Chapter VII - The Apparitional City

The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: “Once upon a time, immeasurable, limitless, inconceivable, incalculable kalpas ago, there was a buddha called Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū Tathāgata, an Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavat. His land was called Susaṃbhavā in the kalpa called Mahārūpa.

“O monks, it has been an extremely long time since this buddha entered nirvana. Suppose there were a man who ground the earth of the entire great manifold cosmos into powdered ink, and he were to then pass through a thousand worlds to the east, where he let fall a single particle of ink, the size of a speck of dust.

“After passing through another thousand worlds, he let fall another particle; and he continued in this way until he had completely used all the ink.

“What do you think about this? Do you think that a mathematician or a mathematician’s pupil would be able to count those worlds to the last particle or not?”

“O Bhagavat! No, they could not.”

“O monks! Suppose that all the worlds this man passed through, whether letting fall a particle or not, were all ground into dust, and one speck of this dust were equal to one kalpa. The time since the parinirvāṇa of this buddha surpasses this number by immeasurable, limitless, incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas; and through the power of the Tathāgata’s wisdom and insight, I can see his distant past, as if it were today.”

Thereupon the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

I recall that in the past,
Immeasurable kalpas ago,
There was a buddha, the most honored among two-legged beings,
Called Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū.
Suppose there was a man
Who vigorously ground up in its entirety
The earth of the great manifold cosmos
And turned it all to powdered ink.
After passing through one thousand worlds,
He let fall one particle of ink;
And in this way
He continued to let fall particles
Until he had used up all the ink.
If all these worlds,
Those where he let fall a particle
And those where he did not,
Were to be ground into specks of dust,
And one speck of dust were equal to a single kalpa,
Their number would be surpassed
By the number of kalpas
That have passed since that buddha’s parinirvāṇa,
So incalculable has this number of kalpas been.
With the Tathāgata’s unobstructed wisdom,
I know of these bodhisattvas and śrāvakas
And the parinirvāṇa of this buddha;
It is as if I see his parinirvāṇa today.
O monks, you should know
That with the knowledge of the Buddha,
Which is pure and subtle,
Incorrupted and without obstructions,
I perceive what happened immeasurable kalpas ago.

The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: “The lifespan of this buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū was five hundred and forty myriads of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas. When that buddha was seated on the terrace of enlightenment after having defeated Māra’s army, he tried to obtain highest, complete enlightenment, yet the Dharma of the buddhas did not appear to him. In this way, even after having sat cross-legged for one to ten intermediate kalpas, undisturbed in body and mind, the Dharma of the buddhas still did not appear to him.

“At that time a group of thirty-three devas first prepared for that buddha a lion seat one yojana in height under the bodhi tree, for this buddha was to attain highest, complete enlightenment on that seat. As soon as the Buddha sat on this seat, all the Brahmas rained down various heavenly flowers for a hundred yojanas around; periodically a fragrant breeze would blow away the withered flowers and they would rain down fresh ones.

“In this way they unceasingly paid homage to the Buddha for a full ten intermediate kalpas, raining down these flowers continuously until his parinirvāṇa. The devas of the four quarters constantly struck heavenly drums to honor the Buddha, and in the same way all the other devas made divine music for a full ten intermediate kalpas until his parinirvāṇa.

“O monks! The Dharma of the buddhas appeared to the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū after ten intermediate kalpas had passed, and he attained highest, complete enlightenment.

“This Buddha had had sixteen children before he renounced household life. The eldest child was called Jñānākara. Each child had various kinds of rare toys. After hearing about their father’s attainment of highest, complete enlightenment, they all put aside their toys and set out for where the Buddha was. Weeping sad tears, their mothers saw them off. Their grandfather, the wheel-turning sage king, went with them, along with a hundred ministers and hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of people.

“When they arrived at the terrace of enlightenment, they all wanted to approach the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, and pay homage and respect, honor, and praise him. They came up to him and bowed until their foreheads touched his feet, and then circled around him. Attentively, with palms pressed together, they gazed at the Bhagavat and spoke these verses:

The Bhagavat of great, virtuous dignity,
In order to bring sentient beings to the path,
After immeasurable koṭis of kalpas
And perfecting all the vows,
Finally became a buddha.
How wonderful!
There is nothing more auspicious!
The Bhagavat is truly extraordinary!
He sat tranquil for ten intermediate kalpas
With his body and limbs immobile.
His mind was always calm and never distracted.
He has attained ultimate, eternal tranquility,
And is firmly established
In the incorruptible Dharma.
Now seeing the Bhagavat,
Who has serenely attained the buddha path,
We receive benefit and celebrate
With great joy.
Sentient beings, ever suffering,
Are blind and without a teacher.
They are unaware of the path that leads
To the extinction of suffering,
Ignorant of the way to seek liberation.
From one blind state to the next,
Those in the troubled states of being daily increase
While the devas decrease.
They never hear the Buddha’s name.
Now the Buddha has attained the highest,
Serene, and incorruptible Dharma.
Thus we and the devas and humans,
Shall obtain the greatest benefit.
Therefore we all bow and pay homage
To the highest Lord.

“At that time the sixteen princes, having praised the Buddha in verse, requested that the Bhagavat turn the wheel of the Dharma, saying:

O Bhagavat, teach the Dharma! Put all the devas and people at ease and benefit them through your compassion!

