佛說佛名經 17
English (machine translation) 17
- Language
- English
17.1
At that time, the bhikṣu Upamana rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms reverently, and said to the Buddha: "Bhagavat! How many Buddhas have passed away?"
17.2
The Buddha told the bhikṣu Upamana: "Bhikṣu! Suppose there were worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, filled with fine dust motes from the water boundary below up to the summit of existence above. Bhikṣu, suppose someone took that many dust motes, passed beyond worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and deposited one dust mote; and passed beyond worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges like this and deposited another dust mote; and completely deposited all those dust motes in this manner. Bhikṣu! What do you think? Whether [considering the worlds] where a dust mote was deposited or where no dust mote was deposited, could the number of all those dust motes be known?"
17.3
The bhikṣu said: "No, Bhagavat!"
17.4
The Buddha told the bhikṣu: "Bhikṣu! The number of those dust motes could be known, but the Buddhas of the past with the identical name of Śākyamuni who have already entered nirvāṇa cannot be known by counting.
17.5
"Bhikṣu! I know those past Buddhas as though seeing them right before my eyes. The mothers of those Buddhas were all alike named Mahāmāyā; their fathers were all alike named King Śuddhodana; their cities were all alike named Kapilavastu; the foremost śrāvaka disciples of those Buddhas were all alike named Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana; their attendant disciples were all alike named Ānanda. How much more so those with various different names of mothers, different names of fathers, different names of cities, different names of disciples, and different names of attendants?
17.6
"Bhikṣu! In those various worlds, in some worlds that person deposited a dust mote, and in some worlds he did not deposit a dust mote. In all those worlds, whether a dust mote was deposited or not, from the water boundary below to the summit of existence above—Bhikṣu, suppose there were a second person who took a single dust mote and passed beyond as many worlds as that number of dust motes, taking that number of Buddha lands, asamphyeyas of hundreds of thousands of ten millions of nayutas of worlds, as a single step. Bhikṣu! That person then again passed beyond as many worlds as that number of dust motes in a single step, and walking like this for hundreds of thousands of ten millions of nayutas of asaṃkhyeya kalpas, only then deposited a single dust mote; and in this manner exhausted all the dust motes. Bhikṣu! The dust motes filling so many worlds were then further deposited in the worlds of the ten directions. Bhikṣu! He again passed beyond these worlds and deposited dust motes, all those worlds from the water boundary below to the summit of existence above being filled with dust motes. Bhikṣu! What do you think? Could the number of all those dust motes be known?"
17.7
The bhikṣu said: "No, Bhagavat!"
17.8
"The Buddha told the bhikṣu: "The number of those dust motes could be known, but the number of those Buddhas with the identical name of Śākyamuni, who had the identical names of mothers, identical names of fathers, identical names of cities, identical names of disciples, and identical names of attendants, cannot be known. Just as with Śākyamuni, so too with the Buddhas named Fushengzhuang (Invincible Banner); so too with the Buddhas named Luchena (Locana); so too with the Buddhas named Wugoushengyan (Undefiled Supreme Eye); so too with the Buddhas named Wugouguangmingyan (Undefiled Radiant Eye); so too with the Buddhas named Guangmingqingjingwang (Radiant Pure King); so too with the Buddhas named Shanwugouqingjing (Good Undefiled Purity); so too with the Buddhas named Chengjiuwubian-gongdeshengwang (Accomplished Boundless Merit Supreme King); so too with the Buddhas named Baoguangming (Treasure Radiance); so too with the Buddhas named Jixiu (Peaceful Cultivation); so too with the Buddhas named Shengde (Sound Virtue); so too with the Buddhas named Botuomosheng (Padma Supreme); so too with the Buddhas named Riyue (Sun and Moon); and so too with the Buddhas named Pubaogai (Universal Treasure Canopy). Bhikṣu! You should take refuge in all such asaṃkhyeyas of Buddhas of identical names.
17.9
"Namo Samantaprabhāvikrīḍitarāja Buddha; namo Samantāvabhāsa Buddha; namo Bhaiṣajyarāja Buddha; namo Merupradīparāja Buddha; namo Ratnālaṅkāra Buddha; namo Jñānasaṃpanna Buddha; namo Ratnacchatra Buddha; namo Jvālotthāna Buddha; namo Vastusaṃpanna Buddha; namo Prasannajñāna Buddha; namo Samādhyabhyudgata Buddha; namo Ratnāvalokana Buddha; namo Ratnaketu Buddha; namo Śīlaprada Buddha; namo Sālarāja Buddha; namo Ratnāśayaparvataketurāja Buddha; namo Mahālaṅkāra Buddha; namo Parvateśvararāja Buddha; namo Candra Buddha; namo Arthadarśin Buddha; namo Īśvaradhvaja Buddha; namo Mahāmeru Buddha; namo Prabhāviśiṣṭa Buddha; namo Mahālaṅkārarāja Buddha; namo Mahājñānadhvaja Buddha; namo Sūryagarbha Buddha; namo Abhayottaraparvatarāja Buddha; namo Brahmeśvara Buddha; namo Nirupadhiśreṣṭhaghoṣarāja Buddha; namo Jñānaketu Buddha; namo Jñānolkādhara Buddha; namo Sarvalokātikrānta Buddha; namo Dharmāvabhāsa Buddha; namo Vimalaprabha Buddha; namo Samantaprabha Buddha; namo Sarvābhyudgata Buddha; namo Praśāntamañjughoṣa Buddha; namo Samantāvabhāsa Buddha; namo Śreṣṭhaparvatarājasiṃhavikrīḍitagocaraghoṣa Buddha; namo Dharaṇīdhara Buddha; namo Guṇarājaprabha Buddha; namo Jñānadīpadhara Buddha; namo Pratibhānaśreṣṭharāja Buddha; namo Suvarṇapadmasiddhirāja Buddha; namo Durjaya Buddha; namo Ratnakara Buddha; namo Apramāṇaghoṣa Buddha; namo Mitrābhāsa Buddha; namo Nāgadeva Buddha; namo Devabala Buddha; namo Siṃha Buddha; namo Vigataraṇaprabha Buddha; namo Lokadeva Buddha; namo Abhyudgatasañcaya Buddha; namo Nararāja Buddha; namo Puṣparāja Buddha; namo Puṣpābhyudgata Buddha; namo Vīryārambha Buddha; namo Indraketu Buddha; namo Viśuddhavimalaprabhābodhiratnapuṣpāpraticchinnaprabhārāja Buddha; namo Campakottara Buddha; namo Manopuṇyeśvara Buddha; namo Avalokiteśvararāja Buddha; namo Vimalatejas Buddha; namo Guṇaratnasaṃcaya-garjita Buddha; namo Siddhadharma Buddha; namo Siddhavara Buddha; namo Siṃha Buddha; namo Tejasvin Buddha; namo Ucca-sumeru-parvata Buddha; namo Bhadramañjuvara Buddha of the Aśoka world.
