The Lotus Sūtra 3.60

3.60

「『善哉見諸佛，救世之聖尊，
能於三界獄，勉出諸眾生。
普智天人尊，哀愍群萌類，
能開甘露門，廣度於一切。
於昔無量劫，空過無有佛，
世尊未出時，十方常暗冥，
三惡道增長，阿修羅亦盛，
諸天眾轉減，死多墮惡道。
不從佛聞法，常行不善事，
色力及智慧，斯等皆減少。
罪業因緣故，失樂及樂想，
住於邪見法，不識善儀則，
不蒙佛所化，常墮於惡道。
佛為世間眼，久遠時乃出，
哀愍諸眾生，故現於世間。
超出成正覺，我等甚欣慶，
及餘一切眾，喜歎未曾有。
我等諸宮殿，蒙光故嚴飾，
今以奉世尊，唯垂哀納受。
願以此功德，普及於一切，
我等與眾生，皆共成佛道。』

“Then all the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

How splendid it is to meet the buddhas, The Great Sages who deliver the world, Who diligently work to get sentient beings Out of the hell of the triple world! The Best of Devas and Humans, Who has universal wisdom, Out of compassion for everyone Opens the gate to immortality And extensively saves all. Since olden times, immeasurable kalpas Have passed away in vain Without the presence of the Buddha. In the time before the Bhagavat appears, The ten directions are in constant darkness. Those in the three troubled states of being increase And the asuras also flourish. The devas decrease all the more, And when they die Many of them fall into those troubled states. Having never heard the teaching from the Buddha, All of them always behave badly, And their physical power and wisdom decreases. Because of their erring deeds They lose happiness or any notion of it. Abiding in the teaching of false views They know nothing of good conduct. Deprived of the buddhas’ inspiration, They always fall into the troubled states of being. After a very long time, the Buddha has now Appeared as the Eye of the World.

It is out of compassion for sentient beings

That the Buddha appears in the world.

Transcending everything, the Buddha

Has attained complete enlightenment.

We are all extremely happy,

And all the other beings joyfully acclaim

This unprecedented experience.

All our palaces are beautifully adorned

By this ray of light.

We now offer them to the Bhagavat.

Please accept them out of your compassion!

By the universal transference of this merit,

May we and all other beings

Together attain the buddha path!

“Thereupon the five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas, having

praised the Buddha in verse, each spoke to him, saying:

O Bhagavat! We strongly entreat you to turn the wheel of the Dharma,

give ease to many, and enable them to attain the path.

“Then all the great Brahmas spoke these verses:

O Bhagavat! Turn the wheel of the Dharma,

Beat the drum of the Dharma of immortality,

Save the suffering sentient beings,

And reveal the path to nirvana!

We strongly entreat you to accept our request;

And out of your compassion

And with your wonderful voice,

Expound the Dharma

That you have perfected

Over immeasurable kalpas.