Chapter 19 : The Bodhisattva Ever Disparaged

At that time, the Buddha addressed the Bodhisattva-mahasattva Gainer of Great Strength (Mahasthamaprapta), “You should now know that if a good man or good woman keeps this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, the merits that he or she will get shall be as just mentioned, for his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind shall be pure.

“O, Gainer of Great Strength! Long ago, beyond incalculable, unlimited, inconceivable asamkhyeya kalpas, there was a Buddha named King of Majestic Sound (Bhismagarjitasvararaja), whose kalpa was named Free of Deterioration (Vinirbhaga), whose realm was named All Complete (Mahasambhava). That Buddha King of Majestic Sound, in that world preached the dharma to the gods, men and asuras. To those who sought the rank of sravakas, he preached a dharma corresponding to the Four Truths, with which to save them from birth, old age, sickness, and death, and to enable them to achieve perfect nirvana; to those who sought the rank of pratyekabuddhas, he preached a dharma corresponding to the Twelve Causes and Conditions; to the bodhisattvas, in keeping with Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, he preached a dharma corresponding to the six paramitas, with which to achieve perfect Buddha-wisdom. O, Gainer of Great Strength! This Buddha King of Majestic Sound, had a life span of kalpas equal in number to the sand of forty myriads of millions of nayutas of Ganges rivers. His True Dharma abided in the world for kalpas equal in number to the dust in one Jambudvipa. His Counterfeit Dharma abided in the world for kalpas equal in number to the dust in four worlds. After that Buddha had benefited the living beings, then he entered into extinction. After his Counterfeit Dharma had perished utterly, in that land there emerged yet another Buddha, also named King of Majestic Sound. Thus in succession there were two myriads of millions of Buddhas, all had the same title.

“After the extinction of the last Tathagata King of Majestic Sound and the end of the True Dharma, during the period of the Counterfeit Dharma, bhikshus of utmost arrogance obtained the chief power.

“At that time there was a bodhisattva-bhikshu named Ever Disparaged (Sadaparibhuta). O, Gainer of Great Strength! For what reason was he named Ever Disparaged? Whomever this bhikshu saw, be it bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, or upasikas, he would do obeisance to them all and utter praise, saying, ‘I profoundly revere you all! I dare not hold you in contempt. Wherefore? You all trod the Bodhisattva Path in the past and shall succeed in becoming Buddhas!’ So this bhikshu did not simply read and recite the scriptural canon, but rather did obeisance and conversion, too, to the point that, when he saw the fourfold multitude from afar, he would purposely go to them, doing obeisance, and uttering praise, saying, ‘I dare not hold you all in contempt. You all trod the Bodhisattva Path in the past and shall become Buddhas in the future!’ Within the fourfold multitude were some who were not convinced, angry and muddy minded, reviled and abused him, saying, ‘This ignorant bhikshu! Whence does he come? He himself says, “I dare not hold you in contempt,” yet he presumes to prophecy to us that we will become Buddhas! We have no need for such false prophecies!’ Thus he passed many years, constantly being reviled but never irritated or angry, always saying, ‘You are to become Buddhas!’ When he spoke thus, some in the multitude would beat him with sticks and staves, with tiles and stones. He would run away and abide at a distance, yet he would still proclaim in a loud voice, ‘I dare not hold you all in contempt. You shall all become Buddhas!’ Since he constantly said those words, the overweening bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas called him Ever Disparaged.

“When this bhikshu was drawing near his end, from the heaven he heard the entire twenty thousand myriads of millions of gathas of the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom previously preached by the Buddha King of Majestic Sound, which he was able to accept and keep fully, and straightaway he attained the above-mentioned purity of the six faculties. His life span was also prolonged yet further by two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of years. He broadly preached to others this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom. At that time, the overweening fourfold multitude who had slighted and contemned this man and who had dubbed him with the name Ever Disparaged, saw that he had obtained great transcendental powers, the power of eloquent discourse, and the power of great wholesome quiescence; and hearing what he preached, all bowed down in belief and followed him - except the fourfold multitude who did not see. This Bodhisattva also converted a thousand myriads of millions of fourfold multitude, causing them to dwell in Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.

“After the end of his life span, he was able to encounter two thousand millions of Buddhas, all named Sun-and-Moon-Glow. Within their dharma he preached this Dharma Blossom Sutra of Ekayana, and by this means again he encountered two thousand millions of Buddhas, identically named Sovereign Light King of the Clouds. Within these Buddhas' dharma he received and kept, read and recited, and for the fourfold multitude preached this scriptural canon, for which reason he advanced the flawless dharma-nature purity of his eyes, as well as the purity of aural, nasal, lingual, bodily, and mental faculties. He preached the dharma within the fourfold multitude with a heart free of fear.

