Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle 3

四萬及三萬、二萬至一萬，

Four thousand and three thousand, two thousand down to one thousand,

一千一百等，乃至一恆沙、

one thousand and one hundred, down to one Ganges-sand,

半及三四分，億萬分之一，

half, a third or fourth, one part in a myriad of kotis,

千萬那由他，萬億諸弟子，

ten million nayutas, a myriad of kotis of disciples,

乃至於半億，其數復過上。

down to half a koti, whose number again exceeds the above.

百萬至一萬，一千及一百，

A million down to ten thousand, one thousand and one hundred,

五十與一十，乃至三二一，

fifty and ten, down to three, two, one,

單己無眷屬，樂於獨處者，

alone without retinue, delighting in solitude,

俱來至佛所，其數轉過上。

all have come to the Buddha's place, their number growing still greater.

如是諸大眾，若人行籌數，

Such great assemblies, if a person counted them with tallies

過於恆沙劫，猶不能盡知。

for kalpas beyond the sands of the Ganges, would still not be able to know them all.

是諸大威德，精進菩薩眾，

These greatly majestic and diligent Bodhisattvas,

誰為其說法，教化而成就？

for whom did they preach, and who taught and transformed them to accomplishment?

從誰初發心？稱揚何佛法？

From whom did they first aspire? What Buddha's Dharma did they praise?

受持行誰經？修習何佛道？

Whose sutra do they uphold and practice? What Buddha's Way do they cultivate?

如是諸菩薩，神通大智力，

Such Bodhisattvas, with spiritual powers and great wisdom,

四方地震裂，皆從中踴出。

as the earth in all four directions trembled and split, all emerged from within it.

世尊我昔來，未曾見是事，

World-Honored One, since the past I have never seen this,

願說其所從，國土之名號。

and pray you will tell me where they come from and the name of their land.

我常遊諸國，未曾見是眾，

I have always traveled through many lands and never seen this assembly;

我於此眾中，乃不識一人，

among this assembly I do not recognize even one person,

忽然從地出，願說其因緣。

yet suddenly they came out of the earth; pray tell the cause and condition.

今此之大會，無量百千億，

Now in this great assembly, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kotis,

是諸菩薩等，皆欲知此事。

these Bodhisattvas all wish to know this matter.

是諸菩薩眾，本末之因緣，

The cause and condition, origin and end, of this assembly of Bodhisattvas:

無量德世尊，唯願決眾疑。」

World-Honored One of immeasurable virtue, we only pray you will resolve the doubts of all."

爾時釋迦牟尼分身諸佛，從無量千萬億他方國土來者，在於八方諸寶樹下，師子座上，結加趺坐。其佛侍者，各各見是菩薩大眾，於三千大千世界四方，從地踴出，住於虛空。各白其佛言：「世尊！此諸無量無邊阿僧祇菩薩大眾，從何所來？」

Then the Buddhas who were emanations of Sakyamuni, who had come from immeasurable thousands of myriads of kotis of lands in other regions, were seated in lotus posture on lion thrones beneath the jeweled trees in the eight directions. The attendants of those Buddhas each saw this great assembly of Bodhisattvas emerging from the earth in the four directions of the three-thousand-great-thousand world and dwelling in space. Each said to their Buddha: "World-Honored One! From where has this immeasurable, boundless asamkhya of Bodhisattvas come?"

爾時諸佛各告侍者：「諸善男子！且待須臾，有菩薩摩訶薩，名曰彌勒——釋迦牟尼佛之所授記，次後作佛——以問斯事，佛今答之，汝等自當因是得聞。」

Then each of the Buddhas told their attendants: "Good men, wait a moment. There is a Bodhisattva-Mahasattva named Maitreya, whom Sakyamuni Buddha has predicted will become a Buddha next; he has asked about this matter, and the Buddha will now answer it, and you will hear it through that."

爾時釋迦牟尼佛告彌勒菩薩：「善哉，善哉！阿逸多！乃能問佛如是大事。汝等當共一心，被精進鎧，發堅固意，如來今欲顯發宣示諸佛智慧、諸佛自在神通之力、諸佛師子奮迅之力、諸佛威猛大勢之力。」

Then Sakyamuni Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva: "Excellent, excellent! Ajita (another name for Maitreya)! You are able to ask the Buddha about such a great matter. All of you should be single-minded, put on the armor of diligence, and form a firm resolve; the Tathagata now wishes to reveal and proclaim the wisdom of the Buddhas, the power of the Buddhas' sovereign spiritual powers, the power of the Buddhas' lion-like vigor, and the power of the Buddhas' awesome and mighty strength."

