Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle 3

作是供養已，心懷大歡喜，

Having made these offerings, their hearts are filled with great joy,

須臾還本國，有如是神力。

and in a moment they return to their own land; such is their supernatural power.

佛壽六萬劫，正法住倍壽，

The Buddha's lifespan will be sixty thousand kalpas, the right Dharma will abide for twice his lifespan,

像法復倍是，法滅天人憂。

the semblance Dharma for twice that again, and when the Dharma is extinguished, devas and humans will grieve.

其五百比丘，次第當作佛，

His five hundred bhikshus will in turn become buddhas,

同號曰普明，轉次而授記。

all with the same title Universal Light, and will give predictions in succession.

我滅度之後，某甲當作佛，

After my extinction, so-and-so will become a buddha,

其所化世間，亦如我今日。

and the world he transforms will also be like mine today.

國土之嚴淨，及諸神通力，

The splendor and purity of his land, and his supernatural powers,

菩薩聲聞眾，正法及像法，

the bodhisattva and shravaka assemblies, the right Dharma and the semblance Dharma,

壽命劫多少，皆如上所說。

and the length of his lifespan in kalpas, will all be as spoken above.

迦葉汝已知，五百自在者，

Kashyapa, you already know the five hundred who are at ease,

餘諸聲聞眾，亦當復如是。

and the rest of the shravaka assembly will likewise be so.

其不在此會，汝當為宣說。」

For those who are not in this assembly, you should proclaim it for them."

爾時五百阿羅漢於佛前得受記已，歡喜踴躍，即從座起，到於佛前，頭面禮足，悔過自責：「世尊！我等常作是念，自謂已得究竟滅度，今乃知之，如無智者。所以者何？我等應得如來智慧，而便自以小智為足。

At that time the five hundred arhats, having received the prediction in the Buddha's presence, leapt with joy, rose at once from their seats, went before the Buddha, bowed with heads and faces at his feet, repented of their faults and blamed themselves: "World-Honored One! We always thought that we had already attained ultimate extinction, but now we know it, and we are like people without wisdom. Why? We should have obtained the Tathagata's wisdom, yet we took our small wisdom to be enough for ourselves.

「世尊！譬如有人至親友家，醉酒而臥。是時親友官事當行，以無價寶珠繫其衣裡，與之而去。其人醉臥，都不覺知。起已遊行，到於他國。為衣食故，勤力求索，甚大艱難；若少有所得，便以為足。於後親友會遇見之，而作是言：『咄哉，丈夫！何為衣食乃至如是。我昔欲令汝得安樂、五欲自恣，於某年日月，以無價寶珠繫汝衣裡。今故現在，而汝不知。勤苦憂惱，以求自活，甚為痴也。汝今可以此寶貿易所須，常可如意，無所乏短。』

(The five hundred arhats continued:) "World-Honored One! It is like a man who goes to the house of an intimate friend and lies down drunk. At that time the friend had to go on official business, and tied a priceless jewel inside the man's garment and left it with him and went away. The man, drunk and asleep, knew nothing of it. When he got up he wandered away, and came to another country. For the sake of clothing and food, he labored hard to find them, with great difficulty; and if he gained the slightest thing, he took it as enough. Later the friend met and saw him, and said: 'Alas, my good man! How have you come to such a state for the sake of clothing and food? In the past, wishing you to be at ease and happy, free to indulge the five desires, in such-and-such a year, month and day, I tied a priceless jewel inside your garment. It is there now, and you do not know it. To toil in hardship and worry to seek a living is most foolish. You can now trade this jewel for what you need, and always have what you wish, with nothing lacking.'

「佛亦如是，為菩薩時，教化我等，令發一切智心。而尋廢忘，不知不覺。既得阿羅漢道，自謂滅度，資生艱難，得少為足。一切智願，猶在不失。今者世尊覺悟我等，作如是言：『諸比丘！汝等所得，非究竟滅。我久令汝等種佛善根，以方便故，示涅槃相，而汝謂為實得滅度。』

(The five hundred arhats continued:) "The Buddha is also like this: when he was a bodhisattva, he taught and transformed us, causing us to arouse the mind of all-knowing wisdom. But soon we forgot it and did not know or realize it. Having attained the arhat path, we thought ourselves extinguished, making a hard living and taking a little as enough. Our vow for all-knowing wisdom still remains and has not been lost. Now the World-Honored One has awakened us and said: 'Bhikshus! What you have attained is not ultimate extinction. For a long time I have caused you to plant the good roots of the Buddha, and by expedient means I showed the appearance of nirvana, yet you took it to be real extinction.'

