Chapter 9 : Confer Prophecies on Learners of Adepts

At that time, Ananda and Rahula thought, “We are always thinking how pleasant it would be if we were conferred a prophecy.” Then straightaway, rising from their seats and going into the Buddha's presence, with heads bowed they did obeisance to the Buddha's feet and together spoke to the Buddha, “O, World-honoured One! We should also have a share in this, for only in the Tathagata do we take our refuge. Also, we are seen and recognised by the gods, men, and asuras of all the worlds.” Rahula said, “Ananda is in constant attendance, guarding and keeping the dharma-treasury.” Ananda said, “Rahula is the Buddha's son. If the Buddha grants both of us a prophecy of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, then not only shall our wishes be fulfilled, but also the hopes of the multitude shall be satisfied.”

At that time, there were sravaka disciples, who were learners of adepts, to the number of two thousand, all of whom rose from their seats, bared only their right shoulders, went before the Buddha. They, with single-mind joining their palms, looked up at the World-honoured One, and expressed wishes as had Ananda and Rahula. Then they stood to one side.

At that time, the Buddha declared to Ananda, “In an age to come, you shall succeed in becoming a Buddha called Consummate King and Master of the Wisdom of Mountains and Sea, the Tathagata, the Worshipful, the Right and Universal Wise, the Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct, the Well Departed, the Understander of the World, the Unexcelled Worthy, the Controller and Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-honored One. You shall pay homage to sixty-two millions of Buddhas and guard and keep their dharma-treasury. You shall teach and convert bodhisattvas equal in number to the sand of twenty thousand myriads of millions of Ganges rivers, causing them to achieve Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Thereafter you shall gain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Your realm shall be named the Ever-raised Banner of Victory (Anavanamitavaijayanti). Its land shall be pure, having vaidurya for soil. The kalpa shall be named Subtle Sound All-pervading (Manojnasabdabhigarjita). That Buddha's life span shall be incalculable thousands of myriads of millions of asamkhyeya kalpas. If any man should reckon for thousands of myriads of millions of incalculable asamkhyeya kalpas, he still would not be able to know the sum. His True Dharma shall abide in the world twice as long as his life span, and his Counterfeit Dharma shall abide in the world twice as long again. O, Ananda! This Buddha, Consummate King and Master of the Wisdom of Mountains and Sea, shall be praised in unison by the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, in each of the ten directions equal in number to the sand of countless thousands of myriads of millions of Ganges rivers, who shall praise his merits.

“Now in the midst of the sangha I tell you
That Ananda, who bears the dharma,
Shall pay homage to Buddhas
And thereafter achieve Perfect Enlightenment.
He shall be called the Wisdom of Mountains and Sea
The Buddha, the Consummate King and Master.
His realm, perfectly pure,
Shall be named the Ever-raised Banner of Victory.
He shall teach and convert bodhisattvas
In numbers likened to the sand of Ganges.
That Buddha shall have great imposing majesty,
His name and renown filling the ten directions.
His life span shall have no measure,
Since he shall have pity on the multitude of living beings.
His True Dharma shall be double his life span,
And his Counterfeit Dharma doubles that again.
Equal in number to sand of Ganges river,
Countless living beings
Within this Buddha's Dharma
Shall plant the causes and conditions of the Buddha Path.”

At that time, those bodhisattvas within the assembly who had just launched their thoughts, eight thousand persons, all thought, “We have not heard even a great bodhisattva get such a prophecy as this. What reason can there be for the sravakas now to receive such assurances?” At that time, the World-honoured One, knowing the thoughts in the bodhisattvas' minds, said to them, “Good men, I shared a place with Ananda in the presence of the Buddha King of Emptiness, and at the same time launched the thought of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Ananda constantly wished to be a hearer of much (bahusruta), while I constantly strove with vigour. This is why I have already contrived to achieve Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, while Ananda guards and keeps my Dharma and also the dharma-treasury of the Buddhas in the future, teaching, converting, and perfecting a multitude of bodhisattvas. Such having been his former wish, he has now received this prophecy.”

When Ananda, himself facing the Buddha, heard this prophecy and the description of the adornments of his land, his wishes were fulfilled and his heart was overjoyed, since he had gained what he had never had before. In that instant he recalled the Dharma-treasury of incalculable thousands of myriads of millions of Buddhas in the past, and understood them without obstruction, as if he were now hearing them. He also recalled his own original vow.

“World-honoured One, it is exceedingly rare,
How you cause me to recall past
Incalculable Buddha-dharmas
Just as I am hearing them today!
Now, no longer in doubt, I
Dwell securely in the Buddha Path,
By expedient means having become his attendant,
Guarding and keeping the Buddha's Dharma.”

At that time, the Buddha declared to Rahula, “In an age to come, you shall become a Buddha called the One Who Treads on Flowers of Seven Jewels (Saptaratnapadmavikrantagamin), the Tathagata, the Worshipful, the Right and Universal Wise, the Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct, the Well Departed, the Understander of the World, the Unexcelled Worthy, the Controller and Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-honoured One. You shall pay homage to Buddhas, the Tathagatas, equal in number to the grains of dust in ten worlds. You shall ever be an eldest son to those Buddhas, just as you are now. The Buddha One Who Treads on Flowers of Seven Jewels, the adornment of his land, the number of kalpas in his life span, the number of disciples converted by him, his True Dharma and his Counterfeit Dharma shall all be the same as those of the Tathagata Consummate King and Master of the Wisdom of Mountains and Sea, there being no difference. You shall also be an eldest son to that Buddha as well, and thereafter you shall attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.

“When I was a crown prince,
Rahula was my eldest son.
Now that I have perfected the Buddha Path,
He, having received the Dharma, is my Dharma-son.
In an age yet to come,
You shall see incalculable millions of Buddhas,
To all of whom you shall be an eldest son,
Single-mindedly seeking the Buddha Path.
Rahula's secret conduct,
Only I can know.
Now he is my eldest son,
With this to show the living beings.
His incalculable millions of thousands of myriads
Of merits cannot be counted.
He dwells securely in the Buddha-dharma,
And thus seeks the Unexcelled Path.”

The Buddha declared to Ananda, “Do you see these, the learners of adepts, all two thousand of them? Or do you not?”

“Yes, I do see them.”

“O, Ananda! These men shall pay homage to Buddhas, the Tathagatas, equal in number to the grains of dust of world. They shall honour and revere them, guard and keep their dharma-treasury, and at the later end, at the same time and in the realms of the ten directions, shall each become a Buddha, all being called by the same name, namely Jewel Sign (Ratnaketu), the Tathagata, the Worshipful, the Right and Universal Wise, the Perfectly Enlightened in Conduct, the Well Departed, the Understander of the World, the Unexcelled Worthy, the Controller and Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-honoured One. Their life span shall be one kalpa. The adornment of their lands, their sravakas and bodhisattvas, their True Dharma and Counterfeit Dharma, shall all be exactly equal to one another.

“These two thousand sravakas
Now staying in my presence,
On them all I confer a prophecy
That in time to come they shall becomes Buddhas.
The Buddhas to whom they shall pay homage
Shall be like grains of dust in number, as I have already said.
They shall guard and keep those Buddhas' dharma-treasury,
Then achieve Perfect Enlightenment.
Each in the realms of the ten directions,
They shall all have the same name.
At the same time, they shall sit on the Platform of the Path
And thus bear direct witness to the Unexcelled Wisdom.
All shall be named Jewel Sign,
And their lands and disciples,
True Dharma and Counterfeit Dharma,
Shall be absolutely the same, with no difference.
All, by resort to the supernatural penetrations,
Shall save living beings in the ten directions.
Their names shall be universally renowned,
And they shall gradually enter into nirvana.”
At that time, the learners of adepts, all two thousand of them, having heard the Buddha's prophecy and dancing for joy, proclaimed a gatha, saying:
“O, World-honoured One! O, Lamp of Wisdom!
Since we have heard the sound of prophecy,
Our hearts are full of joy,
As if we had been infused with sweet dew.”