Ch.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
CHAPTER XIV.
ISSUING OF BODHISATTVAS FROM THE GAPS OF THE EARTH.
Out of
the multitude of Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas who had flocked
from other worlds, Bodhisattvas eight (times) equal to
the sands of the river Ganges then rose from the
assembled circle. Their joined hands stretched out
towards the Lord to pay him homage, they said to him: If
the Lord will allow us, we also would, after the
extinction of the Lord, reveal this Dharmaparyâya in this
Saha-world; we would read, write, worship it, and wholly
devote ourselves to that law. Therefore, O Lord, deign to
grant to us also this Dharmaparyâya. And the Lord
answered: Nay, young men of good family, why should you
occupy yourselves with this task? I have here in this
Saha-world thousands of Bodhisattvas equal to the sands
of sixty Ganges rivers, forming the train of one
Bodhisattva; and of such Bodhisattvas there is a number
equal to the sands of sixty Ganges rivers, each of these
Bodhisattvas having an equal number in their train, who
at the end of time, at the last period after my
extinction, shall keep, read, proclaim this
Dharmaparyâya.
No sooner had the Lord uttered these words than the
Saha-world burst open on every side, and from within the
clefts arose many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of
Bodhisattvas with gold-coloured bodies and the thirty-two
characteristic signs of a great man, who had been staying
in the element of ether underneath this great earth,
close to this Saha-world. These then on hearing the word
of the Lord came up from below the earth. Each of these
Bodhisattvas had a train of thousands of Bodhisattvas
similar to the sands of sixty Ganges rivers; (each had) a
troop, a great troop, as teacher of a troop. Of such
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas having a troop, a great troop,
as teachers of a troop, there were hundred thousands of
myriads of kotis equal to the sands of sixty Ganges
rivers, who emerged from the gaps of the earth in this
Saha-world. Much more there were to be found of
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas having a train of Bodhisattvas
similar to the sands of fifty Ganges rivers; much more
there were to be found of Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas having
a train of Bodhisattvas similar to the sands of forty
Ganges rivers; Of 30, 20, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Ganges river;
of 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/10, 1/20, 1/50, 1/100, 1/1000,
1/100,000, 1/10,000,000, 1/100 X 10,000,000, 1/1000 X
10,000,000, 1/100 X 1000 X 10,000,000, 1/100 X 1000 X
10,000 X 10,000,000 part of the river Ganges. Much more
there were to be found of Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas having
a train of many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of
Bodhisattvas; of one koli; of one hundred thousand; of
one thousand; Of 500; Of 400; Of 300; Of 200; Of 100; Of
50; Of 40; Of 30; Of 20; Of 10; Of 5, 4, 3, 2. Much more
there were to be found of Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas having
one follower. Much more there were to be found of
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas standing isolated. They cannot
be numbered, counted, calculated, compared, known by
occult science, the Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas who emerged
from the gaps of the earth to appear in this Saha-world.
And after they had successively emerged they went up to
the Stûpa of precious substances which stood in the sky,
where the Lord Prabhûtaratna, the extinct Tathâgata, was
seated along with the Lord Sâkyamuni on the throne.
Whereafter they saluted the feet of both Tathâgatas,
&c., as well as the images of Tathâgatas produced by
the Lord Sâkyamuni from his own body, who all together
were seated on thrones at the foot of various jewel trees
on every side in all directions, in different worlds.
After these Bodhisattvas had many hundred thousand times
saluted, and thereon circumambulated the Tathâgatas,
&c., from left to right, and celebrated them with
various Bodhisattva hymns, they went and kept themselves
at a little distance, the joined hands stretched out to
honour the Lord Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata, &c., and
the Lord Prabhûtaratna, the Tathâgata, &c.
And while those Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas who had emerged
from the gaps of the earth were saluting and celebrating
the Tathâgatas by various Bodhisattva hymns, fifty
intermediate kalpas in full rolled away, during which
fifty intermediate kalpas the Lord Sâkyamuni remained
silent, and likewise the four classes of the audience.
