Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle 3

「佛昔從釋種，出家近伽耶，

"The Buddha formerly came from the Sakya clan and left home near Gaya,

坐於菩提樹，爾來尚未久。

and sat beneath the bodhi tree; since then not much time has passed.

此諸佛子等，其數不可量，

These children of the Buddha, whose number cannot be measured,

久已行佛道，住於神通力，

have long practiced the Buddha's Way and dwell in spiritual power,

善學菩薩道，不染世間法，

well studied in the Bodhisattva path, not stained by worldly dharmas,

如蓮華在水，從地而踴出。

like lotus flowers in water, they emerged from the earth.

皆起恭敬心，住於世尊前。

All rising with reverent hearts, they stand before the World-Honored One.

是事難思議，云何而可信？

This matter is hard to conceive; how can it be believed?

佛得道甚近，所成就甚多，

The Buddha attained the Way very recently, yet has accomplished so much;

願為除眾疑，如實分別說。

we pray you will remove the doubts of all and explain it as it truly is.

譬如少壯人，年始二十五，

It is like a young, strong man, only twenty-five years old,

示人百歲子，髮白而面皺，

who shows people men of a hundred years, with white hair and wrinkled faces, saying:

是等我所生；子亦說是父。

'These were born of me'; and the sons also say he is their father.

父少而子老，舉世所不信。

The father is young and the sons old; the whole world would not believe it.

世尊亦如是，得道來甚近。

The World-Honored One is also so, having attained the Way very recently.

是諸菩薩等，志固無怯弱，

These Bodhisattvas, firm in will and without timidity,

從無量劫來，而行菩薩道，

have, through immeasurable kalpas, practiced the Bodhisattva path,

巧於難問答，其心無所畏，

skilled in difficult questions and answers, their minds without fear,

忍辱心決定，端正有威德，

with firm resolve in patience, dignified and with awesome virtue,

十方佛所讚。善能分別說，

praised by the Buddhas of the ten directions. They are able to expound well,

不樂在人眾，常好在禪定，

do not delight in being among people, and always love meditation,

為求佛道故，於下空中住。

and for the sake of seeking the Buddha's Way, they dwell in the space below.

我等從佛聞，於此事無疑，

We, having heard from the Buddha, have no doubt about this matter;

願佛為未來，演說令開解。

we pray the Buddha will, for those in the future, expound so that they understand.

若有於此經，生疑不信者，

If there are those who, regarding this sutra, give rise to doubt and disbelief,

即當墮惡道。願今為解說，

they will fall into the evil paths. We pray you will now explain,

是無量菩薩，云何於少時，

how these immeasurable Bodhisattvas, in so short a time,

教化令發心，而住不退地？」

were taught and transformed, caused to aspire, and made to abide in the stage of non-retrogression?"

爾時，佛告諸菩薩及一切大眾：「諸善男子！汝等當信解如來誠諦之語。」復告大眾：「汝等當信解如來誠諦之語。」又復告諸大眾：「汝等當信解如來誠諦之語。」

At that time the Buddha told the Bodhisattvas and all the great assembly: "Good men! You should believe and understand the sincere and true words of the Tathagata." He again told the assembly: "You should believe and understand the sincere and true words of the Tathagata." And he again told the great assembly: "You should believe and understand the sincere and true words of the Tathagata."

是時菩薩大眾，彌勒為首，合掌白佛言：「世尊！唯願說之，我等當信受佛語。」如是三白已，復言：「唯願說之，我等當信受佛語。」

Then the assembly of Bodhisattvas, with Maitreya at their head, joined their palms and said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! We only pray that you will speak; we shall believe and receive the Buddha's words." Having requested thus three times, they said again: "We only pray that you will speak; we shall believe and receive the Buddha's words."

爾時世尊知諸菩薩三請不止，而告之言：「汝等諦聽，如來秘密神通之力。一切世間天、人及阿修羅，皆謂：『今釋迦牟尼佛，出釋氏宮，去伽耶城不遠，坐於道場，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。』然，善男子！我實成佛已來無量無邊百千萬億那由他劫。譬如五百千萬億那由他阿僧祇三千大千世界，假使有人末為微塵，過於東方五百千萬億那由他阿僧祇國乃下一塵，如是東行，盡是微塵。諸善男子！於意云何？是諸世界，可得思惟校計知其數不？」

Then the World-Honored One, knowing that the Bodhisattvas had asked three times without stopping, told them: "Listen carefully to the Tathagata's secret and spiritual powers. All the devas, humans and asuras of all the world say: 'Now Sakyamuni Buddha 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.' Yet, good men, in truth I became a Buddha immeasurable, boundless hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of kalpas ago. It is as if there were five hundred myriads of kotis of nayutas of asamkhyas of three-thousand-great-thousand worlds, and a person were to grind them into dust, and passing east through five hundred myriads of kotis of nayutas of asamkhyas of lands, set down just one speck of dust, and in this way going east used up all the dust. Good men! What do you think? Can these worlds be thought of, compared and counted to know their number?"

