Chapter 13 : Comfortable Conduct

At that time, Manjusri Dharma-prince Bodhisattva-mahasattva, spoke to the Buddha, “O, World-honoured One! Very rarely do there exist such bodhisattvas as these, who out of respectful obedience to the Buddha utter a great vow that in the latter evil age, they will keep and hold, read and preach this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom. O, World-honoured One! After listening to the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, how can the bodhisattva-mahasattvas in the latter evil age, preach this sutra to the living beings?”

The Buddha declared to Manjusri, “If a bodhisattva-mahasattva in the latter evil age wishes to preach this sutra, he must dwell securely in four dharmas. First, by dwelling securely in the Bodhisattva's Sphere of Action and Intimacy, he shall be able to set forth this sutra for the sake of the living beings. O, Manjusri! What is meant by the bodhisattva-mahasattva's Sphere of Action? If a bodhisattva-mahasattva dwells on the ground of forbearance; if he is gentle, agreeable, good, and acquiescent, not given to fits of violence, nor at heart becoming alarmed; if, further, he performs no act with respect to the dharmas, but views the dharmas in their reality; if, also, he performs no act and commits no discrimination, this is called the bodhisattva-mahasattva's Sphere of Action.

“What is meant by the bodhisattva-mahasattva's Sphere of Intimacy? The bodhisattva-mahasattva prefers to sit in dhyana and in a quiet place, he cultivates and controls his mind. O, Manjusri! This is termed the First Sphere of Intimacy.

“Again, bodhisattva-mahasattva views all dharmas as empty, in accord with their true marks, not inverted, nor moving, nor receding, nor revolving, devoid of character as empty space, inaccessible of approach by any words, not born, nor coming out, nor arising, nameless, formless, really without existence, incalculable and unlimited, unimpeded and unobstructed, existing solely by virtue of causes and conditions, born of inverted notions - that is why he preaches. He wishes to see such dharma-marks as these. This is called the bodhisattva-mahasattva's Second Sphere of Intimacy.

“If any bodhisattva
In the future evil age
With fearlessness of mind
Desires to preach this sutra,
Let him occupy his Sphere of Action
And his proper Sphere of Intimacy
Ever does he dwell in the power of tolerance
In the dhyana-concentration, unmovingly
Nor does he course
In superior, mediate, and inferior dharmas,
Or in constituted and unconstituted,
Or real and unreal dharmas.
Nor does he make the distinction,
‘This is a man; this, a woman.’
He does not gain the dharmas,
Nor know, nor see them.
This, then, is called
The bodhisattva's Sphere of Action.
All the dharmas
Are empty, having nothing,
Neither any permanency
Nor any arising or perishing.
This is called the wise man's
Sphere of Intimacy.
It is only through inverse discrimination
That the dharmas exist or do not exist,
That they are real or unreal,
Born or unborn.
If in a quiet place
One cultivates and collects one's thoughts,
Dwelling securely and unmoving
As if one were Mount Sumeru itself,
Observing that all dharmas
Have nothing whatsoever,
Being quite like empty space;
That they have nothing firm or solid,
Being unborn, unemerging,
Unmoving, unreceding,
Ever dwelling in one mark,
This is called the Sphere of Intimacy.
If there is a bodhisattva,
After my passage into extinction,
Enters this Sphere of Action
And Sphere of Intimacy
When preaching this sutra
He experiences no panic.
When the bodhisattva
Enters his quiet room
And with right mindfulness
Views the dharmas in their true meaning
Then, rising from dhyana-concentration,
For kings of countries,
Princes, ministers and people
Brahmans, and others,
Enlightens, converts, and sets forth,
Preaching this scriptural canon,
His mind shall be at ease
And free from timid weakness.
O, Manjusri!
This bodhisattva,
After the extinction of the Buddha
Dwells securely in the fist Dharma,
Shall be able in the latter age
To preach the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom.

“Also, O, Manjusri, if after the extinction of the Tathagata, and in the decline of the dharma, one wishes to preach this sutra, one must dwell in the Sphere of Serenity. Whether preaching or reading the sutra itself, one is to have no wish to mention the faults of men or of the scriptural canon. Nor is one to hold other Dharma-teachers lightly or in contempt, or to talk of the good and bad, the advantages and deficiencies of others. With respect to sravakas, one is also not to talk of their faults mentioning them by name. Nor, for that matter, is one to laud their virtues, mentioning them by name. Nor, again, is one to give rise to a heart of resentment and suspicion. It is because one is skilled at cultivating such serene heart as this that one's listeners shall not oppose to one's intentions. If there are objections or queries, one is not to answer them by resort to the dharma of the Triple Yana, but one is to explain only in terms of the Mahayana, causing them to gain Wisdom of All Modes.

