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 XXV.ANCIENT DEVOTION.
Thereupon
the Lord addressed the entire assemblage of Bodhisattvas:
Of yore, young men of good family, at a past epoch,
incalculable, more than incalculable Æons ago, at that time
there appeared in the world a Tathâgata named
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
an Arhat, &c., endowed with science and conduct,
&c. &c., in the Æon Priyadarsana, in the world
Vairokanarasmipratimandita. Now, there was, young men of
good family, under the spiritual rule of the Tatbâgata
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña
a king called Subhavyaha. That king Subhavyûha, young men
of good family, had a wife called Vimaladatta, and two
sons, one called Vimalagarbha, the other Vimalanetra. These
two boys, who possessed magical power and wisdom, applied
themselves to the course of duty of Bodhisattvas, viz. to
the perfect virtues (Pâramitâs) of alms-giving, morality,
forbearance, energy, meditation, wisdom, and skilfulness;
they were accomplished in benevolence, compassion, joyful
sympathy and indifference, and in all the thirty-seven
constituents of true knowledge. They had perfectly mastered
the meditation Vimala (i.e. spotless), the meditation
Nakshatraragâditya, the meditation Vimalanirbhâsa, the
meditation Vimalâbhasa, the meditation Alankârasûra, the
meditation Mahâtegogarbha. Now at that time, that period
the said Lord preached the Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus of
the True Law out of compassion for the beings then living
and for the king Subhavyfiha. Then, young men of good
family, the two young princes Vimala,crarbha and
Vimalanetra went to their mother, to whom they said, after
stretching their joined hands: We should like to go,
mother, to the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c., and that, mother, because the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathagata, &c., expounds, in great extension,
before the world, including the gods, the Dharmaparvâya of
the Lotus of the True Law. We should like to hear it.
Whereupon the queen Vinialadattâ said to the two young
princes Vimalagarbha and Vimalanetra: Your father, young
gentlemen, the king Subhavyûha, favours the Brahmans.
Therefore you will not obtain the permission to go and see
the Tathâgata. Then the two young princes Vimalagarbha and
Vimalanetra, stretching their joined hands, said to their
mother: Though born in a family that adheres, to a false
doctrine, we feel as sons to the king of the law. Then,
young men of good family, the queen Vimaladattâ said to the
young princes: Well, young gentlemen, out of compassion for
your father, the king Subhavyûha, display some miracle,
that he may become favourably inclined to you, and on that
account grant you the permission of going to the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c.
Immediately the young princes Vimalagarbha and Vimalanetra
rose into the atmosphere to a height of seven Tâl trees and
performed miracles such as are allowed by the Buddha, out
of compassion for their father, the king, Subhavyûha. They
prepared in the sky a couch and raised dust; there they
also emitted from the lower part of their body a shower of
rain, and from the upper part a mass of fire; then again
they emitted from the upper part of their body a shower of
rain, and from the lower part a mass of fire. While in the
firmament they became now big, then small; and now small,
then big. Then they vanished from the sky to come up again
from the earth and reappear in the air. Such, young men of
good family, were the miracles produced by the magical
power of the two young princes, whereby their father, the
king Subhavyûha, was converted. At the sight of the miracle
produced by the magical power of the two young princes, the
king Subhavyûha was content, in high spirits, ravished,
rejoiced, joyful, and happy, and, the joined hands raised,
he said to the boys: Who is your master, young gentlemen?
whose pupils are you? And the two young princes answered
the king Subhavyûha: There is, noble king, there exists and
lives a Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
a Tathagata, &c.; seated on the stool of law at the
foot of the tree of enlightenment; he extensively reveals
the Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus of the True Law to the
world, including the gods. That Lord is our Master, O noble
king; we are his pupils. Then, young gentlemen of good
family, the king Subhavyûha said to the young princes: I
will see your Master, young gentlemen; I am to go myself to
the presence of that Lord.
After the two young princes had descended from the sky,
young gentlemen, they went to their mother and with joined
hands stretched forward said to her: Mother, we have
converted our father to supreme and perfect knowledge; we
have performed the office of masters towards him; therefore
let us go now; we wish to enter upon the ecclesiastical
life in the face of the Lord. And on that occasion, young
men of good family, the young princes Vimalagarbha and
Vimalanetra addressed their mother in the following two
stanzas:
1. Allow us, O mother, to go forth from home and to embrace
the houseless life; ay, we will become ascetics, for rare
to be met with (or precious) is a Tathâgata.
2. As the blossom of the glomerated fig-tree, nay, more
rare is the Gina. Let us depart; we will renounce the
world; the favourable moment is precious (or not often to
be met with).
Vimaladattâ said:
Now I grant you leave; go, my children, I give my consent.
I myself will likewise renounce the world, for rare to be
met with (or precious) is a Tathâgata.
Having uttered these stanzas, young men of good family, the
two young princes said to their parents: Pray, father and
mother, you also go together with us to the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c., in order to see, humbly salute and
wait upon him, and to hear the law. For, father and mother,
the appearance of a Buddha is rare to be met with as the
blossom of the glomerated fig-tree, as the entering of the
tortoise's neck into the hole of the yoke formed by the
great ocean. The appearance of Lords Buddhas, father and
mother, is rare. Hence, father and mother, it is a happy
lot we have been blessed with, to have been born at the
time of such a prophet. Therefore, father and mother, give
us leave; we would go and become ascetics in presence of
the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathagata, &c., for the seeing of a Tathâgata is
something rare. Such a king of the law is rarely met with;
such a favourable occasion is rarely met with.
Now at that juncture, young men of good family, the
eighty-four thousand women of the harem of the king
Subhavyûha became worthy of being receptacles of this
Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law. The young
prince Vimalanetra exercised himself in this Dharmaparyâya,
whereas the young prince Vimalagarbha for many hundred
thousand myriads of kotis of Æons practised the meditation
Sarvasattvapapagahana, with the object that all beings
should abandon all evils. And the mother of the two young
princes, the queen Vimaladattâ, acknowledged the harmony
between all Buddhas and all topics treated by them. Then,
young men of good family, the king Subhavyûha, having been
converted to the law of the Tathâgata by the
instrumentality of the two young princes, having been
initiated and brought to full maturity in it, along with
all his relations and retinue; the queen Vimaladattâ with
the whole crowd of women in her suite, and the two young
princes, the sons of the king Subhavyûha, accompanied by
forty-two thousand living beings, along with the women of
the harem and the ministers, went all together and
unanimously to the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgatha, &c. On arriving at the place where the
Lord was, they humbly saluted his feet, circumarnbulated
him three times from left to right and took their stand at
some distance.
Then, young men of good family, the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c., perceiving the king Subhavyu'ha,
who had arrived with his retinue, instructed, roused,
excited, and comforted him with a sermon. And the king
Subhavyûha, young men of good family, after he had been
well and duly instructed, roused, excited, and comforted by
the sermon of the Lord, was so content, glad, ravished,
joyful, rejoiced, and delighted, that he put his diadem on
the head of his younger brother and established him in the
government, whereafter he himself with his sons, kinsmen,
and retinue, as well as the queen Vimaladatta and her
numerous train of women, the two young princes accompanied
by forty-two thousand living beings went all together and
unanimously forth from home to embrace the houseless life,
prompted as they were by their faith in the preaching of
the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c. Having become an ascetic, the king
Subhavyûha, with his retinue, remained for eighty-four
thousand years applying himself to studying, meditating,
and thoroughly penetrating this Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus
of the True Law. At the end of those eighty four thousand
years, young men of good family, the king Subhavyûha
acquired the meditation termed Sarvagunâlankâravyûha. No
sooner had he acquired that meditation, than he rose seven
Tâls up to the sky, and while staying in the air, young men
of good family, the king Subhavyûha said to the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathagata, &c.: My two sons, O Lord, are my
masters, since it is owing to the miracle produced by their
magical power that I have been diverted from that great
heap of false doctrines, been established in the command of
the Lord, brought to full ripeness in it, introduced to it,
and exhorted to see the Lord. They have acted as true
friends to me, O Lord, those two young princes who as sons
were born in my house, certainly to remind me of my former
roots of goodness.
At these words the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c., spoke to the king Subhavyûha: It is
as thou sayest, noble king. Indeed, noble king, such young
men or young ladies of good family as possess roots of
goodness, will in any existence, state, descent, rebirth or
place I easily find true friends, who with them shall
perform the task of a master , who shall admonish,
introduce, fully prepare them to obtain supreme and perfect
enlightenment. It is an exalted position, noble king, the
office of a true friend who rouses (another) to see the
Tathâgata. Dost thou see these two young princes, noble
king? I do, Lord; I do, Sugata, said the king. The Lord
proceeded: Now, these two young gentlemen, noble king, will
pay worship to sixty-five (times the number of) Tathâgatas,
&c., equal to the sands of the Ganges; they will keep
this Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus of the True Law, out of
compassion for beings who hold false doctrines, and with
the aim to produce in those beings an earnest striving
after the right doctrine.