彌勒菩薩等俱白佛言：「世尊！是諸世界，無量無邊，非算數所知，亦非心力所及；一切聲聞、辟支佛，以無漏智，不能思惟知其限數；我等住阿惟越致地，於是事中亦所不達。世尊！如是諸世界，無量無邊。」

Maitreya Bodhisattva and the others said to the Buddha together: "World-Honored One! These worlds are immeasurable and boundless, not known by counting nor reached by the power of the mind; all Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, with their wisdom without outflows, cannot think of and know their limit; we who dwell in the stage of non-retrogression also cannot comprehend this matter. World-Honored One! Such worlds are immeasurable and boundless."

爾時佛告大菩薩眾：「諸善男子！今當分明宣語汝等。是諸世界，若著微塵及不著者盡以為塵，一塵一劫，我成佛已來，復過於此百千萬億那由他阿僧祇劫。自從是來，我常在此娑婆世界說法教化，亦於餘處百千萬億那由他阿僧祇國導利眾生。

Then the Buddha told the great assembly of Bodhisattvas: "Good men! Now I shall tell you clearly. If all these worlds, those where a speck of dust was set down and those where it was not, were turned into dust, and each speck were one kalpa, the time since I became a Buddha exceeds this by hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of asamkhyas of kalpas. Since then I have constantly been in this Saha world preaching the Dharma and teaching and transforming, and in other places, in hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of nayutas of asamkhyas of lands, I have guided and benefited beings.

「諸善男子！於是中間，我說燃燈佛等，又復言其入於涅槃，如是皆以方便分別。

(The Buddha continued:) "Good men! In the meantime, when I spoke of the Buddha Dipamkara and others, and also said that they entered nirvana, all these were discriminations made by expedient means.

「諸善男子！若有眾生來至我所，我以佛眼，觀其信等諸根利鈍，隨所應度，處處自說，名字不同、年紀大小，亦復現言當入涅槃，又以種種方便說微妙法，能令眾生發歡喜心。

(The Buddha continued:) "Good men! If beings come to where I am, I observe with the Buddha eye the sharpness or dullness of their faculties, faith and the rest, and according to what they should be liberated by, I speak of myself in each place, with different names and different ages, and also appear to say that I will enter nirvana, and further use various expedient means to preach the subtle Dharma, so that beings may give rise to a glad heart.

「諸善男子！如來見諸眾生樂於小法、德薄垢重者，為是人說：『我少出家，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。』然我實成佛已來久遠若斯，但以方便，教化眾生，令入佛道，作如是說。

(The Buddha continued:) "Good men! When the Tathagata sees beings who delight in lesser teachings, whose virtue is thin and defilements heavy, he says for those people: 'I left home when I was young and attained unsurpassed, right and equal enlightenment.' Yet in truth I became a Buddha as long ago as this; only by expedient means, to teach beings and lead them into the Buddha's Way, do I speak thus.

「諸善男子！如來所演經典，皆為度脫眾生，或說己身、或說他身，或示己身、或示他身，或示己事、或示他事，諸所言說，皆實不虛。所以者何？如來如實知見三界之相，無有生死、若退若出，亦無在世及滅度者，非實非虛，非如非異，不如三界見於三界，如斯之事，如來明見，無有錯謬。以諸眾生有種種性、種種欲、種種行、種種憶想分別故，欲令生諸善根，以若干因緣、譬喻、言辭種種說法，所作佛事，未曾暫廢。如是，我成佛已來，甚大久遠，壽命無量阿僧祇劫，常住不滅。

(The Buddha continued:) "Good men! The sutras the Tathagata expounds are all for the liberation of beings; whether he speaks of his own body or of another's, shows his own body or another's, shows his own deeds or another's, all that is said is true and not false. Why? The Tathagata knows and sees the aspects of the three realms as they truly are: there is no birth or death, no retreating or emerging, and none who exist in the world or who pass into extinction; neither real nor unreal, neither thus nor otherwise; he does not see the three realms as the beings of the three realms see them. Such matters the Tathagata clearly sees, without error. Because beings have various natures, various desires, various practices, and various recollections and discriminations, wishing to make them produce good roots, he preaches the Dharma in various ways with many causes, parables and words, and the Buddha-work he does has never been interrupted even for a moment. Thus it is that since I became a Buddha, very long ago, my lifespan is immeasurable asamkhyas of kalpas, always abiding and never perishing.

