妙法蓮華經 1.31

1.31

ing their explanations to what is appropriate is difficult to understand.

“O Śāriputra! After attaining buddhahood I expounded the teaching extensively with various explanations and illustrations, and with skillful means (upāya) led sentient beings to rid themselves of their attachments. Why is this? Because all the Tathāgatas have attained perfect mastery of skillful means, wisdom, and insight.

“O Śāriputra! The wisdom and insight of the Tathāgatas is extensive, profound, immeasurable, and unhindered. They are possessed of power, fearlessness, meditation, liberation, and samādhi that is profound and endless. They have completely attained this unprecedented Dharma.

“O Śāriputra! The Tathāgatas can, through various methods, skillfully illuminate the Dharma with gentle speech and gladden the hearts of the assemblies.

“O Śāriputra! To put it briefly, the buddhas have attained this immeasurable, limitless, and unprecedented Dharma. Enough, O Śāriputra, I will speak no further. Why is this? Because the Dharma that the buddhas have attained is foremost, unique, and difficult to understand. No one but the buddhas can completely know the real aspects of all dharmas—that is to say their character, nature, substance, potential, function, cause, condition, result, effect, and essential unity.”

Thereupon the Bhagavat spoke these verses to explain this meaning

again:

The Heroes of the World are inconceivable,

Neither devas, humans, nor any other sentient beings

Are able to comprehend them.

No one is able to discern the power, fearlessness,

Liberation, samādhi, and

Other attributes of the buddhas.

Formerly, under innumerable buddhas,

They have fully accomplished their practices

And the Dharma, which is profound and excellent,

Hard to perceive and difficult to understand.

Having pursued these practices

For innumerable koṭis of kalpas,

I attained the result on the terrace of enlightenment

And understood completely.

I and the buddhas of the ten directions

Know such matters,

Such as the great results and rewards,

And the meaning of various aspects and characteristics.

It is impossible to explain this Dharma;

The powers of speech fail.

No other sentient being is able to understand it,

Except for those bodhisattvas

Who, in their belief, are willing to understand.

Even the multitude of the Buddha’s disciples,

Who have formerly paid homage to all the buddhas,

Who have put an end to all their corruption

And are bearing their last bodies,