“Such a good son or daughter need no more erect stupas, temples or

monasteries for me, or make offerings to the monks.”

The implication is that such a one, himself or herself, is the

shrine or temple of the living Buddha. The narrative shows that

faith is works—

“By reason of devotion to the Lotus Sutra, he or she has in

effect already erected stupas, built monasteries, and made offerings

to the monks; that is to say, has spiritually erected for the Buddha’s

relics, stupas of the Precious Seven, high and broad, and tapering up

to the Brahma-heaven, with flags and canopies and precious bells, and

with flowers, perfumes, garlands, sandal-powder, unguents, incense,

drums, instruments, pipes, flutes, harps, all kinds of dances and

plays—singing and lauding with wondrous notes—he or she has already

made these offerings for innumerable thousands, myriads, kotis of

kalpas.

“Ajita! If any one, after my extinction, hears this Sutra, and is

able either to receive and keep, or himself copy, or cause others to

copy it, he has already erected monasteries and built red sandal-wood

temples of thirty-two shrines, tall as eight Tala-trees, lofty,

spacious, splendid, in which abide hundreds, thousands of bhikshus;

adorned also with gardens, groves, and bathing-pools, promenades and

meditation-cells; with clothing, victuals, bedding, medicaments, and

all aids to pleasure provided to the full therein. Such monasteries and

such numbers of temples, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis, countless

in their number, he has here in my presence, offered to me and to my

bhikshu-monks. Therefore I say, if any one after the extinction of

the Tathagata, receives and keeps, reads and recites it, preaches it

to others, either himself copies it, or causes others to copy it, and

pays homage to the Sutra, he need no longer erect stupas and temples,

or build monasteries, and make offerings to the monks. How much less

he who is able to keep this Sutra and thereto add alms-giving,

morality, forbearance, zeal, concentration, and wisdom. His merit will

be most excellent, infinite and boundless; even as the sky which east,

west, south, and north, the four intermediate directions, the zenith

and nadir, is infinite and boundless, so also the merit of this man

will be infinite and boundless, and he will speedily reach Perfect

Knowledge. If any one reads and recites, receives and keeps this Sutra,

preaches it to other people, or himself copies it, or causes others

to copy it; moreover, is able to erect stupas and build monasteries,

and to serve and extol the Sravaka-monks, and also with hundreds,

thousands, myriads, kotis of ways of extolling, extols the merits of

the Bodhisattvas; also if he to other people, with various reasonings,

according to its meaning, expounds this Law-Flower Sutra; again, if

he is able to keep the commandments in purity, amicably to dwell with

the gentle, to endure insult without anger, to be firm in will and

thought, ever to value meditation, to attain to profound concentration,

zealously and boldly to support the good, to be clever and wise in ably

answering difficult questionings; Ajita! again, if after my extinction,

there be good sons and daughters who receive and keep, read and recite

this Sutra, and who possess such excellent merits as these, you may

know that those people have proceeded towards the Wisdom-terrace,

and are near to Perfect Enlightenment, sitting under the tree of

enlightenment. Ajita! Wherever those good sons or good daughters either

sit or stand or walk, in that place you should erect a stupa; all

gods and men should pay homage to it as a stupa of Buddha.”

“If any one, after my extinction,

Is able to honour and keep this Sutra,

His happiness will be infinite.

. . . . .

By this act he has made

Every kind of offering

And erected relic-stupas

Adorned with the precious seven,

. . . . .

With thousands, myriads of gem-bells

Stirred by the wind to mystic music,

As if for numberless kalpas

He had paid homage to stupas

With flowers, incense, garlands.

. . . . .

He who is able to keep this Sutra

Will be as if Buddha were present,

And he, with finest sandal-wood,

Built Him monasteries in service,

Built them of thirty-two halls

Eight Tala-trees in height,

With the best of food and garments,

Complete with beds for sleeping,

With rooms for hundreds and thousands,

With gardens, groves and bathing-pools,

With walks and meditation-cells,

All beautifully adorned.

. . . . .

Whoever does homage to it

Will obtain infinite merit

Boundless as the realms of Space

Such will be his merit.

How much more he who humbly keeps it.”

The indwelling Buddha is especially emphasized in the closing

stanzas:

“If one meets with such a teacher,

Strew him with celestial flowers,

Clothe him in divine clothing,

Salute him at his feet

With a mind as if thinking of Buddha.

. . . . .

Wherever he dwells or stays,

Where he walks, or sits, or lies,

Or speaks but a phrase of the Sutra,

In that place erect a stupa,

Adorn it and make it beautiful,

And in every way pay it homage.

Where’er dwells a Buddha-son,

That place the Buddha uses

And constant within it abides,

And walks and sits and reclines.”

XVIII

Maitreya then asks the Buddha what will be the happiness of one who

receives with joy the Law-Flower message. The Buddha’s reply is that

the reward of him who hears, not direct, nor second-hand, but even

at fiftieth-hand will be incalculable.

“It is like the number of all the living creatures in the six states

of existence in four hundred myriad kotis of numberless worlds, born

in the four ways, egg-born, womb-born, humidity-born, or born by

metamorphosis, whether they are formed or formless, whether conscious

or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious; footless,

two-footed, four-footed, or many-footed, it is as the sum of all these

living creatures. Suppose some one, seeking their happiness, provides

them with every article of pleasure they may desire, giving each

creature the whole of a world with its gold, silver, lapis-lazuli,

moon-stone, agate, coral, amber, and every sort of wonderful jewel,

with elephants, horses, carriages, and palaces, towers built of the

Precious Seven—and so forth. This great master of gifts thus bestows

gifts for full eighty years and then reflects thus:

“‘I have bestowed on all these beings articles of pleasure according to

their desires, but now they have grown old and worn, and over eighty

years of age, with hair grey and faces wrinkled, and death is not

far off—I ought to instruct and guide them in the Buddha-Law.’

[Illustration: 10. Sudatta spreads the ground of Jeta’s garden with

bricks of gold, to form the Jetavanavihara as a retreat for the Buddha

and his disciples]

“Thereupon, gathering together those beings, he proclaims to them

the Law’s instruction; and by his revealing, teaching, benefiting

and rejoicing, they all in a moment become disciples ... free from

imperfections, having acquired mastery of profound meditation, and

completed the Eight Emancipations. What is your opinion? May the merits

obtained by this great master of gifts be considered many or not?”

“World-honoured One!” said Maitreya to the Buddha, “The merits of this

man are very many, infinite and boundless. Even though this master of

giving had only made gifts of all those articles of pleasure to those

creatures, his merits would be infinite; how much more when he causes

them to attain to sainthood?’

“Then said the Buddha to Maitreya: ‘I will now speak clearly to you.

The merits attained by such a man, if he bestowed those means of

happiness on all beings in the Six States of existence of four hundred

myriad kotis of numberless worlds, and caused them to attain to

sainthood, would not compare with the merits of that fiftieth person

who, hearing a single verse of the Law-Flower Sutra, receives it with

joy; they are not equal to one hundredth, or one thousandth, or one

fraction of a hundred thousand myriad kotis; the power of figures or

comparisons cannot express it. Ajita! If the merits of such a fiftieth

person who in turn hears the Law-Flower Sutra and accepts it with joy,

are indeed so infinite, so boundless and numberless; how much more

surpassingly infinite, boundless and beyond number or compare is the

happiness of him who is amongst the first hearers in the assembly and

receives it joyfully.”

If any one hears this preaching even momentarily, his merit is so

great that in his next reincarnation “he will acquire the most

excellent kind of elephants, horses and carriages, jewelled

palanquins and litters, and ride in celestial cars”. It is

reasonable to accept these as celestial or spiritual ideas,

conceived of through the medium of material forms.

Again, if any one invites another to sit down, or share his seat, in

order to hear this good news, or persuades another to go and hear

it; he will be reborn where wise Bodhisattvas dwell, and himself

have all his faculties glorified. His lips will be pure and

beautiful, only fragrance will come from them, and his presence will

be a joy.

“Age after age his mouth will not suffer,

His teeth not be gaping, yellow or black;

His lips not thick, awry or cracked,

With no disgusting appearance;

His tongue neither dried, black nor shrunk;

His nose high, long and straight;

His forehead broad and smooth;

His face refined and dignified,

A joy for men to behold;

No fetid breath from his mouth,

The scent of the Utpala-flower

Ever exhaling from his lips.”

XIX

If the merits of a hearer are so vast, how much greater those of a

preacher of this Sutra! We are told that such a one—and it is

interesting to note, whether male or female—will obtain great

increase of natural powers, both now and hereafter.

The Buddha is shown as addressing the great Bodhisattva, Ever

Zealous. To him he says:

“If any good son or good daughter receives and keeps this Law-Flower

Sutra, or reads, or recites, or expounds, or copies it, that person

will obtain eight hundred merits of the eye, twelve hundred merits

of the ear, eight hundred merits of the nose, twelve hundred merits

of the tongue, eight hundred merits of the body, and twelve hundred

merits of the mind; with these merits he will dignify his six organs,

making them all serene. That good son or good daughter, with serene

eyes of flesh, begotten by his parents, will see whatever exists within

and without the Three-Thousand-Great-Thousandfold World, mountains,

forests, rivers, and seas, down to the Avici hell and up to the summit

of existence, and also see the living beings in it, as well as see

and know in detail all their karma-causes and re-birth states of

retribution.”

The twelve hundred merits of the ear are thus described in verse:

“His ears, those begotten by his parents,

Are serene, unsullied, untainted.

By these ordinary ears he hears

The sounds in the Three-Thousand World,

The sounds of elephants, horses, carts, and oxen,

The sounds of gongs, bells, conches, drums,

The sounds of lutes and harps,

The sounds of pipes and flutes,

The sounds of pure lovely song;

Listening without undue attachment,

He hears countless human sounds,

And can understand all he hears;

He hears also the sounds of gods,

And mystic voices of singing;

Hears sounds of men and women,

And sounds of youths and maidens.

In mountains, streams and gorges,

The sounds of Kalavinkas,

Ming-ming and other birds,

All these sounds he hears.

The pangs of the hosts in hell

And all the sounds of their tortures;

Hungry ghosts driven by hunger and thirst

And the sounds of their importunity;

The voices of asuras,

Inhabiting the ocean shores,

When they converse together,

And bellow forth their cries.

Such a preacher as this,

Calmly dwelling here

From afar hears these sounds

Without harm to his organ of hearing.

In the worlds in every direction,

Birds and beasts cry to each other,

And the Preacher here abiding

Hears them in every detail.

All the Brahma heavens above,

From Light-Sound and Universal-Purity

To the Heaven of the Summit of Existence,—

The sounds of their conversation,

The Preacher here abiding,

Hears them in every detail.

All the hosts of bhikshus

And of bhikshunis

Reading or reciting the Sutra,

Or preaching it to others,

The Preacher here abiding

Hears them in every detail.

Also the Bodhisattvas

Who intone this Sutra-Law,

Or preach it unto others,

Collating and expounding its meaning,—

All such sounds as these,

He hears in every detail.”

