The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: Chapter 6 - Conferring Predictions

The Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra
Chapter 6
Conferring Predictions

At that time, following his expounding of the verses, the World Honored One spoke to the great assembly in this manner, “My disciple, Mahakashyapa, in a future age will serve and behold three hundred thousand million Buddhas, World Honored Ones, making offerings, paying reverence, venerating and praising them; he will broadly proclaim the limitless Great Dharma of all the Buddhas.

In his final body he will become a Buddha by the name of Light Brightness Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, a Teacher of Gods and Humans, a Buddha, a World Honored One.

His country will be called Light Virtue and his eon will be called Great Adornment.

His life span as a Buddha will last for twelve minor eons.

The Proper Dharma will dwell there for twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will also dwell there for twenty minor eons.

His realm will be adorned and free of any filth or evil, tiles or stones, thorns or brambles, excrement or other impurities. The land will be flat, without high or low places, gullys or hills. The land will be made of lapis lazuli, and set about with rows of jeweled trees. The roads will be bordered with golden ropes. Precious flowers will be scattered about, purifying it entirely. The Bodhisattvas in that land will number in the limitless thousand of millions, the assembly of Hearers will be likewise uncountable. No deeds of Mara will be done there, and although Mara and his subjects will exist there, they will all protect the Buddhadharma.”

At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle, spoke verses saying,

        “I declare to the Bhikshus that
        By using my Buddha Eye
        I see that Kashyapa
        In a future age
        Countless eons from now
        Shall become a Buddha
        And that in the future he
        Shall make offerings to, revere and behold
        Three hundred ten s thousands of millions
        Of Buddhas, World Honored Ones.
        And, for the sake of the Buddha’s wisdom
        He shall purely cultivate Brahman conduct.
        He shall make offerings to the highest
        Honored One, doubly complete and then
        Cultivate and practice all
        Unsurpassed Wisdom.
        In his final body
        He shall become a Buddha.

        His land will be pure,
        With lapis lazuli for soil,
        And with many jeweled trees
        Lining the roadways,
        And with the roads set off by golden cords,
        Delighting all who see it.

        Fine fragrance will always issue forth,
        Rare flowers will be strewn about;
        With all manner of rare articles
        It shall be adorned.
        The land will be flat and even
        Without hills or gullys.
        The assembly of Bodhisattvas
        Will be unreckonable.
        Their minds will be gentle
        Having gained great spiritual powers;
        They will reverently uphold the Buddha’s
        Great Vehicle Sutras.
        The assembly of Hearers,
        Without outflows, in their last bodies,
        Sons of the Dharma King,
        Will also be beyond all count.
        So that, even with the Heavenly Eye,
        Their number shall not be known.

        His life span as a Buddha will be
        Twelve minor eons, and
        His Proper Dharma will dwell in the world
        Twenty minor eons.
        The Dharma Image Age will dwell
        Also for twenty minor eons.

        The World Honored One, Light Brightness
        Shall have a history such as this.”

At that time, Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti and Mahakatyayana were very agitated. They singlemindedly joined their palms, gazed upward at the World Honored One, not lowering their gaze for a moment, and with a single voice spoke these verses:

        “Great brave hero, the World Honored One,
        The Shakyan Dharma King,
        Out of pity for us all
        Bestow the Buddha Word!

        If, knowing our profoundest thoughts,
        You see that we gain predictions,
        It will be like a sprinkling of sweet dew,
        Dispelling heat and giving cool refreshment.
        It will be like a person from a famine-stricken land,
        Who suddenly encounters a royal feast:
        His mind holds doubt and fear,
        And he does not dare go ahead and eat.
        But, if he gained the king’s permission,
        Then he would certainly dare to eat.

        We, in the same way, ever think
        Of the errors of the Small Vehicle
        And do not know how we are
        To gain the Buddha’s unsurpassed wisdom.