爾時世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：

Then the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

「當精進一心，我欲說此事，

"Be diligent and single-minded, for I wish to speak of this matter.

勿得有疑悔，佛智叵思議。

Do not hold doubt or regret; the wisdom of the Buddha is beyond conception.

汝今出信力，住於忍善中，

Now bring forth the power of faith and abide in patience and goodness;

昔所未聞法，今皆當得聞。

the Dharma you have never heard before, you shall now all be able to hear.

我今安慰汝，勿得懷疑懼，

Now I comfort you; do not harbor doubt or fear.

佛無不實語，智慧不可量。

The Buddha has no untrue word, and his wisdom is immeasurable.

所得第一法，甚深叵分別，

The foremost Dharma that I have attained is most profound and hard to discriminate;

如是今當說，汝等一心聽。」

such is what I shall now preach; listen single-mindedly."

爾時世尊說此偈已，告彌勒菩薩：「我今於此大眾，宣告汝等。阿逸多！是諸大菩薩摩訶薩，無量無數阿僧祇，從地踴出，汝等昔所未見者，我於是娑婆世界得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提已，教化示導是諸菩薩，調伏其心，令發道意。此諸菩薩，皆於是娑婆世界之下、此界虛空中住；於諸經典，讀誦通利，思惟分別，正憶念。阿逸多！是諸善男子等，不樂在眾多有所說；常樂靜處，懃行精進未曾休息；亦不依止人天而住。常樂深智，無有障礙，亦常樂於諸佛之法，一心精進，求無上慧。」

Then the World-Honored One, having spoken this verse, told Maitreya Bodhisattva: "Now in this great assembly I declare to you. Ajita! These great Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, immeasurable, innumerable asamkhyas, who have emerged from the earth and whom you have never seen before: after I attained unsurpassed, right and equal enlightenment in this Saha world, I taught, guided and led these Bodhisattvas, subdued their minds, and caused them to aspire to the Way. These Bodhisattvas all dwell below this Saha world, in the space of this realm; they read, recite and master the various sutras, reflect on and discriminate them, and remember them rightly. Ajita! These good men do not delight in speaking much in the crowd; they always delight in quiet places, diligently practice and have never rested; nor do they depend on gods or humans to dwell. They always delight in deep wisdom without obstruction, and also always delight in the Dharma of the Buddhas, single-mindedly diligent, seeking unsurpassed wisdom."

爾時世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：

Then the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

「阿逸汝當知！是諸大菩薩，

"Ajita, you should know! These great Bodhisattvas,

從無數劫來，修習佛智慧，

for countless kalpas, have cultivated the wisdom of the Buddha,

悉是我所化，令發大道心。

and all were transformed by me, led to give rise to the aspiration for the great Way.

此等是我子，依止是世界，

These are my sons, dwelling in this world,

常行頭陀事，志樂於靜處，

always practicing the dhuta austerities, their will delighting in quiet places,

捨大眾憒閙，不樂多所說。

abandoning the clamor of the great crowd, and not delighting in much speech.

如是諸子等，學習我道法，

Such sons study my Way and Dharma,

晝夜常精進，為求佛道故，

day and night constantly diligent, for the sake of seeking the Buddha's Way,

在娑婆世界，下方空中住。

in the Saha world, dwelling in the space below.

志念力堅固，常懃求智慧，

Their will and thought are firm in strength, and they always diligently seek wisdom,

說種種妙法，其心無所畏。

preaching all kinds of wonderful Dharma, their minds without fear.

我於伽耶城，菩提樹下坐，

I, in the city of Gaya, sitting beneath the bodhi tree,

得成最正覺，轉無上法輪。

attained perfect enlightenment and turned the unsurpassed Dharma wheel.

爾乃教化之，令初發道心，

Then I taught and transformed them, causing them first to aspire to the Way;

今皆住不退，悉當得成佛。

now they all abide in non-retrogression, and will all become Buddhas.