17.10
"If any good son or good daughter accepts, upholds, reads, and recites the names of these Buddhas, they are certain to attain non-retrogression in the mind of bodhi.
17.11
"Namo Candanaśreṣṭha Buddha of the Nanda world.
17.12
"If any good son or good daughter accepts, upholds, reads, and recites the names of these Buddhas, they will ultimately attain a pure mind.
17.13
"Namo Śāntarāga Buddha of the Bhadra world; namo Marabalapramardaka Buddha of the Manobuddhinetra world; namo Aśoka Buddha of the Pūrṇacandra world; namo Ratnapraceya Buddha of the Ketumanovara world; namo Puṣpābhyudgata Buddha of the Vāggarjitaghoṣavara world; namo Samādhivikrīḍita Buddha of the Kṣema world; namo Vṛkṣavikrānta Buddha of the Vipula world; namo Vajraguṇakāya Buddha of the Candrottama world; namo Sāgaraśreṣṭha Buddha of the immeasurable and boundless past.
17.14
"If any good son invokes the names of those Buddhas, he will attain ultimate non-retrogression in the mind of bodhi.
17.15
"Namo Meruśreṣṭharāja Buddha.
17.16
"At that Buddha's first assembly upon initially attaining Buddhahood, there were eighty koṭis of hundred-thousand-nayutas of śrāvakas; at the second assembly, seventy koṭis of hundred-thousand-nayutas; at the third assembly, sixty koṭis of hundred-thousand-nayutas; at the fourth assembly, twenty-five koṭis of hundred-thousand-nayutas. Likewise, the bodhisattvas were immeasurable, boundless, hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas.
17.17
"Namo Siṃhamañjughoṣarāja Buddha.
17.18
"At that Buddha's first assembly, there were ninety-nine koṭis of śrāvakas; at the second assembly, ninety koṭis; at the third assembly, ninety-three koṭis; at the fourth assembly, ninety-nine koṭis. Likewise, the assembly of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas was immeasurable and boundless.
17.19
"Namo Puṣpābhyudgata Buddha.
17.20
"At that Buddha's first assembly, there were eighty koṭis of śrāvakas, and the saṅgha of bodhisattvas was likewise.
17.21
"Namo Sucarita Buddha.
17.22
"At that Buddha's first assembly, there were eighty koṭis of śrāvakas, and the saṅgha of bodhisattvas was likewise.
17.23
"Namo Apramāṇamahālaṅkāra Buddha.
17.24
"At that Buddha's first assembly, there were eighty koṭis of śrāvakas; at the second assembly, seventy koṭis, and so on up to the tenth assembly likewise; the saṅgha of bodhisattvas was likewise immeasurable and boundless.
17.25
"Namo Jvālotthāna Buddha.
17.26
"At that Buddha's first assembly, there were ninety koṭis of śrāvakas, and likewise for the second up to the tenth; the saṅgha of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas was immeasurable and boundless.
17.27
"Namo Sarvaprabhāsa Buddha.
17.28
"At that Buddha's first assembly, there were nayuta koṭis of śrāvakas, and the saṅgha of bodhisattvas was likewise.
17.29
"Namo Apramāṇaprabha Buddha.
17.30
"At that Buddha's first assembly, the śrāvakas numbered ninety-six koṭis; at the second assembly, ninety-four koṭis; at the third assembly, ninety-three koṭis; and the saṅgha of bodhisattvas was likewise.
17.31
"Namo Ghoṣaguṇa Buddha.
17.32
"At that Buddha's first assembly, the śrāvakas numbered eighty koṭis; at the second assembly, seventy koṭis; at the third assembly, sixty koṭis; and the saṅgha of bodhisattvas was likewise. One should pay homage to these Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
17.33
"Furthermore, bhikṣu, you should respectfully bow to the Bodhisattva-Buddha of the pure and immaculate realm in the south, namely Mañjuśrī, who is now in the Buddha land of the Tathāgata Samantadarśin.
17.34
"Furthermore, bhikṣu, you should respectfully bow to the four great bodhisattvas: the first is named Prabhādhvaja, who is now in the eastern Buddha land of the Tathāgata Abhaya; the second is named Jñānottama, who is now in the southern Buddha land of the Tathāgata Jñānasaṃcaya; the third is named Śāntendriya, who is now in the western Buddha land of the Tathāgata Jñānaparvata; the fourth is named Praṇidhānasiddha, who is now in the northern Buddha land of the Tathāgata Nārāyaṇa."
17.35
Furthermore, the bhikṣu Mahānāma asked the Tathāgata, the Bhagavat, again: "How many Buddhas of the past have entered parinirvāṇa?"
17.36
The Buddha said to Mahānāma: "Listen closely now, and I will explain it for you. Bhikṣu, consider the worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the east, the worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the south, the worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the west, the worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the north, and the worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the nadir, zenith, and four intermediate directions. In all those worlds, from down to the water limit up to Bhavāgra, they are completely filled with fine dust motes. Bhikṣu, what do you think? Could the number of those fine dust motes be known?"
17.37
The bhikṣu said: "No, Bhagavat!"
17.38
The Buddha told the bhikṣu: "The Buddhas of the same name Śākyamuni who have entered parinirvāṇa in the past cannot be known by counting. Bhikṣu, I know those past Buddhas as clearly as if they were present before me. The mothers of those Buddhas were all named Mahāmāyā, their fathers were all named King Śuddhodana, their cities were all named Kapilavastu, their foremost śrāvaka disciples were all named Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, and their attendant disciples were all named Ānanda. How much more so for those of various different names—different names of mothers, different names of fathers, different names of cities, different names of disciples, and different names of attendants!
