妙法蓮華經 7.76

7.76

the brahmans. You should go to your father to ask him to come with us.

“Vimalagarbha and Vimalanetra said to their mother with their palms

and ten fingers pressed together:

We are the children of the King of the Dharma, although we were born

in this house of wrong views.

“The mother replied to her sons, saying:

You should have compassion for your father and show him great mir-

acles. If he sees them, his mind will certainly be purified. He will then

allow us to go before the Buddha.

“Thereafter the two sons jumped up into the air as high as seven tāla

trees and, out of their love for their father, showed him various miracles. They

walked, stood, sat, and slept in the air, causing water to flow from their upper

bodies and blowing fire out of their lower bodies, causing water to flow from

their lower bodies, and blowing fire out of their upper bodies; enlarging their

bodies so that they filled the air, making them small and then enlarging them

again; disappearing in midair and instantly reappearing on the earth; enter-

ing the earth as if it were water and walking on the water as though on the

earth. By showing various marvels like these, they purified their father’s mind

and caused him to believe them. When their father saw the transcendent pow-

ers of his sons, he rejoiced a great deal at his unprecedented experience and

addressed his sons with his palms pressed together, saying:

Who is your teacher? Whose pupils are you?

“The two sons said:

O great king! The Buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarāja-

saṃkusumitābhijña is now sitting on the seat of the Dharma under the

seven-jeweled bodhi tree and teaching the Lotus Sutra extensively to

the assembly of all the devas and humans in this world. He is our teacher.

We are his pupils.

“The father said to his sons:

I now also wish to see your teacher. Let me go with you!

“Thereupon, the two sons descended from the air, approached their mother, and addressed her with their palms pressed together, saying:

Our father believed us and the thought of highest, complete enlight-

enment can now awaken in him. We have done the Buddha’s work for

the sake of our father. We entreat you, O mother, to allow us to renounce

household life and practice the bodhisattva path under the guidance of

that buddha.

“At that time the two sons addressed the mother in verse, wanting to elaborate on this meaning further, saying:

We entreat you, O mother, to allow us

To renounce household life

And to become śrāmaṇas!

It is extremely difficult to meet buddhas.

We will learn by following this buddha.

It is more difficult to meet a buddha

Than to see uḍumbara flowers.

It is also difficult to escape from adversity.

We entreat you to allow us

To renounce household life.

“Their mother addressed them immediately, saying:

I give my consent for you to renounce household life. What is the rea-

son for this? It is because it is difficult to meet a buddha.

“Then the two sons addressed their parents, saying:

Splendid! O father and mother! We entreat you now to approach and

meet the Buddha Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusu-

mitābhijña and pay homage to him. Why is this? Because it is diffi-