「世尊！我今乃知實是菩薩，得受阿耨多羅三藐三菩提記。以是因緣，甚大歡喜，得未曾有。」

(The five hundred arhats continued:) "World-Honored One! Now I know that we are truly bodhisattvas and have received the prediction of supreme perfect enlightenment. For this cause and condition we rejoice greatly and have gained what we never had."

爾時阿若憍陳如等，欲重宣此義，而說偈言：

At that time Ajnata-Kaundinya and the others, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

「我等聞無上，安隱授記聲，

"We heard the supreme, secure voice of the prediction,

歡喜未曾有，禮無量智佛。

rejoice as never before, and bow to the Buddha of immeasurable wisdom.

今於世尊前，自悔諸過咎，

Now before the World-Honored One we repent of all our faults,

於無量佛寶，得少涅槃分，

in the immeasurable Buddha treasure we obtained a small portion of nirvana,

如無智愚人，便自以為足。

like foolish people without wisdom, who take it as enough.

譬如貧窮人，往至親友家，

It is like a poor man who goes to the house of an intimate friend,

其家甚大富，具設諸餚饍，

a house of great wealth, where all kinds of fine foods are set out,

以無價寶珠，繫著內衣裡，

and who ties a priceless jewel inside the inner garment,

默與而捨去，時臥不覺知。

giving it silently and leaving, while he sleeps and does not know.

是人既已起，遊行詣他國，

This man, having risen, wanders on to another country,

求衣食自濟，資生甚艱難，

seeking clothing and food to sustain himself, making a very hard living,

得少便為足，更不願好者。

taking a little as enough, and no longer wishing for better.

不覺內衣裡，有無價寶珠。

He does not realize that inside his inner garment there is a priceless jewel.

與珠之親友，後見此貧人，

The friend who gave the jewel, later seeing this poor man,

苦切責之已，示以所繫珠。

after reproaching him bitterly, showed him the jewel tied on him.

貧人見此珠，其心大歡喜，

The poor man, seeing the jewel, was greatly delighted in his heart,

富有諸財物，五欲而自恣。

rich with all kinds of wealth, free to indulge the five desires.

我等亦如是，世尊於長夜，

We too are like this; the World-Honored One, through the long night,

常愍見教化，令種無上願。

always compassionately looked on and taught us, causing us to plant the supreme vow.

我等無智故，不覺亦不知，

Because we lacked wisdom, we neither realized nor knew it,

得少涅槃分，自足不求餘。

obtaining a small portion of nirvana, content with it and seeking nothing more.

今佛覺悟我，言非實滅度，

Now the Buddha has awakened us, saying it is not real extinction,

得佛無上慧，爾乃為真滅。

and only when we attain the Buddha's supreme wisdom will it be true extinction.

我今從佛聞，授記莊嚴事，

Now from the Buddha we have heard the prediction and the splendid adornments,

及轉次受決，身心遍歡喜。」

and the successive conferring of predictions; our bodies and minds are filled with joy."

爾時阿難、羅睺羅而作是念：「我等每自思惟：『設得受記，不亦快乎。』」即從座起，到於佛前，頭面禮足，俱白佛言：「世尊！我等於此亦應有分，唯有如來，我等所歸。又我等為一切世間天、人、阿修羅所見知識——阿難常為侍者，護持法藏；羅睺羅是佛之子——若佛見授阿耨多羅三藐三菩提記者，我願既滿，眾望亦足。」爾時，學、無學聲聞弟子二千人，皆從座起，偏袒右肩，到於佛前，一心合掌，瞻仰世尊，如阿難、羅睺羅所願，住立一面。

At that time Ananda and Rahula thought: "We have often reflected: 'If only we could receive a prediction, would that not be wonderful?'" They rose at once from their seats, went before the Buddha, bowed with heads and faces at his feet, and together said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! We too should have a share in this; there is only the Tathagata to whom we turn. Moreover we are seen and known by all the devas, humans and asuras of the whole world: Ananda has always been the attendant, protector and keeper of the Dharma treasury, and Rahula is the Buddha's son. If the Buddha gives us the prediction of supreme perfect enlightenment, our vow will be fulfilled and the hopes of the multitude will also be satisfied." At that time, two thousand shravaka disciples, both those still learning and those beyond learning, all rose from their seats, bared their right shoulders, went before the Buddha, put their palms together with one mind, gazed up at the World-Honored One, and stood to one side, with the same wish as Ananda and Rahula.

