妙法蓮華經 1.19

1.19

At the same time it occurred to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and others: “Now whom should we ask about the illumination and marvelous sign of this buddha?”

Then Bodhisattva Maitreya, wanting to clear up his own confusion, and knowing the minds of the fourfold assembly of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen and of the nāgas, yakṣas, and other beings in that gathering, asked Mañjuśrī: “What is the reason for this marvelous sign, this great ray of light that illuminates the eighteen thousand worlds in the east and renders visible the adornments of all the buddha worlds?”

Thereupon Bodhisattva Maitreya, wanting to elaborate the meaning of this further, spoke to Mañjuśrī in verse:

“O Mañjuśrī!

Why has the Leader

Emitted this great ray of light far and wide From the tuft of white hair Between his eyebrows, Raining down māndārava and mañjūṣaka flowers, And gladdening the people With the fragrant winds of sandalwood? For this reason The earth is completely adorned, And this world quakes in six ways. And the fourfold assembly Is completely enraptured, Delighted in body and mind at the experience of Such an unprecedented marvel. From the depths of the Avīci Hell Up to the summit of existence, The ray of light from between his eyebrows Illuminates the eighteen thousand worlds, Which shimmer like gold, And, throughout all these worlds, The births and deaths of the living beings Of the six transmigratory states of existence, And the good and bad deeds, Through which they have received Good and bad consequences, Are all to be seen from here. The buddhas, the Sage Lord (Narendrasiṃhā), Who teach the subtle and supreme sutra Are also seen. Uttering soft sounds With their pure voices, They teach innumerable myriads Of koṭis of bodhisattvas. With their voices, deep and enticing Like the sounds of Brahma They make the people eager to hear them.

In each world they teach the True Dharma; They illuminate the Buddha-Dharma And enlighten sentient beings By means of various explanations And innumerable illustrations. To those who are suffering

And are cast down by old age, illness, and death They teach nirvana To extinguish their sufferings. To those who have merit, Have paid homage to the buddhas And seek the excellent Dharma, They teach the ideal of the pratyekabuddha. To those heirs of the buddhas Who have practiced in various ways And are seeking the utmost wisdom, They teach the pure path. O Mañjuśrī! Abiding here, I see and hear Thousands of koṭis of things in this way. There are many such things. I shall now explain them in brief. In these worlds I see bodhisattvas, Equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River, Seeking the path of the buddhas According to their various situations. Some undertake the practice of giving gifts, Joyfully giving gold, silver, coral, pearls, Jewels, conch shells, agates, diamonds, Servants, carts, and ornamented litters— They give these things joyfully, Transferring the merit To the path of the buddhas, Wishing to obtain this vehicle Which is the highest in the three worlds,

And praised by all the buddhas. Other bodhisattvas give gifts Such as ornamented carts yoked with four horses And furnished with railings, Canopies, and decorated eaves. Moreover, I see bodhisattvas Who, seeking for the highest path, Give gifts such as their bodies, flesh, hands, And feet, as well as their wives and children. Moreover, I see bodhisattvas Who are joyfully giving their heads, eyes, and bodies, While searching for the wisdom of the buddhas. O Mañjuśrī! I see kings making pilgrimages to the buddhas, Asking about the highest path, Abandoning their prosperous lands, Palaces, subjects and harems, Shaving their heads and beards, And wearing the robes of the Dharma. I see some bodhisattvas becoming monks, Dwelling apart in tranquility, Reciting the sutras with contentment. I also see bodhisattvas Persistent and courageous, Going into remote mountains And contemplating the buddha path. I see some abandoning worldly desires, Dwelling always in lonely places, Practicing profound meditations And obtaining the five transcendent powers. I see bodhisattvas Meditating with palms pressed together, Praising the Kings of the Dharma With thousands of myriads of verses. I also see bodhisattvas,

Profound in wisdom and firm in resolution, Asking the buddhas questions, Listening carefully and retaining everything. Furthermore, I see heirs of the buddhas, Endowed with concentration and wisdom, Teaching the Dharma by innumerable illustrations For the benefit of living beings, Leading and inspiring the bodhisattvas By joyously teaching the Dharma, Destroying Māra and his minions And beating the drums of the Dharma. I also see bodhisattvas Who are tranquil and silent in ease, And never exult Even in the homage paid by devas and nāgas. I see bodhisattvas Dwelling in forests, radiating light,

Alleviating the suffering of beings in the hells And causing them to enter the buddha path. I also see heirs of the buddhas Who have never fallen asleep, And are constantly wandering in forests In search of the buddha path. I see some who are pure like jewels, Endowed with integrity And faultless in behavior, In search of the buddha path. Furthermore, I see heirs of the buddhas In search of the buddha path, Who have the power of perseverance And patiently endure Those of excessive pride Who abuse them verbally and physically. I see bodhisattvas Who have been searching for the buddha path

For thousands of myriads of koṭis of years, And who have renounced idlers and foolish companions And approached the wise. Having singlemindedly rid themselves of inner confusion They are meditating in mountain forests. I also see bodhisattvas seeking For the highest path, Who are giving food and drink, And a hundred kinds of medicine To the Buddha and the sangha. They give superb garments and clothing Worth thousands of myriads, And priceless robes To the Buddha and the sangha. They give thousands of myriads of koṭis Of treasured monasteries made of sandalwood, And various kinds of excellent bedding To the Buddha and the sangha. They give clean garden groves Full of flowers and fruits, Fountains and bathing pools To the Buddha and the sangha. Thus they give such various excellent things, With joy and vigor, Seeking the supreme path. There are also bodhisattvas Who are teaching innumerable sentient beings The Dharma of tranquility In various ways. Furthermore, I see bodhisattvas Who have perceived the essential character Of all dharmas (phenomena) to be without duality, Just like empty space. I also see heirs of the buddhas Who are seeking the highest path

Through this subtle wisdom, Their minds free of attachment. O Mañjuśrī! There are bodhisattvas Who pay homage to the relics (śarīras) of the buddhas After their parinirvāṇas. I also see heirs of the buddhas Who have built stupas As numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, With which to decorate the buddha worlds. These jeweled stupas are magnificent— Five thousand yojanas in height and Two thousand yojanas in both length and width. On each of these stupas Are one thousand banners, flags, and canopies, And jeweled bells ringing harmoniously. And devas, nāgas, humans, and nonhumans Constantly give offerings of Perfume, flowers, and music to them. O Mañjuśrī! The heirs of the buddhas Have decorated the stupas In order to pay homage to the relics. These worlds have been spontaneously Made as extraordinarily beautiful As the king of the heavenly trees When his flowers bloom. Because the Buddha has emitted this ray of light, I and those with me in the assembly can see