妙法蓮華經 7.67

7.67

They then recited a dhāraṇī in the presence of the Buddha, saying:

Iti me iti me iti me iti me iti me nime nime nime nime nime ruhe ruhe

ruhe ruhe stuhe stuhe stuhe stuhe stuhe.

“Let troubles come upon our heads rather than distress the expounders of the Dharma. No yakṣa, no rākṣasa, no hungry ghost, no pūtana, no kṛtya, no vetāla, no skanda, no omāraka, no apasmāraka, no yakṣakṛtya, no manuṣyakṛtya, no fever; no fever for one day, for two days, for three days, for four days or even up to seven days or at any time; no one in the form of a man, no one in the form of a woman, no one in the form of a boy, no one in the form of a maiden, no one who may appear even in a dream, in any of these forms shall cause them distress.”

They then spoke to the Buddha in verse, saying:

If anyone does not accept my dhāraṇī,

And troubles one who expounds the Dharma,

His head will be split into seven pieces

Just like a branch of the arjaka tree.

Consider the transgression of parricide,

Of pressing sesame mixed with impurities,

Of cheating people with scales;

Consider the transgression committed by Devadatta

Who divided the sangha.

Those who slander this expounder of the Dharma

Shall suffer consequences such as these.

After having spoken these verses the rākṣasīs addressed the Buddha, saying: “O Bhagavat! We also want to protect those who preserve, recite, and practice this sutra, and cause them to live at ease, rid them of their weighty cares, and drive out various poisons.”

The Buddha said to the rākṣasīs: “Splendid! Splendid! You protect those who preserve the name of the Lotus Sutra. Your merit is immeasurable. How much more merit is there in protecting those who perfectly preserve and revere the sutra in various ways; such as by offering flowers, perfumes, necklaces, fragrant ointments, scented powders, burning incense, banners, canopies, and music, or by lighting ghee lamps, oil lamps, fragrant oil lamps, lamps of oil made from sumanas, campaka, vārṣika, and utpala flowers! How much more merit is there in offering such things in hundreds to thousands of ways! O Kuntī! You and your retinues should protect the expounders of the Dharma in this way.”

When this chapter, “Dhāraṇī,” was taught, sixty-eight thousand people attained the acceptance of the nonorigination of all dharmas.

Ancient Accounts of

King Śubhavyūha

Thereupon, the Buddha addressed the great assembly, saying: “Once upon a time, immeasurable, limitless, inconceivable, and incalculable kalpas ago,