Thereupon, young men of good family, the king Subhavyûha
came down from the sky, and, having raised his joined
hands, said to the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c.: Please, Lord, deign to tell me,
what knowledge the Tathagata is possessed of, so that the
protuberance on his head is shining; that the Lord's eyes
are so clear; that between his brows the Ûrnâ (circle of
hair) is shining, resembling in whiteness the moon; that in
his mouth a row of equal and close-standing teeth is
glittering; that the Lord has lips red as the Bimba and
such beautiful eyes.
As the king Subhavyûha, young men of good family, had
celebrated the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathagata, &c., by enumerating so manygood
qualities and hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of
other good qualities besides, he said to the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c.: It is wonderful, O Lord, how
valuable the Tathâgata's teaching is, and with how many
inconceivable virtues the religious discipline proclaimed
by the Tathagata is attended; how beneficial the moral
precepts proclaimed by the Tathdgata are. From
henceforward, O Lord, we will no more be slaves to our own
mind; no more be slaves to false doctrine; no more slaves
to rashness; no more slaves to the sinful thoughts arising
in us. Being possessed of so many good qualities, O Lord, I
do not wish to go away from the presence of the Lord.
After humbly saluting the feet of the Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathâgata, &c., the king rose up to the sky and
there stood. Thereupon the king Subhavyûha and the queen
Vimaladattâ from the sky, threw a pearl necklace worth a
hundred thousand (gold pieces) upon the Lord; and that
pearl necklace no sooner came down upon the head of the
Lord than it assumed the shape of a tower with four
columns, regular, well-constructed, and beautiful. On the
summit of the tower appeared a couch covered with many
hundred thousand pieces of fine cloth, and on the couch was
seen the image of a Tathâgata sitting cross-legged. Then
the following thought presented itself to the
kingsubbavyûha: The Buddha- knowledge must be very
powerful, and the Tathagata endowed with inconceivable good
qualities that this Tath âgataimage shows itself on the
summit of the tower, (an image) so nice, beautiful,
possessed of an extreme abundance of good colours. Then the
Lord
Galadharagargitaghoshasusvaranakshatrarâgasankusumitâbhigña,
the Tathagata, &c., addressed the four classes (and
asked): Do you see, monks, the king Subliavyûha who,
standing in the sky, is emitting a lion's roar? They
answered: We do, Lord. The Lord proceeded: This king
Subhavyûha, monks, after having become a monk under my rule
shall become a Tathagata in the world, by the name of
Sâlendrarâga, endowed with science and conduct, &c.
&c., in the world Vistîritavati; his epoch shall be
called AbhyudgatarAga. That Tathâgata Sâlendrarâga, monks,
the Arhat, &c., shall have an immense congregation of
Bodhisattvas, an immense congregation of disciples. The
said world Vistîrnavatî shall be level as the palm of the
hand, and consist of lapis lazuli. So he shall be an
inconceivably great Tathâgata, &c. Perhaps, young men
of good family, you will have some doubt, uncertainty or
misgiving (and think) that the king Subhavyûha at that
time, that juncture was another. But you must not think
so;for it is the very same Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Padmasrî
here present, who at that time, that juncture was the king
Subhavyûha. Perhaps, young men of good family, you will
have some doubt, uncertainty or misgiving (and think) that
the queen Vimaladattâ at that time, that juncture was
another. But you must not think so; for it is the very same
Bodhisattva Mahâsattva called
Vairokanarasmipratimanditarâga, who at that time, that
juncture was the queen Vimaladatta, and who out of
compassion for the king Subhavyûha and the creatures had
assumed the state of being the wife of king Subhavyûha.
Perhaps, young men of good family, you will have some
doubt, uncertainty or misgiving (and think) that the two
young princes were others. But you must not think so; for
it was Bhaishagyarâga and Bhaishagyarâgasamudgata, who at
that time, that juncture were sons to the king Subhavyûha.
With such inconceivable qualities, young men of good
family, were the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas Bhaishagyarâga
and Bhaishagyarâgasamudgata endowed, they, the two good
men, having planted good roots under many hundred thousand
myriads of kotis of Buddhas. Those that shall cherish the
name of these two good men shall all become worthy of
receiving homage from the world, including the gods.
While this chapter on Ancient Devotion was being expounded,
the spiritual insight of eighty-four thousand living beings
in respect to the law was purified so as to become
unclouded and spotless.