妙法蓮華經 4.56

4.56

transformed monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen to hear this teaching. All

these transformed beings will hear the Dharma, believe and accept it, and

not reject it.

“If an expounder of the Dharma resides in a secluded place, I will then

dispatch many devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and asuras to hear his

teaching. Although I will be in a different land, I will periodically let the

expounders of the Dharma see me. If they forget a line of this sutra I will explain it again, enabling them to master it.”

Thereupon, the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this

If you wish to rid yourself of idleness,

You should listen to this sutra.

This sutra is rarely heard,

And it is also difficult to accept.

Suppose there were a thirsty man

Seeking for water by drilling

Into the earth on a high plain.

He sees only dry earth and knows

That water is still far away.

He gradually sees

The moist earth turn into mud

And knows with certainty

That water is near.

O Bhaiṣajyarāja!

You should know that those people

Who do not hear the Lotus Sutra

Are very far away

From the Buddha’s wisdom.

If they hear this profound sutra

Which brings resolution to the śrāvakas

And if they hear this King of Sutras

And attentively contemplate it,

Know that these people

Are close to the Buddha’s wisdom.

If people want to expound this sutra,

They should enter the Tathāgata’s chamber,

Put on the Tathāgata’s garments,

And sit on the Tathāgata’s seat.

They then should face the people without fear,

So that they may extensively

Illuminate and explain it to the assembly.

The Tathāgata’s chamber is great compassion,

His garments are gentleness and perseverance,

And his seat is the emptiness of all existent things.

After settling among them,

They should expound the Dharma.

Even if, when they expound this sutra,

People disparage them with evil words,

Or attack them with swords, sticks, tiles, or stones,

Being mindful of the Buddha,

They should persevere.

I will manifest my pure and solid form

In thousands of myriads of koṭis of lands

And teach the Dharma to sentient beings

For immeasurable koṭis of kalpas.

If after my parinirvāṇa

There is someone who is able to teach this sutra,

I will dispatch a transformed fourfold assembly

Of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen

To pay homage to this expounder of the Dharma.