The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma
雖以方便；所化眾生，皆是菩薩。
Though they use skillful means, the beings they transform are all Bodhisattvas.
若人小智，深著愛欲，為此等故，
If people have little wisdom and are deeply attached to love and desire, for such as these
說於苦諦。眾生心喜，得未曾有，
I teach the truth of suffering. Beings' hearts rejoice, gaining what they never had,
佛說苦諦，真實無異。若有眾生，
The truth of suffering the Buddha teaches is real and without difference. If there are beings
不知苦本，深著苦因，不能暫捨。
Who do not know the root of suffering, are deeply attached to its cause, and cannot give it up even briefly,
為是等故，方便說道。諸苦所因，
For such as these, by skillful means I teach the Way. The cause of all suffering
貪欲為本，若滅貪欲，無所依止，
Has desire as its root; if desire is ended and there is nothing to rely on,
滅盡諸苦，名第三諦。為滅諦故，
All suffering is ended, which is called the third truth. For the sake of the truth of cessation,
修行於道，離諸苦縛，名得解脫。
One practices the Way, leaves the bonds of suffering, and is called liberated.
是人於何，而得解脫？但離虛妄，
By what does this person attain liberation? Merely by leaving falsehood,
名為解脫；其實未得，一切解脫。
It is called liberation; but in truth they have not attained full liberation.
佛說是人，未實滅度。斯人未得，
The Buddha says such a person has not truly attained extinction. Since this person has not attained
無上道故，我意不欲，令至滅度。
The unsurpassed Way, it is not my wish to bring them to extinction.
我為法王，於法自在，安隱眾生，
I am the King of the Dharma, free in the Dharma, and to give beings peace
故現於世。汝舍利弗！我此法印，
I appear in the world. You, Shariputra! This seal of my Dharma
為欲利益，世間故說，在所遊方，
Is taught out of a wish to benefit the world; wherever you travel,
勿妄宣傳。若有聞者，隨喜頂受，
Do not teach it recklessly. If there are those who hear it, rejoice, and receive it on their heads,
當知是人，阿鞞跋致。若有信受，
You should know that such a person is an avaivartika, one who does not retreat. If there are those who believe and accept
此經法者，是人已曾，見過去佛，
The Dharma of this sutra, this person has already seen the Buddhas of the past,
恭敬供養，亦聞是法。若人有能，
Reverently made offerings, and also heard this Dharma. If someone is able
信汝所說，則為見我，亦見於汝，
To believe what you say, then he has seen me, and has also seen you,
及比丘僧，並諸菩薩。斯法華經，
And the community of bhikshus, together with the Bodhisattvas. This Lotus Sutra
為深智說，淺識聞之，迷惑不解。
Is taught for those of deep wisdom; those of shallow understanding who hear it are confused and do not understand.
一切聲聞，及辟支佛，於此經中，
All Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas, in this sutra,
力所不及。汝舍利弗！尚於此經，
Are beyond what their strength can reach. You, Shariputra, even in this sutra
以信得入；況餘聲聞。其餘聲聞，
Entered through faith; how much more the other Hearers. The other Hearers,
信佛語故，隨順此經，非己智分。
Because they believe the Buddha's words, follow this sutra, and it is not within their own wisdom.
又舍利弗！憍慢懈怠、計我見者，
Again, Shariputra! To the arrogant and lazy, and those who hold the view of self,
莫說此經。凡夫淺識，深著五欲，
Do not teach this sutra. Ordinary people of shallow understanding, deeply attached to the five desires,
聞不能解，亦勿為說。若人不信，
Who hear it and cannot understand, do not teach it to them either. If people do not believe,
毀謗此經，則斷一切，世間佛種。
And slander this sutra, then they cut off all the Buddha seeds in the world.
或復顰蹙，而懷疑惑，汝當聽說，
Or if they frown and harbor doubt, you should listen as I tell
此人罪報。若佛在世，若滅度後，
The retribution of such a person. Whether the Buddha is in the world, or after extinction,
其有誹謗，如斯經典，見有讀誦、
If there are those who slander such a sutra, and on seeing those who read, recite,
書持經者，輕賤憎嫉，而懷結恨。
Copy, and uphold the sutra, hold them in contempt, hatred, and envy, and harbor grudges,
此人罪報，汝今復聽。其人命終，
The retribution for this person's offenses, listen to it again now. When this person's life ends,
入阿鼻獄，具足一劫，劫盡更生。
he enters the Avici hell for a full kalpa, and when the kalpa ends is born again.
如是展轉，至無數劫，從地獄出，
Thus he passes on through countless kalpas, and when he comes out of hell,
當墮畜生。若狗野幹，其形𩑔瘦，
he must fall into the animals: perhaps a dog or a jackal, its body gaunt and thin,
黧黮疥癩，人所觸嬈。又復為人，
dark and mangy, tormented by people. Then again as a human,
之所惡賤，常困飢渴，骨肉枯竭，
he is despised and held lowly by all, always afflicted by hunger and thirst, his flesh and bones withered,
生受楚毒，死被瓦石。斷佛種故，
suffering bitter pain in life and pelted with tiles and stones in death. Because he cut off the seed of Buddhahood,
受斯罪報。若作馲駝，或生驢中，
he receives this retribution. If he becomes a camel, or is born among donkeys,
身常負重，加諸杖捶，但念水草，
his body always carries heavy loads, and he is beaten with sticks, thinking only of water and grass,
餘無所知。謗斯經故，獲罪如是。
and knowing nothing else. Because he slandered this sutra, he receives such punishment.
有作野幹，來入聚落，身體疥癩，
Or he becomes a jackal and comes into a village, his body mangy,
又無一目。為諸童子，之所打擲，
and missing an eye. He is beaten and pelted by boys,
受諸苦痛，或時致死。於此死已，
suffering pain, and sometimes dies. When he has died in this way,
更受蟒身。其形長大，五百由旬，
he again takes the body of a python. Its form is huge, five hundred yojanas long,
聾騃無足，宛轉腹行，為諸小蟲，
deaf and dull and without feet, writhing and crawling on its belly, eaten at by many small insects,
之所唼食，晝夜受苦，無有休息。
suffering by day and night, with no rest.
謗斯經故，獲罪如是。若得為人，
Because he slandered this sutra, he receives such punishment. If he gets to be human,
諸根闇鈍，矬陋攣躄，盲聾背傴。
his faculties are dim and dull, he is short, ugly, crippled and lame, blind, deaf and hunchbacked.
有所言說，人不信受，口氣常臭，
What he says is not believed or accepted, his breath is always foul,
鬼魅所著。貧窮下賤，為人所使，
he is possessed by ghosts and sprites. Poor and lowly, he is ordered about by others,
多病痟瘦，無所依怙。雖親附人，
often sick and emaciated, with no one to rely on. Though he attaches himself to people,
人不在意，若有所得，尋復忘失。
they pay no heed to him, and if he gains anything, he soon forgets or loses it.
若修醫道，順方治病，更增他疾，
If he practices medicine and treats illness by the prescriptions, he only adds to others' ailments,
或復致死。若自有病，無人救療，
or even causes death. If he himself is ill, no one rescues or treats him,
設服良藥，而復增劇。若他反逆、
and even if he takes good medicine, it only makes it worse. If others rebel,