        Although we hear the Buddha’s voice
        Saying that we shall become Buddhas,
        Our minds hold worry and fear,
        Like one who dares not yet to eat.
        If we were favored by the Buddha’s prediction,
        Then we should be happy and at peace.

        Great, brave hero, World Honored One,
        You who always wish peace for the World
        Please bestow predictions upon us
        Like giving the famished permission to eat!”

At that time, the World Honored One, knowing the thoughts in the minds of his great disciples, told the Bhikshus, “Subhuti will in a future age serve and behold three hundreds of myriads of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, making offerings, paying reverence, venerating, and praising them, ever cultivating the Brahman conduct, and perfecting the Bodhisattva Way.

In his final body, he will become a Buddha called Name Appearance Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, one Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One.

His eon will be called Possessing-Jewels. His country will be called Giving Birth to Jewels, his land will be level, with crystal for soil, and jeweled trees for adornments. It will be without hills or gullys, stones, thorns, filth or excrement. Jeweled flowers will cover the ground, purifying it entirely. The people of his land will all dwell on jeweled terraces or in precious, fine towers. The assembly of Hearers will be limitless and boundless, so that they cannot be known by resort to number or analogy. The assembly of Bodhisattvas will number in the countless thousands of myriads of millions of nayutas.

His life span as a Buddha will last for twelve minor eons.

The Proper Dharma will dwell there for twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will also dwell there for twenty minor eons. This Buddha will constantly dwell in empty space, speaking Dharma for the multitudes and crossing over limitless Bodhisattvas and Hearers.”

At that time the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle spoke verses saying,

        “Assembled Bhikshus
        I shall now tell you,
        Listen singlemindedly
        To what I’m going to say.

        My great disciple,
        Subhuti,
        Will become a Buddha
        Called Name Appearance.
        After making offerings to countless
        Myriads of millions of Buddhas
        Following the Buddhas’ practices,
        He will gradually perfect the Great Way.
        In his final body he shall
        Obtain thirty two marks,
        Upright and beautiful
        Like a jeweled mountain.

        His Buddhaland will be
        Foremost in purity and adornment.
        Living beings who see it
        All will take delight in it.
        And as a Buddha therein
        He will save limitless multitudes.
        Within his Buddha Dharma
        Will be many Bodhisattvas,
        All of sharp faculties,
        Turning the non-retreating wheel.

        This land will ever be
        Adorned with Bodhisattvas;
        The assembly of Hearers
        Will be beyond all reckoning.
        All having gained the Three Clarities,
        And perfected the Six Spiritual powers
        Abiding in the Eight Liberations
        And possessing great awesome virtue.
        When this Buddha speaks the Dharma
        He will manifest limitless
        Spiritual powers and transformations,
        Inconceivable.
        The people, both gods and humans,
        Their numbers like the Ganges sands,
        All will join their palms
        To hear and accept that Buddha’s words.

        That Buddha’s lifespan will be
        Twelve minor eons,
        The Proper Dharma will dwell in the world
        For twenty minor eons;
        The Dharma Image Age will dwell
        For twenty minor eons, also.”

At that time, the World Honored One further addressed the assembly of Bhikshus saying, “I will now tell you: In a future age, Mahakatyayana will make offerings of various articles to, and will reverently serve eight thousand million Buddhas, honoring and venerating them. After the extinction of those Buddhas, he will erect a stupa for each, one thousand yojanas in height, five hundred yojanas in breath, and made of the seven jewels: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, carnelian, pearls, and agate. He will make offerings of many flowers, beaded necklaces, paste incense, powdered incense, burning incense, silk canopies and banners to the stupa. After that, he will further make offerings to twenty thousand million Buddhas in the same manner. Having made offerings to those Buddhas, he will perfect the Bodhisattva Way.

He will then become a Buddha called Jambunada Gold Light Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One.

The land will be flat and even with crystal for soil and jeweled trees as adornments. The roads will be bordered with golden ropes, and the ground covered with fine flowers, purifying it entirely, so that those who see it are delighted. The four evil paths will not exist there, that is, the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras. There will many gods, humans, assembled Hearers and Bodhisattvas who will number in the limitless myriads of millions, and all adorning that land.

