The Lotus Sutra Part 15

Never go alone into an enclosed place to preach the Law to a woman.

When you preach the Law, let there be no jesting or laughter.

When you enter a village to beg for food, take another monk with you; if there is no other monk around, with a single mind concentrate on the Buddha.

These are what I call proper practices and a.s.sociations.

By being careful about these two, one can preach in a peaceful manner.

One should not speak in terms of superior medial or inferior doctrines, of doctrines of the conditioned or unconditioned, or the real or the not real.

Again one should not make distinctions by saying "This is a man," "This is a woman."

Do not try to apprehend phenomena, to understand or to see them.

These are what I call the practices of the bodhisattva.

All phenomena are empty, without being, without any constant abiding, without arising or extinction.

This I call the position the wise person a.s.sociates himself with.

From upside-down-ness come distinctions, that phenomena exist, do not exist, are real, or not real, are born, are not born.

Place yourself in quiet surroundings, learn to still your mind, remain tranquil, and moving, like Mount Sumeru.

Look upon all phenomena as having no existence, like empty s.p.a.ce, as without firmness or hardness, not born, not emerging, not moving, and regressing, constantly abiding in a single form - this I call the place to draw near to.

If after I have entered extinction there are monks who take up these practices and these a.s.sociations, then when they preach this sutra they will be free of quailing and timidity.

If a bodhisattva will at times enter a quiet room and with the correct mental att.i.tude will view phenomena according to the doctrine, and then, rising from his meditation, will for the sake of the ruler, the princes, ministers and people, the Brahmans and others, unfold, propagate, expound and preach this sutra, then his mind will be tranquil, free of quailing and timidity.

Manjushri, these I call the first set of rules for the bodhisattva to abide by to enable him in later ages to preach .

"Furthermore, Manjushri, after the Thus Come One has pa.s.sed into extinction, in the Latter Day of the Law, if one wishes to preach this sutra, you should abide by these peaceful practices. When he opens his mouth to expound or when he reads the sutra, he should not delight in speaking of the faults of other people or scriptures. He should not display contempt for other teachers of the Law or speak of other people's tastes or shortcomings.

With regard to the voice-hearers he should not refer to them by name and describe their faults, or name them and praise their good points. Also he should not allow his mind to become filled with resentment or hatred. Because he is good at cultivating this kind of peaceful mind, his listeners will not oppose his ideas. If he is asked difficult questions, he should not reply in terms of the Law of a Lesser Vehicle. He should explain things solely in terms of the Great Vehicle so that people will be able to acquire wisdom embracing all species."

At that time the World-Honored One, wis.h.i.+ng to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: The bodhisattva should at all times delight in preaching the Law in a tranquil manner.

On pure and clean ground he should spread his sitting mat, anoint his body with oil, wash away dust and impurities, put on a new clean robe and make himself both inwardly and outwardly pure.

Seating himself comfortably in the Dharma seat, he should preach the Law in accordance with questions.

If there are monks or nuns, men lay believers, women lay believers, rulers and princes, officials, gentlemen and common people, with a mild expression he should preach for them the subtle and wonderful doctrines.

If there are difficult questions he should answer them in accordance with the doctrines, employing causes and conditions, similes and parables to expound and make distinctions, and through these expedient means cause all listeners to aspire to enlightenment, to increase their benefits little by little and enter the Buddha way.

He should put aside all ideas of laziness, all thought of negligence or ease, remove himself from cares and worries and with a compa.s.sionate mind preach the Law.

Day and night constantly he should expound the teachings of the unsurpa.s.sed way, employing causes and conditions, immeasurable similes and parables to instruct living beings and cause them all to be joyful.

Clothing and bedding, food, drink, medicine - with regard to such things he should have no expectations but with a single mind concentrate upon the reasons for preaching the Law, desiring to complete the Buddha away and to cause those in the a.s.sembly to do likewise.

That will bring great gain to them, an offering of peace.

After I have pa.s.sed into extinction if there are monks who are able to expound this Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law their minds will be free of the jealousy and anger, of all worry and hindrance.

No one will trouble them, curse or revile them.

They will know no fear, no attacks by sword or staff, nor will they ever be banished, because they abide in patience.

Wise persons will be good at cultivating their minds like this and be able to abide in peace as I have described above.

The blessings of such persons are beyond calculation, simile or parable; thousands, ten thousands, millions of kalpas would not suffice to describe them.

"Also, Manjushri, if a bodhisattva or mahasattva in the latter age hereafter, when the Law is about to parish, should accept and embrace, read and recite this sutra, he must not harbor a mind marked by jealousy, fawning or deceit. And he must not be contemptuous of or revile those who study the Buddha away or seek out their shortcomings.

"If there are monks, nuns, laymen, or laywomen who seek to become voice-hearers, seek to become pratyekabuddhas, or seek the bodhisattva way, one must not trouble them by causing them to have doubts or regrets, by saying to them, 'You are far removed from the way and in the end will never be able to attain wisdom embracing all species. Why?

Because you are self-indulgent and willful people who are negligent of the way!'

"Also one should never engage in frivolous debate over the various doctrines or dispute or wrangle over them. With regard to all living beings one should think of them with great compa.s.sion. With regard to the Thus Come Ones, think of them as kindly fathers; with regard to the bodhisattvas, think of them as great teachers. Toward the great bodhisattvas of the ten directions at all times maintain a serious mind, paying them due reverence and obeisance. To all living beings preach the Law and in an equitable manner. Because a person is heedful of the Law, that does not mean one should vary the amount of preaching.

Even to those who show a profound love for the Law one should not on that account preach at greater length.

"Manjushri, if among these bodhisattvas and mahasattvas there are those who in the latter age hereafter, when the Law is about to perish, succeed in carrying out this third set of peaceful practices, then when they preach this Law they will be free from anxiety and confusion, and will find good fellow students to read and recite this sutra with. They will attract a large a.s.sembly of persons who come to listen and a.s.sent. After they have listened, they will embrace; after they have embraced, they will recite; after they have recited, they will preach; and after they have preached, they will copy, or will cause others to copy, and will present offerings to the sutra rolls, treating them with reverence, respect and praise."

At that time the World-Honored One, wis.h.i.+ng to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying: If you wish to preach this sutra, you must set aside jealousy, hatred, arrogance, a mind that is fawning, deceitful, false, and constantly practice honest and upright conduct.

Do not look with contempt on others or hold frivolous debates on the doctrine.

Do not cause others to have doubts or regrets by saying, "You will never become a Buddha!"

When a son of the Buddha preaches the Law he is at all times gentle and full of forbearance, having pity and compa.s.sion on all, never giving way to a negligent or a slothful mind.

The great bodhisattvas of the ten directions out of pity for the mult.i.tude carry out the way.

One should strive to respect and read and revere them, saying, "These are great teachers!"

Regarding the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, learn to think of them as unsurpa.s.sed fathers.

Wipe out the mind of pride and arrogance and preach the Law without hindrance.

Such is the third set of rules; wise persons should guard and obey them.

If with a single mind they observe these peaceful practices, they will be respected by immeasurable mult.i.tudes.

"Manjushri, if among these bodhisattvas and mahasattvas there are those who in the age hereafter, when the Law is about to perish, accept and embrace , toward the believers who are still in the household or those who have left the household they should cultivate a mind of great compa.s.sion, and toward those who are not bodhisattvas they should also cultivate a mind of great compa.s.sion, and should think to themselves: These persons have made a great error. Though the Thus Come One as an expedient means preaches the Law in accordance with what is appropriate, they do not listen, do not know, do not realize, do not inquire, do not believe, do not understand. But although these persons do not inquire about, do not believe and do not understand this sutra, when I have attained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, wherever I happen to be, I will employ my transcendental powers and the power of wisdom to draw them to me to cause them to abide in this Law.

