Lotus Flower Sutra
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Chapter 6 – Conferring Predictions
At that time, following his expounding of the verses, the World Honored One spoke to the great assembly in this manner, “My disciple, Mahakashyapa, in a future age will serve and behold three hundred thousand million Buddhas, World Honored Ones, making offerings, paying reverence, venerating and praising them; he will broadly proclaim the limitless Great Dharma of all the Buddhas.
In his final body he will become a Buddha by the name of Light Brightness Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, a Teacher of Gods and Humans, a Buddha, a World Honored One.
His country will be called Light Virtue and his eon will be called Great Adornment.
His life span as a Buddha will last for twelve minor eons.
The Proper Dharma will dwell there for twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will also dwell there for twenty minor eons.
His realm will be adorned and free of any filth or evil, tiles or stones, thorns or brambles, excrement or other impurities. The land will be flat, without high or low places, gullys or hills. The land will be made of lapis lazuli, and set about with rows of jeweled trees. The roads will be bordered with golden ropes. Precious flowers will be scattered about, purifying it entirely. The Bodhisattvas in that land will number in the limitless thousand of millions, the assembly of Hearers will be likewise uncountable. No deeds of Mara will be done there, and although Mara and his subjects will exist there, they will all protect the Buddhadharma.”
At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle, spoke verses saying,
“I declare to the Bhikshus that
By using my Buddha Eye
I see that Kashyapa
In a future age
Countless eons from now
Shall become a Buddha
And that in the future he
Shall make offerings to, revere and behold
Three hundred ten s thousands of millions
Of Buddhas, World Honored Ones.
And, for the sake of the Buddha’s wisdom
He shall purely cultivate Brahman conduct.
He shall make offerings to the highest
Honored One, doubly complete and then
Cultivate and practice all
Unsurpassed Wisdom.
In his final body
He shall become a Buddha.
His land will be pure,
With lapis lazuli for soil,
And with many jeweled trees
Lining the roadways,
And with the roads set off by golden cords,
Delighting all who see it.
Fine fragrance will always issue forth,
Rare flowers will be strewn about;
With all manner of rare articles
It shall be adorned.
The land will be flat and even
Without hills or gullys.
The assembly of Bodhisattvas
Will be unreckonable.
Their minds will be gentle
Having gained great spiritual powers;
They will reverently uphold the Buddha’s
Great Vehicle Sutras.
The assembly of Hearers,
Without outflows, in their last bodies,
Sons of the Dharma King,
Will also be beyond all count.
So that, even with the Heavenly Eye,
Their number shall not be known.
His life span as a Buddha will be
Twelve minor eons, and
His Proper Dharma will dwell in the world
Twenty minor eons.
The Dharma Image Age will dwell
Also for twenty minor eons.
The World Honored One, Light Brightness
Shall have a history such as this.”
At that time, Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti and Mahakatyayana were very agitated. They singlemindedly joined their palms, gazed upward at the World Honored One, not lowering their gaze for a moment, and with a single voice spoke these verses:
“Great brave hero, the World Honored One,
The Shakyan Dharma King,
Out of pity for us all
Bestow the Buddha Word!
If, knowing our profoundest thoughts,
You see that we gain predictions,
It will be like a sprinkling of sweet dew,
Dispelling heat and giving cool refreshment.
It will be like a person from a famine-stricken land,
Who suddenly encounters a royal feast:
His mind holds doubt and fear,
And he does not dare go ahead and eat.
But, if he gained the king’s permission,
Then he would certainly dare to eat.
We, in the same way, ever think
Of the errors of the Small Vehicle
And do not know how we are
To gain the Buddha’s unsurpassed wisdom.
Although we hear the Buddha’s voice
Saying that we shall become Buddhas,
Our minds hold worry and fear,
Like one who dares not yet to eat.
If we were favored by the Buddha’s prediction,
Then we should be happy and at peace.
Great, brave hero, World Honored One,
You who always wish peace for the World
Please bestow predictions upon us
Like giving the famished permission to eat!”
At that time, the World Honored One, knowing the thoughts in the minds of his great disciples, told the Bhikshus, “Subhuti will in a future age serve and behold three hundreds of myriads of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, making offerings, paying reverence, venerating, and praising them, ever cultivating the Brahman conduct, and perfecting the Bodhisattva Way.
In his final body, he will become a Buddha called Name Appearance Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, one Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One.
His eon will be called Possessing-Jewels. His country will be called Giving Birth to Jewels, his land will be level, with crystal for soil, and jeweled trees for adornments. It will be without hills or gullys, stones, thorns, filth or excrement. Jeweled flowers will cover the ground, purifying it entirely. The people of his land will all dwell on jeweled terraces or in precious, fine towers. The assembly of Hearers will be limitless and boundless, so that they cannot be known by resort to number or analogy. The assembly of Bodhisattvas will number in the countless thousands of myriads of millions of nayutas.
His life span as a Buddha will last for twelve minor eons.
The Proper Dharma will dwell there for twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will also dwell there for twenty minor eons. This Buddha will constantly dwell in empty space, speaking Dharma for the multitudes and crossing over limitless Bodhisattvas and Hearers.”
At that time the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle spoke verses saying,
“Assembled Bhikshus
I shall now tell you,
Listen singlemindedly
To what I’m going to say.
My great disciple,
Subhuti,
Will become a Buddha
Called Name Appearance.
After making offerings to countless
Myriads of millions of Buddhas
Following the Buddhas’ practices,
He will gradually perfect the Great Way.
In his final body he shall
Obtain thirty two marks,
Upright and beautiful
Like a jeweled mountain.
His Buddhaland will be
Foremost in purity and adornment.
Living beings who see it
All will take delight in it.
And as a Buddha therein
He will save limitless multitudes.
Within his Buddha Dharma
Will be many Bodhisattvas,
All of sharp faculties,
Turning the non-retreating wheel.
This land will ever be
Adorned with Bodhisattvas;
The assembly of Hearers
Will be beyond all reckoning.
All having gained the Three Clarities,
And perfected the Six Spiritual powers
Abiding in the Eight Liberations
And possessing great awesome virtue.
When this Buddha speaks the Dharma
He will manifest limitless
Spiritual powers and transformations,
Inconceivable.
The people, both gods and humans,
Their numbers like the Ganges sands,
All will join their palms
To hear and accept that Buddha’s words.
That Buddha’s lifespan will be
Twelve minor eons,
The Proper Dharma will dwell in the world
For twenty minor eons;
The Dharma Image Age will dwell
For twenty minor eons, also.”
At that time, the World Honored One further addressed the assembly of Bhikshus saying, “I will now tell you: In a future age, Mahakatyayana will make offerings of various articles to, and will reverently serve eight thousand million Buddhas, honoring and venerating them. After the extinction of those Buddhas, he will erect a stupa for each, one thousand yojanas in height, five hundred yojanas in breath, and made of the seven jewels: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, carnelian, pearls, and agate. He will make offerings of many flowers, beaded necklaces, paste incense, powdered incense, burning incense, silk canopies and banners to the stupa. After that, he will further make offerings to twenty thousand million Buddhas in the same manner. Having made offerings to those Buddhas, he will perfect the Bodhisattva Way.
He will then become a Buddha called Jambunada Gold Light Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One.
The land will be flat and even with crystal for soil and jeweled trees as adornments. The roads will be bordered with golden ropes, and the ground covered with fine flowers, purifying it entirely, so that those who see it are delighted. The four evil paths will not exist there, that is, the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras. There will many gods, humans, assembled Hearers and Bodhisattvas who will number in the limitless myriads of millions, and all adorning that land.
His life span as a Buddha will be twelve minor eons.
His Proper Dharma will dwell in the world twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will dwell also for twenty minor eons.”
At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle spoke verses saying,
“O Bhikshus, all of you,
Listen with a single mind,
For that which I say
Is true, real, and without error.
Katyayana, shall
With a variety
Of fine and subtle articles
Make offerings to the Buddhas.
After the extinction of those Buddhas
He will build stupas of the seven jewels
And also, with flowers and incense
Make offerings to their sharira.
In his final body
He will attain the Buddha wisdom
And realize proper enlightenment.
His country will be pure
And he will cross over limitless
Myriads of millions of beings;
From the ten directions
He will receive offerings.
His Buddha light
Will be unsurpassed
As a Buddha his name will be
Jambunada Gold Light.
Bodhisattvas, and Hearers
Having severed all existence
Unlimited and innumerable
Will adorn his land.”
At that time, the World Honored One, further spoke to the assembly. “I now tell you that Mahamaudgalyayana will in the future, with various articles, make offerings to eight thousand Buddhas, honoring and venerating them. After the extinction of those Buddhas, he will erect for each of them a stupa one thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in breadth, and made of the seven jewels, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, carnelian, pearls, and agate. He will make offerings to it of many flowers, beaded necklaces, paste incense, powdered incense, burning incense, silk canopies and banners. After that, he will further make offerings to two hundred myriads of millions of Buddhas in the same manner.
He will then become a Buddha called Tamalapattracandana Fragrance Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, Teacher of gods and humans, Buddha, World Honored One.
His eon will be called full of joy. His country will be called Delighted Intent. His land will be flat and even with crystal for soil, and jeweled trees for adornments. Real pearl flowers will be scattered about, purifying it entirely, so that those who see it rejoice. There will be many gods, humans, Bodhisattvas and Hearer, limitless and uncountable in number.
His life span as a Buddha will last for twenty-four minor eons.
The Proper Dharma will dwell there for forty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will dwell also for forty minor eons.”
At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle spoke verses, saying:
“My disciple
Great Maudgalyayana
Having cast aside this body
Will view eight thousand
Two hundred myriads of millions
Of Buddhas, World Honored Ones.
And, for the sake of the Buddha Way
Will honor and make offerings to them.
In the presence of those Buddhas,
He will always practice Brahman conduct,
Throughout limitless eons,
Reverently upholding the Buddhadharma.
After the extinction of those Buddhas,
He will build stupas of the seven jewels,
Displaying golden spires
And with flowers, incense, and instrumental music
He will make offerings
To the Buddhas’ stupas.
Gradually, having perfected
The Bodhisattva Path,
In a land called Delighted Intent,
He will become a Buddha
Called Tamala
Candana Fragrance.
His life span as a Buddha will be
Twenty four minor eons.
Always, for gods and humans
He will expound and proclaim the Buddha Way.
There will be limitless Hearers
In number like the Ganges sands,
With the Three Clarities and Six Penetrations
And great, awesome virtue.
There will be uncountable Bodhisattvas
Vigorous and of solid resolve
And who, with regard to the Buddhas’ wisdom
Are irreversible.
After that Buddha’s extinction
The Proper Dharma will dwell
For forty minor eons,
And the Dharma Image Age will be the same.
All my disciples
Having perfected their awesome virtue,
All five hundred of them
Shall be given predictions
And in a future age
Will become Buddhas.
Of my own and your former
Causes and conditions
I now will tell:
All of you, listen well!”