妙法蓮華經 3.67

3.67

served, recited, and understood it in order to achieve highest, complete enlight-

enment. When the Buddha taught this sutra, all the sixteen śrāmaṇeras, the

bodhisattvas, completely accepted it. There were also some among the śrā-

vakas who believed it. But all the other thousands of myriads of koṭis of sen-

tient beings became confused.

“The Buddha continuously taught this sutra for eight thousand kalpas

without stopping. After teaching this sutra, he immediately entered a quiet

place and abided in meditation for eighty-four thousand kalpas.

“At that time each of the sixteen śrāmaṇeras, the bodhisattvas, know-

ing that the Buddha had entered the quiet place and was abiding tranquilly

in meditation, ascended the Dharma seat and extensively taught and explained

the Lotus Sutra to the fourfold assembly for eighty-four thousand kalpas.

Each of them saved six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings

equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. By revealing and teaching it, they gladdened these sentient beings and awoke in them the thought of highest, complete enlightenment.

“Having arisen from samādhi after eighty-four thousand kalpas had passed, the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū approached the Dharma seat and sat down with complete mindfulness. He addressed everyone in the great assembly, saying:

These sixteen śrāmaṇeras, bodhisattvas, are extraordinary. All their

faculties are sharp and their wisdom is penetrating. In times past they

have paid homage to immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of

buddhas and have constantly practiced the pure path of discipline and

integrity under them. They preserved the wisdom of the buddhas and

revealed it to sentient beings, causing them to enter into it. All of you

should approach and pay them homage again and again. Why is this?

If there are any śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas who

are able to believe and preserve the teaching in this sutra expounded

by these sixteen bodhisattvas and not disparage it, they will all attain

the wisdom of the Tathāgata, highest, complete enlightenment.

The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: “These sixteen bodhisattvas always willingly taught this Lotus Sutra. Each bodhisattva has inspired six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. In life after life, they remained with these bodhisattvas and, hearing this teaching from them, they believed and understood. For this reason they were able to meet four myriads of koṭis of Buddha Bhagavats during a period uninterrupted up to the present.

“O monks! I shall now tell you that these sixteen śrāmaṇeras, disciples of that buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, have now attained highest, complete enlightenment and presently teach the Dharma in the lands of the ten directions. There are immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas who have become their attendants.

“Two of these śrāmaṇeras have became buddhas in the east. One is called Akṣobhya in the land called Abhirati and the other is called Merukūṭa. In the southeast there are two buddhas. One is called Siṃhaghoṣa and the other is called Siṃhadhvaja. In the south there are two buddhas called