17.39
"Bhikṣu, in those many worlds, in which worlds would that person place a fine dust mote, and in which worlds would he not place a fine dust mote? All those worlds, whether they had a fine dust mote placed in them or not, down to the water limit and up to Bhavāgra—bhikṣu, suppose a second person were to take those fine dust motes, and for as many Buddha lands as the number of those fine dust motes in those worlds—incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of worlds—he would pass that many worlds in a single step. Bhikṣu, that person would again pass as many worlds as the number of fine dust motes in a single step, and that person, traveling thus past hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of asaṃkhyeya kalpas, would only then deposit a single dust mote, and in this manner would exhaust all the fine dust motes. Bhikṣu, if all those many worlds, whether having had a dust mote placed in them or not, were filled completely with fine dust motes, and these were again placed throughout the worlds of the ten directions; bhikṣu, and passing beyond these worlds, whether having had a dust mote placed in them or not, all those worlds down to the water limit and up to Bhavāgra were filled completely with fine dust motes—bhikṣu, what do you think? Could the number of those fine dust motes be known?"
17.40
The bhikṣu said: "No, Bhagavat!"
17.41
The Buddha told the bhikṣu: "The number of those fine dust motes could be known, but the number of those Buddhas of the same name Śākyamuni whose mothers were all named Mahāmāyā, whose fathers were all named King Śuddhodana, whose cities were all named Kapilavastu, whose foremost śrāvaka disciples were all named Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, and whose attendant disciples were all named Ānanda, cannot be known.
17.42
"Furthermore, bhikṣu, suppose a third person were to take the fine dust motes of that many worlds, pass that many worlds as there are fine dust motes in a single step, and traveling through that many hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of asaṃkhyeya kalpas, would only then deposit a single dust mote, exhausting all the fine dust motes in this manner. Suppose a fourth person were to take that number of worlds as there are fine dust motes, whether having had a dust mote placed in them or not, and fill them completely with fine dust motes down to the water limit and up to Bhavāgra. Bhikṣu, what do you think? Could the number of those fine dust motes be known?"
17.43
The bhikṣu said: "No, Bhagavat!"
17.44
The Buddha told the bhikṣu: "The number of those many fine dust motes could be known, yet the number of those Buddhas of the same name Śākyamuni, with mothers of the same name, fathers of the same name, worlds of the same name, disciples of the same name, and attendants of the same name, cannot be known.
17.45
"Bhikṣu, likewise for a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth, a ninth, and a tenth person. Furthermore, bhikṣu, suppose there were an eleventh person; this person takes a single fine dust mote from among those many fine dust motes and breaks it into as many parts as the fine dust motes of those many worlds in the ten directions; just as a single fine dust mote is broken into that many parts, all the remaining fine dust motes are likewise broken into as many parts as the fine dust motes of those many worlds. Bhikṣu, what do you think? Could the number of those fine dust motes be known?"
17.46
The bhikṣu said: "No, Bhagavat!"
17.47
The Buddha told the bhikṣu: "Suppose there is another person who takes that number of fine dust mote Buddha lands as a single step, and traveling with such swift supernormal power through the worlds of the eastern direction for immeasurable and boundless kalpas, in this way deposits a single fine dust mote in an eastern world, exhausting such fine dust motes in the east; and if all those worlds, whether having had a dust mote placed in them or not, were filled completely with fine dust motes down to the water limit and up to Bhavāgra; and likewise for the southern direction and on up through the ten directions, down to the water limit and up to Bhavāgra, all were filled completely with fine dust motes—bhikṣu, what do you think? Could the number of those fine dust motes be known?"
17.48
The bhikṣu said: "No, Bhagavat!"
17.49
The Buddha told the bhikṣu: "The parts of those many fine dust motes could be known, yet the Buddhas of the same name Śākyamuni who are presently in the world and have entered parinirvāṇa cannot be known by counting—their mothers all named Mahāmāyā, their fathers all named King Śuddhodana, their cities all named Kapilavastu, their foremost śrāvaka disciples all named Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, and their attendant disciples all named Ānanda—how much more so for those of various different names!"
17.50
"O bhikṣu! Even if I were to abide in the world for kalpas as numerous as microfine dust particles, my explanation of those who share the same name of Śākyamuni Buddha could never be exhausted. Likewise for those who share the same name of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, Devayan Buddha, Dīpaprabhā Buddha, Sarvājita Buddha, Yaśorāja Buddha, Padmottama Buddha, Vipaśyin Buddha, Śikhin Buddha, Viśvabhū Buddha, Krakucchanda Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, and Kāśyapa Buddha. Those who entered nirvāṇa having mothers of different names, down to attendants of different names—I know those Buddhas as though they were present before me. You ought to reverently pay homage to such Buddhas as these."
17.51
The bhikṣu Upamana said to the Buddha: "Bhagavat! How many Buddhas will there be in the future?"
17.52
The Buddha said to the bhikṣu Upamana: "Listen carefully now! I shall explain it to you. O bhikṣu! In the future Nakṣatrakalpa, three hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Mahāketu; furthermore, there will be ten thousand who share the name Alaṃkārarāja Buddha.
17.53
"In the Puṣpakṛtakalpa, one hundred billion, ten million Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Bodhyabhijñāpuṣpa. In yet another kalpa, eight thousand bimbaras of Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Vigatarāga Buddha.
17.54
"In the Tālopamakalpa, six thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Prakīrṇapuṣpa.
17.55
"In the Jinaghoṣakalpa, in the Sālendrarājadhavaja world-system, ten thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Viśuddhagandhotpalaparvata.
17.56
"In the Samantapuṣpakalpa, one thousand eight hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Apagata-moha. In yet another kalpa, one thousand three hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Brahmaghoṣa. In yet another kalpa, three billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Śākyamuni. In yet another kalpa, eight thousand Buddhas sharing the name Dīpaṃkara will appear in the world. In yet another kalpa, sixty thousand Buddhas sharing the name Pramodya will appear in the world. In yet another kalpa, three hundred million Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Puṣya. In yet another kalpa, eighty thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Sālendrarāja. In yet another kalpa, three hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Padmottama. In yet another kalpa, five hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Padapa.
