Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle Five

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 Kucha (around present-day Kuqa in Xinjiang), of the Later Qin.

爾時，彌勒菩薩摩訶薩白佛言：「世尊！若有善男子、善女人，聞是法華經隨喜者，得幾所福？」

At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! If there are good men or good women who hear this Lotus Sutra and rejoice, how much blessing do they gain?"

而說偈言：

And he spoke in verse:

「世尊滅度後，其有聞是經，

"After the World-Honored One passes away, those who hear this sutra,

若能隨喜者，為得幾所福？」

If they can rejoice in it, how much blessing will they gain?"

爾時，佛告彌勒菩薩摩訶薩：「阿逸多！如來滅後，若比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷，及餘智者若長若幼，聞是經隨喜已，從法會出，至於餘處，若在僧坊，若空閑地，若城邑、巷陌、聚落、田裡，如其所聞，為父母、宗親、善友、知識，隨力演說。是諸人等，聞已隨喜，復行轉教；餘人聞已，亦隨喜轉教。如是展轉，至第五十。

At that time, the Buddha said to Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva: "Ajita! After the Tathagata's extinction, if bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas, upasikas, and other wise people, old or young, having heard this sutra and rejoiced, leave the Dharma assembly and go elsewhere, whether in a monastery, in a quiet place, in a city, lane, village or field, and, as they heard it, explain it to their parents, relatives, good friends and acquaintances as best they can. These people, having heard and rejoiced, then in turn teach others; the others, having heard, also rejoice and teach in turn. So it passes from one to another, up to the fiftieth.

「阿逸多！其第五十善男子、善女人，隨喜功德，我今說之，汝當善聽。若四百萬億阿僧祇世界，六趣四生眾生——卵生、胎生、濕生、化生，若有形、無形，有想、無想，非有想、非無想，無足、二足、四足、多足，如是等在眾生數者——有人求福，隨其所欲娛樂之具，皆給與之。一一眾生，與滿閻浮提金、銀、琉璃、車𤦲馬腦、珊瑚、虎珀，諸妙珍寶，及象、馬車乘，七寶所成宮殿樓閣等。是大施主，如是佈施滿八十年已，而作是念：『我已施眾生娛樂之具，隨意所欲，然此眾生，皆已衰老年過八十，髮白麵皺，將死不久，我當以佛法而訓導之。』即集此眾生，宣佈法化，示教利喜，一時皆得須陀洹道、斯陀含道、阿那含道、阿羅漢道，盡諸有漏，於深禪定皆得自在，具八解脫。於汝意云何，是大施主所得功德寧為多不？」

(The Buddha continued:) "Ajita! The merit of rejoicing of the good man or good woman who is the fiftieth, I will now tell, and you should listen well. Suppose in four hundred myriads of billions of asamkhyeya worlds, there are beings of the six destinies and four modes of birth, egg-born, womb-born, moisture-born and transformation-born, with form or without form, with thought or without thought, neither with thought nor without thought, footless, two-footed, four-footed and many-footed, all counted among beings; and someone seeks blessing for them and gives each whatever playthings and pleasures they desire. To each being he gives enough to fill Jambudvipa with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, tridacna, agate, coral, amber, and all fine and precious jewels, and elephants, horses, carriages, and palaces and towers made of the seven jewels. This great donor, having given thus for eighty years, then thinks: 'I have already given these beings playthings and pleasures, as they wished; but these beings are all old, past eighty years, with white hair and wrinkled faces, and will die before long; I should now guide them with the Buddha's Dharma.' So he gathers these beings, proclaims and transforms them with the Dharma, shows, teaches, benefits and delights them, and all at once they attain the path of stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, and arhat, exhaust all outflows, attain freedom in deep meditative concentration, and have the eight liberations complete. What do you think; would the merit gained by that great donor be great?"

彌勒白佛言：「世尊！是人功德甚多，無量無邊。若是施主，但施眾生一切樂具，功德無量；何況令得阿羅漢果。」

Maitreya said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! This person's merit is very great, countless and boundless. If this donor only gave beings all instruments of comfort, the merit would be countless; how much more having them attain the fruit of an arhat."

佛告彌勒：「我今分明語汝，是人以一切樂具，施於四百萬億阿僧祇世界六趣眾生，又令得阿羅漢果，所得功德，不如是第五十人，聞法華經一偈隨喜功德，百分、千分、百千萬億分、不及其一，乃至算數譬喻所不能知。

The Buddha said to Maitreya: "I now tell you clearly: the merit this person gains by giving all instruments of comfort to the beings of the six destinies in four hundred myriads of billions of asamkhyeya worlds, and also leading them to the fruit of an arhat, is not equal to the merit of rejoicing of that fiftieth person who hears one verse of the Lotus Sutra; it is a hundredth, a thousandth, a hundred-thousand-myriad-billionth part, not equal to even one of it, so that it cannot be known by calculation or simile.

