Chapter 11 : Apparition of the Jewelled Stupa

At that time, there appeared before the Buddha a seven-jewelled stupa, five hundred yojanas in height and two hundred and fifty yojanas in breadth, welling up out of the earth and resting in mid-air, set about with sundry precious objects; splendidly adorned with five thousand parapets, thousands of myriads of recesses, and countless banners and flags. It is hung with jewelled garlands, myriads and kotis of jewelled bells are suspended on it. Tamalapatracandana scent issued from all four directions of its surfaces and filled the world; its banners and canopies were made of gold, silver, vaidurya, giant clam shell, coral, pearl, and carnelian - the seven jewels; and its height extended to the palaces of the four God Kings. The thirty-three gods rained down on it celestial mandarava flowers, with which they paid homage to the jewelled stupa. The other gods, dragons, yaksas, gandharvaas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human-like beings and the like, numbering a thousand myriads of millions, paid homage to the jewelled stupa of all manner of flower perfumes, banners, canopies and skilfully played music, reverently worshipping it, holding it in solemn esteem, and singing its praises. At that time, from the midst of the jewelled stupa it was issued forth the sound of a mighty voice, praising and saying, “Excellent! Excellent! O, Sakyamuni, O, World-honoured One! You are able to preach to the great multitude the Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma of the undifferentiating and mighty wisdom, the Dharma by which Bodhisattvas are instructed and which the Buddhas watch over and keep in mind. Verily, verily, O, Sakyamuni, O, World-honoured One! Whatever you preach is all true.”

At that time, the fourfold multitude, seeing the great jewelled stupa fixed in mid-air and also hearing the sound of the voice issuing forth from inside the stupa, all attained Dharma-joy, amazed at what had never been before. They rose from their seats, humbly with palms joined, and then stood off one side.

The Bodhisattva Great Eloquence (Mahapratibhana), who, understanding the doubts in the minds of the gods, men, and asuras of all the worlds, said to the Buddha, saying, “O, World-honoured One! For what reasons comes this jewelled stupa, welling up out of the earth and producing from its midst the voice?”

The Buddha declared to the Bodhisattva Great Eloquence, “Within this jewelled stupa is the whole body of a Tathagata. Of yore, in the past, incalculable thousands of myriads of millions of asamkhyeyas of kalpas, beyond incalculable thousands of myriads of millions of asamkhyeyas of worlds to the east, there was a realm named Jewel Pure (Ratnavisuddha). In it was a Buddha called Abundant Treasures (Prabhutaratna). Earlier, when that Buddha was treading the Bodhisattva Path, he took a great vow: ‘If I achieve Buddhahood, and if, after my passage into extinction, in any of the lands of the ten directions there is a place in which the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom is preached, in order to listen to the sutra, may my stupa-shrine well up before it and bear testimony to it by praising it, saying “Excellent!”’ When that Buddha had achieved the Path and turned the Dharma-wheel, just before he passed into extinction, in the midst of a great multitude of gods and men he declared to the bhikshus, ‘After my passage into extinction, anyone who wishes to pay homage to my whole body must erect a great stupa.’ Such are that Buddha's transcendental powers, such is the force of his vow that in the world of all ten directions, wherever anyone preaches the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, his jewelled stupa invariably wells up before that person, his whole body in the stupa giving praise with the words, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’ O, Great Eloquence! Now the stupa of the Tathagata Abundant Treasures, because he has heard the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom being preached, has welled up out of the earth with the words of praise, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’”

At that time, the Bodhisattva Great Eloquence, with the aid of the transcendental power of the Tathagata spoke to the Buddha, “O, World-honoured One! We earnestly wish to see this Buddha's body.” The Buddha declared to the Bodhisattva-mahasattva Great Eloquence, “This Buddha Abundant Treasures took a profound and solemn vow: ‘When my jewelled stupa, in order to listen to the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, appears in the Buddhas' presence, if there is anyone who wishes to show my body to the fourfold multitude, then may the Buddhas who are emanations of that Buddha's body, preaching the Dharma in the world-spheres of the ten directions, gather in one place, for then and only then shall my body appear.’ O, Great Eloquence! The Buddhas who are emanations of my body, who are in the world-spheres of the ten directions preaching Dharma, are now to gather.”

Great Eloquence said to the Buddha, “O, World-honoured One! We also wish to see the Buddhas who are emanations of the body of the World-honoured One, to worship them and pay homage to them!”

At that time, the Buddha sent forth a ray from the white hair-tuft, by which straightaway were seen the Buddhas of lands in the eastern quarter equal in number to the sand of five hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of Ganges rivers. All those lands had sphatika for earth, jewelled trees and jewelled throne for adornment. Within, they were full of numberless thousands of myriads of millions of bodhisattvas, jewelled flags were hoisted within them, and a jewelled net spread over them. The Buddhas of those lands were preaching the dharmas with a great, subtle sound. Also seen were incalculable thousands of myriads of millions of bodhisattvas, who filled the lands everywhere, preaching dharma to the multitudes. To the south, the west, and the north, to the four intermediate directions as well as upward and downward, wherever the glow of the white hair-tuft reached, it was also thus.