「諸善男子！我本行菩薩道所成壽命，今猶未盡，復倍上數。然今非實滅度，而便唱言：『當取滅度。』如來以是方便，教化眾生。所以者何？若佛久住於世，薄德之人，不種善根，貧窮下賤，貪著五欲，入於憶想妄見網中。若見如來常在不滅，便起憍恣而懷厭怠，不能生難遭之想、恭敬之心。是故如來以方便說：『比丘當知！諸佛出世，難可值遇。』所以者何？諸薄德人，過無量百千萬億劫，或有見佛，或不見者，以此事故，我作是言：『諸比丘！如來難可得見。』斯眾生等聞如是語，必當生於難遭之想，心懷戀慕，渴仰於佛，便種善根。是故如來雖不實滅，而言滅度。

(The Buddha continued:) "Good men! The lifespan I accomplished in my original Bodhisattva practice is still not exhausted, and is twice the above number. Yet now I am not in truth passing into extinction, but declare: 'I shall take extinction.' The Tathagata uses this expedient to teach beings. Why? If the Buddha dwelt long in the world, people of thin virtue, who did not plant good roots, being poor, lowly, greedy for the five desires, would enter the net of recollection and false views. If they saw the Tathagata always present and not perishing, they would become arrogant and unrestrained and harbor weariness and slackness, and could not give rise to the thought that he is hard to meet or a mind of reverence. So the Tathagata says by expedient means: 'Bhiksus, know that Buddhas appearing in the world are hard to encounter.' Why? Among people of thin virtue, over immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas, some may see a Buddha and some may not; for this reason I say: 'Bhiksus, the Tathagata is hard to see.' These beings, hearing such words, will surely give rise to the thought that he is hard to meet, hold yearning in their hearts, thirst and look up to the Buddha, and then plant good roots. So although the Tathagata does not truly pass into extinction, he says he has passed into extinction."

「又，善男子！諸佛如來，法皆如是，為度眾生，皆實不虛。譬如良醫，智慧聰達，明練方藥，善治眾病。其人多諸子息——若十、二十乃至百數，以有事緣，遠至餘國。諸子於後，飲他毒藥，藥發悶亂，宛轉於地。是時其父還來歸家，諸子飲毒，或失本心、或不失者，遙見其父，皆大歡喜，拜跪問訊：『善安隱歸。我等愚痴，誤服毒藥，願見救療，更賜壽命。』父見子等苦惱如是，依諸經方，求好藥草，色香美味皆悉具足，擣篩和合與子令服，而作是言：『此大良藥，色香美味皆悉具足，汝等可服，速除苦惱，無復眾患。』其諸子中不失心者，見此良藥、色香俱好，即便服之，病盡除愈。餘失心者，見其父來，雖亦歡喜問訊，求索治病，然與其藥而不肯服。所以者何？毒氣深入，失本心故，於此好色香藥而謂不美。父作是念：『此子可愍，為毒所中，心皆顛倒。雖見我喜，求索救療；如是好藥而不肯服。我今當設方便，令服此藥。』即作是言：『汝等當知！我今衰老，死時已至，是好良藥，今留在此，汝可取服，勿憂不差。』作是教已，復至他國，遣使還告：『汝父已死。』是時諸子聞父背喪，心大憂惱而作是念：『若父在者，慈愍我等，能見救護，今者捨我遠喪他國。』自惟孤露，無復恃怙，常懷悲感，心遂醒悟，乃知此藥色味香美，即取服之，毒病皆愈。其父聞子悉已得差，尋便來歸，鹹使見之。

