Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle 3

後秦龜茲國三藏法師鳩摩羅什奉詔譯

Translated by imperial command by the Tripitaka Dharma Master Kumarajiva of the kingdom of Kucha (around present-day Kuqa in Xinjiang) in the Later Qin dynasty.

爾時富樓那彌多羅尼子，從佛聞是智慧方便隨宜說法，又聞授諸大弟子阿耨多羅三藐三菩提記，復聞宿世因緣之事，復聞諸佛有大自在神通之力，得未曾有，心淨踴躍。即從座起，到於佛前，頭面禮足，卻住一面，瞻仰尊顏目不暫捨，而作是念：「世尊甚奇特，所為希有！隨順世間若干種性，以方便知見而為說法，拔出眾生處處貪著。我等於佛功德，言不能宣，唯佛世尊能知我等深心本願。」

At that time Purna Maitrayaniputra, having heard from the Buddha this teaching of the Dharma preached according to what suits, with wisdom and expedient means, and having heard the prediction of supreme perfect enlightenment conferred on the great disciples, and again having heard of causes and conditions of former lives, and again having heard that the buddhas have great sovereign powers of supernatural ability, gained what he had never had, and his mind was purified and leapt with joy. He rose at once from his seat, went before the Buddha, bowed with his head and face at his feet, withdrew to one side, gazed up at the Buddha's countenance without taking his eyes away for a moment, and thought: "The World-Honored One is truly extraordinary, and what he does is rare! According to the various natures of the world, with expedient means and knowledge and vision, he preaches the Dharma for them and pulls living beings out from their attachments everywhere. We cannot express the Buddha's merit in words; only the Buddha, the World-Honored One, can know our deep hearts and original vows."

爾時佛告諸比丘：「汝等見是富樓那彌多羅尼子不？我常稱其於說法人中最為第一，亦常歎其種種功德，精勤護持助宣我法，能於四眾示教利喜，具足解釋佛之正法，而大饒益同梵行者。自捨如來，無能盡其言論之辯。汝等勿謂富樓那但能護持助宣我法，亦於過去九十億諸佛所，護持助宣佛之正法，於彼說法人中亦最第一。又於諸佛所說空法，明瞭通達，得四無礙智，常能審諦清淨說法，無有疑惑，具足菩薩神通之力。隨其壽命，常修梵行，彼佛世人鹹皆謂之實是聲聞；而富樓那以斯方便，饒益無量百千眾生，又化無量阿僧祇人，令立阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。為淨佛土故，常作佛事，教化眾生。

At that time the Buddha told the bhikshus: "Do you see this Purna Maitrayaniputra? I have always praised him as foremost among those who preach the Dharma, and I have also always praised his many kinds of merit; he diligently upholds and helps to proclaim my Dharma, can teach, benefit and gladden the fourfold assembly, fully explains the Buddha's right Dharma, and greatly benefits his fellow practitioners of the holy life. Except for the Tathagata, none can exhaust the eloquence of his discourse. Do not suppose that Purna can only uphold and help to proclaim my Dharma; he also, in the presence of ninety kotis of buddhas in the past, upheld and helped to proclaim the Buddha's right Dharma, and among those who preached the Dharma there he was also foremost. Moreover, in the dharma of emptiness taught by the buddhas, he has clear and thorough understanding, attained the four unobstructed wisdoms, and is always able to preach the Dharma attentively and purely, without doubt, fully possessed of a bodhisattva's power of supernatural ability. Throughout his life he constantly practiced the holy life, and the people of the world of those buddhas all said he was truly a shravaka; yet Purna, by this expedient means, benefited immeasurable hundreds of thousands of living beings, and also transformed immeasurable asamkhyeyas of people, causing them to be established in supreme perfect enlightenment. In order to purify the buddha lands, he constantly performs the work of a buddha and teaches and transforms living beings.

「諸比丘！富樓那亦於七佛說法人中而得第一，今於我所說法人中亦為第一，於賢劫中當來諸佛，說法人中亦復第一，而皆護持助宣佛法。亦於未來，護持助宣無量無邊諸佛之法，教化饒益無量眾生，令立阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。為淨佛土故，常勤精進教化眾生，漸漸具足菩薩之道。過無量阿僧祇劫，當於此土，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，號曰法明如來、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛、世尊。其佛以恆河沙等三千大千世界為一佛土，七寶為地，地平如掌，無有山陵谿澗溝壑，七寶臺觀充滿其中，諸天宮殿近處虛空，人天交接，兩得相見。無諸惡道，亦無女人，一切眾生，皆以化生，無有婬欲。得大神通，身出光明，飛行自在，志念堅固，精進智慧，普皆金色，三十二相而自莊嚴。其國眾生，常以二食：一者、法喜食，二者、禪悅食。有無量阿僧祇千萬億那由他諸菩薩眾，得大神通、四無礙智，善能教化眾生之類。其聲聞眾，算數校計所不能知，皆得具足六通、三明及八解脫。其佛國土有如是等無量功德莊嚴成就。劫名寶明，國名善淨。其佛壽命無量阿僧祇劫，法住甚久。佛滅度後，起七寶塔遍滿其國。」

(The Buddha continued:) "Bhikshus! Purna was also foremost among those who preached the Dharma under the seven buddhas, and now among those who preach the Dharma under me he is also foremost; among the buddhas to come in the Auspicious Kalpa, he will also be foremost among those who preach the Dharma, and he will uphold and help to proclaim the Buddha's Dharma in all of them. In the future, too, he will uphold and help to proclaim the Dharma of immeasurable, boundless buddhas, teaching, transforming and benefiting immeasurable living beings and establishing them in supreme perfect enlightenment. In order to purify the buddha land, he will constantly and diligently teach and transform living beings, and gradually fulfill the bodhisattva path. After immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas, in this land he will attain supreme perfect enlightenment, with the title Dharma Light Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Universally Enlightened, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Trainer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. That Buddha will take three-thousand-great-thousand worlds equal to Ganges sands as one buddha land, with the ground made of seven jewels, flat as the palm, without mountains, hills, streams, gullies or ravines, filled with terraces and pavilions of the seven jewels, with the palaces of the devas near in space, so that humans and devas meet and can see each other. There will be no evil paths and no women; all living beings will be born by transformation, without sexual desire. They will have great supernatural powers, light will emerge from their bodies, they will fly freely, their will and thought will be firm, with diligence and wisdom, all golden in color, adorned with the thirty-two marks. The living beings of that land will always have two kinds of food: first, the food of delight in the Dharma, and second, the food of joy in dhyana. There will be immeasurable asamkhyeyas of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of bodhisattvas, who have great supernatural powers and the four unobstructed wisdoms, and are skilled at teaching and transforming living beings. The shravaka assembly will be beyond the reach of counting and calculation, all fully possessed of the six supernatural powers, the three clear knowledges and the eight liberations. The land of that Buddha will have such immeasurable merits and adornments accomplished. The kalpa will be named Jewel Light, and the land named Good Purity. That Buddha's lifespan will be immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas, and his Dharma will abide for a very long time. After the Buddha's extinction, stupas of the seven jewels will be raised, filling the whole land."

爾時世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

「諸比丘諦聽！佛子所行道，

"Bhikshus, listen attentively! The path practiced by the Buddha's sons,

善學方便故，不可得思議。

because they have studied expedient means well, cannot be conceived.

知眾樂小法，而畏於大智，

Knowing that beings delight in the lesser dharma and fear great wisdom,

是故諸菩薩，作聲聞緣覺，

therefore bodhisattvas appear as shravakas and pratyekabuddhas,

以無數方便，化諸眾生類。

and with countless expedient means transform all kinds of beings.

自說是聲聞，去佛道甚遠，

They say of themselves that they are shravakas, far from the Buddha Way,

度脫無量眾，皆悉得成就，

yet they liberate immeasurable multitudes, all of whom achieve it,

雖小欲懈怠，漸當令作佛。

and though they are of few desires and lazy, they will gradually be made buddhas.

內秘菩薩行，外現是聲聞，

Inwardly they hide the bodhisattva practice, outwardly they appear as shravakas,

少欲厭生死，實自淨佛土。

of few desires and weary of birth and death, yet in truth they purify the buddha land themselves.

示眾有三毒，又現邪見相，

They show the multitude the three poisons, and also appear to hold wrong views,

我弟子如是，方便度眾生。

my disciples are like this, using expedient means to liberate living beings.

若我具足說，種種現化事，

If I were to tell in full the various conjured matters,

眾生聞是者，心則懷疑惑。

living beings who heard it would harbor doubt in their hearts.

今此富樓那，於昔千億佛，

Now this Purna, in the past with a thousand kotis of buddhas,

勤修所行道，宣護諸佛法。

diligently practiced the path and proclaimed and protected the dharmas of the buddhas.

為求無上慧，而於諸佛所，

In seeking the supreme wisdom, under the buddhas

現居弟子上，多聞有智慧。

he appeared as chief among the disciples, learned and wise.

所說無所畏，能令眾歡喜，

What he spoke was without fear, able to make the multitude joyful,

未曾有疲惓，而以助佛事。

never weary, and so helped the Buddha's work.

已度大神通，具四無礙智，

Having crossed over to great supernatural powers, endowed with the four unobstructed wisdoms,

知諸根利鈍，常說清淨法。

knowing whether faculties are sharp or dull, he always preached the pure Dharma.

演暢如是義，教諸千億眾，

Expounding such meanings, he taught thousands of kotis of beings,

令住大乘法，而自淨佛土。

establishing them in the Mahayana Dharma, while purifying his own buddha land.

未來亦供養，無量無數佛，

In the future he will also make offerings to immeasurable, countless buddhas,

護助宣正法，亦自淨佛土。

protect and help proclaim the right Dharma, and also purify his own buddha land.

常以諸方便，說法無所畏，

Always using various expedient means, preaching the Dharma without fear,

度不可計眾，成就一切智。

liberating countless beings and achieving all-knowing wisdom.

供養諸如來，護持法寶藏，

Making offerings to the tathagatas and upholding the treasury of the Dharma jewel,

其後得成佛，號名曰法明。

afterward he will become a buddha, named Dharma Light.

其國名善淨，七寶所合成，

His land will be called Good Purity, composed of the seven jewels,

劫名為寶明。菩薩眾甚多，

the kalpa named Jewel Light. The bodhisattva assembly will be very large,

其數無量億，皆度大神通，

their number immeasurable kotis, all having crossed to great supernatural powers,

威德力具足，充滿其國土。

fully endowed with majestic virtue and power, filling that land.

聲聞亦無數，三明八解脫，

The shravakas too will be countless, with the three clear knowledges and eight liberations,

得四無礙智，以是等為僧。

attaining the four unobstructed wisdoms; these will make up the sangha.

其國諸眾生，婬欲皆已斷，

The living beings of that land, with sexual desire all cut off,

純一變化生，具相莊嚴身。

will be purely born by transformation, with bodies adorned with the marks.

法喜禪悅食，更無餘食想。

They will eat the food of delight in the Dharma and joy in dhyana, with no thought of any other food.

無有諸女人，亦無諸惡道。

There will be no women, and also no evil paths.

富樓那比丘，功德悉成滿，

The bhikshu Purna, whose merits will all be fulfilled,

當得斯淨土，賢聖眾甚多。

will obtain this pure land, with many worthy and holy ones.

如是無量事，我今但略說。」

Such immeasurable matters I now speak of only briefly."

爾時千二百阿羅漢，心自在者，作是念：「我等歡喜，得未曾有。若世尊各見授記，如餘大弟子者，不亦快乎！」

At that time the twelve hundred arhats, whose minds were at ease, thought: "We rejoice and have gained what we never had. If the World-Honored One would give each of us a prediction, as he did to the other great disciples, would that not be wonderful!"

佛知此等心之所念，告摩訶迦葉：「是千二百阿羅漢，我今當現前次第與授阿耨多羅三藐三菩提記。於此眾中，我大弟子憍陳如比丘，當供養六萬二千億佛，然後得成為佛，號曰普明如來、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛、世尊。其五百阿羅漢：優樓頻螺迦葉、伽耶迦葉、那提迦葉、迦留陀夷、優陀夷、阿㝹樓馱、離婆多、劫賓那、薄拘羅、周陀、莎伽陀等，皆當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，盡同一號，名曰普明。」

The Buddha, knowing what these people were thinking, told Mahakashyapa: "These twelve hundred arhats, I will now confer on them in turn, in your presence, the prediction of supreme perfect enlightenment. In this assembly, my great disciple the bhikshu Kaundinya will make offerings to sixty-two thousand kotis of buddhas and then become a buddha, with the title Universal Light Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Universally Enlightened, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Trainer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. The five hundred arhats, Uruvilva-Kashyapa, Gaya-Kashyapa, Nadi-Kashyapa, Kalodayin, Udayin, Aniruddha, Revata, Kapphina, Vakkula, Cunda, Svagata and others, will all attain supreme perfect enlightenment, all having the same title, Universal Light."

爾時世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

「憍陳如比丘，當見無量佛，

"The bhikshu Kaundinya will see immeasurable buddhas,

過阿僧祇劫，乃成等正覺。

and after asamkhyeya kalpas will attain perfect enlightenment.

常放大光明，具足諸神通，

He will constantly emit great light, fully endowed with all supernatural powers,

名聞遍十方，一切之所敬，

his name heard throughout the ten directions, revered by all,

常說無上道，故號為普明。

constantly preaching the supreme Way, and so called Universal Light.

其國土清淨，菩薩皆勇猛，

His land will be pure, and the bodhisattvas all courageous,

鹹昇妙樓閣，遊諸十方國，

all ascending wondrous pavilions, traveling to lands of the ten directions,

以無上供具，奉獻於諸佛。

with supreme offerings presented to the buddhas.