The eight hundred powers of his organ of smell are so enhanced that,

by means of his serene organ, the fragrance of the world is his. He

can also discern everything by their odour—elephants, cattle, men,

grasses, the gods in their heavens, even Brahma; “from afar he will

smell all these and know where they abide.” Nevertheless, “though he

smell these odours, yet his organ of smell will not be injured, nor

will he make any error; and if he wishes to define and tell them to

others, his meaning will not err.”

.....

“The gods, whether walking or seated,

Their rambles and magic powers,

He who keeps this Law-Flower

By smell can know them all.

. . . . .

Lions, tigers, wolves, elephants,

Bisons, buffaloes and their kind,

He by smell knows their place.

If there be a woman with child,

Who discerns not yet its sex,

Male, female, organless, or inhuman,

He by smell can discern it.

By his power of smell

He knows if the newly pregnant

Will succeed or not in being

Joyfully delivered of happy children.

By his perceptive power of smell

He knows the thoughts of men and women,

Their lusts, foolishness or anger,

And also the maintainers of goodness.

All the hidden treasures,

Gold, silver, and jewels,

Stored in copper vessels,

By smell he can clearly distinguish,

Every kind of jewelled necklace,

Of price beyond all knowledge,

By smell he knows its value,

Its source and its location.”

The twelve hundred merits of his tongue are the merits of taste and

speech. “Whatever pleasant or unpleasant, sweet or not sweet, bitter

or astringent thing meets his tongue will become of the finest

flavour, like heavenly nectar; nothing will be unpleasant. If, in

the assembly, he uses his organ of the tongue to preach, sonorous

and beautiful sounds will enter the hearts of all, giving them

pleasure and enjoy.” Celestial beings, dragons, demons, monks and

nuns, disciples, kings, princes, and ministers, will flock to hear

him preach the Law. The Buddhas will delight to hear him and will

also preach toward him.

“If this Preacher desires

To make his lovely voice

Fill the whole universe,

He is able at will to achieve it.”

The eight hundred merits of the body not only give him a body clear

as crystal which all admire, but to him all other bodies are

displayed, for everything of every kind is reflected to him in the

crystal mirror of his own body.

“Downward to the Avici-Hell, upward to the Summit of all Existence, all

things and all living beings are displayed in his body.”

“As on a pure bright mirror

Every image is seen,

So, in his own pure body,

The Bodhisattva sees the whole world.

. . . . .

Though not yet possessed of the flawless,

Mystic, spiritual body,

Yet in his pure ordinary body

Everything is revealed.”

The twelve hundred merits of thought enable him, “on hearing a

single verse or sentence, to penetrate its infinite and boundless

meanings. Having discerned those meanings, he will be able to

discourse on that single sentence or verse for a month, four months,

even a year”—for one verse of this Sutra like “the flower in the

crannied wall” opens up vast questions.

“Whatever he ponders, estimates, and speaks, will be the Buddha-Law,

nothing but truth, and that which former Buddhas have taught.”

“Every living creature

Of this world, within and without,

Gods, dragons, humans,

Yakshas, demons, spirits, others,

These in the six destinations,

Whatever they may be thinking—

In reward for keeping the Law-Flower,

Instant he knows them all.

The countless Buddhas of the universe,

With their hundreds of felicitous signs,

Who preach to all the living,

He hears and retains it all.

He ponders on the infinite,

And preaches the Law without stint,

Never forgets or makes a mistake,

Because he keeps the Law-Flower.

Knowing the form of all laws,

Perceiving their ordered meaning,

Comprehending the terms and words,

He explains them according to knowledge.

Whatever this man preaches

Is the Law of former Buddhas;

And because he proclaims this Law,

He is fearless of the throng.

A keeper of the Law-Flower Sutra

Has an organ of thought such as this.

Though not yet possessed of faultlessness,

Such is the foretoken he possesses.”

XX

We are now introduced to a further interlude, in which the Buddha

addresses the great Bodhisattva, Might-Endowed. He tells him of a

former Buddha-realm, over which was a Buddha known as King of

Majestic Voice. On his entering into Nirvana, his successors

followed each other to the number of twenty thousand kotis, each

being of the same title. After the Nirvana of the first “Buddha of

the Majestic Voice”, and after the first period of the pure doctrine

had passed, monks of the utmost arrogance obtained the chief power,

who cruelly persecuted the hero of the parable that follows. It will

be observed that by these the Hinayana School is meant.

That hero is a monk called Never Despise, so styled because he

refused to contemn any one, being assured that every one was a

prospective buddha. It is a parable of the Mahayanist persecuted by

his fellow monks, the Hinayanists, because he preaches universal

buddhahood for all the living.

“Might-endowed! For what reason was he named Never Despise? Because

he paid respect to and commended everybody he saw, monks, nuns, men

and women disciples; speaking thus: ‘I deeply revere you. Wherefore?

Because you are walking in the bodhisattva way and are to become

Buddhas.’ That monk did not devote himself to reading and reciting

the Sutras, but only to paying respect, so that when he saw afar off

a member of the four classes of disciples, he would specially go and

pay respect to them, commending them, saying: ‘I dare not slight you,

because you are all to become Buddhas.’ Amongst the four classes, there

were those who, irritated and angry and low-minded, reviled and abused

him saying: ‘Where does this ignorant bhikshu come from, who takes

it on himself to say, “I do not slight you,” and who predicts us as

destined to become Buddhas? We need no such false predictions.’ Thus,

he passed many years, constantly reviled but never irritated or angry,

always saying: ‘You are to become Buddhas.’ Whenever he spoke thus,

they beat him with clubs, sticks, potsherds, or stones. But, while

escaping to a distance, he still cried aloud: ‘I dare not slight you.

You are all to become Buddhas.’ And because he always spoke thus, the

haughty monks, nuns, and their disciples dubbed him: Never Despise.

“When this monk was drawing near his end, from the sky he heard, and

was perfectly able to receive and retain, twenty thousand myriad kotis

of verses of the Law-Flower Sutra, which the Buddha, King of Majestic

Voice, had formerly preached. Whereupon he obtained, as stated above,

clearness and purity of eye-organ, as also of the organs of ear, nose,

tongue, body, and thought. Having obtained the purity of these six

organs, he further prolonged his life for two hundred myriad kotis of

nayutas of years, and abundantly preached this Law-Flower Sutra to the

people. Then the haughty four orders of monks, nuns, and male and

female disciples, who had slighted and contemned this man, and given

him the name Never-Despise, seeing him possessed of great transcendent

powers, of power of eloquent discourse, and power of excellent

meditation, and having heard his preaching, believed in and followed

him. This Bodhisattva again converted thousands, myriads, kotis of

beings to Perfect Enlightenment.”

Afterwards he preached the Sutra to countless Buddhas in different

realms through infinite aeons. And who was this Bodhisattva

Never-Despise? The Buddha says:

“He was I 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 so soon to attain to Perfect Enlightenment. Because,

under former Buddhas, I received and kept, read and recited this Sutra,

and preached it to others, I so soon attained to Perfect Enlightenment.”

“The Never-Despise of that time

Is really I myself.

The four groups of that time

Attached to external things

. . . . .

Are you of this assembly.

Age by age have I kept

This so wonderful a Sutra.

During kotis and kotis of kalpas

Of inconceivable extent,

Rare are the times that we heard

This Law-Flower Sutra preached.

During kotis and kotis of kalpas,

Inconceivable of extent,

Buddhas, World-honoured Ones,

But rarely preach this Sutra.

Therefore, let his followers,

After the Buddha’s extinction,

On hearing such Sutra as this,

Conceive no doubt or perplexity.

But let them with single mind

Publish abroad this Sutra

And, age by age meeting Buddhas,

To Buddhahood will they speedily attain.”

XXI

The vast body of Bodhisattvas who sprang out of the earth, as

recorded in Chapter XV, now fold their hands before the Buddha and,

looking towards him, declare that they will preach this Sutra, in

whatsoever worlds the Buddha, in any of his transformations, may

exist and cease to exist.

By this declaration the World-honoured One is now moved to reveal

his majestic divine power. In a miraculous way, attractive only to

those who can see in it the symbolism intended, he showed the

illuminating and far-reaching power of his organ of speech. In the

presence of

“Manjuśri and the countless hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis

of Great Bodhisattvas, as well as of monks, nuns, male and female

disciples, gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas,

kinnaras, mahoragas, human and non-human beings, and so forth”—before

all these beings, he “reveals his great divine power, by putting forth

his broad and far-stretched tongue, till it reaches upward to the

Brahma-world, every pore radiating the light of infinite, numberless

colours, shining everywhere throughout each direction of the universe.

Under the jewel-trees, the Buddhas, each seated on a Lion-throne, also

in like manner put forth their broad far-stretched tongues, radiating

infinite light. While Śakyamuni-Buddha, and the other Buddhas under

the jewel-trees, are thus revealing their divine powers, fully

hundreds of thousands of years pass. After this they draw back their

tongues, cough simultaneously, and snap their fingers in unison. These

two sounds reach through every region of the Buddha-worlds, those

worlds being shaken in every direction.

[Illustration: 11. ♦Yashas stretching out his arm to hold back the sun

to enable King Aśoka to build 84,000 stupas in one day]

♦ “Yashada” replaced with “Yashas”

“In the midst of these worlds, all living beings ... through the divine

power of the Buddha, while in their world, see infinite, boundless,

hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of Buddhas, seated on Lion-thrones

under the jewel-trees; and see Śakyamuni-Buddha, together with the

Tathagata Abundant-Treasures, seated on Lion-thrones in the midst of

the Stupas; and also see infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands,

myriads, kotis of Great Bodhisattvas, and the four groups of disciples

who reverently surround ♦Śakyamuni-Buddha.”

♦ “Sakyamuni-Buddha” replaced with “Śakyamuni-Buddha”

The gods, too, see and rejoice, crying “Namah! Śakyamuni-Buddha”.

Then from every quarter the gods from afar strew flowers, incense,

garlands, and jewels, which form themselves “like gathering clouds,

transforming into a jewelled canopy, covering the sky above the

Buddhas”.

“And upon this the worlds of all the universes are united without

barrier as one Buddha-land.”

Then the Buddha addresses Excellent-Conduct and the host of

Bodhisattvas:

“The divine powers of Buddhas are so infinite and boundless that they

are beyond thought and expression. Even if I, by these divine

powers, through infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads,

kotis of numberless kalpas, for the sake of entailing them, were to

declare the merits of this Sutra, I should still be unable to reach

their end. Essentially speaking, all the laws belonging to Tathagata,

all the sovereign, divine powers of Tathagata, all the mysterious,

essential treasuries of Tathagata, and the most profound affairs of

Tathagata, are proclaimed, displayed, revealed, and expounded in this

Sutra. Therefore you should, after the extinction of the Tathagata,

whole-heartedly receive and keep, read and recite, explain and copy,

cultivate and practise it as taught. In whatever land, whether it be

received and kept, read and recited, explained and copied, cultivated

and practised as taught; whether in a place where a volume of the

Sutra is kept, or in a temple, or in a grove, or under a tree, or in a

monastery, or in a lay devotee’s house, in a palace, or on a mountain,

in a valley, or in the wilderness, in these places you must erect a

stupa and make offerings. Wherefore? You should know that these spots

are thrones of enlightenment. On these spots the Buddhas attain to

Perfect Enlightenment: on these spots the Buddhas roll the Wheel of the

Law; on these spots the Buddhas enter Parinirvana.”