"Manjushri after the Thus Come One has entered extinction, if among these bodhisattvas and mahasattvas there are those who will succeed in carrying out this fourth set of rules, then when they preach the Law they will commit no error. Monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, and rulers, princes, great ministers, common people, Brahmans and householders will constantly offer them alms and will revere, respect and praise them. The heavenly beings in the sky, in order to listen to the Law, will constantly follow and attend them. If they are in a settlement or town or in a quiet and deserted place or a forest and people come and want to ask them difficult questions, the heavenly beings day and night will for the sake of the Law constantly guard and protect them and will cause all the listeners to rejoice. Why?

Because this sutra is protected by the supernatural powers of all the Buddhas of the past, future, and present.

"Manjushri, as for this Lotus Sutra, throughout immeasurable numbers of lands one cannot even hear its name, much less be able to see it, accept and embrace, read and recite it.

Manjushri, suppose, for example, that there is a powerful wheel-turning sage king who wants to use his might to subdue other countries, but the petty rulers will not heed his commands. At that time the wheel-turning king calls up his various troops and sets out to attack. If the king sees any of his fighting forces who have won distinction in battle, he is greatly delighted and immediately rewards the persons in accordance with their merits, handing out fields, houses, settlements and towns, or robes and personal adornments, or perhaps giving out various precious objects such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, seash.e.l.l, agate, coral or amber, or elephants, horses, carriages, men and women servants, and people. Only the bright jewel that is in his topknot he does not give away. Why? Because this one jewel exists only on the top of the King's head, and if he were to give it away, his followers would be certain to express great consternation and alarm.

"Manjushri, the Thus Come One is like this. He uses the power of meditation and wisdom to win Dharma lands and become king of the threefold world. But the devil kings are unwilling to obey and submit. The worthy and sage military leaders of the Thus Come One engage them in battle, and when any of the Buddha's soldiers achieve distinction, the Buddha is delighted in heart and in the midst of the four kinds of believers he preaches various sutras, causing their hearts to be joyful. He presents them with meditations, emanc.i.p.ations, roots and powers that are free of outflows, and other treasures of the Law. He also presents them with the city of nirvana, telling them that they have attained extinction, guiding their minds and causing them all to rejoice. But he does not preach to them.

"Manjushri, when the wheel-turning king sees someone among his soldiers who has gained truly great distinction, he is so delighted in heart that he takes the unbelievably fine jewel that has been in his topknot for so long and has never been recklessly given away, and now gives it to this man. And the Thus Come One does the same. In the threefold world he acts as the great Dharma king. He uses the Law to teach and convert all living beings, watches his worthy and sage armies as they battle with the devils of the five components, the devils of earthly desires, and the death devil. And when they have won great distinction and merit, wiping out the three poisons, emerging from the threefold world, and destroying the nets of the devils, at that time the Thus Come One is filled with great joy. This Lotus Sutra is capable of causing all living beings to attain comprehensive wisdom. It will face much hostility in the world and be difficult to believe. It has not been practiced before, but now I preach it.

"Manjushri, this Lotus Sutra is foremost among all that is preached by the Thus Come One.

Among all that is preached it is the most profound. And it is given at the very last, the way that profound ruler did when he took the bright jewel he had guarded for so long and finally gave it away.

"Manjushri this Lotus Sutra is the secret storehouse of the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones.

Among the sutras, it holds the highest place. Through the long night I have guarded and protected it and have never recklessly propagated it. But today for the first time I expound it for your sake."

At that time the World-Honored One, wis.h.i.+ng to state his meaning once more, spoken in verse form, saying: Constantly practice perseverance, have pity on all beings, and do your best to expound and preach the sutra praised by the Buddha.

In the latter age hereafter those who embrace this sutra should, without regard to persons in the household, persons who have left it, or persons who are not bodhisattvas, cultivate pity and compa.s.sion, saying, "If they do not listen to and do not believe this sutra they will be committing a great error.

