The Lotus Sūtra 7.13

7.13

爾時華德菩薩白佛言：「世尊！是妙音菩薩，種何善根，修何功德，有是神力？」

the Lotus Sutra, and have come here in order to see Mañjuśrī and others.”

Thereupon Bodhisattva Padmaśrī addressed the Buddha, saying: “O Bha-

gavat! What roots of good merit has this Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara planted,

and what merits has he practiced to attain these transcendent powers?”

The Buddha answered Bodhisattva Padmaśrī, saying: “In the past there

was the Buddha called Meghadundubhisvararāja, a Tathāgata, Arhat, Com-

pletely Enlightened. His world was called Sarvarūpasaṃdarśana and the kalpa

was called Priyadarśana. For a period of twelve thousand years Bodhisattva

Gadgadasvara paid homage to the Buddha Meghadundubhisvararāja with a

hundred thousand kinds of music and eighty-four thousand seven-jeweled

bowls. As a result of his deeds he was born in the world of the Buddha Kamala-

dalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña and has attained his transcendent

powers. O Padmaśrī! What do you think about this? Is Bodhisattva Gadgada-

svara, who paid homage to the Buddha Meghadundubhisvararāja with music

and jeweled vessels, someone unknown? Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Gadga-

dasvara here present is one and the same. O Padmaśrī! Having closely and

respectfully attended innumerable buddhas and planted roots of good merit

over a long time, this Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara met hundreds of thousands

of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of buddhas equal in number to the sands of the

Ganges River. O Padmaśrī! You think that the body of Bodhisattva Gadgada-

svara exists only here; however, this bodhisattva manifests himself in vari-

ous bodies. He has thus taught this sutra in many places for the sake of the

sentient beings. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of Brahma. Some-

times he has appeared in the form of Śakra. Sometimes he has appeared in

the form of Īśvara. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of Maheśvara. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of the great commander of the devas. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of Vaiśravaṇa. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a noble emperor. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a minor king. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a wealthy man. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a householder. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a state official. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a brahman. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a monk, nun, layman, or laywoman. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of the wife of a wealthy man or a householder. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of the wife of a state official. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of the wife of a brahman. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a boy or a girl. Sometimes he has appeared in the form of a human, or a nonhuman such as a deva, nāga, yakṣa, gandharva, asura, garuḍa, kiṃnara, or mahoraga.

“In this way he has expounded this sutra and saved those in the states of being of hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, animals, and those in difficult circumstances. Sometimes he has transformed himself into a female in royal harems and taught this sutra. O Padmaśrī! This Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara saves all sentient beings in the sahā world. This Bodhisattva Gadgadasvara has transformed himself into various forms and taught this sutra for the sake of all sentient beings. Nevertheless, his transcendent power has never