At that time, the Buddhas in the ten directions all addressed their multitudes of bodhisattvas, saying, “O, good men! I am now to go to the Saha World, to the place of Sakyamuni Buddha, as well as to pay homage to the jewelled stupa of the Tathagata Abundant Treasures.” Then the Saha World was straightaway transformed into something pure: with vaidurya for soil; adorned with jewelled trees; having golden cords to set off its eight highways; having no villages, towns or cities, no oceans or rivers, no mountains or streams, no forests or thickets; burning great jewelled incense; having mandarava flowers spread all over its earth surface; having jewelled nets and banners spread over it; having jewelled bells hang over it; and holding only this assembled multitude, having moved gods and men away, to place them in other lands. At this time, the Buddhas, each bringing with him a great bodhisatva as an attendant, reached the Saha World, each going to the foot of a jewelled tree. Each jewelled tree was five hundred yojanas in height, adorned with branches, leaves, blossoms, and fruits in due order, the trees each having at its base a lion throne, five yojanas in height, and each adorned with great jewels. At that time the Buddhas sat cross-legged, each on his own throne.

In this way, by turns, the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world was filled, and still there was no limit to the emanations of Sakyamuni Buddha in even one-billionth. At that time, Sakyamuni Buddha, wishing to accommodate the Buddhas who were emanations of his body, conjured up in all eight directions two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of realms, making them all pure, as what he did before. Again he conjured up in all eight directions two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of realms, making them all pure, in the like manner.

At that time, all those Buddhas in the eastern quarter, Buddhas of lands equal in number to the sand of a hundred thousand myriads of millions of nayutas of Ganges rivers, each Buddha preaching dharma, assembled in this place. Buddhas of the other nine directions all gathered in order and sitting in the eight quarters. In the four hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands of every direction, the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, filled within. At this time, the Buddhas, each seated on a lion throne under a jewelled tree, all sent attendants to make courteous inquiry of Sakyamuni Buddha, each attendant carrying jewelled flowers enough to fill both hands, and said to them, “O, good men! Go now to Mount Grdhrakuta, to the place of Sakyamuni Buddha, scatter these jewelled flowers before the Buddha as an offering and say, ‘The Buddha so-and-so wishes to open this jewelled stupa with you.’”

At that time, Sakyamuni Buddha hearing how the Buddhas together wished to open the jewelled stupa, straightaway rose from his seat and rested in mid-air. All the great assemblies, rising with palms joined, single-mindedly beheld the Buddha. Thereupon with his right finger Sakyamuni Buddha opened the door of the seven-jewelled stupa, which made a great sound as of a bar being pushed aside to open the gate of a walled city. At that very moment all the assembled multitudes saw the Tathagata Abundant Treasures in the jewelled stupa, sitting in the stage of dhyana-concentration. They also heard his words, “Excellent! Excellent! O, Sakyamuni Buddha! Happily have you preached this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom. It is to listen to this sutra that I have come here.”

At that time, the great assemblies, seeing a Buddha passed into extinction for incalculable thousands of myriads of millions of kalpas speaking such words as these, sighed in admiration at something that had never been before, and scattered clusters of divine jewelled flowers over the Buddha Abundant Treasures and Sakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha Abundant Treasures, in his jewelled stupa, then gave half his seat to Sakyamuni Buddha, speaking these words, “O, Sakyamuni Buddha, please take this seat.” At that very moment Sakyamuni Buddha, entering that stupa, sat on half that seat with his legs crossed.

At that time, the great multitude, seeing the two Tathagatas in the seven-jewelled stupa on the lion throne, seated with legs crossed, each thought, “The Buddhas sit high up and far off. We wish that the Tathagata, with his power of supernatural penetration, would enable the lot of us together to dwell in open space.” At that very moment Sakyamuni Buddha, with his power of supernatural penetration, brought the great multitude, so that they were all in open space, and with a great voice proclaimed universally to the fourfold multitude, “Who can broadly preach the Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma in this Saha land? Now is the very time! Not long hence, the Buddha shall enter nirvana. The Buddha hopes for someone to whom this Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma may be assigned.