If I gain the bodhisattva away I will employ expedient means and preach this Law for them, causing them to abide in it.

Suppose there is a powerful wheel-turning king.

His soldiers have won merit in battle and he rewards them with various articles, elephants, horses, carriages, adornments for their person, fields and houses, settlements and towns, or gives them clothing, various kinds of precious objects, men and women servants, wealth and goods, delightedly bestowing all these.

But if there is someone brave and stalwart who can carry out difficult deeds, the king will remove the bright jewel from his topknot and present it to the man.

The Thus Come One is like this.

He acts as king of the doctrines, possessing the great power of perseverance and the precious storehouse of wisdom, and with his great pity and compa.s.sion he converts the age in accordance with the Law.

He sees all persons as they undergo suffering and anxiety, seeking to gain emanc.i.p.ation battling with the devils, and for the sake of the living beings he preaches various doctrines, employing great expedient means and preaching these sutras.

And when he knows that living beings have gained powers through them, then at the very last for their sake he preaches this Lotus Sutra, like the king who unbinds his topknot and gives away his bright jewel.

This sutra is to be honored as highest among all sutras.

Constantly I guard and protect it, and do not purposely reveal it.

But now the time is right for me to preach it to you.

After I have entered extinction if someone seeks the Buddha away and hopes to be able in tranquility to expound this sutra, then he should a.s.sociate himself closely with the four rules described.

Anyone who reads this sutra will at all times be free of worry and anxiety; likewise he will be without illness or pain, his expression fresh and bright.

He will not be born in poverty or want, in humble or ugly circ.u.mstances.

Living beings will delight to see him and look up to him as a worthy sage.

The young sons of heavenly beings will wait on him and serve him.

Swords and staves will not touch him and poison will have no power to harm him.

If people speak ill and revile him, their mouths will be closed and stopped up.

He will stroll about without fear like the lion king.

The brilliance of his wisdom will be like the s.h.i.+ning of the sun; even in his dreams he will see only wonderful things.

He will see the Thus Come Ones seated in their lion seats surrounded by mult.i.tudes of monks and preaching the Law.

And he will see dragons, spirits, asuras and others, numerous as Ganges sands, reverently pressing their palms together.

He will see himself there and will preach the Law for them.

Again he will see Buddhas, their bodies marked by a golden hue, emitting immeasurable rays that light up all things, employing Brahma sounds to expound the doctrines.

For the four kinds of believers the Buddha will preach the unsurpa.s.sed Law, and he will see himself among them pressing his palms together and praising the Buddha.

He will hear the Law and delight and will offer alms.

He will obtain dharanis and proof of the wisdom without regression.

And when the Buddha knows that his mind has entered deep into the Buddha way, then he will give him a prophecy that he will attain the highest, the correct enlightenment.

"You, good man, in an age to come will attain immeasurable wisdom, the great way of the Buddha.

Your land will be adorned and pure, incomparably broad and great, with the four kinds of believers who press their palms together and listen to the Law.

Again he will see himself in the midst of mountains and forests practicing the good Law, understanding the true nature of all phenomena, deeply entering meditation and seeing the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Of Buddhas, their bodies of golden hue, adorned with the marks of a hundred kinds of good fortune, of listening to the Law and preaching it to the people - such will be the good dreams he constantly dreams.

Again he will dream he is king of a country but casts aside palaces and attendants and the superb and wonderful objects of the five desires, repairs to the place of practice and under the bodhi tree seats himself in a lion seat, seeking the way, and after seven days gains the wisdom of the Buddhas.

Having succeeded in the unsurpa.s.sed way, he rises and turns the wheel of the Law, preaching the Law for the four kinds of believers, for thousands, ten thousands, millions of kalpas preaching the wonderful Law free of outflows, saving immeasurable living beings.

And afterward he will enter nirvana like smoke coming to an end when a lamp goes out.

If in that evil age hereafter someone preaches this foremost Law, that person will gain great benefits, blessings such as have been described above.