Chapter 10 : Preachers of the Dharma

At that time, through the Bodhisattva Medicine King (Bhaisajyaraja), the World-honoured One addressed the eighty thousand great worthies, “Medicine King, do you see in this great assembly incalculable gods, dragon kings, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human and non-human beings, as well as bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, upasikas, seekers after the sravakas, seekers after the pratyekabuddhas, and seekers after the Buddha Path? If any of these in the Buddha's presence hears a single gatha or a single phrase of the Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma, or devotes to it a single moment of rejoicing, I hereby confer on him a prophecy of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.”

The Buddha declared to Medicine King, “Further, if after the Tathagata has passed into extinction there is a man who, having heard of the Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma a single gatha or a single phrase, devotes to it a single moment of rejoicing, on him, too, I confer the prophecy of Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Again, if there is a man who shall receive, keep, read, recite, explain, or copy in writing a single gatha of the Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma, or who shall look with veneration on the roll of this sutra as if it were the Buddha himself, or who shall make to it sundry offerings of flower perfume, necklaces, powdered incense, paint incense, burnt incense, silk canopies and banners, garments, or music, or who shall even join palms in reverent worship of it, O, Medicine King, be it known that this man or any other like him shall have already paid homage to thousands of myriads of millions of Buddhas, and in those Buddhas' presence taken a great vow. It is by virtue of the great compassion he shall have had for living beings that he shall be born here as a human being.

“O, Medicine King! If there be any people who ask you what sort of living beings will become Buddhas in future worlds, you should show them that these are the people who will certainly become Buddhas in future worlds. Wherefore? If a good man or good woman shall receive, keep, read, recite, explain, or copy in writing a single phrase of the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, or otherwise and in a variety of ways pay homage to the sutra with flower perfume, necklaces, powdered incense, paint incense, burnt incense, silk canopies and banners, garments, or music, or join palms in reverent worship, that person is very rare. He is to be looked up to and exalted by all the worlds, showered with offerings fit for the Tathagata. Let it be known that this person is great Bodhisattva who, having perfected Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, taken pity on the living beings, and vowed to be reborn here, is preaching the Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma with breadth and discrimination. How much more may this be said of one who is able to fully receive and keep and pay homage in various ways. O, Medicine King! Let it be known that this man, being willing to abandon the pure karmic retribution, after my passage into extinction, out of compassion for living beings, is to be reborn in the evil world, where he shall broadly preach this sutra. If this good man or good woman, after my passage into extinction, can secretly for a single person preach so much as a single phrase of the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, be it known that this person is an emissary of the Tathagata, sent by the Tathagata, doing the Tathagata's work. How much more so those who, in the great assemblies, widely preach it to others!

“O, Medicine King! If there is a wicked man who out of an evil mind shall appear before the Buddha in the midst of a kalpa and unceasingly malign the Buddha, his guilt shall be comparatively light. If there is a person who with a single ill word shall denigrate those who read and recite the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, be they within the household or already out of the household, his guilt shall be very grave. If any one praising the Buddha for a kalpa, the merit is not as much as praising a dharma preacher. O, Medicine King! If there is a person who shall read and recite the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, be it known that this person shall be of himself adorned with the adornments of a Buddha; borne about on the Tathagata's shoulders; to be greeted with obeisance and to be worshipped single-mindedly with joined palms wherever he may go; to be venerated and to be showered with offerings; to be held in solemn esteem and to be sung with praise; along with flower perfume, necklaces, powdered incense, paint incense, burnt incense, silk canopies and banners, garments and delicacies to be celebrated with music; to be paid homage with men's choicest offerings; to have divine jewels carried about and scattered over him by the heavenly beings; to have clusters of divine jewels presented to him. Wherefore? Because this man delighting to preach the Dharma, they who hear it for but a moment thereupon will attain to Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.

