妙法蓮華經 5.19

5.19

“O Mañjuśrī! The Tathāgata is exactly like this. He has attained the land

of the Dharma through his powers of concentration and wisdom. Thus he

has become the king of the triple world. Since the māra kings will not obey

him, the wise and noble generals of the Tathāgata come to do battle with

them. The Tathāgata rejoices at the meritorious ones and teaches various

sutras to the fourfold assembly, gladdening them. He bestows upon them the

property of all the teachings about concentrations, liberations, faculties without corruption, and powers. He also bestows upon them the city of nirvana. Saying that they have attained nirvana, he leads their minds onward and gladdens them all. And yet he does not teach them the Lotus Sutra.

“O Mañjuśrī! It is just as if the noble emperor finally gives the jewel that has been long concealed in his topknot. Although he perceived the great merit of those soldiers and was deeply pleased, he did not rashly give them the marvelous jewel. The Tathāgata is also exactly like this. Since he is the great King of the Dharma in the triple world he inspires all the sentient beings through the Dharma. When he sees the wise and noble soldiers who have done battle with the māra of the five aggregates, the māra of desires, and the māra of death, who have great merit in battle, and have extinguished the three poisons, left the triple world, and broken out of Māra’s net, he then rejoices greatly. He now teaches the Lotus Sutra, which is treated with hostility by the entire world and is difficult to believe in, and which he has never taught before, and enables sentient beings to attain omniscience.

“O Mañjuśrī! This Lotus Sutra is the ultimate teaching of all the Tathāgatas, the most profound among all the teachings, and conferred at the very end. It was in the same way that the very powerful and noble emperor gave the jewel after having preserved it for a long time.

“O Mañjuśrī! This Lotus Sutra is the secret treasure house of all the Buddha Tathāgatas, and the foremost among all the sutras. The Buddha has preserved it for a long time and he has not taught it indiscriminately. Now, for the first time he teaches it.”

At that time the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this

Always practice patience

And be compassionate toward all,

Since only then can one expound

A sutra praised by the Buddha!

In the future those who preserve this sutra

Should be compassionate and kind toward

Lay Buddhists, renunciants, and non-bodhisattvas,

Saying:

Those who have not heard this sutra

Or who do not believe in it

Have consequently lost a great opportunity.

When I attain the buddha path

I will expound this teaching

Through various skillful means

And enable them to abide in it.

Suppose there was a powerful, noble emperor

Who bestows upon those soldiers meritorious in battle

Various gifts of elephants, horses, chariots, conveyances,

Ornaments, estates, villages, cities, garments,

Various treasures, servants, and wealth.

He gives these gifts with joy.

If there is anyone who has been brave

And has performed difficult deeds,

The noble emperor gives

The precious jewel in his topknot.

The Tathāgata is exactly like this.

He is the emperor of all the teachings.

Out of his great compassion,

And through his treasury of wisdom

And great power of patience,

He inspires the world according to the Dharma.

Seeing all the sentient beings suffering,

Seeking liberation

And doing battle with the māras,

He explains various teachings for the beings

And teaches various sutras

With his great skillful means.

Knowing that the sentient beings have

Finally attained the power to understand,

He teaches this Lotus Sutra only at the very end,

Just like the noble emperor

Who gave the jewel in his topknot.

This sutra is the utmost, Superior to all the sutras. I have constantly preserved it And have not revealed it indiscriminately. Now is the right time to teach it to you. After my parinirvāṇa Those seeking the buddha path, Who want to attain ease and expound this sutra, Should become familiar with these four spheres Of the teaching concerning ease in practice. Those who recite this sutra will always Be free from anxiety and illness, And will have a noble countenance. They will not be born into poverty, Lowliness or ugliness. Sentient beings will want to meet them Just as they long to meet a wise seer, And all of the devaputras will serve them. Sticks and swords cannot hurt them, And poison cannot harm them. If people slander them Those slanderers’ mouths will be sealed up. They will travel fearlessly Like a lion king, and The light of their wisdom Will illuminate just like the sun. If they dream they see only subtle things. They see the Tathāgatas seated on lion seats, Teaching the Dharma to the assembly Of monks surrounding them. They see nāgas and asuras, As numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, Honoring the Tathāgatas With their palms pressed together. Revealing themselves,

They teach the Dharma to these beings.

They also see the buddhas, with golden bodies,

Emitting immeasurable rays of light

Which illuminate universally,

And expounding various teachings

With beautiful voices like Brahma’s.

To the fourfold assembly

The Buddha teaches the highest Dharma.

Revealing themselves among them,

They praise the Buddha

With palms pressed together.

Hearing the Dharma they rejoice

And pay homage to the Buddha.

They attain the power of recollection

And achieve the wisdom of nonretrogression.

The Buddha, knowing their minds,

And that they have deeply entered the buddha path,

Gives them a prediction of the highest,