“The bodhisattva ever wishes
In tranquil security to preach the dharma,
In clear and pure spot,
Arranging his chair.
Smearing his body with oil
And washing away the impurities,
Let him don a new, clean garment,
Clean both within and without.
Resting securely on his Dharma-seat,
Let him preach in answer to questions.
If there are bhikshus
And bhikshunis,
Upasakas
And upasikas,
Kings and princes,
Sundry ministers, gentlemen, and commoners,
Let him, by resort to the subtle doctrine,
Preach to them with harmonious countenance.
If there be objections or queries,
Let him answer them in keeping with the doctrine,
By resort to causes and conditions, as well as parables,
Expounding and making distinctions -
Through such expedient devices as these
Enabling all to set their mind, and
Gradually and increasingly
To enter into the Buddha Path.
Ridding himself of slothful intentions,
As well as of notions of idleness,
And freeing himself from care and agony,
With a compassionate heart let him preach the dharma,
Day and night ever preaching
The doctrine of the Unexcelled Path,
By resort to causes and conditions,
As well as to incalculable parables,
Opening up and demonstrating to the living beings,
Causing them all to rejoice;
And as to clothing and bedding,
Food, drink, and medicine,
With respect to these
Having no hopes,
But, single-mindedly recollecting
The reasons for preaching the dharma,
Desiring to achieve the Buddha Path
And to cause the multitude to do the same.
This, then, is the great profit,
The offering that brings comfort.
After my passage into extinction,
If there is a bodhisattva
Who can expound this
Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma,
His thought free of envy and anger,
And of the obstructions of assorted agonies,
He shall also have no grief and worry
As well as the abuse of men.
Further, he will be free from fear
Of wielders of knives or staves,
Or shall he ever be banished,
For he shall dwell securely in forbearance.
The wise man in ways such as these
Rightly cultivates his mind
And is able to abide serenely,
As I have just said.
The merit of such a man,
Thousands, myriads, kotis of kalpas
Spent in calculating and parabling
Would not suffice for telling.

“Also, O, Manjusri, the bodhisattva-mahasattva who in the age of the latter end, when the Dharma is about to perish, receives and keeps, reads and recites this scriptural canon shall harbour no thought of envy, flattery, or deceit, nor shall he make light of or malign those who study the Triple Yana, seeking their virtues and shortcomings, be they bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, or upasikas, be they seekers after the rank of sravakas, seekers after the rank of pratyekabuddhas, or seekers after the Buddha Path. He shall not permit himself to torment them, causing them to have doubts, by saying to them, ‘You are very far from the Path! You shall never contrive to attain the Wisdom of All Modes! Wherefore? It is that you are careless men, lax in the Path.’ Nor should he resort to frivolous assertions about the dharmas, as if there were anything to dispute. But he should think on all the living beings with great compassion, feel that the Tathagata is a benign father, feel that the bodhisattvas are great masters. To the great bodhisattvas of the ten directions he should ever do obeisance reverently and with deep thought. To all the living beings he is to preach the dharma fairly according to the faculties, neither exceeding it nor falling short of it. Even to a person who deeply loves the dharma he is not to preach overmuch.

“O, Manjusri! This bodhisattva-mahasattva, in the age of the latter end, when the Dharma is about to perish, who shall achieve this third form of serene conduct, he will not be possible to dismay or to confuse when he is preaching this Dharma. He will get good fellow-learners, who together will read and recite this sutra. He will also obtain great multitudes who will come to listen and accept: who, when they have listened, will be able to keep; when they have kept, will be able to recite; when they have recited, will be able to preach; and, when they have preached, will be able to write or to cause others to write; who will pay homage to the scriptural roll, venerating it with humility and holding it in solemn esteem.

“If one wishes to preach this sutra,
One should cast aside jealousy, anger, pride,
Deceitful or false mind,
And ever do upright deeds.
He should disparage none,
Never discourse frivolously on the dharmas,
Or cause others to have doubts
By saying to them, ‘You shall never attain Buddhahood!’
When this Buddha-son preaches the dharma,
He is ever gentle and agreeable, able to forbear,
Benevolent and compassionate toward all,
Producing no lax mind
To the great bodhisattvas in the ten directions,
Who out of compassion for the multitude tread the Path,
He should owe thoughts of humble respect:
‘They are my great teachers.’
Toward the Buddhas, the World-honoured Ones,
His attitude is as if they were his supreme fathers;
He demolishes his thoughts of overweening pride
And preaches the dharma without obstacles.
The third dharma, in this way,
The wise person is to keep,
For, if he performs it serenely and single-mindedly,
He shall be revered by an incalculable multitude.