17.57
"In yet another kalpa, one thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Jāmbūnada. In yet another kalpa, twelve billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Sarvārthadarśin. In yet another kalpa, one thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Kauliya. In yet another kalpa, nine thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Kāśyapa. In yet another kalpa, eighteen Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Indradhvaja. In yet another kalpa, fifteen Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Sūrya Buddha. In yet another kalpa, sixty billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Mahāvyūha. In yet another kalpa, sixty Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Indradhvaja.
17.58
"In yet another kalpa, five hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Sūrya Buddha. In yet another kalpa, sixty billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Mahāvyūha. In yet another kalpa, six thousand two hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Śāntacārin. In yet another kalpa, sixty billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Sālendrarāja. In yet another kalpa, eight thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Dṛḍhavīrya.
17.59
"In yet another kalpa, one hundred billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Viniścitaprabha. In yet another kalpa, eighty billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Sad-dharma-viniścita. In yet another kalpa, sixty-two billion Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Virūḍha. In yet another kalpa, sixty thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Vicitrapadma Buddha. In yet another kalpa, forty thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Praṇidhānavyūha. In yet another kalpa, five hundred Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Kusumottamarāja. In yet another kalpa, forty billion nayutas of Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Mañjughoṣa. In yet another kalpa, one thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Guṇachatrākṣema-īśvararāja. In yet another kalpa, sixty thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Dṛḍhabhāvanāmṛdu. In yet another kalpa, ineffably ineffable hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas, as numerous as microfine dust particles of ten Buddha-lands, will appear in the world, all sharing the name Samantabhadra. In yet another kalpa, seven thousand Buddhas will appear in the world, all sharing the name Dharmavyūharāja.
17.60
"O bhikṣu! In brief, the future Buddhas are measureless, boundless, ineffable, ineffable, and inexhaustible. Bhikṣus, all of you should with single-minded devotion take refuge in such Buddhas as these!"
17.61
At that time, Śāriputra rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, and with palms joined, said to the Buddha: "Bhagavat! How many Buddhas are present now?"
17.62
The Buddha said to Śāriputra: "Do you see my present body?"
17.63
Śāriputra said: "Yes, Bhagavat! I truly see the Buddha's body now."
17.64
He further said to Śāriputra: "Now, when I see in the ten directions, across measureless, boundless, ineffable, ineffable world-systems, those abiding in the world who share my name Śākyamuni Buddha, it is no different from how you see me. It is likewise for those who share the same name of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, Vipaśyin Buddha, Śikhin Buddha, Viśvabhū Buddha, Krakucchanda Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, and Kāśyapa Buddha.
17.65
"Śāriputra! In brief, whether for one kalpa or for hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of kalpas, my explanation of Buddhas sharing the same name could never be exhausted, not to mention Buddhas of different names! All such Buddhas as these were initially taught by Mañjuśrī to give rise to the aspiration for anuttarā samyaksambodhiḥ.
17.66
"Śāriputra! All of you should with single-minded devotion take refuge in such Buddhas as these. Śāriputra! In the present kalpa there are five hundred Buddhas sharing the name Jñānaketu; in another kalpa there are five hundred sharing the name Dharmaketu; in another kalpa there are sixty-two sharing the name Jvalad-ulkā; in another kalpa there are sixty-two sharing the name Śikhin; in another kalpa there are one thousand sharing the name Jvalanadaṇḍeśvararājaghoṣa; in another kalpa there are two thousand with different names: some named Jñānottama Buddha, some Dīpaṃkararāja Buddha, some Dharmottama Buddha, and some Brahmottama Buddha. Śāriputra! All of you should with single-minded devotion take refuge in such Buddhas as these.
17.67
"Śāriputra! There is also a Buddha named Mañjughoṣabhāgahoṣa. Śāriputra! The lifespan of that Mañjughoṣabhāgahoṣa Buddha is a full six thousand years. Beyond him to the east is the Two-Legged Honored One named Jñānābhibhū; that Jñānābhibhū Tathāgata's lifespan is a full twelve thousand years. Beyond that Jñānābhibhū Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named the Two-Legged Honored One Prabhāvābhibhū; that Prabhāvābhibhū Buddha's lifespan is a full seventy-six thousand years. Beyond that Prabhāvābhibhū Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named Maheśvara; that Maheśvara Buddha's lifespan is a full one hundred million years. Beyond that Maheśvara Buddha, there is another Buddha named Brahmaghoṣa; that Brahmaghoṣa Buddha's lifespan is a full one billion years. Beyond that Brahmaghoṣa Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named Saṅgheśvara; that Saṅgheśvara Buddha's lifespan is a full sixty thousand years. Beyond that Saṅgheśvara Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named Ghoṣeśvara; that Ghoṣeśvara Buddha's lifespan is a full one hundred million years. Beyond that Ghoṣeśvara Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named Jinaghoṣa; that Jinaghoṣa Buddha's lifespan is a full ten billion years. Beyond that Jinaghoṣa Bhagavat, there is a Buddha named Candrānana; that Candrānana Buddha's lifespan is a full one day and one night. Beyond that Candrānana Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named Sūryānana; that Sūryānana Buddha's lifespan is a full one thousand eight hundred years. Beyond that Sūryānana Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named Brahmānana; that Brahmānana Buddha's lifespan is a full twenty-three thousand years. Beyond that Brahmānana Bhagavat, there is another Buddha named Brahmāśva; that Brahmāśva Buddha's lifespan is a full one thousand eight hundred years. Śāriputra! All of you should with single-minded devotion take refuge in such Buddhas as these.
17.68
"Śāriputra! Furthermore, passing beyond one kalpa, two hundred Buddhas will appear in the world. I shall proclaim the names of those Buddhas; you should take refuge in them:
17.69
"Namo Anavadyakāya Buddha, namo Yaśonāma Buddha, namo Tejas Buddha, namo Yaśonādaghoṣa Buddha, namo Yaśottara Buddha, namo Ghoṣaviśuddha Buddha, namo Jñānottama Buddha, namo Jñānavimokṣa Buddha, namo Matisampanna Buddha, namo Jñānābhijña Buddha, namo Jñānaniṣpanna Buddha, namo Jñānapūjita Buddha, namo Jñānavicitra Buddha, namo Jñānārcis Buddha, namo Jñānavīrya Buddha, namo Śuddhottara Buddha, namo Brahmadeva Buddha, namo Subrahma Buddha, namo Śuddhavasu Buddha, namo Mañjubrahmaghoṣa Buddha, namo Brahmeśvara Buddha, namo Brahmadeveśvara Buddha, namo Inatha Buddha, namo Brahmaghoṣanādin Buddha, namo Brahmaguṇa Buddha, namo Tejovīrya Buddha, namo Tejoraśmīśvara Buddha, namo Sutejas Buddha, namo Anupamaprabhāvāsahya Buddha, namo Tejodbhūta Buddha, namo Suniścitaprabhāva Buddha, namo Tejodeva Buddha, namo Tejottama Buddha, namo Saṃtrāsa Buddha, namo Saṃtrāsamati Buddha, namo Saṃtrāsaprajña Buddha, namo Saṃtrāsasattva Buddha, namo Saṃtrāsamukha Buddha, namo Saṃtrāsodgata Buddha, namo Prabha-viniścayātyanta Buddha, namo Tejodeva Buddha, namo Saṃtrāsatattva Buddha, namo Dṛṣṭasaṃtrāsa Buddha, namo Sunetra Buddha, namo Candrottama Buddha, namo Gambhīraghoṣa Buddha, namo Anantaghoṣa Buddha, namo Śuddhaghoṣa Buddha, namo Viśuddhaghoṣa Buddha, namo Aprameyaghoṣa Buddha, namo Pramuktaghoṣa Buddha, namo Mārabalapramardaghoṣa Buddha, namo Dhāraṇīghoṣa Buddha, namo Sucakṣus Buddha, namo Viśuddhavaktra Buddha, namo Suprabhāsa Buddha, namo Anantanetra Buddha, namo Samantanetra Buddha, namo Yaśaścakṣus Buddha, namo Netravyūha Buddha, namo Anavadyanetra Buddha, namo Dānta Buddha, namo Damitakāyacitta Buddha, namo Mṛdukāyacitta Buddha, namo Dāntanetra Buddha, namo Sudāntacitta Buddha, namo Suśāntendriya Buddha, namo Suśāntamati Buddha, namo Suśāntavicitra Buddha, namo Suśāntacārin Buddha, namo Suśāntagata Buddha, namo Suśāntapāramita Buddha, namo Suśāntavīrya Buddha, namo Suśāntasthitottama Buddha, namo Suśāntaviśuddhacitta Buddha, namo Gaṇapramukheśvararāja Buddha, namo Gaṇadhara Buddha, namo Gaṇeśvara Buddha, namo Jinagaṇa Buddha, namo Viśuddhajnāna Buddha, namo Mahāgaṇeśvara Buddha, namo Gaṇavīrya Buddha, namo Pramuktavicitragandha Buddha, namo Dharmabala Buddha, namo Dharmaketu Buddha, namo Dharmacārin Buddha, namo Dharmaratna Buddha, namo Dharmabala Buddha, namo Dharmarāja Buddha, namo Sad-dharma Buddha, namo Dharmavīrya Buddha, namo Dharmaratiniścita Buddha.
17.70
"Namo Sad-dharma-viniścita; and in one kalpa, eighty billion [Buddhas] sharing the same name of Viniścita Buddha.
17.71
"In a second kalpa, eighty billion likewise sharing the same name of Viniścita Buddha; and beyond Viniścita Buddha, the one named Jinaniṣpanna Buddha—you should also with single-minded devotion reverently pay homage [to them]."
17.72
"Namo Kṣema Buddha; namo Kaunḍinya Buddha; namo Supramudita Buddha; namo Sunetra Buddha; namo Dhṛtarāṣṭra Buddha; namo Virūpākṣa Buddha; namo Sunetra Buddha; namo Suvikrānta Buddha; namo Sudarśana Buddha; namo Suvimukta Buddha; namo Śākyamuni Buddha; namo Sugata Buddha; namo Mahājaya Buddha; namo Candana Buddha; namo Sutīrṇa Buddha; namo Pāpa-praśamana Buddha; namo Mahāpuṇya Buddha; namo Marīci Buddha; namo Prabhā Buddha; namo Pūrṇacandra Buddha; namo Vimalanāma Buddha; namo Vimalaguṇa Buddha; namo Vimalasthita Buddha; namo Tuṣṭivijaya Buddha; namo Candradhvaja Buddha; namo Ratnābhyudgata Buddha; namo Abhaya Buddha; namo Dīpaṃkara Buddha; namo Dharmasundara Buddha; namo Śikhin Buddha; namo Yaśaḥsundara Buddha; namo Uttaravijayasundara Śākyamuni Buddha; namo Tiṣya Buddha; namo Puṣya Buddha; namo Vipaśyin Buddha; namo Śikhin Buddha; namo Viśvabhū Buddha; namo Krakucchanda Buddha; namo Kanakamuni Buddha; namo Kāśyapa Buddha."
17.73
The Buddha further said to Śāriputra: "Presently in the eastern direction, in the world realm Delightful (Abhirati), there is a Buddha named Akṣobhya; you should all single-mindedly revere and pay homage to him."