“If any wishes to dwell in the Buddha Path
And achieve the intuitive wisdom,
One must ever strive to pay homage
To those who receive and keep the Dharma Blossom.
Should one wish quickly to attain
Wisdom of All Modes,
He must receive and keep this sutra,
Pay homage to those who keep it.
Should one be able to receive and keep
The Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma,
Be it known that he is the Buddha's apostle,
Having compassion for all living beings.
Those who are able to receive and keep
The Sutra of the Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma,
Having forsaken their pure lands,
From compassion for the living beings, being reborn here.
Be it known that such a man
Having the power to be reborn wherever he will,
Is able to, in this evil age
Widely preach the Supreme Dharma.
One must with the celestial flowers and perfumes
And with garments adorned with divine jewels,
As well as with clusters of the celestial jewels themselves,
Pay homage to one who preaches Dharma.
One who after my extinction, in an evil age,
Is able to keep this sutra
Is to be worshipped with palms joined,
As if paying homage to the World-honoured One.
With the best of dainties and sweets,
As well as varieties of garments,
This Buddha-son should be worshipped,
In hope of hearing him but a moment.
If there is one who in the latter age can
Receive and keep this sutra,
I will send him to be amongst men,
Where he shall do the Tathagata's work.
If anyone throughout one kalpa,
Ever harbouring unwholesome thoughts
And flushed in colour, shall malign the Buddha,
He shall incur incalculable grave guilt.
If there be any who read, recite, and keep
This Sutra of the Dharma Blossom
Anyone who for a moment heaps abuse on them
Shall incur guilt exceeding even this.
If there is a man who, in his seeking for the Buddha Path,
Shall throughout one kalpa,
Joining palms in my presence,
Praise me with numberless gathas,
By reason of this praise of the Buddha
He shall gain incalculable merit;
But he who shall praise the bearers of this sutra
Shall have merit that exceeds even that.
One who throughout eighty millions of kalpas
With the finest colours and sounds,
As well as scents, flavours, and touches,
Make offerings to the bearers of the sutra -
Having paid homage in this way,
If he can hear it for but a moment,
He shall himself experience delight,
Thinking, ‘I have now gained a great benefit!’
Medicine King, I now proclaim to you
The sutras that I preach,
Among these sutras
The Dharma Blossom is foremost.”

At that time, the Buddha again declared to Bodhisattva-mahasattva Medicine King, “The scriptural canons I preach are in the incalculable thousands of myriads of millions, whether already preached, now being preached, or still to be preached. Yet among them this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom is the most difficult to believe, the most difficult to apprehend. O, Medicine King! This sutra is the very treasury of the Buddhas' secret essentials. It may not be distributed, then given at random to men. What the Buddhas, the World-honoured Ones, have kept has never since ancient times, been explicitly stated. This sutra, even while the Tathagata is still here, has aroused much enmity and envy; how much more after his passaeg into extinction?

“O, Medicine King! Be it known that after the extinction of the Tathagata, those who can write it, keep it, read an recite it, pay homage to it, or for others preach it, the Tathataga shall cover them with garments. They shall also benefit from the protective mindfulness of the Buddhas now in other quarters. These persons shall have the power of great faith, as well as the power of will and of good faculties. Be it known that these people shall dwell with the Tathagata, and the Tathagata's hand shall be upon their heads.

“O, Medicine King! Wherever this sutra is preached, or read, or recited, or copied, or its volumes kept, one should erect a stupa of the precious seven, making it very high, spacious and splendid. There is no need even to lodge sarira in it. Wherefore? In it there is the whole body of the Tathagata. This stupa is to be showered with offerings of all manner of flowers, scents, necklaces, silk canopies and banners, music skilfully sung and played, venerated, held in solemn esteem, and praised. If there are persons who can see this stupa and worship and pay homage to it, be it known that these persons are all close to Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. O, Medicine King! There are many persons, both in the household and gone forth from it, who tread the Bodhisattva Path, if they cannot contrive to see and hear, read and recite, write and keep, or pay homage to this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, be it know that these persons have not yet well trodden the Bodhisattva Path. If there are any who do contrive to hear this scriptural canon, then only can they well tread the Bodhisattva Path. If there are living beings who in quest of the Buddha Path see or hear this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom and who, having heard it, believe and understand, receive and keep it, be it known that these persons have contrived to approach Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.

“O, Medicine King! Suppose, for example, there were a man hard pressed by thirst and in need of water. On yon high plain he digs in his search. So long as he sees that the sand is dry, he knows that the water is yet far off, that his efforts will be to no avail. Turning, he sees moist earth, then at length reaches mud. His mind is then assured, for he knows that water must be near. The bodhisattva is also like this. If he has not yet heard, nor understood, nor been able to put into practice this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, although he keeps other sutras, be it known that this person is still far from Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. If he is able to hear, understand, ponder and practise, be it known that he is near to Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Wherefore? The reason is that the Anuttarasamyaksambodhi of all Buddhas belongs to this sutra. This sutra discards the expedient gateways and shows the truth. This treasury of the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom is profound, firm, obscure, and remote. No man could arrive at it. Now the Buddha, in teaching, converting, and perfecting the bodhisattvas, reveals it for their sake. O, Medicine King! If there is a bodhisattva who, upon hearing this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom, is alarmed, or in doubt, or in fear, be it known that this is a bodhisattva who has but newly launched his thought. If a sravaka upon hearing this sutra, is alarmed, or in doubt, or in fear, be it known that this is a person of overweening pride.