“Again, O, Manjusri, the bodhisattva-mahasattva who in the age of the latter end, when the Dharma is about to perish, holds this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, thinking with great good will of persons in the household and of those gone forth from the household, and with great compassion for those who are not bodhisattvas - let him form this thought: ‘Persons like these have simply suffered a great loss. With the Tathagata's expedient devices, his exposition of dharma in accord with what is appropriate, they are not hearing it, nor knowing it, nor being aware of it, nor inquiring into it, nor believing it, nor understanding it. What a pity? Although these persons do not inquire into, nor believe, nor understand this sutra, when I attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, then wherever they may happen to be, with my power of supernatural penetration and my power of wisdom I will draw them to me, enabling them to dwell in this Dharma.’

“O, Manjusri! If any of the bodhisattva-mahasattvas, after the Tathagata's extinction, achieve this fourth dharma, then when preaching this Dharma, he shall commit no faults. Ever by the fourfold multitude, kings, princes, great ministers, commoners, Brahmans, and householders he shall be showered with offerings, humbly revered, held in solemn esteem, and lauded. The gods of the space also shall ever follow and attend to him in order to listen to the Dharma. If in settlements, cities and towns, open spaces, or forests, anyone comes and wishes to query with objections, then the gods, during day and night, for the sake of the Dharma, shall ever protect him, enabling the listeners all to gain joy. Wherefore? It is that this sutra is protected by the supernatural power of all Buddhas, past, future and present. O, Manjusri! This Sutra of the Dharma Blossom is such that in incalculable realms even its name cannot be heard; how much more to see it, to receive and keep it, to read and recite it! Today, it is the last that the Tathagata preaches it.

“O, Manjusri! Suppose, for example, there is a powerful Holy Wheel-rolling King, who wishes with his imposing might to subdue all realms, yet whose commands the minor kings do not obey. At that time, the Wheel-rolling King raises a varied force and goes to chastise them. When the king sees in his multitude of soldiers those who fight successfully, straightaway he is delighted, and rewards them according to their merit. To some he gives fields and houses, settlements, cities and towns; to some he gives clothing and accoutrements for bodily adornment; to some he gives a variety of precious jewels, gold, silver, vaidurya, giant clam shell, agate, coral, amber, elephants, horses, carriages, slaves and subjects. The bright pearl in his top-knot is the only thing he will not give them. Wherefore? Only on top of the king's head is such a gem to be found. If he gives it away, the king's retainers surely will be greatly alarmed. O, Manjusri! The Tathagata is also like this. Having gained the Dharma-realm with the power of dhyana-concentration and wisdom, he reigns over the Triple World, yet Mara Kings will not consent to obey him. The wise and saintly generals of the Tathagata do batttle with them. With those who are successful he is also delighted at heart, and among the multitude it is to them that he preaches the expedient sutras of the Triple Yana, causing their hearts to rejoice. He confers upon them the precious Dharma-gifts of dhyana-concentration, deliverance, faculties without outflows, and powers. He also confers upon them as a gift the city of nirvana, telling them they shall gain passage into extinction. He guides their thoughts, causing them to rejoice, but does not preach to them this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom. O, Manjusri! Just as the Wheel-rolling King, seeing among the multitude of soldiers those who have had great success, is overjoyed at heart, and this incredible pearl, long in his top-knot, which he would not recklessly give away, he now gives it away, just so is the Tathagata. Being the great Dharma King within the Triple Realm, with dharma he teaches and converts all the living beings. When he sees his army of saints and sages do battle with the Maras of the five skandhas, the Maras of the agonies, and the Maras of death, achieving great success, annihilating the three poisons, leaving the Triple Realm, and tearing apart Mara's net, at that time the Tathagata is greatly overjoyed, and this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, which can cause the living beings to reach the Wisdom of All Modes, which all the worlds much resent with incredulity, and which he has never preached before, he now preaches. O, Manjusri! This Sutra of the Dharma Blossom is the supreme preaching of the Tathagatas, among the various preachings the most profound, the one he confers at the very end. Just as that very powerful king long kept his bright pearl and only now gives it away, so, O, Manjusri, this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, the secret treasure house of the Tathagatas, among the sundry sutras placed on the very top, which through the long night of time he kept, but did not hastily to expound, today for the first time he expounds to you.