17.74
"Namo Sūryagarbha Buddha; namo Nāgarājavararāja Buddha; namo Sūryakara Buddha; namo Nāgapramudita Buddha; namo Vaśavartin Buddha; namo Yaśaḥprabha Buddha; namo Giripura Buddha; namo Samantabhadra Buddha; namo Samantaratna Buddha; namo Yaśovaśavartirāja Buddha; namo Dharmacaryāyaśas Buddha; namo Prathamajñāna Buddha; namo Jñānagiri Buddha; namo Sūryaprabhāsa Buddha; namo Jātavijaya Buddha; namo Merugarbha Buddha; namo Jñānasāgara Buddha; namo Mahāvīrya Buddha; namo Girivarottama Buddha; namo Guṇagarbha Buddha; namo Jñānadharmadhātu Buddha; namo Abhayavaśavartin Buddha; namo Mahāvīryasiddhi Buddha; namo Jñānasiddhi Buddha; namo Apratihatarāja Buddha; namo Bhūmibalaniryāta Buddha; namo Dhṛticaryā Buddha; namo Balarāja Buddha; namo Sudarśana Buddha; namo Dharmaprabhārāja Buddha; namo Mārapramardin Buddha; namo Aviśuddhijvālā Buddha; namo Guṇagiri Buddha; namo Jñānasama Buddha; namo Nirāvaraṇabalarāja Buddha; namo Sucintita Buddha; namo Siṃhapramudita Buddha; namo Śīlaprabha Buddha; namo Sukhavijayarāja Buddha; namo Akṣayajñānagarbha Buddha; namo Ratnamukhavijaya Buddha; namo Jñānaprabha Buddha; namo Viniścayayaśas Buddha; namo Anantavilokitarāja Buddha; namo Dharmapuṣpavṛṣṭi Buddha; namo Prabhākara Buddha; namo Girirāja Buddha; namo Siddhadharmacakrarāja Buddha; namo Vimalanetra Buddha; namo Mahāyaśoguṇa Buddha; namo Apratihatajñānabalarāja Buddha; namo Apratihatakṣema Buddha; namo Śāntamukha Buddha; namo Puṇyabalaniryāta Buddha; namo Jñānacīvararāja Buddha; namo Dharmavaśavartirāja Buddha; namo Anāvaraṇakṣema Buddha; namo Jñānasiddhi Buddha; namo Mahābalamerugarbha Buddha; namo Vilokitaguṇavīrya Buddha; namo Prāptāvaraṇāsaṃmoha Buddha; namo Gandhaprabha Buddha; namo Guṇasaṃcayaprabharāja Buddha; namo Dharmasamaka Buddha; namo Ghoṣavaśavartirāja Buddha; namo Ghoṣagupta Buddha; namo Nānābalaniryātarāja Buddha; namo Ratnaprabhāvijayarāja Buddha; namo Sarvameruparvatottama Buddha; namo Ratnameru Buddha; namo Acaladharma Buddha; namo Dṛḍhachattrarāja Buddha; namo Samantaguṇa Buddha; namo Dharmasālameru Buddha; namo Saṃcitajñānaghoṣa Buddha; namo Jñānajvālāpuṣpacandrarāja Buddha; namo Nāgarājavararāja Buddha; namo Udumbarapuṣparāja Buddha; namo Viśuddhasuvarṇarāja Buddha; namo Vivardhitadharmadhvajarāja Buddha; namo Candanaprabhāsa Buddha; namo Dhāraṇīguṇayaśas Buddha; namo Dṛḍhāśayavīrya Buddha; namo Dīpajvalana Buddha; namo Vīryavikrama Buddha; namo Anantadṛḍhadhvaja Buddha; namo Paramadharmayaśas Buddha; namo Dharmarāja Buddha; namo Pramarditamahāsaṅgha Buddha; namo Prabhājvālāpuṣpagiri Buddha; namo Jñānavijayapradīpa Buddha; namo Pratibhānatejojvalana Buddha; namo Araṇābhaya Buddha; namo Jñānavikurvaṇaghoṣa Buddha; namo Dvīcakrasiddhi Buddha; namo Varakāyachattra Buddha; namo Vijayavyūharāja Buddha; namo Siṃhāsanasuniṣaṇṇa Buddha; namo Candrakiraṇapuṣparāja Buddha."
17.75
"Furthermore, Śāriputra, to the present Buddhas of the southern direction you should also single-mindedly pay homage:"
17.76
"Namo Dharmavaśavartigarjita Buddha; namo Siṃhavikrīḍitarāja Buddha; namo Prathamacittotpādagandhavaśavartisāla Buddha; namo Nārāyaṇavaśavartigarbhameruvijaya Buddha; namo Ratnagirivīryavaśavartisaṃcitaguṇa Buddha; namo Jyotirgarbha Buddha; namo Nakṣatropāyayaśas Buddha; namo Guṇabalasālarāja Buddha; namo Varaghoṣagarjitavikrīḍita Buddha; namo Sarvasattvāśayaprāpta Buddha; namo Mahāśaya Buddha; namo Varaghoṣa Buddha; namo Ratnagiri Buddha; namo Dharmameghagarjitaghoṣa Buddha; namo Gandhadharapadminīvīryarājasiddhi Buddha; namo Vimalaprabha Buddha; namo Prabhākarita Buddha; namo Guṇapada Buddha; namo Hetupratyayaprabha Buddha; namo Anantaguṇarāja Buddha; namo Vardhamanānetra Buddha; namo Siṃhaghoṣavikrīḍita Buddha; namo Devalavīryasiṃhavikrīḍita Buddha; namo Dharmavilokana Buddha; namo Dharmapuṣpābhijña Buddha; namo Satkṛtadharmaviśuddha Buddha; namo Dṛḍhavīryacaryāvikrīḍita Buddha; namo Sva-vīrya Buddha; namo Meruprabha Buddha; namo Guṇānila Buddha; namo Viśuddhendriya Buddha; namo Samāhūtajñāna Buddha; namo Jñānakara Buddha; namo Abhedyavipulabuddhi Buddha; namo Balabuddhi Buddha; namo Utpala Buddha; namo Dharmadṛḍhapramudita Buddha; namo Dṛḍhāśayavaśavartirāja Buddha; namo Samasumerumukha Buddha; namo Prasthānottsargasiddhi Buddha; namo Viśuddhagarbha Buddha; namo Sarvasattvavaśavartin Buddha; namo Vijayakarmaviśuddhadarśana Buddha; namo Jñānavaśavartin Buddha; namo Susukhavikrīḍita Buddha; namo Anāvaraṇānupalambhavīrya Buddha; namo Lokavaśavartin Buddha; namo Vipuladharmacaryā Buddha; namo Guṇasiddhi Buddha; namo Adīnasiddhi Buddha; namo Cintāmaṇyabhijñāpura Buddha; namo Yathādharmavilokana Buddha; namo Candanakeśara Buddha; namo Satkṛtaśīlarāja Buddha; namo Ratnanāma Buddha; namo Nāgarājavaśavartigiversaghoṣa Buddha; namo Mahājñānavyūha Buddha; namo Anāthaguṇa Buddha; namo Ārāma Buddha; namo Aniruddharūpavyūha Buddha; namo Viśuddhaguṇavyūha Buddha; namo Vaśavartilakṣaṇānuvyañjanavyūhayaśas Buddha; namo Cāritravaśavartirāja Buddha; namo Dharmapuṣpameru Buddha; namo Dharmatāvyūha Buddha; namo Praṇidhānaparipūrṇa Buddha; namo Mahotyāgavyūha Buddha; namo Sahasradharmābhaya Buddha; namo Sadāvaśavartisiddhi Buddha; namo Dharmaratavikrīḍita Buddha; namo Śāntarāja Buddha; namo Vimuktirāja Buddha; namo Skandhameru Buddha; namo Cintābalavidyudrāja Buddha."