Then the Lord produced such an effect of magical power
that the four classes fancied that it had been no more
than one afternoon, and they saw this Saha-world assume
the appearance of hundred thousands of worlds replete
with Bodhisattvas. The four Bodhisattvas Mahisattvas who
were the chiefest of that great host of Bodhisattvas,
viz. the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva called Visishtakâritra
(i.e. of eminent conduct), the Bodhisattva Mahasattva
called Anantakâritra (i.e. of endless conduct), the
Bodhisattva Mahâsattva called Visuddhakâritra (i.e. of
correct conduct), and the Bodhisattva Mahasattva called
Supratishthitakâritra (i.e. of very steady conduct),
these four Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas standing at the head
of the great host, the great multitude of Bodhisattvas
stretched out the joined hands towards the Lord and
addressed him thus: Is the Lord in good health? Does he
enjoy well-being and good ease? Are the creatures
decorous, docile, obedient, correctly performing their
task, so that they give no trouble to the Lord?
And those four Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas addressed the
Lord with the two following stanzas:
1. Does the Lord of the world, the illuminator, feel at
ease? Dost thou feel free from bodily disease, O Perfect
One?
2. The creatures, we hope, will be decorous, docile,
performing the orders of the Lord of the world, so as to
give no trouble.
And the Lord answered the four Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas
who were at the head of that great host, that great
multitude of Bodhisattvas: So it is, young men of good
family, I am in good health, well-being, and at ease. And
these creatures of mine are decorous, docile, obedient,
well performing what is ordered; they give no trouble
when I correct them; and that, young men of good family,
because these creatures, owing to their being already
prepared under the ancient, perfectly enlightened
Buddhas, have but to see and hear me to put trust in me,
to understand and fathom the Buddha-knowledge. And those
who fulfilled their duties in the stage of disciples have
now been introduced by me into Buddha-knowledge and well
instructed in the highest truth.
And at that time the Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas uttered the
following stanzas:
3. Excellent, excellent, O great Hero! we are happy to
hear that those creatures are decorous, docile, well
performing their duty';
4. And that they listen to thy profound knowledge, O
Leader, and that after listening to it they have put
trust in it and understand it.
This said, the Lord declared his approval to the four
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas who were at the head of that
great host, that great multitude of Bodhisattvas
Mahâsattvas, saying: Well done, young men of good family,
well done, that you so congratulate the Tathâgata.
And at that moment the following thought arose in the
mind of the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya and the eight
hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Bodhisattvas similar
to the sands of the river Ganges: We never yet saw so
great a host, so great a multitude of Bodhisattvas; we
never yet heard of such a multitude, that after issuing
from the gaps of the earth has stood in the presence of
the Lord to honour, respect, venerate, worship him and
greet him with joyful shouts. Whence have these
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas flocked hither?
Then the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya, feeling within
himself doubt and perplexity, and inferring from his own
thoughts those of the eight hundred thousand myriads of
kotis of Bodhisattvas similar to the sands of the river
Ganges, stretched out his joined hands towards the Lord
and questioned him about the matter by uttering the
following stanzas:
5. Here are many thousand myriads of kotis of
Bodhisattvas, numberless, whom we never saw before; tell
us, O supreme of men!
6. Whence and how do these mighty persons come? Whence
have they come here under the form of great bodies'?
7. All are great Seers, wise and strong in memory, whose
outward appearance is lovely to see; whence have they
come?
8. And each of those Bodhisattvas, O Lord of the world,
has an immense train, like the sands of the Ganges.
9. The train of (each) glorious Bodhisattva is equal to
the sands of sixty Ganges in full. All are striving after
enlightenment.
10. Of such heroes and mighty possessors of a troop the
followers are equal to the sands of sixty Ganges.
