妙法蓮華經 1.24

1.24

first up to the last, all had the same name Candrasūryapradīpa, endowed with the ten epithets. The Dharma that they taught was good in the beginning, the middle, and the end.

“The last buddha fathered eight princes before he renounced household life. The first was called Mati, the second Sumati, the third Anantamati, the fourth Ratimati, the fifth was called Viśeṣamati, the sixth Vimatisamudghātin, the seventh Ghoṣamati, and the eighth was called Dharmamati. These eight princes were endowed with dignity and power, and each of them ruled over four great continents. Having heard that their father had renounced household life and obtained highest, complete enlightenment, all of them abandoned their kingdoms and also renounced household life. Each caused the spirit of the Mahayana to arise within him, practiced the pure path of discipline and integrity, and became an expounder of the Dharma. They all planted roots of good merit under many thousands of myriads of buddhas.

“At that time, the Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa taught the Mahayana sutra called Immeasurable Meanings, the instruction for the bodhisattvas and treasured lore of the buddhas. Having taught this sutra, he sat down

cross-legged, undisturbed in body and mind among the great assembly and

entered the samādhi called the ‘abode of immeasurable meanings.’

“Then māndārava and great māndārava flowers, mañjūṣaka and great

mañjūṣaka flowers fell like rain from the sky, scattering over the Buddha

and all of his attendants. And the whole buddha world quaked in six ways.

At that time all in that assembly of humans and nonhumans—monks, nuns,

laymen, laywomen, devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃ-

naras, mahoragas, kings, and noble emperors—having experienced such an

unprecedented marvel, were filled with joy and pressing their palms together

they gazed attentively at the Buddha.

“Then the Buddha emitted a ray of light from the tuft of white hair

between his eyebrows which completely illuminated all the eighteen thou-

sand worlds in the east, in the same way that all of these buddha worlds are

visible now.

“O Maitreya! You should know that at that time there were twenty koṭis

of bodhisattvas in the assembly who wanted to hear the Dharma. All of these

bodhisattvas, having seen all the buddha worlds completely illuminated by this

ray of light, were struck with wonder and wanted to know why it was emitted.

“A bodhisattva named Varaprabha was there with his eight hundred dis-

ciples. At that time the Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa, having emerged from

samādhi, remained sitting for sixty intermediate kalpas and revealed to Bodhi-

sattva Varaprabha the Mahayana sutra called Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, the White

Lotus of the Marvelous Law (hereafter Lotus Sutra), which was the instruc-

tion for bodhisattvas and the treasured lore of the buddhas. The assembly also

sat there undisturbed in body and mind listening to the Buddha’s exposition

for sixty intermediate kalpas as if only a single mealtime had passed; during

that time not a single person among them experienced fatigue of body or mind.

“Having taught this sutra for sixty intermediate kalpas, the Buddha Candra-

sūryapradīpa made this proclamation to the assembly of Brahmas, māras,