17.77
"Next, pay homage to the great canon and wheel of the Dharma of the twelve branches of sacred scriptures."
17.78
"Reverently pay homage to all the great bodhisattva-mahāsattvas of the ten directions."
17.79
"Namo Kṣānti Bodhisattva; namo Velāma Bodhisattva; namo Uttaratnamati Bodhisattva; namo Īryāpatha Bodhisattva; namo Amoghaguṇa Bodhisattva; namo Ratnaprabha Bodhisattva; namo Pratibhānacūḍa Bodhisattva; namo Matiśikhara Bodhisattva; namo Sarvaśūra Bodhisattva; namo Tamopramardana Bodhisattva; namo Guṇaratna Bodhisattva; namo Puṣpatejas Bodhisattva; namo Apāyavigata Bodhisattva; namo Meghaskandha Bodhisattva; namo Samatikrānta Bodhisattva; namo Uṣṇīṣalakṣaṇa Bodhisattva; namo Girilakṣaṇavijayarāja Bodhisattva; namo Sujāta Bodhisattva; namo Indrajāla Bodhisattva; namo Ratnadāna Bodhisattva; namo Mārapramardin Bodhisattva; namo Samādhivaśavartirāja Bodhisattva; namo Dharmavaśavartirāja Bodhisattva; namo Dharmalakṣaṇa Bodhisattva; namo Nityāprapanna Bodhisattva; namo Ratnolkādhara Bodhisattva; namo Prabhājāla Bodhisattva; namo Anālambanavipula Bodhisattva; namo Māravināśaka Bodhisattva; namo Mahācakṣus prince of the Dharma; namo Maitrīrāja prince of the Dharma; namo Brahmaghoṣa prince of the Dharma; namo Suvarṇarūpa prince of the Dharma; namo Candanavana prince of the Dharma; namo Siṃhanādaghoṣa prince of the Dharma; namo Varaghoṣa prince of the Dharma; namo Surūpasaṃsthāna prince of the Dharma; namo Nānāvyūha prince of the Dharma; namo Indradhvaja prince of the Dharma; namo Mūrdhaja prince of the Dharma."
17.80
"Namas to all such immeasurable and boundless great bodhisattva-mahāsattvas of the worlds of the ten directions."
17.81
"Reverently pay homage to all the noble and holy ones among the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas."
17.82
"Having paid homage to the Three Jewels, next repent."
17.83
"Now, when discussing repentance, it fundamentally means correcting what has passed and cultivating what is to come, eradicating evil and generating good. When living as human beings in the world, who can be free of faults? Even practitioners under training who lose mindfulness still give rise to afflictions; arhats' residual habit-energies still stir physical and verbal karmas. How much less can ordinary beings be without faults? Yet the wise perceive beforehand and are able to reform and repent, whereas the foolish conceal their faults and consequently allow them to proliferate; thus, through accumulating habits throughout the long night, their awakening has no horizon. If one can feel shame and remorse, expose faults, and repent, it is not merely the eradication of offenses: it also multiplies immeasurable merit and establishes the wondrous fruit of the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa."
17.84
"If one wishes to practice this method, one should first externally compose one's physical bearing and reverently gaze upon the sacred image, and internally give rise to a reverent mind focused on the signs of the Dharma, generating with profound earnestness two kinds of thoughts. What are the two? First, to reflect to oneself: 'This body and life of mine can hardly be preserved forever; once it suddenly breaks apart and perishes, I do not know when this body may be regained. If, moreover, I do not encounter the Buddhas and noble sages, but abruptly meet with evil companions and create various sinful karmas, I will fall once again into the deep pits and perilous destinies.' Second, to reflect to oneself: 'In this present life, although I have been fortunate enough to encounter the Tathāgata's true Dharma and become a disciple of the Buddha—and the duty of a disciple is to inherit and continue the lineage of the sages, purify body, speech, and mind, and abide in wholesome dharmas—yet now we openly commit evil on our own and then conceal it, saying that others do not know and thinking they do not see, hiding it in our hearts and remaining arrogant without shame; this is truly the utmost folly and delusion under heaven! For presently, the Buddhas of the ten directions, the bodhisattvas of the great grounds, and the devas and ṛṣis—how have they ever failed to see the sinful evils we commit with their pure divine eyes? Furthermore, the numinous spirits of the hidden and manifest realms record our offenses and blessings without the slightest error.'"
17.85
"Now, regarding those who commit sins: after their life ends, ox-headed hell wardens record their consciousnesses, and before King Yama their right and wrong are thoroughly investigated. At that time, all their adversaries and victims come to testify, each saying: 'You previously slaughtered my body, boiling, roasting, steaming, and grilling it.' Or they say: 'You previously stripped away all my wealth and treasures, separating me from my relatives; only today have I gained an opportunity against you!' In the face of this present testimony, how could they dare conceal anything? They can only willingly accept their portion of past misfortunes; just as the sūtras explain, within the hells no one is punished wrongfully.