我今說實語，汝等一心信，

Now I speak true words; believe them single-mindedly:

我從久遠來，教化是等眾。」

from the remote past I have been teaching and transforming this assembly."

爾時，彌勒菩薩摩訶薩及無數諸菩薩等，心生疑惑，怪未曾有，而作是念：「云何世尊於少時間、教化如是無量無邊阿僧祇諸大菩薩，令住阿耨多羅三藐三菩提？」即白佛言：「世尊！如來為太子時，出於釋宮，去伽耶城不遠，坐於道場，得成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。從是已來，始過四十餘年。世尊！云何於此少時，大作佛事，以佛勢力、以佛功德，教化如是無量大菩薩眾，當成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提？

Then Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Maitreya and the countless Bodhisattvas were filled with doubt and wondered at something never before known, and had this thought: "How could the World-Honored One, in so short a time, teach and transform such immeasurable, boundless asamkhyas of great Bodhisattvas and cause them to abide in unsurpassed, right and equal enlightenment?" He then said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! When the Tathagata was a crown prince, he left the Sakya palace, and not far from the city of Gaya he sat at the place of the Way and attained unsurpassed, right and equal enlightenment. Since then only a little over forty years have passed. World-Honored One! How could you, in such a short time, perform such great Buddha-work, by the Buddha's power and the Buddha's merit, teaching and transforming such an immeasurable great assembly of Bodhisattvas, who will accomplish unsurpassed, right and equal enlightenment?

「世尊！此大菩薩眾，假使有人於千萬億劫數不能盡，不得其邊。斯等久遠已來，於無量無邊諸佛所，殖諸善根，成就菩薩道，常修梵行。世尊！如此之事，世所難信。譬如有人，色美髮黑，年二十五，指百歲人，言：『是我子。』其百歲人，亦指年少，言：『是我父，生育我等。』是事難信。佛亦如是，得道已來，其實未久，而此大眾諸菩薩等，已於無量千萬億劫，為佛道故，懃行精進，善入出住無量百千萬億三昧，得大神通，久修梵行，善能次第習諸善法，巧於問答，人中之寶，一切世間甚為希有。今日世尊方云：『得佛道時，初令發心，教化示導，令向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。』世尊得佛未久，乃能作此大功德事。我等雖復信佛隨宜所說，佛所出言未曾虛妄，佛所知者皆悉通達。然諸新發意菩薩，於佛滅後，若聞是語，或不信受，而起破法罪業因緣。唯然，世尊！願為解說，除我等疑，及未來世諸善男子聞此事已，亦不生疑。」

(Maitreya continued:) "World-Honored One! This great assembly of Bodhisattvas, if a person were to count them for thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas, could not exhaust them nor reach their end. They have long ago planted good roots in the presence of immeasurable, boundless Buddhas, accomplished the Bodhisattva path, and always practiced pure conduct. World-Honored One! Such a thing is hard for the world to believe. It is as if a person of beautiful appearance and black hair, twenty-five years old, pointed to a man of a hundred years and said: 'This is my son.' And the man of a hundred years pointed to the youth and said: 'This is my father, who bore and raised us.' This is hard to believe. The Buddha is also like this: since attaining the Way, truly it has not been long, yet this great assembly of Bodhisattvas, for immeasurable thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas, for the sake of the Buddha's Way, have diligently and zealously practiced, skillfully entered, emerged from and dwelt in immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of samadhis, attained great spiritual powers, long practiced pure conduct, been skilled in learning all good dharmas in order, been adept at questions and answers, treasures among people, very rare in all the world. Only today the World-Honored One has said: 'When I attained the Buddha's Way, I first caused them to aspire, taught and guided them, and led them toward unsurpassed, right and equal enlightenment.' The World-Honored One has not long attained Buddhahood, yet is able to do such a great meritorious deed. Although we believe what the Buddha preaches according to what is fitting, and the words the Buddha has uttered have never been false, and all that the Buddha knows he fully understands, yet if newly aspiring Bodhisattvas, after the Buddha's extinction, hear these words, they may not believe and receive them, and thereby give rise to the karmic cause of the sin of destroying the Dharma. Yes, World-Honored One! We pray that you explain this for us, to remove our doubts, so that the good men of future ages, having heard this matter, also will not give rise to doubt."

爾時彌勒菩薩欲重宣此義，而說偈言：

Then Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse: