大通方廣懺悔滅罪莊嚴成佛經 2.36

2.36

爾時。虛空藏菩薩白佛言。世尊。我從過去。無量佛所。無量會處。無量眾中。聞種種法。種種事。種種相。種種乘。未曾聞此。希有之法。希有之事。希有之相。希有大乘。我常受持。使不斷絕。世尊。如來常住。法僧不滅。三界眾生。自生自滅。不見如來。及以法僧。唱言滅度。我等今者。承佛威神。遊於三界。順從時宜。假唱滅度。世尊。我等今者。於佛滅後。當與八萬久遠慧法身大士。流通此經。使法界眾生。受持讀誦。如說修行。一時成佛。猶不放捨。世尊。若善男子。善女人。於佛滅後。濁惡世中。若有受持讀誦。書寫經卷。得幾所福。

At that time, Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: "Bhagavat, in the past, in the presence of immeasurable Buddhas, in immeasurable assemblies, and among immeasurable multitudes, I have heard various dharmas, various affairs, various marks, and various vehicles, but never have I heard such a rare Dharma, such rare affairs, such rare marks, and such a rare Mahāyāna! I shall constantly accept and uphold it, causing it not to be severed. Bhagavat, the Tathāgata is eternal; the Dharma and the Saṅgha are imperishable. Sentient beings of the three realms are born of themselves and perish of themselves; not seeing the Tathāgata and the Dharma and Saṅgha, they proclaim that [the Buddha] has passed into extinction. Now, relying on the Buddha's spiritual power, we roam in the three realms, conforming to the needs of the times and provisionally proclaiming [your] passing into extinction. Bhagavat, now, after the Buddha's passing into extinction, together with eighty thousand mahāsattvas of the Dharma-body endowed with long-standing wisdom, I will propagate this sūtra, causing sentient beings throughout the Dharma realm to accept, uphold, read, recite, and practice it as taught, becoming Buddhas simultaneously, yet without ever letting go. Bhagavat, if a good man or good woman in the defiled, evil age after the Buddha's passing into extinction accepts, upholds, reads, recites, or copies this sūtra, how much merit will they obtain?"