「阿逸多！如是第五十人展轉聞法華經隨喜功德，尚無量無邊阿僧祇，何況最初於會中聞而隨喜者，其福復勝，無量無邊阿僧祇，不可得比。

(The Buddha continued:) "Ajita! The merit of rejoicing of the fiftieth person hearing the Lotus Sutra in this way, passed on from one to another, is already countless, boundless and asamkhyeya, how much more that of the one who first heard it in the assembly and rejoiced; his blessing is even greater, countless, boundless and asamkhyeya, and cannot be compared.

「又，阿逸多！若人為是經故，往詣僧坊，若坐、若立須臾聽受，緣是功德，轉身所生，得好上妙象、馬車乘、珍寶輦輿，及乘天宮。若復有人於講法處坐，更有人來，勸令坐聽，若分座令坐，是人功德，轉身得帝釋坐處，若梵王坐處，若轉輪聖王所坐之處。

(The Buddha continued:) "Again, Ajita! If a person, for the sake of this sutra, goes to a monastery and, whether sitting or standing, listens and receives it even for a moment, by the merit of this, in his next life he will obtain fine and excellent elephants, horses, carriages and jeweled sedan chairs, and ride in heavenly palaces. If again a person sits in a place where the Dharma is being taught, and another comes, he urges him to sit and listen, or shares his seat so that he may sit; the merit of this person is that in his next life he will obtain the seat of Indra, or the seat of King Brahma, or the seat of a wheel-turning sage king.

「阿逸多！若復有人，語餘人言：『有經，名法華，可共往聽。』即受其教，乃至須臾間聞，是人功德，轉身得與陀羅尼菩薩共生一處，利根智慧，百千萬世終不瘖瘂，口氣不臭，舌常無病，口亦無病，齒不垢黑、不黃、不踈，亦不缺落，不差、不曲，唇不下垂亦不褰縮、不麁澁、不瘡胗，亦不缺壞，亦不喎斜，不厚、不大，亦不黧黑，無諸可惡。鼻不匾㔸，亦不曲戾，面色不黑，亦不狹長，亦不窊曲，無有一切不可喜相。唇舌牙齒悉皆嚴好，鼻修高直，面貌圓滿，眉高而長，額廣平正，人相具足，世世所生，見佛聞法、信受教誨。

(The Buddha continued:) "Ajita! If again a person says to another: 'There is a sutra called the Lotus; let us go and listen together,' and that person accepts his instruction and hears it even for a moment, the merit of this person is that in his next life he will be born in the same place as Dharani Bodhisattvas, with sharp faculties and wisdom, and for hundreds of thousands of myriads of lives will never be mute, will have no foul breath, his tongue will always be free of disease, and his mouth also free of disease; his teeth will not be dirty, black, yellow or sparse, nor missing or fallen out, nor uneven or crooked; his lips will not hang down or be drawn up, not coarse, not sore or blistered, nor damaged, nor askew, not thick or large, not dark, free of all that is disagreeable. His nose will not be flat or crooked, his face not dark, not narrow and long, not sunken or crooked, without any unpleasing features. His lips, tongue and teeth will all be fine, his nose high and straight, his face round and full, his brows high and long, his forehead broad and level, with the marks of a person complete, and in life after life he will see the Buddha, hear the Dharma and believe and accept the teaching.

「阿逸多！汝且觀是，勸於一人令往聽法，功德如此，何況一心聽說、讀誦，而於大眾為人分別、如說修行？」

(The Buddha continued:) "Ajita! Just look at this: urging one person to go and hear the Dharma has such merit, how much more one who with a single mind listens, recites and reads it, and in the great assembly explains it for others and practices as it says?"

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:

「若人於法會，得聞是經典，

"If a person, in a Dharma assembly, gets to hear this sutra,

乃至於一偈，隨喜為他說，

Even one verse, and rejoicing tells it to others,

如是展轉教，至於第五十，

Teaching in this way from one to another, reaching the fiftieth,

最後人獲福，今當分別之。

The blessing gained by the last person, I will now distinguish.

如有大施主，供給無量眾，

Suppose there is a great donor, supplying countless beings,

具滿八十歲，隨意之所欲。

For a full eighty years, as they wish.

見彼衰老相，髮白而面皺，

Seeing their aged and feeble look, with white hair and wrinkled faces,

齒踈形枯竭，念其死不久，

Sparse teeth and withered bodies, thinking they will die before long,

我今應當教，令得於道果。

'I should now teach them, so that they attain the fruit of the Way.'

