The Lotus Sūtra 5.17

5.17

「又，文殊師利！菩薩摩訶薩，於後末世法欲滅時，有持是法華經者，於在家、出家人中生大慈心，於非菩薩人中生大悲心，應作是念：『如是之人，則為大失。如來方便隨宜說法，不聞不知不覺、不問不信不解，其人雖不問不信不解是經，我得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，隨在何地，以神通力、智慧力引之，令得住是法中。』文殊師利！是菩薩摩訶薩，於如來滅後、有成就此第四法者，說是法時，無有過失，常為比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷、國王、王子、大臣、人民、婆羅門、居士等，供養恭敬、尊重讚歎。虛空諸天，為聽法故亦常隨侍。若在聚落、城邑、空閑林中，有人來欲難問者，諸天晝夜常為法故而衛護之，能令聽者皆得歡喜。所以者何？此經是一切過去、未來、現在諸佛神力所護故。文殊師利！是法華經，於無量國中，乃至名字不可得聞，何況得見受持讀誦？」

Destroying arrogance, he should teach

The Dharma without obstructions.

The third sphere of the teaching

Of ease in practice is like this.

The wise should preserve it.

Those who practice wholeheartedly and at ease

Will be honored by innumerable sentient beings.

“Furthermore, O Mañjuśrī, in the future world when the Dharma is to be extinguished, any bodhisattva mahāsattva who preserves this Lotus Sutra will awaken the thought of great kindness toward lay Buddhists and renunciants and also awaken the thought of great compassion toward non-bodhisattvas. He should think:

People like these have really missed the Tathāgata’s teaching of the

Dharma according to their capacities through skillful means. They do

not hear, know, or realize it. They do not ask, believe, or understand.

Those people do not even ask questions about this sutra, believe it, or

understand it. When I attain highest, complete enlightenment, wherever

I am, I will lead them and enable them to abide in this teaching through

my transcendent powers and power of wisdom.

“O Mañjuśrī! After the Tathāgata’s parinirvāṇa, this bodhisattva

mahāsattva, who has perfected the fourth sphere of the teaching of ease in

practice, will be faultless when he teaches this Dharma. He will always be

paid homage to, respected, honored, and praised by monks, nuns, laymen,

laywomen, kings, princes, ministers, commoners, brahmans, and house-

holders. The devas in the sky will always accompany him in order to hear

the Dharma. If he is in a village, city, secluded spot, or forest and the peo-

ple want to come and ask difficult questions, the devas will protect him both

day and night, always for the sake of the Dharma, and he will cause all of

those who listen to him to rejoice. Why is this? Because this sutra is pre-

served through the transcendent powers of all the buddhas of the past, pres-

ent, and future.

“O Mañjuśrī! Even the title of this Lotus Sutra cannot be heard in incal-

culable lands. How much more is it unable to be seen, accepted, preserved,

and recited!

“O Mañjuśrī! Suppose a very powerful noble emperor wanted to sub-

due other countries with his might, but the lesser kings would not obey his

command. In such a case the noble emperor gathers an army together to over-

come them. He recognizes the soldiers who have committed brave deeds in

war and, greatly rejoicing, he bestows boons according to their merit, such

as estates, villages, cities, garments, ornaments, various treasures, gold, sil-

ver, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, agate, coral, amber, elephants, horses, char-

iots, servants, and subjects, but he never gives them the precious jewel in

his topknot. Why is this? Because only the noble emperor has this precious

jewel in his topknot. If the emperor gives it away his attendants would cer-

tainly be very surprised and mistrustful.