17.86
"If during their lifetime they themselves forgot the numerous sins they habitually committed, at the places where they committed evil when alive, all the forms and appearances will appear before them. Each will say: 'In the past, you committed such a sin beside me; how can you conceal it now?' Thus for the committing of sins there is no place to hide. Thereupon, King Yama gnashes his teeth and rebukes them, handing them over to the hells, where through kalpas and exhaustive years they seek escape with no way out. This matter is not distant and does not concern others; it is precisely one's own body creating it and receiving it oneself. Even between fathers and sons who are closest of kin, once retribution arrives, none can undergo it on another's behalf. All of you together, while your bodies are at ease and free from diverse ailments, should each exert effort and race against your life-span, generating great dread; for when death is about to arrive, repentance will be of no avail. Therefore, we disciples with utmost sincerity pay namas to the Buddhas of the ten directions:
17.87
"Namo Golden Sea Buddha of the eastern direction; / Namo Surpassing Mount Sumeru Buddha of the southern direction; / Namo Measureless Banner Buddha of the western direction; / Namo Practicing Wisdom Buddha of the northern direction; / Namo Ultimate Wisdom Buddha of the south-eastern direction; / Namo Unsurpassed Wisdom Buddha of the south-western direction; / Namo Sovereign Wisdom Buddha of the north-western direction; / Namo Luminous Wisdom Buddha of the north-eastern direction; / Namo Brahmā-Heaven Wisdom Buddha of the nadir; / Namo Subduing-Enemies Wisdom Buddha of the zenith.
17.88
"We pay namas to all such Triratnas throughout the ten directions, exhausting the dharma-realm of empty space.
17.89
"We disciples, from anādikāla until this day, have accumulated avidyā that obstructs our hearts and eyes, and following the nature of kleśas have committed sinful karmas in the three times: either indulging in attachment and generating the kleśas of greed and desire; or harbouring the kleśas of wrath, fury, and malice; or the kleśas of confusion, daze, and lack of understanding; or the kleśas of arrogance, self-exaltation, and haughtiness; or the kleśas of doubting the correct path and hesitating; or the kleśas of false views that slander [the law of] cause and effect as non-existent; or the kleśas of not recognizing provisional conditioned arising and grasping at a self; or the kleśas of being deluded about the three times and grasping at annihilationism or eternalism; or the kleśas of associating with evil phenomena and giving rise to the grasping of views (dṛṣṭi-parāmarśa); or the kleśas of wrongly receiving [teachings from] heterodox masters and producing the grasping of rules and vows (śīlavrata-parāmarśa); and down to the kleśas of the four graspings and arbitrary reckonings on a par with these—today with supreme sincerity we pay namas and make kṣamā.
17.90
"Furthermore, we disciples, from anādikāla until this day, have given rise to the kleśa of stinginess through guarding, begrudging, and firmly clinging; the kleśa of extravagance and unrestraint through not restraining the six sense-faculties; the kleśa of intolerance through corrupted and evil mental actions; the kleśa of unremitting sloth through laziness and indolence; the kleśa of initial and sustained thought through agitated feelings and considerations; the kleśa of lack of knowledge and understanding through delusion upon contacting sense-objects; the kleśa of self and other arising from following the eight worldly winds; the kleśa of a crooked mind through flattery, deceit, and face-to-face praise; the kleśa of disharmony through arbitrary aggression and intransigence; the kleśa of harbouring deep resentment through being easily angered and difficult to please; the kleśa of obstinacy and perversity through jealousy, fettering, and malice; the kleśa of flattery and malice through treachery and violent harm; the kleśa of grasping at marks contrary to the two truths; the kleśa of producing inversions regarding suffering, accumulation, cessation, and the path; the kleśa of transmigration through following the twelve links of dependent origination in saṃsāra; down to the kleśas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges of the ground of anādikāla avidyā; and the kleśas of the bitter fruits in the tridhātu constructed by the arising of the four grounds of clinging—all such measureless and boundless kleśas that torment the āryas and the four modes of birth across the six destinies, today we disclose before the ten directions' Buddhas, the revered Dharma, and the noble Saṅgha, paying namas and making kṣamā.
17.91
"May we disciples, by relying on the merit generated from this kṣamā of all kleśas such as greed, hatred, and delusion, vow that in life after life we will fell the banner of pride, dry up the waters of desire, extinguish the fire of hatred, shatter the darkness of delusion, uproot the root of doubt, tear apart the net of views, deeply recognize the tridhātu as like a prison, the four great elements as poisonous snakes, the five aggregates as treacherous bandits, the six sense-entrances as an empty village, and craving as deceitful affection; that we cultivate the eightfold noble path, sever the source of avidyā, proceed directly toward nirvāṇa without resting or ceasing, with every thought corresponding to the thirty-seven factors of awakening, and the ten pāramitās ever present before us."
17.92
Mahāyāna Lotus Sūtra on the Questions and Answers of Baoda on the Retribution of Śramaṇas
17.93
Shortly after, Baoda further entered a Hand-Chopping Hell. Why is it named the Hand-Chopping Hell? That hell is thirty-six yojanas in length and breadth. Within that hell there is a great iron bed, more than fifty paces in length and breadth, with blazing fires raging fiercely and smoke and flames rising together to burn the sinful persons; when the sinful persons see it, they fall to the ground in terror, unable to bear it.
17.94
At the southern gate there were five thousand śramaṇas who cried out loudly: 'For what sin of ours have we come to enter into this place?' A horse-headed rākṣasa, holding a three-pronged iron fork in his hand, struck through their chests and pierced out through their backs, bringing them onto the iron bed. The bed caught fire, and smoke and flames came forth together to burn the sinful persons. There were also iron axes that chopped the sinful persons' hands, shattering them inch by inch. Day and night they endured myriad kinds of punishment, seeking life but unable to attain it, seeking death but unable to attain it.
17.95
Baoda asked the horse-headed rākṣasa: 'What sinful karma did these śramaṇas commit to enter into this place?'
17.96
The rākṣasa replied: 'These śramaṇas received the pure precepts of the Buddha but were unable to uphold them. Neither did they purify themselves by using willow twigs to rinse their mouths; their hands were not clean and bore much filth; or their hands held male or female organs and grasped impure things, and without removing the foul impurities from their armpits, they straightaway held sūtras and images. Due to these causes and conditions, they fell into this hell, where they cannot escape for thousands of myriads of kalpas; and even if they attain human birth, their bodies will be incomplete.'
17.97
Baoda, hearing this, wept in sorrow and departed.
17.98
Sūtra on the Names of the Buddhas, Fascicle Seventeen
Linked texts (1)
- 佛說佛名經 — Classical Chinese