妙法蓮華經 2.13

2.13

For thirty-two intermediate kalpas, During which time many sentient beings Will be saved.

After the extinction of the True Dharma,

The Semblance Dharma will last

For thirty-two intermediate kalpas.

The relics of the Buddha

Will be distributed widely

And devas and humans will pay them homage.

All that the Buddha Padmaprabha does

Will be exactly like this.

That very Best of Humans,

Who will be foremost and without comparison,

Is none other than you.

You should be delighted to hear this!

At that time the fourfold assembly of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen and the great assembly of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas saw Śāriputra receive his prediction of highest, complete enlightenment in the presence of the Buddha. They rejoiced greatly and became immeasurably happy. All of them removed their outer garments and proffered them to the Buddha as offerings.

Śakra, the lord of devas, and Brahma, together with innumerable devaputras also made offerings to the Buddha of their heavenly beautiful garments, heavenly māndārava flowers, and great māndārava flowers. Their heavenly garments floated and fluttered in the air, while in the sky the devas played hundreds of thousands of myriads of kinds of music together at one time. They rained down various heavenly flowers and said: “In the past the Buddha turned the wheel of the Dharma for the first time in Vārāṇasī. Now he has turned the wheel of the utmost and greatest Dharma again.”

Thereupon the devaputras spoke these verses in order to explain this again:

In the past you turned the wheel of the Dharma

Of the Four [Noble] Truths in Vārāṇasī;

And you illuminated and explained the Dharma

Of the origination and extinction of the five aggregates.

You have now again turned the wheel

Of the subtlest, utmost, and greatest Dharma.

This Dharma is extremely profound;

Only a few will be able to believe it.

Since long ago we have frequently heard

The teaching of the Bhagavat,

Yet we have never before heard

Such a profound and supreme teaching.

When the Bhagavat taught this Dharma

We were all delighted.

And now Śāriputra, possessed of great wisdom,

Has received his prediction from the Bhagavat.

In the same way, we too,

Shall certainly become buddhas.

We shall become peerless,

Unrivaled in all the world.

The path of the Buddha,

Which is difficult to understand,

Is taught with skillful means

According to what is appropriate for sentient beings.

May the merits of our beneficial acts,

Whether of the past or the present,