“He who is able to keep this Sutra

Is one who now and always beholds me,

And also Buddha Abundant Treasures

. . . . .

Just as the wind in the firmament

Never has impediment,

. . . . .

Just as the light of sun and moon

Is able to dispel the darkness,

So this man, walking in the world,

Can disperse the gloom of the living,

And cause numberless bodhisattvas

To abide in the One Great Vehicle.”

XXII

On this Śakyamuni Buddha arises from the Lion-throne in the sky,

where he has been seated with the Buddha Abundant-Treasures, and by

his supernatural power lays his right hand on the heads of the

countless Great Bodhisattvas, saying:

“I, for incalculable hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of numberless

kalpas have practised this rare law of Perfect Enlightenment. Now I

entrust it to you. Do you with all your mind promulgate this Law, and

make it increase and prosper far and wide.”

Three times does he thus place his hand on their heads, and give

them his final commission, before his entry into Nirvana. For

“the Tathagata is most benevolent and compassionate, not mean and

grudging; he is able fearlessly to give the Buddha-Wisdom, the

Tathagata-Wisdom, and the Self-Existent Wisdom to the living. The

Tathagata is the great Lord of Giving to all living beings. Do you also

follow and learn the Tathagata’s example, ungrudgingly. If good sons or

good daughters, in ages to come, believe in the Tathagata-wisdom, do

you proclaim this Law-Flower Sutra to them that they may hear and know

it, in order that they may obtain the Buddha-wisdom. If there be living

beings who do not believe it, do you direct, teach, profit, and rejoice

them with the other profound laws of the Tathagata. If you are able

thus to act, then you will have repaid the grace of the Buddhas.”

Thereupon they all, filled with joy, make obeisance, and cry three

times with united voice, “We will do as the World-honoured One has

commanded. Yes, World-honoured One! Have no anxiety.”

“On this Śakyamuni Buddha causes the emanated Buddhas, who had come

from all directions, each to return to his own land, saying: ‘Buddhas!

Peace be upon you. Let the Stupa of the Buddha Abundant-Treasures be

restored as before’.

“As these words are spoken, the innumerable emanated Buddhas from every

direction, who are seated on Lion-thrones under the jewel-trees, as

well as the Buddha Abundant-Treasures, the host of infinite, numberless

Bodhisattvas, Superior-Conduct and others, also the four groups of

hearers, Śariputra and others, and the worlds, gods, men, asuras and so

on, hearing the words of the Buddha, all rejoice greatly.”

XXIII

It is probable that with the preceding chapter the author ends his

religious drama, as already has been mentioned in the Introduction,

to which the reader is referred. The succeeding chapters add little

to the apocalyptic conception but, whether originally part of the

author’s work or not, they have a value of their own as showing

ideas current in Northern Buddhism early in our era.

In this chapter the starry sky seems to be represented by a

Bodhisattva who may be described as King of the Star-Cluster—perhaps

of Ursa Major. He asks the Buddha why the Bodhisattva Medicine-King,

or King of Healing, wanders for countless aeons in suffering through

the worlds. To him and the assembled host the Buddha replies that,

of yore, there was a Buddha named Brilliance of Sun and Moon.

Amongst the incalculable entities of his realm, “no women, no hells,

no hungry ghosts, no animals, no titans, no disasters” found a

place. While the gods discoursed celestial music this Buddha, who

seems to represent the Light, preached the Law-Flower Sutra to a

Bodhisattva called Beautiful. So full of rapture did Beautiful

become, that he resolved to express his gratitude by the immolation

of his beautiful body. Before so doing, he partook of all the

fragrance of all the flowers for twelve hundred years. Then he

anointed his body with costly unguents, wrapped himself in a

celestial robe, bathed in perfumed oil, and by his transcendent will

set fire to his body. The brightness illuminated all worlds, the

Buddhas in which acclaimed his deed as “true zeal”; “the True Law

Homage to the Tathagata”; “the supreme gift”. His body continued to

burn and illuminate the worlds for twelve hundred years, after which

it came to an end.

Bodhisattva Beautiful was reborn by transformation in the domain of

the same Buddha, into the home of King Virtue. He forthwith informed

the King, that he had obtained the spell which enabled him to

interpret the utterances of all the living; moreover that he had

heard the Law-Flower Sutra in countless verses. He must needs pay

his Buddha a visit of homage, and at once, seated on a lofty tower,

he rose into the sky.

The Buddha thereupon announced to him his own departure: “My good

son! The time of my Nirvana has come. The time of my extinction has

arrived. You may arrange my bed. To-night I shall enter

Parinirvana”. He committed his Law, his disciples, his realm, his

relics to Beautiful, and the same night passed away. Beautiful

mourned him, deeply moved and distressed; then on a costly

sandal-wood pyre burnt the body, collected the relics, made

eighty-four thousand precious urns and erected the same number of

Stupas with richest adornment.

Still unsatisfied with his devotion, he further set fire to his own

arms, which burnt for seventy-two thousand years, bringing vast

hosts of people to seek Perfect Enlightenment. All mourned and

lamented over his burnt-off arms and deformed body. To comfort them

and reveal his divine power, he restored his arms as before. The

Milky Way, its disappearance and return, is suggestive of the lost

arms and their reappearance.

Śakyamuni is now made to say, that Beautiful has become the present

Bodhisattva, the King of Healing. Such has been his example of

self-immolation that, “if any one with mind set on attaining Perfect

Enlightenment is able to burn a finger of his own hand, or even a

toe of his foot, in homage to a Buddha’s stupa, he surpasses any

other who pays homage with domain, cities, wives, and children.”

This Sutra is as vast as is the ocean to the streams and rivers; as

is Mount Sumeru, the great mountain of the world, to the other

hills; as are the sun and moon to the stars; and, in short, “just as

the Buddha is king of the laws (or of all things) so is it with this

Sutra: it is King among the Sutras.”

“Just as a clear and cool pool is able to satisfy all those who are

thirsty, and as is the condition of the cold who obtain a fire, the

naked who find clothing, a caravan of merchants who find a leader,

children who find a mother, one who at a ferry finds a boat, a sick man

who finds a doctor, one in the darkness who obtains a lamp, a poor man

who finds a jewel, a people who find a king, merchant-venturers who

gain the sea, and a torch which dispels the darkness, so is it also in

regard to this Law-Flower Sutra. It is able to deliver the living

from all sufferings and diseases, and is able to unloose the bonds of

mortal life.

“If any one, hearing this Law-Flower Sutra, either himself copies, or

causes others to copy it, the limits of the sum of merit to be obtained

cannot be calculated even by Buddha-wisdom. If any one copies this

Sutra and pays homage to it with flowers, scents, necklaces, incense,

sandal-powder, unguents, flags, canopies, garments, and various kinds

of lamps: ghee lamps, oil lamps, lamps of scented oil, lamps of Campaka

oil, lamps of Samana oil, lamps of Patala oil, lamps of Varshika oil,

and lamps of Navamalika oil, the merit to be obtained by him is equally

inestimable.

“King of the Star-Cluster! If there be any one who hears this chapter

of the Former Act of the Bodhisattva King of Healing, he will also

obtain infinite and boundless merits. If there be any woman who hears

this chapter of the Former Deed of the Bodhisattva King of Healing,

and is able to receive and keep it, she, after the end of her present

woman’s body, will not again receive it. If, after the extinction of

the Buddha, in the last five hundred years, there be any woman who

hears this Sutra and acts according to its teaching; at the close of

this life she will go to the Happy World where Amitayus Buddha dwells,

encompassed by his host of great Bodhisattvas, and will there be born

in the midst of a lotus-flower upon a jewelled throne. Never again will

he (the transformed woman) be harassed by desire, nor be harassed by

anger and foolishness, nor again be harassed by pride, envy, or

uncleanness, but will attain to transcendent powers and the Assurance

of No-rebirth; and having obtained this assurance, the organ of the

eye will be serene, by which serene organ of the eye he will see seven

million two thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-Tathagatas, equal to

the sands of the Ganges river, when these Buddhas from afar will unite

in lauding him, saying: ‘Excellent, excellent! Good son! You have

been able to receive and keep, read and recite, and ponder on this

Sutra of the Law of Śakyamuni Buddha and to expound it to others. The

blessed merit you have obtained is infinite and boundless; fire cannot

burn it, water cannot wash it away. Your merit is beyond the power

of a thousand Buddhas to explain. You have now been able to destroy

the Mara-marauders, to overthrow the hostile forces of mortality, and

to crush out all other enemies. Good son! Hundreds of thousands of

Buddhas, with their transcendent powers, together guard and protect

you. Among the gods and men of all worlds none can equal you, except

the Tathagata.”

* * * * *

Any one who receives this chapter will “ever breathe out the

fragrance of the blue lotus flower, and out of the pores of his body

will come fragrance of sandal-wood”. Such is the symbolic way of

presenting the fragrant life. “If a man be sick, on hearing this

Sutra his sickness will instantly disappear, and he will neither

grow old nor die.” The implication may be that the man is spirit and

therefore cannot grow old and die.

Finally the Tathagata Abundant Treasures, from the Celestial Shrine,

praises the King of the Star-cluster for having been able to obtain

from Śakyamuni Buddha “such things as these, and thereby infinitely

benefit all the living”.

XXIV

A double ray issues from Buddha’s brow and illuminates eastwards a

hundred and eight myriad kotis of nayutas of Buddha worlds, as the

sands of Ganges in number. Beyond these is revealed a world named

Adorned-with-Pure-Radiance, whose king is King Wisdom of the

Pure-Flower Constellation. Among his vast host of Bodhisattvas is

one called Wonder-Sound. The symbolism is that of the thunder and

the lightning. He had served numberless Buddhas and attained to

innumerable samadhis, giving him insight into Causelessness,

Sun-revolution, Interpretation of all Sounds, and many others whose

names are given.

Wonder-Sound now begs permission to leave his far distant world and

visit Śakyamuni in this world. His Buddha-King gives him permission,

but warns him not to expect it to be like his own beautiful world.

The world he proposes to visit is a poor, rough place, full of hills

and valleys;

“full of earth, stones, mounds, and filth; the body of the Buddha is

short and small, and all the bodhisattvas are small of stature, whereas

your body is forty-two thousand yojanas high and my body sixty-eight

hundred thousand yojanas. Your body is of the finest order, blest

with hundreds, thousands, myriads of felicities, and of a wonderful

brightness. Therefore on resorting there, do not look lightly on that

domain, nor conceive a low opinion of the Buddha, nor of the

bodhisattvas, nor of their country.

“The Bodhisattva Wonder-Sound replied to the Buddha: ‘World-honoured

One! That I now go to visit the Saha-world is all due to the

Tathagata’s power, the Tathagata’s magic power of travelling, and the

Tathagata’s adornment of merit and wisdom.’