“Let one ever practise forbearance toward insult,
Having compassion on all,
For it is only thus that one can expound
The sutra lauded by the Buddha.
At the time of last ages,
For those who keep this sutra,
Whether in the household or gone forth from the household,
And for those who are not bodhisattvas
One should produce good will and compassion:
‘If these do not hear
Nor believe this sutra,
Then they shall suffer a great loss.
When I have attained the Buddha Path,
By recourse to expedient devices
I will preach this Dharma to them,
Enabling them to dwell within it.’
Suppose, for example, there is a mighty
Wheel-rolling King
Who on soldiers successful in battle
Confers gifts of various things,
Elephants, horses, carriages,
Accoutrements for bodily adornment,
And fields and houses,
Settlements, cities, and towns.
Or he may give clothing,
Sundry gems,
Slaves and valuables,
Conferring the gifts with joy.
If there is a brave and stout fellow
Able to do difficult things,
The king separates from his top-knot
A bright pearl, which he gives to him.
The Tathagata is also thus.
Being King of the Dharmas,
Who of the great power of forbearance
And of wisdom as the treasure house,
With his great good will and compassion,
In keeping with Dharma, he converts the world.
When he sees all men
Suffering all manner of bitterness and agony,
Wishing to find deliverance,
And fighting with the Maras,
To these living beings
He preaches sundry dharmas,
As a great expedient device
Preaching these sutras.
Once he knows that the living beings
Have gained the appropriate strength,
At the end, then and only then, to them
He preaches this Dharma Blossom,
As the king, separating from his top-knot
The bright pearl, gives it away.
This sutra is venerable,
Supreme among the multitude of sutras.
I, who have ever kept it,
Would not set it forth recklessly.
Now, however, is just the very time
To preach it to you all.
After my passage into extinction,
Those who seek the Buddha Path,
If they wish to gain tranquillity
And at the same time to expound this sutra,
They should approach
These four dharmas.
He who reads this sutra
Should ever be without worry or agony,
Also without sickness or pain,
His colour a fresh white,
Nor shall he be born into poverty,
Lowliness, degradation, ugliness, or restriction.
Living beings shall desire to see him
As they would aspire to see a sage or a saint.
The children of the heaven
Shall be his servants and messengers.
Knife and staff shall not touch him,
Nor can poison harm him.
If any man hatefully reviles him,
That man's mouth shall then be shut up.
He shall travel fearlessly
Like a king of lions.
His wisdom as radiant
As the light of the sun.
Or, in a dream
He may simply see wondrous sights.
He shall see the Tathagatas
Seated on their lion thrones,
A multitude of bhikshus
Surrounding them as they preach the dharma.
He shall also see dragons and demons,
Asuras and the like,
In number like the sand of the Ganges,
Their palm joined in humble reverence,
To whom, showing his own body,
He preaches the dharma.
He shall also see Buddhas,
In their bodily mark of gold colour,
Emitting incalculable rays,
Wherewith they illuminate all,
And with a voice of brahman-sound
Expounding the dharmas.
While to the fourfold multitude the Buddha
Preaches the unexcelled dharma,
He sees his body in their midst,
With palms joined lauding the Buddha.
Hearing the dharma, he is delighted,
Then performs offerings,
Gains dharani,
And bears direct witness to unreceding wisdom.
The Buddha, knowing that his thought
Is deeply entered upon the Buddha Path,
Straightaway confers upon him the prophecy
That he shall achieve Perfect Enlightenment:
‘You, O, good man,
In an age to come shall
Gain incalculable wisdom,
The Buddha's Great Path.
Your land shall be adorned and pure,
Broad and great without equal.
You shall also have a fourfold multitude
Who shall listen to the dharma with palms joined.’
He also sees himself
In the midst of mountains and forests
Cultivating and practising good dharmas,
Bearing direct witness to the marks of Reality,
Deeply entering into dhyana-concentration,
And seeing Buddhas in all ten directions.
The Buddhas' bodies, of golden hue,
With a hundred meritorious marks shall be adorned.
He hears the dharma and preaches it to others:
Such shall ever be his lovely dream.
He also dreams of becoming the king of a realm,
Of forsaking palace and retinue,
As well as the supremely wondrous objects of the five desires.
He goes to the Platform of the Path;
Under the bodhi tree,
Seated on a lion throne,
His quest for the Path having passed the seventh day,
He gains the wisdom of the Buddhas.
Having achieved the Unexcelled Path,
He rises, and turns the Dharma-wheel,
To the fourfold multitude preaching the dharma
Throughout a thousand myriads of millions of kalpas.
Preaching the Wonderful Dharma without outflows
And conveying to salvation incalculable living beings,
Thereafter he is to enter into nirvana,
As a lamp is extinguished when its smoke ends.
If in the latter evil age
Anyone preaches this prime Dharma,
He shall achieve great benefit,
Such as the merits mentioned above.”