His life span as a Buddha will be twelve minor eons.

His Proper Dharma will dwell in the world twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will dwell also for twenty minor eons.”

At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle spoke verses saying,

        “O Bhikshus, all of you,
        Listen with a single mind,
        For that which I say
        Is true, real, and without error.

        Katyayana, shall
        With a variety
        Of fine and subtle articles
        Make offerings to the Buddhas.
        After the extinction of those Buddhas
        He will build stupas of the seven jewels
        And also, with flowers and incense
        Make offerings to their sharira.

        In his final body
        He will attain the Buddha wisdom
        And realize proper enlightenment.

        His country will be pure
        And he will cross over limitless
        Myriads of millions of beings;
        From the ten directions
        He will receive offerings.
        His Buddha light
        Will be unsurpassed
        As a Buddha his name will be
        Jambunada Gold Light.
        Bodhisattvas, and Hearers
        Having severed all existence
        Unlimited and innumerable
        Will adorn his land.”

At that time, the World Honored One, further spoke to the assembly. “I now tell you that Mahamaudgalyayana will in the future, with various articles, make offerings to eight thousand Buddhas, honoring and venerating them. After the extinction of those Buddhas, he will erect for each of them a stupa one thousand yojanas in height and five hundred yojanas in breadth, and made of the seven jewels, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, carnelian, pearls, and agate. He will make offerings to it of many flowers, beaded necklaces, paste incense, powdered incense, burning incense, silk canopies and banners. After that, he will further make offerings to two hundred myriads of millions of Buddhas in the same manner.

He will then become a Buddha called Tamalapattracandana Fragrance Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, Teacher of gods and humans, Buddha, World Honored One.

His eon will be called full of joy. His country will be called Delighted Intent. His land will be flat and even with crystal for soil, and jeweled trees for adornments. Real pearl flowers will be scattered about, purifying it entirely, so that those who see it rejoice. There will be many gods, humans, Bodhisattvas and Hearer, limitless and uncountable in number.

His life span as a Buddha will last for twenty-four minor eons.

The Proper Dharma will dwell there for forty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will dwell also for forty minor eons.”

At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle spoke verses, saying:

        “My disciple
        Great Maudgalyayana
        Having cast aside this body
        Will view eight thousand
        Two hundred myriads of millions
        Of Buddhas, World Honored Ones.
        And, for the sake of the Buddha Way
        Will honor and make offerings to them.

        In the presence of those Buddhas,
        He will always practice Brahman conduct,
        Throughout limitless eons,
        Reverently upholding the Buddhadharma.

        After the extinction of those Buddhas,
        He will build stupas of the seven jewels,
        Displaying golden spires
        And with flowers, incense, and instrumental music
        He will make offerings
        To the Buddhas’ stupas.

        Gradually, having perfected
        The Bodhisattva Path,
        In a land called Delighted Intent,
        He will become a Buddha
        Called Tamala
        Candana Fragrance.
        His life span as a Buddha will be
        Twenty four minor eons.

        Always, for gods and humans
        He will expound and proclaim the Buddha Way.
        There will be limitless Hearers
        In number like the Ganges sands,
        With the Three Clarities and Six Penetrations
        And great, awesome virtue.
        There will be uncountable Bodhisattvas
        Vigorous and of solid resolve
        And who, with regard to the Buddhas’ wisdom
        Are irreversible.

        After that Buddha’s extinction
        The Proper Dharma will dwell
        For forty minor eons,
        And the Dharma Image Age will be the same.

        All my disciples
        Having perfected their awesome virtue,
        All five hundred of them
        Shall be given predictions
        And in a future age
        Will become Buddhas.
        Of my own and your former
        Causes and conditions
        I now will tell:
        All of you, listen well!”

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The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: Chapter 6 - Conferring Predictions

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