即為方便說，涅槃真實法，

Then with skillful means he speaks of nirvana, the true Dharma,

世皆不牢固，如水沫泡焰，

'The world is not firm, like foam, bubbles and flames,

汝等鹹應當，疾生厭離心。

You should all quickly give rise to a mind of weariness and detachment.'

諸人聞是法，皆得阿羅漢，

Those people, hearing this Dharma, all attain arhatship,

具足六神通，三明八解脫。

With the six spiritual powers complete, the three clarities and the eight liberations.

最後第五十，聞一偈隨喜，

The last, the fiftieth, hearing one verse and rejoicing,

是人福勝彼，不可為譬喻。

This person's blessing surpasses that, and cannot be given a simile.

如是展轉聞，其福尚無量，

One who hears in such a passing-along has blessing that is still countless,

何況於法會，初聞隨喜者。

How much more one in the Dharma assembly who first hears and rejoices.

若有勸一人，將引聽法華，

If someone urges one person, leading him to hear the Lotus,

言此經深妙，千萬劫難遇，

Saying this sutra is profound and wondrous, hard to meet in thousands of myriads of kalpas,

即受教往聽，乃至須臾聞，

And he accepts the instruction and goes to listen, even for a moment,

斯人之福報，今當分別說。

The reward of this person's blessing I will now explain.

世世無口患，齒不踈黃黑，

In life after life he will have no mouth ailments, his teeth not sparse, yellow or black,

唇不厚褰缺，無有可惡相，

His lips not thick, drawn up or cracked, with no unpleasing features,

舌不乾黑短，鼻高修且直，

His tongue not dry, black or short, his nose high, long and straight,

額廣而平正，面目悉端嚴，

His forehead broad and level, his face and eyes all dignified,

為人所喜見，口氣無臭穢，

Pleasing to others to see, his breath without foulness,

優缽華之香、常從其口出。

The fragrance of utpala flowers always coming from his mouth.

若故詣僧坊，欲聽法華經，

If he deliberately goes to a monastery, wishing to hear the Lotus Sutra,

須臾聞歡喜，今當說其福。

And hears it for a moment with joy, I will now tell his blessing.

後生天人中，得妙象馬車，

Later born among devas and humans, he will obtain wondrous elephants, horses and carriages,

珍寶之輦輿，及乘天宮殿。

Jeweled sedan chairs, and ride in heavenly palaces.

若於講法處，勸人坐聽經，

If in a place where the Dharma is taught, he urges others to sit and hear the sutra,

是福因緣得，釋梵轉輪座。

By the cause of this blessing he will gain the seat of Indra, Brahma and wheel-turning kings.

何況一心聽，解說其義趣，

How much more one who listens with one mind, explains its meaning,

如說而修行，其福不可量。」

And practices as it says; his blessing cannot be measured."

爾時佛告常精進菩薩摩訶薩：「若善男子、善女人，受持是法華經，若讀、若誦、若解說、若書寫，是人當得八百眼功德、千二百耳功德、八百鼻功德、千二百舌功德、八百身功德、千二百意功德，以是功德、莊嚴六根，皆令清淨。是善男子、善女人，父母所生清淨肉眼，見於三千大千世界內外所有山林河海，下至阿鼻地獄，上至有頂，亦見其中一切眾生，及業因緣、果報生處，悉見悉知。」

Then the Buddha said to Sadaparibhuta Bodhisattva Mahasattva: "If good men or good women receive and uphold this Lotus Sutra, whether reading it, reciting it, explaining it or copying it, this person will gain eight hundred merits of the eye, twelve hundred merits of the ear, eight hundred merits of the nose, twelve hundred merits of the tongue, eight hundred merits of the body, and twelve hundred merits of the mind, and with these merits adorn the six faculties, making all of them pure. These good men and good women, with the pure physical eye born of their parents, will see all the mountains, forests, rivers and seas inside and outside the three-thousand great-thousand world, down to the Avici hell and up to the Summit of Existence, and will also see all the beings within it, and the causes and conditions of their karma and the places of their rebirth by retribution, seeing and knowing all of it."

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:

「若於大眾中，以無所畏心、

"If in a great assembly, with a mind free of fear,

說是法華經，汝聽其功德。

One teaches this Lotus Sutra, listen to his merits.

是人得八百、功德殊勝眼，

This person gains eight hundred excellent merits of the eye,

以是莊嚴故，其目甚清淨。

Because of this adornment, his eyes are very pure.

父母所生眼，悉見三千界，

With the eyes born of his parents, he sees all the three-thousand worlds,

內外彌樓山，須彌及鐵圍，

Inside and outside, Mount Meru, Sumeru and the Iron Ring Mountains,