11. There are others, still more numerous, with an
unlimited train, like the sands of fifty, forty, and
thirty Ganges;
12, 13. Who have a train equal to the (sands of) twenty
Ganges. Still more numerous are the mighty sons of
Buddha, who have each a train (equal to the sands) of
ten, of five Ganges. Whence, O Leader, has such an
assembly flocked hither?
14. There are others who have each a train of pupils and
companions equal to the sands of four, three, or two
Ganges.
15. There are others more numerous yet; it would be
impossible to calculate their number in thousands of
kotis of Æons.
16. (Equal to) a half Ganges, one third, one tenth, one
twentieth, is the train of those heroes, those mighty
Bodhisattvas.
17. There are yet others who are incalculable; it would
be impossible to count them even in hundreds of kotis of
Æons.
18. Many more yet there are, with endless trains; they
have in their attendance kotis, and kotis and again
kotis, and also half kotis.
19. Other great Seers again, beyond computation, very
wise Bodhisattvas are seen in a respectful posture.
20. They have a thousand, a hundred, or fifty attendants;
in hundreds of kotis of Æons one would not be able to
count them.
21. The suite of (some of these) heroes consists of
twenty, of ten, five, four, three, or two; those are
countless.
22. As to those who are walking alone and come to their
rest alone, they have now flocked hither in such numbers
as to be beyond computation.
23. Even if one with a magic wand in his hand would try
for a number of Æons equal to the sands of the Ganges to
count them, he would not reach the term.
24. Where do all those noble, energetic heroes, those
mighty Bodhisattvas, come from?
25. Who has taught them the law (or duty)? and by whom
have they been destined to enlightenment? Whose command
do they accept? Whose command do they keep?
26. Bursting forth at all points of the horizon through
the whole extent of the earth they emerge, those great
Sages endowed with magical faculty and wisdom.
27. This world on every side is being perforated, O Seer,
by the wise Bodhisattvas, who at this time are emerging.
28. Never before have we seen anything like this. Tell us
the name of this world, O Leader.
29. We have repeatedly roamed in all directions of space,
but never saw these Bodhisattvas.
30. We never saw a single infant of thine, and now, on a
sudden, these appear to us. Tell us their history, O
Seer.
31. Hundreds, thousands, ten thousands of Bodhisattvas,
all equally filled with curiosity, look up to the highest
of men.
32. Explain to us, O incomparable, great hero,who knowest
no bounds, where do these heroes, these wise
Bodhisattvas, come from?
Meanwhile the Tathâgatas, &c., who had flocked from
hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of worlds, they,
the creations of the Lord Sâkyamuni, who were preaching
the law to the beings in other worlds; who all around the
Lord Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata, &c., were seated with
crossed legs on magnificent jewel thrones at the foot of
jewel trees in every direction of space; as well as the
satellites of those Tathâgatas were struck with wonder
and amazement at the sight of that great host, that great
multitude of Bodhisattvas emerging from the gaps of the
earth and established in the element of ether, and they
(the satellites) asked each their own Tathâgata: Where, O
Lord, do so many Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, so
innumerable, so countless, come from? Whereupon those
Tathâgatas, &c., answered severally to their
satellites: Wait awhile, young men of good family; this
Bodhisattva Mahâsattva here, called Maitreya, has just
received from the Lord Sâkyamuni a revelation about his
destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment. He has
questioned the Lord Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata, &c.,
about the matter, and the Lord Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata,
&c., is going to explain it; then you may hear.
Thereupon the Lord addressed the Bodhisattva Maitreya:
Well done, Agita, well done; it is a sublime subject,
Agita, about which thou questionest me. Then the Lord
addressed the entire host of Bodhisattvas: Be attentive
all, young men of good family - be well prepared and
steady on your post, you and the entire host of
Bodhisattvas; the Tathâgata, the Arhat, &c., is now
going to exhibit the sight of the knowledge of the
Tathâgata, young men of good family, the leadership of
the Tathâgata, the work of the Tathâgata, the sport [i.e.
magic display of creative power, lîlâ, synonymous with
mâyâ.] of the Tathâgata, the might of the Tathâgata, the
energy of the Tathâgata.
And on that occasion the Lord pronounced the following
stanzas:
33. Be attentive all, young men of good family; I am to
utter an infallible word; refrain from disputing about
it, O sages: the science of the Tathâgata is beyond
reasoning.
34. Be all steady and thoughtful; continue attentive all.
To-day you will hear a law as yet unknown, the wonder of
the Tathâgatas.
35. Never have any doubt, ye sages, for I shall
strengthen you, I am the Leader who speaketh infallible
truth, and my knowledge is unlimited.
36. Profound are the laws known to the Sugata, above
reasoning and beyond argumentation. These laws I am going
to reveal; ye, hear which and how they are.
After uttering these stanzas the Lord addressed the
Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya: I announce to thee,
Agita, I declare to thee: These Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas,
Agita, so innumerable, incalculable, inconceivable,
incomparable, uncountable, whom you never saw before, who
just now have issued from the gaps of the earth, these
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, Agita, have I roused, excited,
animated, fully developed to supreme, perfect
enlightenment after my having arrived at supreme, perfect
enlightenment in this world. I have, moreover, fully
matured, established, confirmed, instructed, perfected
these young men of good family in their Bodhisattvaship.
And these Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, Agita, occupy in this
Saha-world the domain of the ether-element below. Only
thinking of the lesson they have to study, and devoted to
thoroughly comprehend it, these young men of good family
have no liking for social gatherings, nor for bustling
crowds; they do not put off their tasks, and are
strenuous. These young men of gyood family, Agita,
delight in seclusion, are fond of seclusion. These young
men of good family do not dwell in the immediate vicinity
of gods and men, they not being fond of bustling crowds.
These young men of good family find their luxury in the
pleasure of the law, and apply themselves to
Buddha-knowledge.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following
stanzas:
37. These Bodhisattvas, immense, inconceivable and beyond
measure, endowed with magic power, wisdom, and learning,
have progressed in knowledge for many kotis of Æons.
38. It is I who have brought them to maturity for
enlightenment, and it is in my field that they have their
abode; by me alone have they been brought to maturity;
these Bodhisattvas are my sons.
39. All have devoted themselves to a hermit life and are
assiduous in shunning places of bustle; they walk
detached, these sons of mine, following my precepts in
their lofty course.
40. They dwell in the domain of ether, in the lower
portion of the field, those heroes who, unwearied, are
striving day and night to attain superior knowledge.
41. All strenuous, of good memory, unshaken in the
immense strength of their intelligence, those serene
sages preach the law, all radiant, as being my sons.
42. Since the time when I reached this superior (or
foremost) enlightenment, at the town of Gayâ, at the foot
of the tree, and put in motion the allsurpassing wheel of
the law, I have brought to maturity all of them for
superior enlightenment.
43. These words I here speak are faultless, really true;
believe me, all of you who hear me: verily, I have
reached superior enlightenment, and it is by me alone
that all have been brought to maturity.
The Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya and those numerous
hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of Bodhisattvas
were struck with wonder, amazement, and surprise, (and
thought): How is it possible that within so short a
moment, within the lapse of so short a time so many
Bodhisattvas, so countless, have been roused and made
fully ripe to reach supreme, perfect enlightenment? Then
the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya asked the Lord: How
then, O Lord, has the Tathâgata, after he left, when a
prince royal, Kapilavastu, the town of the Sâkyas,
arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment on the summit
of the terrace of enlightenment, not far from the town of
Gayâ, somewhat more than forty years since, O Lord? How
then has the Lord, the Tathâgata, within so short a lapse
of time, been able to perform the endless task of a
Tathâgata, to exercise the leadership of a Tathâgata, the
energy of a Tathâgata? How has the Tathâgata, within so
short a time, been able to rouse and bring to maturity
for supreme, perfect enlightenment this host of
Bodhisattvas, this multitude of Bodhisattvas, a multitude
so great that it would be impossible to count the whole
of it, even if one were to continue counting for hundred
thousands of myriads of kotis of Æons? These
Bodhisattvas, so innumerable, O Lord, so countless,
having long followed a spiritual course of life and
planted roots of goodness under many hundred thousands of
Buddhas, have in the course of many hundred thousands of
Æons become finally ripe.
It is just as if some man, young and youthful, a young
man with black hair and in the prime of youth,
twenty-five years of age, would represent centenarians as
his sons, and say: 'Here, young men of good family, you
see my sons;' and if those centenarians would declare:
'This is the father who begot us! Now, Lord, the speech
of that man would be incredible, hard to be believed by
the public. It is the same case with the Tathâgata, who
but lately has arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment,
and with these Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, so immense in
number, who for many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of
Æons, having observed a spiritual course of life, have
long since come to certainty in regard to
Tathâgata-knowledge; who are able to plunge in and again
rise from the hundred thousand sorts of meditation'; who
are adepts at the preparatories to noble transcendent
wisdom, have accomplished the preparatories to noble
transcendent wisdom; who are clever on the Buddha-ground,
able in the (ecclesiastical) Council and in Tathâgata
duties; who are the wonder and admiration of the world;
who are possessed of great vigour, strength, and power.
And the Lord says: From the very beginning have I roused,
brought to maturity, fully developed them to be fit for
this Bodhisattva position. It is I who have displayed
this energy and vigour after arriving at supreme, perfect
enlightenment. But, O Lord, how can we have faith in the
words of the Tathâgata, when he says: The Tathâgata
speaks infallible truth? The Tathâgata must know that the
Bodhisattvas who have newly entered the vehicle are apt
to fall into doubt on this head; after the extinction of
the Tathâgata those who hear this Dharmaparyâya will not
accept, not believe, not trust it. Hence, O Lord, they
will design acts tending to the ruin of the law.
Therefore, O Lord, deign to explain us this matter, that
we may be free from perplexity, and that the Bodhisattvas
who in future shall hear it, be they young men of good
family or young ladies, may not fall into doubt.
On that occasion the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya
addressed the Lord with the following stanzas:
44. When thou wert born in Kapilavastu, the home of the
Sâkyas, thou didst leave it and reach enlightenment at
the town of Gayâ. That is a short time ago, O Lord of the
world.
45. And now thou hast so great a crowd of followers,
these sages who for many kotis of Æons have fulfilled
their duties, stood firm in magic power, unshaken, well
disciplined, accomplished in the might of wisdom;
46. These, who are untainted as the lotus is by water;
who to-day have flocked hither after rending the earth,
and are standing all with joined hands, respectful and
strong in memory, the sons of the Master of the world.
47. How will these Bodhisattvas believe this great
wonder? Expel (all) doubt, tell the cause, and show how
the matter reallv is.
48. It is as if there were some man, a young man with
black hair, twenty years old or somewhat more, who
presented as his sons some centenarians,
49. And the latter, covered with wrinkles and
grey-haired, declared the (young) man to be their father.
But such (a young man) never having sons of such
appearance, it would be difficult to believe, O Lord of
the world, that they were sons to so young a man.
50. In the same manner, O Lord, we are unable to conceive
how these numerous Bodhisattvas of good memory and
excelling in wisdom, who have been well instructed during
thousands of kotis of Æons;
51. Who are firm, of keen intelligence, lovely and
agreeable to sight, free from hesitation in the decisions
on law, praised by the Leaders of the world;
52. Who in freedom live in the wood; who unattached in
the element of ether constantly display their energy, who
are the sons of Sugata striving after this Buddha-ground;
53. How will this be believed when the Leader of the
world shall be completely extinct? After hearing it from
the Lord's own mouth we shall never more feel any doubt.
54. May Bodhisattvas never come to grief by having doubt
on this head. Grant us, O Lord, a truthful account how
these Bodhisattvas have been brought to maturity by thee.