“O, Gainer of Great Strength! This Bodhisattva-mahasattva Ever Disparaged, having paid homage to such great numbers of Buddhas, having revered them, honoured them, held them in solemn esteem, and praised them, thus planting wholesome roots, thereafter once again encountered a thousand myriads of millions of Buddhas, and within their dharma as well preached this scriptural canon, achieving merit and becoming a Buddha.

“O, Gainer of Great Strength! What do you think? Can it be that Bodhisattva Ever Disparaged at that time was somebody else? For he was indeed myself! If I in my former lives had not received and kept, read and recited this sutra and preached it to others, I should not have been able to attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi so soon. It is because under former Buddhas I accepted and kept, read and recited, this sutra and preached it to others that I could attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi so soon.

“O, Gainer of Great Strength! The fourfold multitude of that time, the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas, because they held me lightly and cheaply with their hateful thoughts without regrets, for two hundred millions of kalpas never met a Buddha, nor heard the dharma, nor saw the sangha. For a thousand kalpas in the Avici Hell they suffered great pain and agony. After their sin was brought to an end, once again they encountered the Bodhisattva Ever Disparaged, who converted them by teaching them Anuttarasamyaksambodi. O, Gainer of Great Strength! What is your opinion? Can the fourfold multitude of that time, who constantly held this Bodhisattva lightly, possibly have been anyone else? Nay, they are in the midst of this very assembly, to wit, the five hundred bodhisattvas headed by Bhadrapala, the five hundred bhikshus headed by Lion Moon (Simhacandra), and the five hundred upasakas headed by Thoughtful of the Buddha (Sugatacetana), all those who will not backslide from Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.

“O, Gainer of Great Strength! Let it be known that this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom greatly benefits the bodhisattva-mahasattvas, being able to cause them to reach Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. For this reason, the bodhisatva-mahasattvas, after the extinction of the Tathagata, are ever to accept and keep, read and recite, explain and copy this sutra.

“In the past there was a Buddha
Titled King of Majestic Sound,
Boundless in divine wisdom,
Leader of all beings;
Gods, men, dragons, spirits
All paid homage to him.
After this Buddha's extinction,
When the dharma drew near its end,
There existed a bodhisattva
Whose name was Ever Disparaged.
At that time the fourfold multitudes
Were devoted to material things.
The Bodhisattva Ever Disparaged
On approaching them
Would say to them thus:
‘I may not despise you;
You are treading the Path,
And will all become Buddhas.’
When they had heard it, they
Contemned or reviled him.
Bodhisattva Ever Disparaged
Bore it all patiently.
After his sin ended,
When his life was coming to an end,
He heard this sutra
And obtained purity of the six faculties.
By his transcendental power
He prolonged his life span
And again, to all the people,
Widely preached this sutra.
The groups devoted to things
All received from this Bodhisattva
Conversion and perfection,
Being led to abide in the Buddha Path.
Ever Disparaged, when his life span ended,
Met with countless Buddhas,
And through his preaching of this sutra
Obtained incalculable merits.
Gradually perfecting his merits,
He soon accomplished the Buddha Path.
The Ever Disparaged of that time
Is really I myself.
The fourfold multitudes of that time,
Attached to earthly things,
Who heard Ever Disparaged saying:
‘You are to become Buddhas!’
And who because of this
Met with countless Buddhas,
Are the bodhisattvas of this assembly,
The host of five hundred,
And also the fourfold multitudes
Of pure believers, men and women,
Who are now in front of me
Listening to the dharma.
I, in my former lives,
Exhorted these people
To hear and receive this sutra,
The peerless Dharma.
I revealed and taught it to men,
Causing them to dwell in the Buddha Path.
Age upon age they accepted and kept
Scriptural canons like these.
For millions upon millions of myriads of kalpas
Whose number cannot be reached,
Then at last they were enabled to hear
This Sutra of the Dharma Blossom.
For millions upon millions of myriads of kalpas
Whose number cannot be reached,
The Buddhas, the World-honoured Ones,
Only occasionally preach this sutra.
For this reason the practitioner
After the Buddha's extinction,
On hearing such a sutra as this,
Should not conceive doubt or perplexity.
But, be wholeheartedly
Broadly preach this sutra,
And age upon age meeting Buddhas,
They will speedily accomplish the Buddha Path.”