“O, Medicine King! If a good man or good woman after the extinction of the Tathagata wishes to preach this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom to the fourfold multitude, he is to enter the room of the Tathagata, don the cloak of the Tathagata, sit on the throne of the Tathagata, only then does he preach this sutra broadly to the fourfold multitude. The room of the Tathagata is the great compassion towards all living beings. The cloak of the Tathagata is the tender forbearance and the bearing of insult with equanimity. The throne of the Tathagata is the emptiness of all dharmas. It is only by dwelling securely among these that he can with unabating thought broadly preach this Sutra of the Dharma Blossom to the bodhisattvas and the fourfold multitude. O, Medicine King! Into other countries I will send magically conjured men as multitudes gathered to listen to the Dharma. I will also send magically conjured fourfold multitude, who shall listen to his preaching of Dharma. These magically conjured persons shall hear the Dharma, receive it in faith, and obey it without violation. If the preacher of Dharma is in a secluded place, at that time I will send large numbers of gods and dragons, ghosts and demons, gandharvas and asuras to hear him preach the Dharma. Though I may be in another land, from time to time I will enable the preacher of Dharma to see my body. If he forgets or otherwise loses a single sentence or phrase, I will simply preach it to him, thus enabling him to achieve perfection.

“If one wishes to reject all slackness,
One must listen to this sutra.
This sutra may not be heard easily,
And those who receive it in faith are also rare.
Suppose there is a man who is thirsty and in need of water,
Who, though he digs on a high plain,
Still sees only dry earth,
And thus knows that the water is yet far off.
At length he sees moist earth and mud,
Thus knowing of a certainty that water is near.
O, Medicine King, you are to know
That, in this way, men
Who do not hear the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom
Are very far removed from Buddha-wisdom.
If they hear this profound sutra,
They can determinedly understand the dharma of the Triple Yana.
This king of sutras
Those, having heard it, think on it with understanding,
Let it be known that these persons
Are close to Buddha-wisdom.
If a man is to preach this sutra,
He should enter the room of the Tathagata
Don the cloak of the Tathagata
And sit on the throne of the Tathagata
Taking his place in the multitude fearlessly
And preaching to them with breadth and discrimination.
Great compassion is the room,
Tender harmony and endurance of insult the cloak,
While the emptiness of the dharmas is the throne -
Abiding in these, he preaches the dharma to them.
If, when he preaches this sutra,
Some with foul mouth should abuse,
Hit him with knife, sticks, shards or stones,
In his mindfulness of the Buddha let him endure this.
In thousands, myriads of lands, I
Will appear with pure unperishing body
And, in infinite kotis of kalpas,
Preach the dharma to the living beings.
If after my passage into extinction
Anyone who can preach this sutra,
I will send him a magically conjured fourfold assembly,
To pay homage to the preacher.
Leading various living beings
And gathering them there, I will cause them to listen to the dharma.
If any man should wish to do ill to the preacher
With knife or stick, or with shard or stone,
Then I will send a person magically conjured,
Who shall be his protection.
If a man preaching dharma
Dwells he alone in secluded place,
In solitude with no voice of man
There reading or reciting this scriptural canon,
Then I unto him will appear
With a pure and shining body.
If he forgets sentence or phrase,
I will preach it to him, thus enabling him to get it out with ease.
If a man, fully endowed with these virtues
Should preach for the fourfold multitude,
In a deserted place reading or reciting sutra,
They would all be enabled to see my body.
If a man is in a secluded place,
I will send him gods and dragon kings,
Yaksas, ghosts, and demons,
To compose a multitude to listen to the dharma.
This man takes pleasure in preaching the dharma,
In setting it forth with discrimination and without obstacles.
Because the Buddhas have him protectively in mind,
He is able to cause rejoicing in the great multitude.
If anyone can be close to the preacher,
He can quickly gain the Bodhisattva Path.
One who studies under the guidance of this master
Shall contrive to see Buddhas numerous as the sand of Ganges.”