“Thereupon the Bodhisattva Wonder-Sound, without rising from his

seat and without stirring his body, entered into samadhi. By the

power of his samadhi, on the Mount Gridhrakuta, not far distant from

the Law-seat, there appeared in transformation eighty-four thousand

precious lotus-flowers with stalks of gold, leaves of silver, and

ruby-flowers with stamens of diamonds.”

Manjuśri questions Śakyamuni as to the meaning of this auspicious

sign, to which the reply is given that the great Bodhisattva

Wonder-Sound has sent it to announce his intention to come and hear

the Lotus Sutra, along with his train of disciples, eight-four

thousand in number. Manjuśri again questions the Buddha:

“World-honoured One! What roots of goodness has that Bodhisattva

planted, what merits has he cultivated, that he should be able to

have such transcendent power?” In answer, the Buddha Abundant

Treasures signs to Wonder-Sound to come in person with his train.

Thereupon Wonder-Sound sets out to pass over all the vast number of

intervening domains, each of which is shaken by his passage, while

lotus flowers rain everywhere, and celestial instruments send forth

without hands divine music. His eyes are like broad big leaves of

the blue lotus, his brow the glory of myriads of moons, his body is

radiant like pure gold. He is of glowing majesty.

Arriving he alights from his seven-jewelled tower and takes a

priceless necklace to offer to Śakyamuni Buddha, making obeisance at

his feet and saying,

“World-honoured One! The Buddha ‘King Wisdom of the

Pure-Flower-Constellation’ inquires after the World-honoured One thus:

‘Hast thou few ailments and few harassments? Art thou at ease and in

comfort? Are thy four component parts in harmony? Are thy worldly

affairs tolerable? Are thy creatures easy to save—not over-covetous,

angry, foolish, envious, arrogant; never unfilial to parents or

irreverent to their teachers? Have they perverted views, or are they

of good mind and restrained in their five passions? World-honoured

One! Are thy creatures able to overcome the Mara-enemies? Does the

Tathagata Abundant-Treasures, so long extinct, still abide in the Stupa

of the Precious Seven, and come to listen to the Law?’ King Wisdom also

inquires of the Tathagata Abundant-Treasures: ‘Art thou at ease and of

few harassments? Wilt thou be content to remain long?’ World-honoured

One! We now would see the bodily form of the Buddha Abundant-Treasures.

Be pleased, World-honoured One, to show and let us see him.”

“Then says Śakyamuni Buddha to the Buddha Abundant-Treasures: ‘This

Bodhisattva Wonder-Sound desires an interview.’ Instantly the Buddha

Abundant-Treasures addresses Wonder-Sound: ‘Excellent, excellent!

That you have been able to come here to pay homage to Śakyamuni Buddha,

to hear the Law-Flower Sutra, and to see Manjuśri and the others’.”

Śakyamuni here tells an inquiring disciple, that Wonder-Sound had

formerly paid homage to the King of Cloud-thundering, and obtained

great powers. He tells them that they see here but one of his

manifold bodies. To preach the Lotus Sutra he appears in many forms.

“Sometimes he appears as Brahma, or appears as Sakra, or appears

as Isvara, as Mahesvara, or as a deva-general, or as the deva-king

Vaisravana, or as a Holy Wheel-rolling King, or as one of the ordinary

kings, or as an elder, as a citizen, or a minister; or appears as a

Brahman; or appears as a monk, a nun, a disciple male or female; or

appears as the wife of an elder or a citizen, or as the wife of a

minister, or of a Brahman, or as a youth or maiden; or appears as a

god, dragon, yaksha, gandharva, asura, garuda, kinnara, mahoraga, man,

or a non-human being, and so on: and preaches this Sutra. He is able

to rescue whatever beings are in the hells, or hungry ghosts, animals

and all in distress. Even in the inner courts of a king, transforming

himself into a woman, he preaches this Sutra.”

His transformations accord with what may be expedient. To those he

must save in the form of a Hinayana teacher, he appears in that form

to preach the Law; to those he must save in the form of a

Bodhisattva, or a Buddha, he appears in that form; even to those he

must save by his extinction, he reveals himself as extinct. These

mighty powers he attained through the samadhi-meditation

“Revelation-of-all-powers”.

When Wonder-Sound has paid his homage to Śakyamuni and the Buddha

Abundant-Treasures, he returns to his own land accompanied by his

disciples, and attended with phenomena like those which announced

his progress hither.

And while the chapter on the going and coming of the Bodhisattva

Wonder-Sound was preached, forty-two thousand heavenly sons attained

to the Assurance of No-Rebirth, and the Bodhisattva Flower-Virtue

attained to the samadhi termed Law-Flower.

XXV

From his seat arises the Bodhisattva Infinite-Thought who, baring

his right shoulder and folding his hands, asks the Buddha why the

Bodhisattva Kwan-shi-yin is thus named, Regarder of the Cries of the

World. The Buddha replies:

“If there be any who hold fast to the name of that Bodhisattva,

Regarder-of-the-Cries-of-the-World, though they fall into a great

fire, the fire will not be able to burn them, by virtue of the august

supernatural power of that Bodhisattva. If any, carried away by a

flood, call upon (his) name, they will immediately reach the shallows.

If there be hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of beings, who in

search of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, moon-stones, agate, coral, amber,

pearls, and other treasures, go out on the ocean, and if a black gale

blows their ships adrift upon the land of the Rakshasa-demons, and if

amongst them there be even a single person who calls the name of the

Bodhisattva Regarder-of-the-Cries-of-the-World, all those people will

be delivered from the woes of the Rakshasas. It is for this cause that

he is named Regarder-of-the-Cries-of-the-World.

“Or if any one cries who is in deadly peril by the sword, the sword

will be snapped asunder. If wicked demons attack, the one who cries

will become invisible to them. Whether guilty or innocent, if he cry,

though loaded with manacles, fetters, cangues or chains, all will

be broken and he will be set free. A train of jewel-merchants,

passing along a road infested with robbers, have but to cry with one

voice and they will be protected. Those possessed by carnal passions,

anger, or infatuation have but to remember and revere this Bodhisattva

and they will be set free. If a woman desires a son, worships and pays

homage, she will bear a son, virtuous and wise; or if a daughter, then

of good demeanour and looks.

“The merit attained by worship of other Bodhisattvas, in number as

sands of sixty-two kotis of Ganges, just equals the merit of him who

but for one moment worships the Regarder-of-the-Cries-of-the-World.”

This Bodhisattva appears to all according to their need. If needed

as a Hinayana teacher, he appears as such; if as Brahma, or Indra,

or Isvara, or a deva, a king, an elder, a citizen, an official, a

brahman, a monk, nun, or male or female disciple, then he appears as

such. If needed in the form of a wife of an elder, citizen, official

or brahman, he appears as such; or if as a youth or maiden, he

appears as such. If needed as a god, or a demon, he so appears. This

is given in lengthy detail.

Kwan-yin, or Kwan-non, is to-day represented as a female Bodhisattva

and by Europeans styled the Goddess of Mercy. She is addressed as

“Most Merciful, Most Pitiful”. In reality Kwan-yin is above sex, and

may be represented as male or female. Kwan-yin, this Sutra tells us,

is the great Bestower of Fearlessness, relieving the fear of those

who are in anxiety or distress.

[Illustration: 12. Kuan-yin breaking the executioner’s sword

From an A.D. 1681 facsimile of an A.D. 1331 edition of the illustrated

Kuan-yin chapter of the Lotus Sutra]

“Listen to the deeds of the Cry-Regarder,

Who well responds to every quarter;

Vast is his vow as deep the sea,

Age-long, and inconceivable.

. . . . .

Who hears his name and looks to him,

Unremittingly remembering him,

Will end the sorrows of existence.

Even though men with ill intent

Cast him into a burning pit,

Let him think of the Cry-Regarder

The very fire-pit becomes a pool;

Or, driven along a mighty ocean

In peril dire of dragons and demons,

Let him think of the Cry-Regarder

And ne’er will waves him overwhelm;

Or if, from lofty peak of Sumeru,

They should hurl him headlong down,

Let him think of the Cry-Regarder

And firm as the sun he is held in the sky.

. . . . .

If by incantations or poison

Any one seeks to hurt his body,

And he thinks of the Cry-Regarder,

All these ills revert to their author.

. . . . .

If, encompassed by evil beasts,

Sharp of tusk or cruel of claw,

He should think of the Cry-Regarder,

They will flee in every direction;

Or there be boas, vipers and scorpions,

Breathing poison as fire-flame scorching,

If he thinks of the Cry-Regarder,

Instantly they each will vanish.

. . . . .

Every evil state of existence,

Hells and ghosts and animals,

Sorrows of birth, age, disease, death,

All will thus be ended for him.

True Regard, serene Regard,

Far-reaching, wise Regard,

Regard of pity, Regard compassionate,

Ever longed for, ever looked for

In radiance ever pure and serene!

Wisdom’s sun, destroying darkness,

Subduer of woes, of storm, of fire,

Illuminator of the world!

Law of pity, thunder quivering,

Compassion wondrous as a great cloud,

Pouring spiritual rain like nectar,

Quenching all the flames of distress!

. . . . .

Voice of the Regarder, wondrous Voice,

Voice of the rolling tide, Brahma-voice,

Voice all world-surpassing,

Ever to be cherished in mind

With never a doubting thought.

World’s Cry-Regarder, pure and holy,

In pain, distress, in death or woe,

Potent as a sure reliance,

Perfect in every virtuous merit,

All-beholding with eyes of pity,

Boundless ocean-store of blessings!

Prostrate, let us make obeisance.”

.....

“While the Buddha preached this chapter of the All-sided One, the

eighty-four thousand living beings in the assembly set their minds on

Perfect Enlightenment, with which nothing can compare.”

XXVI

The Bodhisattva, King of Healing, is now represented offering spells

to guard and protect the preachers of the Lotus Sutra. One such

spell begins:

“Anye manye mane mamane citte carite same samitavi sante mukte

muktanesame avishame sama same jaye khshaye akshaye akshine sante

samite dharani alokabhashe-pratyavekshani nidhini abhyantaranivishte

...” and so on.

This is a spell, he says, which has been used by Buddhas numerous as

the sands of sixty-two kotis of Ganges, and if any one does violence

to the teachers of the Lotus Sutra, they will be doing violence to

all these Buddhas. Śakyamuni ♦extols the King of Healing for his

wonderful spell.

♦ “extolls” replaced with “extols”

Another Bodhisattva, Courageous-Giver, then offers another spell

against all demons, commencing, “Jvale mahajvale ukke tukku mukku

ude ...” &c.

A deva-king also offers a spell potent in his realm: “Atte tatte

natte vanatte anade nadi kumadi avaha ...” Another deva-king offers

yet another.

Rakshasas, that is non-human “furies” or witches, named Binder,

Unbinder, Crooked-teeth, Coloured-teeth, Black-teeth,

Dishevelled-locks, Insatiable, Skull- or Necklace-holder, Kunti and

Spirit-snatcher: these ten creatures, together with the

Mother-of-Demon-Sons, with her children and followers, now approach,

offering their spells.

