大通方廣懺悔滅罪莊嚴成佛經 1.8

1.8

At that time, all the bodhisattvas who had come from the ten directions joined their palms together and addressed the Buddha, saying: "We now, through the power of those buddhas, have come to this land, have been able to see the Bhagavat, and have further heard the Mahāyāna. We pray that we may be permitted to accept and uphold this sūtra. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, in this land as well as other directions—beneath mountain forests and trees, in the dwellings of ṛṣis, in cities and villages, in wildernesses and among graves, beneath trees in the open air, in stūpas, monasteries, and saṅgha quarters, in assemblies expounding the Dharma, and in the dwellings of laypeople, in every household and for every person—we shall broadly proclaim and circulate it, constantly ensuring it does not cease. Why is this? If this sūtra remains for long, the evil destinies will be extinguished forever. As for why this is so, we have previously heard the Buddha say: The hells allow no respite; yet if one recites even a single line of scripture, the devas will rejoice, constantly come close, and naturally cultivate good. If a person hears this vaipulya classic, rejoices with faith and reverence, copies, reads, recites, accepts, upholds, and pays homage to it, and recites the name of even a single buddha or a single bodhisattva in this sūtra, that person will enjoy peace and security in the present life, never witnessing evils. When their life comes to an end, we bodhisattvas will guide this person ahead, dedicating [their merits] to our lands so that we may be reborn together in one place. Why is this? Because they accepted and upheld this sūtra. One who accepts and upholds this sūtra upholds the Buddha's body. One who upholds the Buddha's body—you should know that this person is a bodhisattva. Therefore, this person is our fellow student. Through these causes and conditions, may those who accept and uphold this sūtra aspire to be born in one place and never be separated from one another."