(The Buddha continued:) "Again, good sons! The Dharma of all Buddhas and Tathagatas is like this: it is to save beings, and it is all real and not false. It is like a good physician, wise and clear-minded, skilled in medicines and prescriptions, and good at curing all illnesses. This man has many children, ten, twenty, even a hundred, and because of some business he goes far to another land. Afterwards the children drink poison given by others; when the poison takes effect they are confused and distressed and roll on the ground. At that time the father returns home, and the children who drank the poison, some having lost their right mind and some not, see their father from afar and are all greatly delighted, kneel and bow and ask after him: 'Welcome home safe and sound. We were foolish and mistakenly took poison; we pray that you save and cure us, and grant us life again.' The father, seeing his children suffering like this, according to the prescriptions in the classics seeks good medicinal herbs, with color, fragrance and taste all complete, pounds, sifts and mixes them, gives them to the children to take, and says: 'This great good medicine has color, fragrance and taste all complete. You may take it and quickly be rid of your suffering and have no more illness.' Among the children, those who had not lost their minds, seeing this good medicine of fine color and fragrance, took it at once and were completely cured. The others who had lost their minds, seeing their father come, were also delighted and asked after him and begged him to cure them, but when given the medicine they would not take it. Why? Because the poison had gone deep and they had lost their right mind, so they thought this medicine of fine color and fragrance not good. The father thought: 'These children are pitiable; they have been struck by poison and their minds are all upside down. Though they are glad to see me and beg to be cured, they will not take such good medicine. I should now devise a skillful means to make them take this medicine.' He then said: 'You should know! I am now old and feeble, and the time of my death has come. This good medicine I leave here now, and you may take it and do not worry that you will not be cured.' Having given this instruction, he went again to another land and sent a messenger back to say: 'Your father has died.' Then the children, hearing that their father had died, were greatly grieved and thought: 'If our father were alive, he would have pity on us and could save and protect us; now he has abandoned us and died in a distant land.' Thinking themselves orphaned with no one to rely on, they were constantly sorrowful, and their minds awoke, and they knew that this medicine was fine in color, taste and fragrance, and took it at once, and the poison sickness was entirely cured. The father, hearing that the children had all been cured, soon returned and let them all see him.

「諸善男子！於意云何？頗有人能說此良醫虛妄罪不？」

(The Buddha continued:) "Good sons! What do you think? Could anyone say that this good physician is guilty of falsehood?"

「不也，世尊！」

"No, World-Honored One!"

佛言：「我亦如是，成佛已來、無量無邊百千萬億那由他阿僧祇劫，為眾生故，以方便力、言當滅度，亦無有能如法說我虛妄過者。」

The Buddha said: "I am also like this. Since I became Buddha, through countless, boundless hundreds of thousands of myriads of billions of nayutas of asamkhyeya kalpas, for the sake of beings, by the power of skillful means, I have said that I would enter extinction, and no one can rightly say that I am guilty of falsehood."

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:

「自我得佛來，所經諸劫數，

"Since I became a Buddha, the number of kalpas I have passed through,

無量百千萬，億載阿僧祇，

Are countless hundreds of thousands, myriads of billions of years, asamkhyeya,

常說法教化，無數億眾生，

I have always taught the Dharma and transformed countless billions of beings,

令入於佛道。爾來無量劫，

Leading them to enter the Buddha path. Throughout countless kalpas since,

為度眾生故，方便現涅槃，

For the sake of saving beings, as a skillful means I show nirvana,

而實不滅度，常住此說法。

Yet in truth I do not pass away, and always dwell here teaching the Dharma.

我常住於此，以諸神通力，

I always dwell here, and by my spiritual powers,

令顛倒眾生，雖近而不見。

I make upside-down beings, though near me, not see me.

眾見我滅度，廣供養舍利，

They see me pass away and widely make offerings to my relics,

鹹皆懷戀慕，而生渴仰心。

All of them hold longing and yearning, and give rise to a thirsting heart.

眾生既信伏，質直意柔軟，

When beings have come to believe and submit, honest and gentle of mind,

一心欲見佛，不自惜身命。

Wholeheartedly wishing to see the Buddha, not sparing their own bodies and lives,

時我及眾僧，俱出靈鷲山，

Then I and the assembly of monks together appear on Vulture Peak,

我時語眾生：『常在此不滅，

At that time I tell beings: 'I am always here and never perish,

以方便力故，現有滅不滅。』

By the power of skillful means, I show passing and not passing.'

餘國有眾生，恭敬信樂者，

In other lands, if there are beings who are respectful, faithful and joyful,