[Illustration: 13. The Mara-king offering his protective spells to the

Buddha]

“If any spy for the shortcomings of these teachers of the Law, we will

prevent their obtaining their wish.” The spell they give is:

“Iti me, iti me, iti me, iti me, iti me; ni me, ni me, ni me, ni me, ni

me; ruhe, ruhe, ruhe, ruhe, ruhe; stuhe, stuhe, stuhe, stuhe, stuhe,

svaha.

“Let troubles come on our heads rather than on theirs.”

Neither yakshas nor hungry ghosts, nor the long list of malevolent

creatures, whose names are given, nor fevers of any kind shall cause

the preacher of the Lotus Sutra distress. They add:

“Whoever dares defy our spell

And harass any preacher,

May his head be split in seven,

Like unto an arjaka sprout.

His doom be that of a parricide,

Or of a swindling oil-presser,

Or of a cheat with measure and weight,

Or of Devadatta the first schismatic.

He who dares offend these Preachers,

Such shall be his certain doom.”

The Buddha replies to these witches, that great shall be their

reward if they protect those who only keep the name of this Sutra in

mind; how much greater those who pay homage to it

“with flowers, incense, necklaces, sandal-powder, perfumes,

incense, ♦flages, canopies, and music; burning various kinds of

lamps—ghee lamps, oil lamps, lamps of scented oil, lamps of oil of

Campaka-flowers, lamps of oil of Varshika-flowers, and lamps of oil of

Udumbara-flowers; such hundreds thousands kinds of offerings as these.

Kunti! You and your followers ought to protect such teachers of the

Law.”

♦ “flages” replaced with “flags”

“While this chapter of Dharanis was preached, thirty-eight thousand

people attained to the Assurance of No-Rebirth.”

XXVII

The Buddha now tells the story of King Resplendent. Of yore,

infinite aeons ago, there was a Buddha called Thunder-Voice, who was

the Star-King Wisdom. His realm was named Radiantly-Adorned, and his

epoch Joyful-Sight.

In his domain was a king called Resplendent, whose wife was Pure

Virtue, and his two sons, one Pure Treasury, the other Pure Eyes.

The two sons had attained to great supernatural powers, blessedness

and wisdom, by methods of self-cultivation and concentration, the

names of which are given; and by “benevolence, compassion, joy,

indifference and the thirty-seven kinds of aids to the Way”.

Then the Buddha Thunder-Voice decided to guide King Resplendent into

the higher truth, by preaching to him this Lotus Sutra. The two

sons, becoming aware of this intention, implored their mother to

lead them to hear the Sutra. The mother sighed that the father

believed in and was deeply attached to heretical doctrine, but sent

her two sons to urge him to accompany them. The two sons, putting

their religion first, protested that, “though born in this home of

heretical views”, they were really the sons of Buddha. Again the

mother urged them: “You should have sympathy with your father, and

reveal to him some of your supernatural powers so that, seeing them,

his mind may be enlightened, and he may perhaps grant that we all go

to the Buddha.”

On this the sons went to the king and, in order to convince him,

displayed their marvellous powers, rising into the sky, walking,

sitting, standing and lying there. They expanded themselves till

they filled the whole sky, or shrunk themselves to minute size; they

vanished from the sky and appeared upon earth; they entered the

earth as if it were water, and walked on water as on the earth. Thus

they convinced their father and brought him to faith and

discernment. Demanding to be told who was their teacher, he was

informed it was Thunder-Voice, Star-King of Wisdom.

“I also would now like to see your Master,” said the King; “we will all

go together.”

The sons reported to their mother and begged for permission to leave

home and become followers of the Buddha.

“I grant you permission to leave home,” she graciously said; “for it is

a rare event in the world to meet a Buddha.”

They besought both father and mother to go and pay homage to the

Buddha, for, said they, a Buddha is as rare an event as is the

flower of the tree that blossoms but once in its life-time; or as “a

one-eyed tortoise spying the sun through a hole in a floating log”.

“But we, richly blessed through a former lot, now may meet the

Buddha in this life.”

Then the eighty-four thousand court ladies of King Resplendent also

became capable of receiving the Lotus Sutra.

“Thereupon King Resplendent, accompanied by his ministers and

retinue, Queen Pure Virtue with her court ladies and retinue, and the

two Princes, together with forty-two thousand of their people, set out

to visit the Buddha.”

After prostrating themselves, they made procession around the Buddha

three times and stood on either side.

“Then that Buddha preached to the king, showing, teaching, profiting,

rejoicing him, so that the king was greatly delighted. King Resplendent

and his Queen unloosed the necklaces of pearls worth hundreds and

thousands, from their necks, and threw them upon the Buddha, and these

in the sky were transformed into a four-column jewel-tower; on the

tower was a large jewelled couch spread with hundreds, thousands,

myriads of celestial coverings, on which sat the Buddha cross-legged,

emitting a great ray of light. Whereupon King Resplendent reflected

thus: ‘Rare, dignified, extraordinary is the Buddha’s body, perfect in

its supreme refined colouring’.”

“The king at once made over his domain to his younger brother; while

he, together with his queen, two sons and their retinue, forsook his

home, and followed the Way under the rule of that Buddha. Having

forsaken his home, during eighty-four thousand years the king was

ever diligent and zealous in observing the Wonderful Law-Flower

Sutra, and after these years had passed, attained to the samadhi

Adorned-with-all-pure-Merits.

Rising in the sky King Resplendent gave the praise for his

enlightenment to his two sons, who had turned his mind from heresy

to Buddha Truth. “These two sons are indeed my good friends, for

desiring to develop the good roots planted by me in my former lives,

they came and were born in my home.” In other words, the good seed

the King had sown in former lives attracted these two spirits to be

born in his home, to aid him in reaping the fruit. The implication

is that no man has sons of his own. He may beget their bodies, but

the real sons are souls re-born into his home.

“So it is, so it is, the Buddha replied, “It is as you say. Any good

son or good daughter, by planting roots of goodness, will in every

generation obtain good friends, which good friends will be able to

do Buddha-deeds, showing, teaching, profiting and rejoicing him, and

causing him to enter into Perfect Enlightenment. Know, Great King! A

good friend is the great cause whereby men are converted and led to see

the Buddha and aroused to Perfect Enlightenment. Great King! Do you

see these two sons? These two sons have already paid homage to Buddhas

sixty-five times the hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis nayutas of

the sands of a Ganges, waiting upon and revering them; and among those

Buddhas have received and kept the Law-Flower Sutra, compassionating

the living in their false views, and establishing them in right views.”

“King Resplendent thereupon descended from the sky and said to the

Buddha:

‘World-honoured One! Rare indeed is the sight of the Tathagata; by

his merits and wisdom the prominence on his head shines brilliantly;

his eyes are wide-open and deep blue; the tuft between his eyebrows

is white as the pearly moon; his teeth are wide, even, close and ever

shining; his lips are red and beautiful as bimba-fruit.’

“When King Resplendent had thus extolled the many merits of that

Buddha—countless hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of them—with all

his mind he folded his hands before the Tathagata and again addressed

that Buddha saying: ‘Unprecedented is the World-honoured One. The

Tathagata’s teaching is perfect in its inconceivable and wonderful

merits. The moral precepts which he promulgates are comforting and

quickening. From this day onward I will not again follow my own mind,

nor beget false views, nor a haughty, angry or any other sinful mind.’

Having uttered these words, he did reverence to the Buddha and went

forth.”

Śakyamuni now declares that King Resplendent and his queen are

re-incarnated in the persons of two Bodhisattvas present, and that

the two princes are now the Bodhisattvas King of Healing and Lord of

Healing.

“While the Buddha preached this chapter, eighty-four thousand people

departed from impurity, separated themselves from uncleanness, and

acquired pure spiritual eyes in regard to spiritual things.”

XXVIII

Then from the East comes the Bodhisattva, Universal-Virtue, with his

unlimited, infinite, incalculable host. Countless realms are shaken

by his passage, while jewel-lotuses rain down upon them, and

numberless celestial instruments pour forth their exquisite music.

He, too, has heard that the Lotus Sutra is being preached and has

brought his host of Bodhisattvas to hear it.

The Buddha responds to him, announcing what may be considered as the

equivalent in Mahayana for the Four Noble Truths of the Hinayana.

“If any good son or daughter acquires the four following requisites,

such a one will possess this Law-Flower Sutra after the extinction of

the Tathagata:

“First, place himself under the care of Buddhas:

Second, plant the roots of virtue:

Third, enter into correct concentration (or meditation):

Fourth, seek the salvation of all the living.

Any good son or good daughter, who attains to these four requisites,

will assuredly possess this Sutra after the extinction of the

Tathagata.”

Thereupon the Bodhisattva Universal-Virtue, whose title may be taken

to indicate the moral basis and Catholicism of Mahayana, promises to

protect those who keep this Truth, and to give ease of mind and

freedom from the affliction of Mara, Mara-sons, Mara-daughters,

Mara-people, Mara-satellites, yakshas and so on.

“Wherever such a one walks or stands, reading and reciting this Sutra,

I will at once mount the royal six-tusked white elephant and, with a

host of great Bodhisattvas, go to that place and, revealing myself,

will serve and protect him, comforting his mind; also thereby serving

the Law-Flower Sutra. Wherever such a one sits, pondering over this

Sutra, I will at once again mount the royal white elephant and show

myself to him. If such a one forgets, be it but a single word or verse

of the Law-Flower Sutra, I will teach him it, read and recite it with

him, and again cause him to master it. Thereupon he who receives and

keeps, reads and recites the Law-Flower Sutra, on seeing me will

greatly rejoice and renew his zeal. Through seeing me, he will at once

attain to the samadhis and the dharanis.”

Wherever the followers of this Sutra meet together for three

sevenfold days, then Universal Truth declares:

“I will mount my six-tusked white elephant, and accompanied by

countless Bodhisattvas, appear before those people in the form the

living delight to see, and preach to them, revealing, instructing,

benefitting and rejoicing them. Moreover I will give them spells,

so that no human or non-human beings can injure them, nor any woman

beguile them.”

Such is the promise of the spiritual presence, power, and aid of

Universal Virtue.

Those who keep, read, remember, apprehend, and practise the Sutra as

preached are assured that they are “doing the works of

Universal-Virtue, have deeply planted roots of goodness under

numberless, countless Buddhas, and that their heads will be caressed

by the hands of the Tathagatas”. If they merely copy this Sutra,

they will be reborn in a heaven, where they will be welcomed with

music by eighty-four thousand nymphs, and they, wearing jewelled

crowns, will dwell among those nymphs, joyful and delighted. If such

be the reward of a mere copyist, how much greater will be the reward

of him who reads, remembers, and practises it. To him

“the hands of a thousand Buddhas will be offered, that he may fear

not, neither fall into any evil destiny, but go straight to Maitreya’s

heaven, where are hosts of Great Bodhisattvas and hundreds, thousands,

myriads, kotis of nymph-followers; amongst these will he be re-born.”

“Therefore,” says Universal-Virtue, “the wise should with all their

minds themselves copy it, or cause others to copy it, receive and

keep, read and recite, rightly remember, and practise it as preached.

World-honoured One! I now by my supernatural power will guard and

protect this Sutra so that, after the extinction of the Tathagata, it

may spread abroad without cease in the world.”

“Then Śakyamuni Buddha ♦extols him, saying: ‘It is well, it

is well, Universal Virtue, that you are able to protect and assist

this Sutra, and bring happiness and weal to the living in so many

places. You have already attained to inconceivable merits and profound

benevolence and compassion. From a long distant past have you aspired

to Perfect Enlightenment, and been able to make this supernatural vow

to guard and protect this Sutra. And I, by supernatural power, will

guard and protect those who are able to receive and keep the name of

the Bodhisattva Universal-Virtue.

♦ “extolls” replaced with “extols”

“Universal-Virtue! If there be any who receive and keep, read and

recite, rightly remember, practise and copy this Law-Flower Sutra, know

that such are attending on Śakyamuni Buddha, as if they were hearing

this Sutra direct from the Buddha’s mouth; know that such are paying

homage to Śakyamuni Buddha; know that the Buddha is praising them,

‘Well done!’ Know that the heads of such are being caressed by the

hands of Śakyamuni Buddha. Know that such are covered by the robe of

Śakyamuni Buddha. Such as these will not again be eager for worldly

pleasure, nor be fond of heretical scriptures and writings; nor ever

again take pleasure in intimacy with worldly men, or with evil persons,

whether butchers, or herders of boars, sheep, fowls, and dogs, or

hunters, and panderers. But such as these will be right-minded, have

correct aims and be auspicious. Such will not be harassed by the Three

Poisons, nor be harassed by envy, pride, haughtiness, and arrogance;

such will be content with few desires, and able to do the works of

Universal-Virtue.

“Universal-Virtue! After the extinction of the Tathagata, in the

latter five hundred years (of decadence), if any one sees one who

receives and keeps, reads and recites the Law-Flower Sutra, he must

reflect thus: ‘This man will ere long go to the wisdom-plot, destroy

the host of Mara, attain to Perfect Enlightenment, and rolling onward

the Law-wheel, beating the Law-drum, blowing the Law-conch, and pouring

the rain of the Law, will sit on the lion-throne of the Law amid a

great assembly of gods and men.’

“Universal-Virtue! Whoever in future ages receive and keep, read and

recite this Sutra, such persons will no longer be greedily attached

to clothes, bedding, drink, food, and things for the support of life;

whatever they wish will never be in vain, and in the present life they

will obtain their blessed reward. Suppose any one slights and slanders

them, saying: ‘You are only mad men, pursuing this course in vain, with

never a thing to be gained’—the doom for such sin as this is blindness,

generation after generation. If any one makes offerings to and praises

them, he will obtain visible reward in the present world. Again, if any

one sees those who receive and keep this Sutra, and proclaims their

errors and sins, whether true or false, such a one in the present

life will be smitten with leprosy. If he ridicules them, generation

after generation his teeth will be sparse and missing, his lips vile,

his nose flat, his hands and feet contorted, his eyes asquint, his

body stinking and filthy with evil scabs and bloody pus, he will be

dropsical and short of breath, and have every evil disease. Therefore,

Universal-Virtue, if one sees those who receive and keep this

Sutra, he should stand up and greet them from afar, just as if he were

paying reverence to the Buddha.”

“While the chapter of the Encouragement of the Bodhisattva

Universal-Virtue was being preached, innumerable, incalculable

Bodhisattvas, equal to the sands of Ganges, attained to the dharani of

the Hundreds, Thousands, Myriads, Kotis of Progress, and Bodhisattvas

equal to the atoms of a Three-Thousand-Great-Thousandfold World became

perfect in the Way of Enlightenment.

“When the Buddha preached this Sutra, Universal-Virtue and the other

Bodhisattvas, Śariputra and the other sravakas, and the gods, dragons,

human and non-human beings, and all others in the great assembly,

greatly rejoiced together, and taking possession of the Buddha’s words,

made salutation to him and withdrew.”

GLOSSARY

_Ajita_, _idem_ Maitreya, _q.v._

_Amitābha_, _Amitāyus_, or _Amita_. Infinite light and infinite life,

possibly a Persian concept adapted by Mahāyānists. It is in this Sutra

that he first has mention. He is the most popular Buddha in the Far

East, and to Sukhavatī, his Paradise, or Pure-land, where also Kuan-yin

dwells, it is the prayer of most devotees to go.

_Ānanda_, p. 146.

_Anātman_. Without a permanent personality, or soul.

_Anuttara-samyak-saṁbōdhi_. Unsurpassed perfect wisdom.

_Araṇya_. Hermitage.

_Arhat_, _Arhān_, in Chinese ‘Lo-han’. One who has attained to

spiritual ārya or saintship; one who strives after it; a higher class

of Buddhist disciple.

_Arjaka_. Symplocos Racemosa; but it may be Marjaka which is said to

split into seven pieces when cut down.

_Asaṃkhyēya_. Beyond number, countless, numberless; by some explained

as 1 followed by 17 ciphers, by others as by 97 ciphers, by others as a

world period of 1,344,000,000 years.

_Asita_, p. 20.

_Aśōka_. The first great royal patron of Buddhism in the third century

B.C.; _see_ p. 6.

_Asuras_. Titans, powerful rivals of the gods; _see_ Nāga.

_Avalōkiteśvara_. Regarder of cries, Kuan-yin. The original form is

uncertain.

_Avīci_. Unintermitted reincarnation in the last of the eight hot hells.

_Avinivartanīyaḥ_. Never retrograding, or returning to mortality.

_Bhikshu_, _Bhikshuṇī_. Mendicants, monks, nuns.

_Bōdhi_. Enlightenment; awake, aware, enlightened.

_Bōdhisattva_. A disciple who has become enlightened and freed from

the miseries of mortality; also an angelic being ready for final

buddhahood, who remains in a lower state to save others; _see_

Mahasattva.

_Bōdhisattva-Mahāsattva_. _See_ Mahāsattva.

_Brahmā_. The first person in the Brahminical trinity. By Buddhists he

is considered as subject to mortality, and therefore inferior to one

who has attained to Bōdhi. In this Sūtra he is mentioned as the ‘Father

of all the living’, perhaps as Dēva of the present world.

_Brāhmaṇas_. Brahmins, i.e. those of the highest caste.

_Buddha_. The enlightened; awake, aware.

_Dēva_. The gods of Brahminism; gods in general; they are all subject

to metempsychosis.

_Dēvadatta_, p. 20.

_Dhāraṇī_. Magic formula, spell, incantation.

_Dharmagupta_, p. 7.

_Dharmaraksha_, p. 7.

_Dhuta_. Discipline.

_Gandharva_. Beings superior to men, able to smell incense and make

music; see Nāga.

_Garuḍa_. Winged spirits resembling powerful birds able to fight Nāgas,

_q.v._

_Gayā_. An ancient city of Magadha, where Śākyamuni lived for seven

years before attaining his enlightenment; pp. 197, 200.

_Gṛidhrakūṭa_. The Vulture Peak, p. 13.

_Hīnayāna_. Small conveyance, or vehicle; whereby the few are saved by

works.

_Indra_. One of the most ancient gods of Brahminism, now protector of

Buddhism, though considered inferior to a Buddha. His symbol is the

vajra.

_Īśvara_. A sovereign (in his own right), see Maheśvara.

_Jñanāgupta_, p. 7.

_Kalaviṅka_. A fabulous bird of melodious song; p. 220.

_Kalpa_. There are many kinds, but the general meaning is an aeon or

age.

_Kanishka_. _See_ p. 6.

_Karma_. Deed, conduct, moral action; used also in the sense of

character as the resultant of moral thought and action. _See_ p. 44.

_Kāśyapa_. _See_ Mahā-Kāśyapa.

_Kinnara_. Supernatural beings usually represented with horses’ heads;

the musicians of Kuvera, or Pluto; _see_ Naga.

_Kōṭī_. A figure varying from 100,000 to 10,000,000,000.

_Kshatriyas_. The second caste, of kings and warriors, from which

Buddhas come.

_Kumārajīva_. _See_ p. 7.

_Kumbhāṇḍa_. Monstrously deformed demons.

_Kuntī_. Name of a demoness.

_Mahā-Kāśyapa_. One of the principal disciples of the Buddha.

_Mahāsattva_. Great being. Bōdhisattvas superior to all beings except

Buddhas, and who are saviours of all creatures.

_Mahāyanā_. Great vehicle; by which all are saved through faith.

_Mahā-Kātyāyana_. One of the four oldest disciples; p. 129.

_Mahā-Māudgalyāyana_. One of the four oldest disciples; p. 129.

_Mahēśvara_. King of dēvas. Śiva.

_Mahōraga_. Boa-demons; large bellied demons; see Nāga.

_Māitrēya_. The next Buddha, the Messiah of the Buddhists. Also called

Ajita.

_Mañjuśrī_. An imaginary Bōdhisattva, the apotheosis of transcendental

wisdom.

_Māra_. The murderer or enemy of goodness; the devil.

_Nāga_. Snake, boa, dragon, monster. The eight classes beyond the human

stage are Dēvas, Nāgas, Rakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garuḍas, Kinnaras,

Mahōragas.

_Namo_, or _Namaḥ_. A formula of adoration like Ave.

_Nayuta_. Some say a hundred thousand millions.

_Nirvāṇa_. Extinction, but whether of existence, or of reincarnation,

or of all impurity, is much debated.

_Pāramitās_. The (six) virtues which ferry over the saṃsāra stream

to nirvāṇa—renunciation, purity, endurance, advance, concentrated

meditation, wisdom.

_Pārinirvāṇa_. Final extinction, _see_ Nirvāṇa.

_Pratyēkabuddha_. An individualist who saves himself but does not save

others; an ascetic.

_Puṇḍarīka_. The great, or white lotus.

_Rāhula_. Son of the Buddha, born before the latter left home.

_Rakshas_. Demons who devour men, the retinue of Vāiśravaṇa; _see_ Nāga.

_Saddharma_. Good Law, True Law, somewhat similar to ‘Gospel’. In

Chinese it is translated by Miao Fa, which means wonderful, beautiful,

supernatural law.

_Sāgara_. Dragon-King of the Ocean, whose palace is full of pearls, and

who is the bestower of rain; p. 172.

_Śakra_, _idem_ Indra.

_Saha_. A mortal world.

_Śākyamuni_. Saint of the Śākya clan, whose other names were Siddhārtha

and Gautama.

_Samādhi_. Mystical meditation, concentrated contemplation, ecstatic

absorption.

_Saṃgha_. The assembly of monks; the ‘Church’ of Buddhism, hence the

third member of the trinity Buddha, Law, Church.

_Śāriputra_. Son of Śāri, the most learned of the Buddha’s disciples.

_Śramaṇa_. A monk, an ascetic.

_Śrāmaṇēras_. Novices.

_Śrāvaka_. A hearer, or disciple; an elementary stage of sainthood.

_Stūpa_. A reliquary, or shrine, of cupola-shape to contain remains

after cremation, especially of the Buddha.

_Subhūti_. One of the four oldest disciples; p. 129.

_Sumēru_. The central mountain of every world, whose height above the

sea is 84,000 yōjanas, but whose total height from its invisible base

to its summit is 168,000 yōjanas.

_Sūtra_. A work supposed to give the discourses of the Buddha.

_Tāla_. The fan palm; a length of about 70 feet.

_Tathāgata_. One who comes, or goes, as he should, a term for a Buddha.

_Udumbara_. A tree supposed to flower only once in 3,000 years.

_Utpala_. The blue lotus.

_Vajra_. The sceptre of Indra as god of lightning and thunder.

_Vārāṇasī_. Benares.

_Yaksha_. A class of demons.

_Yōjana_. A measure of length, a league, variously estimated at from 4½

to 9 miles.

INDEX

Abundant-Treasures, Buddha, 18, 155–68, 170, 193, 231–2, 234–5, 241,

244–6.

Abuse, _see_ Slander, Persecute.

Action, sphere of, 181–91.

Aggregates, Five, 84.

Ajita, _see_ Maitreya.

Alms, _see_ Giving.

Altruism, 181–91. _See_ Pity, Giving.

Amitabha, 45, 47.

Amitayus, 239.

Ananda, 146–7.

Anatman, 43–5, 50.

Ancient Buddha, 18, 19, 23, 39, 51, 54–5. _See_

Abundant-Treasures.

Apocalypse, 4, 13, 28, 37, 47, 53, 153, 163, 236.

Aranya, 178–9.

Arhats, 66, 141, 179.

Arjaka, 253.

Arms, 237.

Arya, 119.

Asamkhyeya, _see_ Numbers.

Ascetics, 65. _See_ Hinayana.

Asita, 20.

Aśoka, 6.

Assurance of No Re-birth, 240, 246, 254.

Asuras, 59, 84, 149, 220, 230, 235, 245.

Atom, 201, 209, 265. _See_ Dust, Ink.

Aunt, Buddha’s, 22, 59, 176–7.

Author, 4, 5, 36, 53, 56, 79.

Avalokiteśvara, 11, 28, 31. _See_ Kuan-yin.

Avinivartaniyah, 99.

Awakening of Faith, v, 6.

Beautiful, 29, 30, 236–41.

Bhagavadgita, v.

Bhikshu, _see_ Monks.

Bhikshuni, _see_ Nuns.

Birth and death (neither), _see_ Mortality and Reincarnation.

Blasphemy, 17, 49. _See_ Sutra, Slander of.

Blindness, _see_ Eye, 78, 102, 264.

Bodhi, 38, 79, 171–5. _See_ Perfect Enlightenment.

Bodhisattva, 45 and _passim._ Great Bodhisattvas, _see_

Mahasattvas.

Bodhi-tree, 79, 132, 197.

Body, the merits of, 223–5, 227.

Boundless, 131, 182. _See_ Infinite, Eternal.

Brahma, 13, 79, 132–3, 166, 174, 191, 212, 221, 245, 248, 250.

Brahmans, 108, 179, 184, 186, 245, 248.

Buddha, _passim._

Buddhahood, 2, 70, _passim._ _See_ Perfect Enlightenment.

Buddhas of the Buddha, 159–68.

Burma, 1, 5.

Burn, _see_ Cremate.

Burning Body, arms, &c., _see_ Giving.

Burning House (of the world), 16, 38, 42, 54, 86–97, 166, 207–8.

Burning Light, 201.

Burning pit, 249.

Burnouf, Eugène, 9.

Butchers, 23, 181, 263.

Calumniate, _see_ Slander, Sutra.

Caravan, 238.

Causation, 182, 242.

Central Asia, 4, 5.

Ceylon, 1, 5.

Children, 61, 76–7, 86–94.

Chiliocosm, 122–3, 131, 160–1, 166, 172, 174, 201, 219, 265.

China, v-viii, 1–11, 52, 53.

Christianity, v, vi, 2, 6, 36, 40, 44–5, 55, 72.

Clerical order, 52–3. _See_ Monks, Nuns, Samgha.

Cloud, _see_ Rain.

Compassion, _see_ Pity.

Concentration, _see_ Samadhi.

Conflagration, _see_ Burning House.

Constellation, King Wisdom of the Pure-Flower-, 242–6.

Conversion, immediate, 171–5.

Creator, 41.

Cremate, 29. _See_ Burning, Giving, Relics.

Crown-jewel, parable of, 186–91.

Date of Sutra, 4–6.

Decline, period of, _see_ Semblance Law, Burning House.

Deliverance, _see_ Emancipation.

Despise, 184–5. _See_ Never Despise.

Determinism, 42, 44.

Deva, 39, 63, 67, 73, 79, 82, 84, 127, 142, 149, 155, 164, 168, 170,

175, 186, 207, 214, 220, 222, 224, 230, 235, 240, 245, 248,

252, 265.

Devadatta, 20, 169–70, 253.

Devil, _see_ Mara.

Dharanis, 29, 31–2, 172, 237, 252–4, 261, 265.

Dharma, _passim._

Dharmagupta, 7.

Dharmaraksha, 7, 28.

Dhuta, 168, 197.

Doctrine, 34–56.

Dogs, 95–6, 101, 103.

Dragon, Dragon-kings, 59, 67, 82, 84, 149, 155, 223–4, 230, 245, 249,

265.

Dragon King, Daughter and Palace, 21, 171–5.

Drama, vi, 4, 13, 37, 53–6, 153, 157, 163, 236.

Drum, 62, 63, 77, 134, 207, 209, 220, 264.

Drunk, 144–5.

Dust, 131. _See_ Atoms, Ink.

Ear, 25, 219–21, 227.

Egg-born &c., 216.

Elephant, 114, 187–8, 218, 261.

Emanated Buddhas, _see_ Springing-up, Buddhas of the Buddha.

Emancipation, 66, 92–3, 98, 124–5, 128, 187, 217.

Enlightenment, _see_ Perfect Enlightenment.

Eternal, 13, 50, 52, 82, 131, 209, 211. _See_ Immortal, Infinite.

Eternal Buddha, 24, 35, 40–2, 55, 79, 192–9, 200–4, 206–8, 209–11.

Expediency, 14–15, 35–6, 47, 54, 66, 68–9, 74–5, 86–94, 97–9, 109–13,

118–19, 137–43, 202–8.

Extinction, 135 _et al._ _See_ Nirvana.

Eye, 25, 61, 219, 227, 240, 264.

Faith, 2, 14, 25, 34–5, 44–5, 46–9, 66, 70–3, 99, 153, 194, 210–11.

Fakirs, 181.

Father, 41–2, 44, 86–94, 106–17, 198, 204–6, 208. _See_ Son.

Fearless, 72, 89–94, 248.

Female, _see_ Woman.

Final Commission, 27, 234–5.

Final Revelation, 34.

Flower-light, 83–4.

Flowers, 63–4, 78, 83, 209, 214–15, 231, 236, 239, 242, 253.

Form and Content, 10–34.

Four Noble Truths, 84, 97–8, 134–5, 260.

Fragrance, 236–41. _See_ Incense, Nose.

Freewill, 42, 73, 86–7.

Friend, 258.

Gandharvas, 59, 84, 149, 230, 245.

Ganges sands, 23, 25, 29, 55, 61, 67, 103, 120, 135–6, 161, 164–5,

192–5, 209, 240, 242, 248, 252, 258, 265.

Garudas, 59, 84, 149, 230, 245.

Gaya, 197, 200.

Giving, 61, 75, 169, 173, 210, 213–14, 216–17, 234, 236–41.

Gnosis, 38.

God, 137.

Goddess of Mercy, 248. _See_ Kuan-yin.

Gods, _see_ Devas.

Gospel, v, 34, 50, 53, 55.

Graeco-Bactria, 6.

Gridhrakuta, 13, 30, 59, _et al._ _See_ Vulture Peak.

Hands, laying on of, 27, 153, 234, 262–3.

Hard (to preach, or keep), _see_ Sutra.

Hay, 167.

Healing, Lord of, 17, 22, 29, 32, 45, 48, 59, 149–56, 176, 236–41,

252, 255–9.

Heaven, heavens, 59, 60, 90, 221, 239. _See_ Paradise, Pure-land.

Hells, 35, 50, 59, 60–2, 100–3, 219, 220, 236, 245, 250.

Hinayana, 1–6, 15, 26, 37–8, 43, 46, 54–5, 62, 65, 68, 70–80, 81, 85,

130, 135, 142–3, 146, 178–80, 181–3, 185, 194, 226–8, 245, 248,

260.

Historical, 1–10.

Hodgson, Brian, 9.

Homage, _see_ Sutra, 238, 253 _et al._

Hsüan Tsang, 9.

Images, 76–8.

Immanence, 35, 39.

Immortality, 209, 211. _See_ Eternal.

Incense, 149–51, 209, 214, 231, 239, 253.

India, 4, 5, 53.

Indra, 132, 248.

Infinite, 14, 94, 182, 209, 231–2, 260. _See_ Eternal, Numbers.

Infinite-Thought, 247.

Infinity, meaning of, 59, 64, 131.

Ink, 131. _See_ Atoms, Dust.

Intimacy, sphere of, 181–91.

Invocation, _see_ Faith.

Isvara, 245, 248.

Jan Teng, _see_ Burning Light.

Japan, vi-vii, 1, 53.

Jewels, 23, 49, 83, 137–41, 144–5, 151–2, 160–1, 186–91, 209, 211,

231, 238, 248, 257.

Jñanagupta, 7, 28.

Kalavinkas, 220.

Kalpa, 74, 83–4, 101, 103, 105, 120, 131, 134, 135, 146–7, 164, 179,

185, 201, 203, 207–8, 214, 228, 232, 234. _See_ Numbers,

Infinite.

Kanishka, 6.

Karma, 43–5, 82, 150, 199, 208, 219.

Kato, Bunno, v, 10.

Kern, H., 9, 28.

King, 23, 67, 108, 111, 115, 122, 147, 174, 181, 183–4, 186, 238.

King who gives crown jewel, 23, 49, 186–91.

Kinnaras, 59, 84, 149, 230, 245.

Korea, 1.

Kotis, _see_ Numbers.

Kshatriyas, 108, 111.

Kuan-yin, Kwannon, 11, 28, 31, 45, 59, 247–51.

Kumarajiva, v, 7, 8, 10, 20, 28, 45.

Kumbhanda, 96.

Kunti, 252, 254.

Lamp, 238–9, 254.

Law, _passim._

Le Lotus de la bonne loi, 9.

Light, 236. _See_ Ray.

Light of Asia, 44.

Lion throne, roar, &c., _passim._

Lips, 218. _See_ Mouth, Teeth.

Lotus, passim, 243.

Lotus, blue, 218, 240, 244.

Love, 43. _See_ Pity.

Magic, 256.

Magic City, 38, 54, 137–41.

Maha-Kaśyapa, 16, 50–1, 129.

Maha-Katyayana, 129.

Maha-Maudgalyayana, 129.

Mahasattvas, 59, 67, 84, 143, 149, 192–9, 231, 234–5, 236, 239, 247,

252, 262.

Mahayana, 1–6, 15, 26, 34–7, 69, _et saepe_.

Mahesvara, 245.

Mahoragas, 84, 149, 230, 245.

Maitreya, 24, 45–6, 59, 60, 63, 195–9, 200, 209, 212, 216–17, 262.

Manjuśri, 21, 30, 59, 60, 63–4, 170–5, 181–91, 230, 243, 245.

Mara, 49, 62, 82, 129, 132, 174, 180, 187–9, 240, 244, 261, 264.

Medicine, 103, 204–8.

Medicine, King of, _see_ Healing, Lord of.

Meditation, _see_ Samadhi.

Merit, 25, 70, 85, 144, 210–15, 216–25, 232, 239–40, 243, 248, 251.

Messiah, _see_ Maitreya.

Metempsychosis, _see_ Reincarnation.

Milky Way, 238.

Mind, 25, 39, 41, 224–5, 227.

Mithra, 45.

Monastery, 211–15. _See_ Stupa.

Mongolia, vi, 1, 53.

Monks, 52–3, 60, 70, 84, 99, 137–8, 142, 149, 151, 155, 178–80, 183,

185, 203, 211–15, 226–8, 230, 245, 248.

Mortality, 71, 73, 78, 202, 239. _See_ Reincarnation.

Mouth, 218. _See_ Lips, Teeth.

Music, 77, 207, 212, 214, 220, 236, 244, 260. _See_ Drums.

Naga, 82, 84, 164, 173. _See_ Dragon.

Naked, 238.

Namah, 231.

Nayutas, _see_ Numbers.

Never Despise, 26, 52, 226–9.

Nirvana, 1, 2, 40, 50, 60, 66, 71, 74–6, 79, 81–2, 93, 98, 106,

112–13, 118, 123, 125, 127–8, 137, 139, 141, 144–5, 153,

156–68, 183, 190, 201–8, 229, 234, 237, 246, 248.

Nose, 25, 221–2, 227.

Numbers, 23, 29, 30, 32, 40, 48, 50–4, 114, 131, 144, 146–7,

149, 153, 161–4, 171, 192–9, 201, 209–10, 212, 216–24, 228,

230–4, 240, 242, 247. _See_ Ganges, Infinite, Eternal.

Nuns, 52–3, 60, 70, 84, 149, 177, 226–8, 230, 245, 248.

Omnipresence, 40–1, 155–6, 207.

Omniscience, 40, 65, 70, 92–4, 121–4, 131, 152, 201–2. _See_

Perfect Enlightenment.

Pain, _see_ Suffering.

Palaces, 134, 207, 211.

Pantheism, 39, 73.

Paradise, 51, 152. _See_ Pure-land.

Paramitas, 90, 210.

Parinirvana, 232, 237.

Passions, the, 78.

Pearl, 174, 257.

Perfect Enlightenment, 38, 50, 52, 59, 61, 65, 66–7, 69, 71–80, 81,

85, 90–4, 106, 118–22, 124, 132–6, 141, 144–56, 168–9, 172–7,

185–6, 197–8, 200–2, 209–10, 213, 228–9, 232, 234, 238, 251,

258, 263–5.

Peril, 138–9, 247–51.

Persecution, 62, 155, 178–80, 190, 226–8.

Personality, 43–5, 49, 52, 136.

Physician, Good, 24, 204–8.

Pit, 67, 249.

Pity, 77, 79, 87, 90, 93, 120, 134, 145, 149–50, 152, 172, 181–91,

205, 247–51, 258.

Players, 23.

Poetic sections, _see_ Verse.

Poison, 190, 204–8, 249–50.

Pratyeka, 70, 92, 99, 143, 149.

Prayer-wheels, 47.

Preach, Preacher, 17, 49, 52, 142, 150, 152, 155, 166, 176–80,

181–91, 202, 207–8, 218–25, 253, 257, 261.

Prediction, 15–17, 50, 83, 129–30, 142, 144–8, 170, 177, 226–8.

Prodigal Son, 16, 42, 54, 106–17. _See_ Son.

Protect, 252–4, 260–5. _See_ Sutra.

Punishment, 100, 264. _See_ Sutra, slander of.

Pure-land, 208. _See_ Heaven, Paradise.

Purity, Sexual, 182.

Puma, 142–3.

Rahula, 146–8, 177.

Rain, 16, 43, 54, 63, 122–8, 264.

Rakshas, 247, 252.

Rareness (of Buddha’s appearance, &c.), 68–9, 80, 125, 147, 164, 172,

203, 207, 209, 229, 256, 259.

Ray, Buddha-, 14, 18, 19, 41, 53, 60, 63, 132, 159, 242, 257, 259.

Reality, 65, 171, 202.

Reincarnation, 50–1, 82–3, 85, 91, 100–4, 135, 209, 219, 242, 246,

250, 254, 259.

Relics, 60, 76.

Resplendent, King, 255–9.

Rewards (_see_ Punishment), 100, 190, 210–15, 216–25.

Richard, Dr. Timothy, v, 137.

Rope, 84, 153, 155.

Rosary, 47.

Sacrifice, Self-, _see_ Giving.

Saddharma Pundarika, 9.

Sagara, 171–5.

Saha-world, 163, 192, 197, 201, 243.

Sailors, 247.

St. John, v, 55, 146.

Sakra, 174.

Sakya, 200, 211.

Śakyamuni, _passim._

Salvation, 35, 44, 47, 49, 77–8, 123–8, _et al._

Samadhi, 62, 64–5, 93, 198, 242–3, 246, 257, 261.

Samgha, 206.

Samskara, _see_ Mortality, Reincarnation.

Śariputra, 15, 65–7, 74, 79, 80, 81, 83–105, 235, 265.

Saunders, K. J., v.

Saviours, 45, 77–8.

Scavenger, 109–10.

Semblance Law, period of decline, 84, 176, 179, 264.

Serene Life, or Mind, 23, 181–91.

Shrine, _see_ Stupa.

Siam, 1, 5.

Sixteen sons, 17, 132–6.

Sky, 163, 166, 171, 227, 236, 242, 249, 258.

Slander, _see_ Sutra, slander of.

Smell, _see_ Nose.

Socrates, 39.

Son, Sonship, 16, 17, 42–3, 49, 54, 62–3, 67, 81, 86–94, 106–21,

132–6, 152, 168, 204–6, 208, 215, 246, 255–9.

Soul, 43–5, 49, 52.

Spells, _see_ Dharanis.

Spheres, Four, 181–91.

Spirit, 240.

Springing out of the earth, 23, 157, 192–9, 230, 235.

Sramaneras, 182.

Sravaka, 70, 92, 99, 113, 143, 149, 213, 265.

Star-cluster, King of, 236–41.

Star-King, 255.

Stein, Sir Aurel M., 8, 9.

Stupa, 18, 27, 29, 49, 54, 60, 63, 76–7, 120, 154, 157–68, 193,

211–15, 232, 235, 237–8, 241.

Subhuti, 16, 129.

Suffering, 74, 79, 97–8, 100–4, 112, 134–5, 236, 239, 247–51.

Sumeru, 133, 165, 238, 249.

Summary, 52–6.

Sun and Moon, 63, 236, 238.

Supreme Bodhi, _see_ Perfect Enlightenment.

Supreme Way, 63, 72, 78, 80. _See_ Perfect Enlightenment.

Sutra, difficulty of preaching, &c., this, 152, 165–9, 178–80.

_See_ Protect.

Sutra, homage to this, 149–56, 165, 169, 176, 211–15, 217–25, 263.

Sutra, slander of this, 100, 104, 151, 155, 178–80, 264.

Tactfulness, _see_ Expediency.

Tathagata, 27, 33, 41, 49, 51, 72, 83, 89, 91–4, 112–13, 122–5, 127,

137, 139, 148, 150–5, 155–68, 172, 176–7, 187–90, 193–6, 200–4,

211–12, 232, 234, 237, 240–1, 243–4, 259–60, 264.

Teeth, 25, 33, 218, 252, 259, 264.

Temple, _see_ Stupa.

Theosophy, 36.

Thirty-two signs, 141.

Thought, _see_ Mind.

Three-thousand-great-thousand-fold-World, _see_ Chiliocosm.

Thunder, 125, 242, 245. _See_ Drum.

Thunder-Voice, 32, 255–9.

Tibet, vi, 1, 53.

Toe, 166, 238.

Tongue, 25–7, 218–19, 222–3, 227, 230–1.

Trance, _see_ Samadhi.

Transcendence, 35, 39.

Transformations, 245.

Transmigration, _see_ Reincarnation.

Trees and Herbs, Parable of, 16, 43, 54, 122–8.

Triple world, 93, 202.

Truth, ultimate, 65–6. _See_ Perfect Enlightenment.

Tun Huang, 9.

Twelve Causes of reincarnation, 135.

Udumbara, 68.

Universalism, 1, 2, 35, 37, 39, 50, 54, 68, 72–80, 81, 123–8, 175,

226–9, 260.

Universal-Surpassing-Wisdom, 131–5.

Universal Virtue, 33, 260–5.

Universe, 65. _See_ Chiliocosm.

Utpala, _see_ Lotus.

Vaisravana, 245.

Varanasi, 84.

Vehicle, 15, 61, 69, 70–2, 75, 78, 81, 88–94, 113, 121, 128, 137–41,

169, 171–3, 233. _See_ Mahayana, Hinayana.

Verse, 11, 12.

Versions in Chinese, 7.

Void, 125, 137, 182.

Vow, 73, 78, 168, 176, 180, 181.

Vulture Peak, 1, 13, 30, 53, 59, 106, 171, 206–7, 211, 243.

_See_ Gridhrakuta.

Wife, Buddha’s, 22, 59.

Wind, 233.

Wisdom, _see_ Perfect Enlightenment.

Wisdom-store, 170–5.

Woman, 21–2, 61, 70, 143, 172–5, 176–7, 182–3, 219, 222, 226–8, 230,

236, 238–9, 245, 248, 255–9, 260–3. _See_ Nun.

Wonder-Sound, 30, 146, 242–6.

Works, 65. _See_ Faith.

Yak, 78.

Yaksha, 82, 84, 95–7, 149, 224, 230, 245, 253, 261.

Yojana, 132, 139, 161.

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD BY JOHN

JOHNSON, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

Transcriber’s Notes

1. Italicised words are indicated by _underscores_.

2. Footnotes have been renumbered and moved to the end of the

book.

3. Illustrations are indicated by “[Illustration: caption-text]” and

have been positioned at a relevant location in the text.

4. Misspelled words have been corrected. Inconsistent words have been

modified to match the most common spelling (see below). Archaic

and alternative spellings as well as hyphenation differences have

been left unchanged.

5. Index entries referring to non-existent pages iii–iv have been

corrected.

6. “* * * * *” indicates a “thought break” represented in the printed

book as a larger gap between paragraphs.

7. “Edit Distance” in Corrections table below refers to the

Levenshtein Distance.

Corrections:

Page Source Correction Edit distance

11 Avalokitesvara Avalokiteśvara 1

62 Puddha-way Buddha-way 1

170 millenium millennium 1

181 objecjection objection 3

fig 11 Yashada Yashas 2

231 Sakyamuni-Buddha Śakyamuni-Buddhas 1

254 flages flags 1

252, 262 extolls extols 1