爾時佛告阿難：「汝於來世當得作佛，號山海慧自在通王如來、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。當供養六十二億諸佛，護持法藏，然後得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。教化二十千萬億恆河沙諸菩薩等，令成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。國名常立勝幡，其土清淨，琉璃為地。劫名妙音遍滿。其佛壽命，無量千萬億阿僧祇劫，若人於千萬億無量阿僧祇劫中算數校計，不能得知。正法住世倍於壽命，像法住世復倍正法。阿難！是山海慧自在通王佛，為十方無量千萬億恆河沙等諸佛如來所共讚歎，稱其功德。」

At that time the Buddha said to Ananda: "In a future age you will become a Buddha, named Tathagata Sagaravaradharabuddhivikridita-abhijna, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Universally Enlightened, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. You will make offerings to sixty-two billion Buddhas and protect and uphold the treasury of the Dharma, and then attain unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment. You will teach and transform Bodhisattvas numerous as the sands of twenty thousand million billion Ganges rivers, causing them to attain unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment. Your land will be named Ever-Standing Banner of Victory; its ground will be pure, made of lapis lazuli. The kalpa will be named Wonderful Sound Everywhere Full. That Buddha's life span will be immeasurable, thousands of ten thousand billions of asamkhyeya kalpas; if people were to count and calculate through thousands of ten thousand billions of immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas, they could not know it. The True Dharma will remain in the world twice as long as his life span, and the Semblance Dharma will remain twice as long again as the True Dharma. Ananda! This Buddha, King of Mountain-Sea Wisdom Sovereign Penetration, will be praised in common by immeasurable thousands of ten thousand billions of Buddhas and Tathagatas, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, in all ten directions, who will proclaim his merits."

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:

「我今僧中說，阿難持法者，

"I now declare in the midst of the sangha: Ananda, upholder of the Dharma,

當供養諸佛，然後成正覺，

will make offerings to the Buddhas, and afterward attain perfect enlightenment,

號曰：山海慧自在通王佛。

and be called: Buddha King of Mountain-Sea Wisdom Sovereign Penetration.

其國土清淨，名常立勝幡，

His land will be pure, named Ever-Standing Banner of Victory,

教化諸菩薩，其數如恆沙。

and he will teach and transform Bodhisattvas, their number like the Ganges sands.

佛有大威德，名聞滿十方。

The Buddha will have great majesty and virtue, his name heard throughout the ten directions.

壽命無有量，以愍眾生故，

His life span will be without measure, out of compassion for living beings;

正法倍壽命，像法復倍是。

the True Dharma will last twice his life span, and the Semblance Dharma twice that again.

如恆河沙等、無數諸眾生，

Like the sands of the Ganges, countless numbers of beings

於此佛法中，種佛道因緣。」

will in this Buddha's Dharma plant the causes and conditions for the Buddha Way."

爾時會中新發意菩薩八千人，鹹作是念：「我等尚不聞諸大菩薩得如是記，有何因緣而諸聲聞得如是決？」

At that time, in the assembly, eight thousand newly aspiring Bodhisattvas all thought: "We have not even heard of the great Bodhisattvas receiving such a prediction; for what reason do the shravakas receive such a determination?"

爾時世尊知諸菩薩心之所念，而告之曰：「諸善男子！我與阿難等，於空王佛所，同時發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。阿難常樂多聞，我常勤精進，是故我已得成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，而阿難護持我法，亦護將來諸佛法藏，教化成就諸菩薩眾，其本願如是，故獲斯記。」

At that time the World-Honored One, knowing what the Bodhisattvas were thinking, said to them: "Good sons! Ananda and I, in the presence of the Buddha King of Emptiness, at the same time aroused the mind of unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment. Ananda always delighted in learning much, while I was always diligent and zealous; therefore I have already attained unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment, while Ananda protects and upholds my Dharma, and will also protect the Dharma treasuries of the Buddhas to come, teaching and perfecting the assembly of Bodhisattvas. His original vow was like this, and so he has received this prediction."