“The Sainted Lord, the World-honoured One,
Though long since passed into extinction,
Yet into the jewelled stupa's midst
Has come for the Dharma's sake.
O, men! How may one
Not strive for the Dharma's sake?
This Buddha, though passed into extinction
Unnumbered kalpas ago,
Yet in place after place listens to the Dharma,
For it is hard to encounter.
That Buddha's former vow was:
‘After my passage into extinction,
Wherever I am, wherever I go,
There may my purpose be to listen to the Dharma.’
Also the emanations of my body,
Incalculable Buddhas,
Equal in number to sand of the Ganges,
Have come, wishing to listen to the Dharma
And to see him who has passed into extinction,
The Tathagata Abundant Treasures.
Each abandoning his fine land,
As well as the multitude of his disciples,
Gods, men, dragons, and demons
And their offerings,
To cause the Dharma long to endure
Have they all come hither.
In order to seat the Buddhas,
By my transcendental power
I have moved incalculable multitudes,
Causing the realms to be purified.
Each of the Buddhas,
Proceeds to the foot of their respective jewelled trees.
As in a cool, clear pond,
Lotus blossoms decorate;
At the foot of those jewelled trees
The lion thrones,
The Buddhas, sitting atop them,
Are radiant in their splendour,
As if, in the midst of a dark night,
Kindling a great torch.
Their bodies emit a fine scent
That pervades the realms in all ten directions.
The living beings favoured with the scent
Experience unbearable joy,
As if from a great wind
Blowing on the branches of small trees.
For by this expedient device
They enable the Dharma long to endure.”
Declare to the great multitudes:
“After my passage into extinction,
Who can guard and keep,
Read and preach this sutra,
Now, in the Buddhas' presence,
Let him speak his own vow!
The Buddha Abundant Treasures
Though long since passed into extinction,
Through his great vow
Utters a lion's roar.
The Tathagata Abundant Treasures
As well as I myself
And the emanated Buddhas here assembled,
Will know this meaning.
O, Buddha-sons!
Who can protect the Dharma,
Let him utter a great vow
And thus enable it long to endure.
If there is one who can protect
This Sutra Dharma,
Then thereby he shall have paid homage
To Abundant Treasures and me.
This Buddha Abundant Treasures,
Dwelling within the jewelled stupa,
Ever travels in the ten directions
For the sake of this sutra.
He will moreover have paid homage
To all the emanated Buddhas here,
Who adorn and make resplendent
All the worlds.
If he preaches this sutra
Then he is deemed to have seen me
And the Tathagata Abundant Treasures,
And all the emanated Buddhas.
O, good men!
Think carefully, each of you!
This is a difficult matter,
And for it a great vow should be taken.
The other scriptural canons
Are in number like the sand of the Ganges,
But if one were to preach these,
Still this should not be difficult.
If one were to take hold of Sumeru
And fling it into another quarter
Over numberless Buddha-lands,
That also would not be difficult.
If with a toe
One were to move the great-thousandfold world,
Flinging it far off to another realm,
That also would not be difficult.
If one were to stand on the Summit of Existence
And for the multitude set forth
Other incalculable sutras,
That also would not be difficult.
But if after the Buddha's extinction,
In the midst of an evil age
One can preach this sutra,
That is difficult.
If there should be a man
Who, holding the space in his hand,
Were to walk about with it,
Even that would not be difficult.
After my extinction,
If one can write and keep it oneself,
Or cause another to write it,
That is difficult.
If one should take the Great Earth
And, placing it on one's toenail,
Mount with it to the Brahma Heaven
That, too, would not be difficult.
After the Buddha's passage into extinction,
In the midst of an evil age,
To read this sutra for but a moment
That is difficult.
Even if in the kalpa's holocaust
One should carry dry grass on one's back
And enter the flame, yet not be burnt,
That, too, would not be difficult.
After my extinction,
If one can keep this sutra
And preach it to even one person,
That is difficult.
If one were to carry eighty-
Four thousand Dharma treasures
Of the twelvefold scriptural canon
And preach them to men,
Causing the listeners
To gain the six transcendental faculties -
Even if one could do this,
It would still not be difficult.
If after my extinction
One can accept this sutra by listening to it,
Inquiring into its purport,
This is difficult.
If a man, preaching the dharma,
Causing the equal of a thousand myriads of millions
Of incalculable, innumerable
Sand of the Ganges of living beings
To attain arhatship
And to perfect the six transcendental faculties,
Though he were to confer this benefit,
Still it would not be difficult.
After my extinction,
If one can reverently hold aloft
Scriptural canon like this one,
That will be difficult.
For the sake of the Buddha Path, I,
In incalculable lands,
From the beginning until now,
Have broadly preached the sutras,
But among them
This sutra is the supreme.
If there is anyone who can keep
Then he keeps the Buddha-body.
O, good men!
After my extinction,
Who can receive and keep,
Read and recite this sutra,
Now, in the Buddha's presence,
Let him speak a vow himself!
This sutra is hard to keep
If anyone can keep it for but a moment,
Then I will be delighted,
As will the other Buddhas also.
A person like this
Shall be extolled by the Buddhas:
‘This person is doughty.
This person is zealous.
He is called a keeper of the precepts,
A performer of dhuta practices.
Thus he shall quickly attain
To the unexcelled Buddha Path.’
If in future ages he can
Read and keep this sutra,
Then he is a true Buddha-son,
Dwelling in a pure, good land.
After the Buddha's passage into extinction,
If he can understand its meaning,
Then he is amongst gods and men
The eyes of the world.
If in a terrifying age
They can preach for but a moment,
Then all gods and men
Must pay homage to them.”