妙法蓮華經 3.31

3.31

to honor the Buddha, and in the same way all the other devas made divine music for a full ten intermediate kalpas until his parinirvāṇa.

“O monks! The Dharma of the buddhas appeared to the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū after ten intermediate kalpas had passed, and he attained highest, complete enlightenment.

“This Buddha had had sixteen children before he renounced household life. The eldest child was called Jñānākara. Each child had various kinds of rare toys. After hearing about their father’s attainment of highest, complete enlightenment, they all put aside their toys and set out for where the Buddha was. Weeping sad tears, their mothers saw them off. Their grandfather, the wheel-turning sage king, went with them, along with a hundred ministers and hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of people.

“When they arrived at the terrace of enlightenment, they all wanted to approach the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, and pay homage and respect, honor, and praise him. They came up to him and bowed until their foreheads touched his feet, and then circled around him. Attentively, with palms pressed together, they gazed at the Bhagavat and spoke these verses:

The Bhagavat of great, virtuous dignity,

In order to bring sentient beings to the path,

After immeasurable koṭis of kalpas

And perfecting all the vows,

Finally became a buddha.

How wonderful!

There is nothing more auspicious!

The Bhagavat is truly extraordinary!

He sat tranquil for ten intermediate kalpas

With his body and limbs immobile.

His mind was always calm and never distracted.

He has attained ultimate, eternal tranquility,

And is firmly established

In the incorruptible Dharma.

Now seeing the Bhagavat,

Who has serenely attained the buddha path,

We receive benefit and celebrate

With great joy.

Sentient beings, ever suffering,

Are blind and without a teacher.

They are unaware of the path that leads

To the extinction of suffering,

Ignorant of the way to seek liberation.

From one blind state to the next,

Those in the troubled states of being daily increase

While the devas decrease.

They never hear the Buddha’s name.

Now the Buddha has attained the highest,

Serene, and incorruptible Dharma.

Thus we and the devas and humans,

Shall obtain the greatest benefit.

Therefore we all bow and pay homage

To the highest Lord.

“At that time the sixteen princes, having praised the Buddha in verse,

requested that the Bhagavat turn the wheel of the Dharma, saying: