million nayutas of years, and he went about widely preaching for people.

"At that time, when the four kinds of believers who were overbearingly arrogant, the monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen who had looked with contempt on this monk and given him the name Never Disparaging - when they saw that he had gained great transcendental powers, the power to preach pleasingly and eloquently, the power of great goodness and tranquility, and when they heard his preaching, they all took faith in him and willingly became his followers.

"This bodhisattva converted a mult.i.tude of a thousand, ten thousand, a million, causing them to abide in the state of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. After his life came to an end, he was able to encounter two thousand million Buddhas, all bearing the name Sun Moon Bright, and in the midst of their Law he preached this Lotus Sutra. Through the causes and conditions created thereby, he was also able to encounter two thousand million Buddhas, all with the identical name Cloud Freedom Lamp King. In the midst of the Law of these Buddhas, he excepted, upheld, read, recited and preached this sutra for the four kinds of believers. For that reason he was able to gain perfection of his ordinary eyes, and the faculties of his ears, nose, tongue, body and mind were likewise purified. Among the four kinds of believers he preached Law with no fear in his mind. faculties of his ears, nose, tongue, body and mind were likewise purified. Among the four kinds of believers he preached Law with no fear in his mind.

"Gainer of Great Authority, this bodhisattva and mahasattvas Never Disparaging in this manner offered alms to a vast number of Buddhas, treating them with reverence and honor and praising them. Having planted these good roots, he was later able to encounter a thousand, ten thousand, a million Buddhas, and in the midst of the Law of these Buddhas, he preached this sutra, gaining benefits about him to attain Buddhahood.

"Gainer of Great Authority, what do you think? The bodhisattva Never Disparaging who lived at that time - could he be unknown to you? In fact he was none other than I myself! If in my previous existences I had not accepted, upheld, read and recited this sutra and preached it for others, I would never have been able boat to attain anuttara-samyaksambodhi so quickly. Because in the presence of those earlier Buddhas I accepted, upheld, read and recited this sutra and preached it for others, I was able quickly to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

"Gainer of Great Authority, at that time before the four kinds of believers, the monks, nuns, laymen and many women, because anger arose in their minds and they threatened me with disparagement and contempt, were for two hundred million kalpas never able to encounter a Buddha, to hear the Law, or to see the community of monks. For a thousand kalpas they underwent great suffering and Avichi h.e.l.l. After they had finished paying for their offenses, they once more encountered the bodhisattva Never Disparaging, who instructed them in anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

"Gainer of Great Authority, what do you think? The four kinds of believers who at that time constantly disparaged this bodhisattva - could they be unknown to you? They are in this a.s.sembly now, Bhadrapala and his group, five hundred bodhisattvas; Lion Moon and her group, five hundred laymen, all having reached the state where they will never regress in their search for anuttara-samyak-sambodhi!

"Gainer of Great Authority, you should understand that this Lotus Sutra richly benefits the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas, for it can cause them to obtain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

For this reason, after the Thus Come One has pa.s.sed into extinction, the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas should at all times accept, uphold, read, recite, explain, preach and transcribe this sutra."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: In the past there was a Buddha named Awesome Sound King, of immeasurable supernatural powers and wisdom, leading and guiding one and all.

Heavenly and human beings, dragons, spirits joined in offering him alms.

After this Buddha had entered extinction, when his Law was about to expire, there was a bodhisattva named Never Disparaging.

The four kinds of believers at that time scrutinized and adhered to the Law.

The bodhisattva Never Disparaging would go to where they were and speak to them, saying, "I would never disparage you, for you are practicing the way and all of you will become Buddhas!"

When the people heard this, they gibed at him, cursed and reviled him, but the bodhisattva Never Disparaging bore all this with patience.

When his offenses had been wiped out and his life was drawing to a close, he was able to hear this sutra and his six faculties were purified.

Because of his transcendental powers his life span was extended, and for the sake of others he preached this sutra far and wide.

The many persons who adhered to the Law all received teaching and conversion from this bodhisattva, who caused them to dwell in the Buddha way.

When Never Disparaging's life ended, he encountered numerous Buddhas, and because he preached this sutra he gained measurable blessings.

Bit by bit he acquired benefits and quickly completed the Buddha way.

Never Disparaging who lived at that time was none other than myself.

And the four kinds of believers who adhered to the Law then, who heard Never Disparaging say, "You will become Buddhas!"

and through the causes thus created encounter numerous Buddhas - they are here in this a.s.sembly, a group of five hundred bodhisattvas, and the four kinds of believers, men and women of pure faith who now in my presence listen to the Law.

In previous existences I encouraged these persons to listen to and accept this sutra, the foremost in the Law, unfolding it, teaching people, and causing them to dwell in nirvana.

So in age after age they accepted and upheld scriptures of this kind.

A million million ten thousand kalpas, an inconceivable time will pa.s.s before at least one can hear this Lotus Sutra.