“They spoke further in verse, saying:

O Hero of the World,
The One Who Has No Equal,
Who is adorned with a hundred merits,
And has attained the highest wisdom!
We entreat you to teach
For the sake of the world,
And bring us and all the other
Sentient beings to the path.
Illuminate and reveal this wisdom
So that we may attain it.
If we can become buddhas,
So can the other sentient beings.
The Bhagavat knows
The deep-seated intentions of sentient beings
And the paths they practice,
As well as the power of their wisdom.
May the Bhagavat, being wholly aware
Of their positive intentions,
Accumulated merits, and past deeds,
Turn the highest wheel of the Dharma.

The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: “When the Buddha Mahā- bhijñājñānābhibhū attained highest, complete enlightenment, five hundred myriads of koṭis of buddha worlds in each of the ten directions quaked in six ways. The dark places between the worlds, where the rays of the sun and moon had been unable to penetrate, were brightly illuminated. The sentient beings there were able to see each other and said:

How is it possible that sentient beings have suddenly appeared here?

“Moreover, those worlds from the heavenly palaces up to the palaces of the Brahmas, also quaked in six ways. The great ray of light shone everywhere, filling the worlds with a radiance that surpassed the light of the devas.

“At that time the palaces of Brahmas in the five hundred myriads of koṭis of worlds in the east were illuminated twice as brightly as usual. The great Brahmas each thought:

The palaces are illuminated now as never before. What has caused this phenomenon?

“At that time all of the great Brahmas approached each other to discuss this matter. In that assembly there was a great Brahma called Sarvasattvatrātar who spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse, saying:

This illumination of our palaces
Has never occurred before!
Let us find out
The reason for this!
This great ray of light
Has illuminated the ten directions.
Has a deva of great merit been born,
Or has a buddha appeared in the world?

“Then the great Brahmas of the hundred myriads of koṭis of worlds went toward the west with their palaces to enquire about this phenomenon, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānā bhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment, sitting on the lion seat under the bodhi tree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such non humans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Then the great Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha’s feet and then circled around him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered were piled as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha’s bodhi tree, which was ten yojanas in height. Having reverently offered him flowers, they presented their palaces to the Buddha, saying:

Please accept the palaces we now offer you, and benefit us through your compassion!

“Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

The Bhagavat, who is truly extraordinary,
Is extremely difficult to meet.
He is endowed with immeasurable qualities
And seeks to protect all.
The Great Teacher of Devas and Humans
Feels compassion for the world
And causes all sentient beings
In the ten directions
To be universally benefited.
All of us, who have come from
Five hundreds of myriads of koṭis of worlds,
Have given up the pleasure of deep meditation
In order to pay homage to the Buddha.
To the Bhagavat we now present our palaces,
Which the merits of our previous lives
Have caused to be completely adorned.
Please accept them through your compassion!

“Thereupon, having praised the Buddha in verse, the great Brahmas each said this:

O Bhagavat! We entreat you to turn the wheel of the Dharma, open the path to nirvana, and guide sentient beings to it.

“Then the great Brahmas attentively spoke these verses in unison:

O Hero of the World, the most honored among two-legged beings!
We entreat you to expound the Dharma
And bring the suffering beings to the path
Through the power of your great compassion.

“Then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū silently consented.

“Furthermore, O monks, the great Brahmas in the five hundred myriads of koṭis of worlds in the southeast saw their palaces illuminated with a ray of light that had never occurred before. Joyful and ecstatic, they were struck with wonder. They assembled to discuss this matter. At that time there was a great Brahma called Adhimātrakāruṇika. He spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse saying:

What is the reason
That this phenomenon has appeared?
Even since the olden times,
This illumination of all of our palaces
Is without precedent.
Has a deva of great merit been born,
Or has a buddha appeared in the world?
Since we have never seen such a phenomenon,
We should seek thoroughly for its source.
Even if we have to pass
Through thousands of myriads of koṭis of worlds,
We should seek together for the source of this light.
Possibly a buddha has appeared in the world
To save suffering sentient beings.

“Thereupon five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas went toward the northwest with their palaces, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes, to enquire about this phenomenon. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñā jñānābhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment, sitting on the lion seat under the bodhi tree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such nonhumans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma.

“Then all the Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha’s feet and then circled around him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered were piled up as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha’s bodhi tree. Having reverently offered the Buddha flowers, they presented their palaces to him, saying:

Please accept the palaces we now offer you and benefit us through your compassion!

“Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

O Great Sage, Deva of Devas!
We now bow to the one
Whose voice is as beautiful as the kalaviṅka bird’s
And who has compassion for sentient beings.
The Bhagavat is truly extraordinary
And can only be seen once
In an extremely long time.
One hundred and eighty kalpas
Have passed away fruitlessly,
And no buddhas have appeared during this time.
The worlds have been filled
With people in the three troubled states of being,
And the devas have decreased.
The Buddha has now appeared in the world
To be the eyes of sentient beings.
He will be the refuge of the world
And will seek to protect all.
As the father of sentient beings,
He is the compassionate benefactor.
Because of our past merits,
We now have the good fortune to be able
To meet the Bhagavat!

“Thereupon, having praised the Buddha in verse, the great Brahmas said this:

O Bhagavat! We entreat you to turn the wheel of the Dharma out of your compassion for all and save sentient beings.

“Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison:

O Great Sage! Make us very happy!
Turn the wheel of the Dharma,
Reveal the character of all dharmas,
Save the suffering beings!
If sentient beings hear this Dharma
They will attain the path and be born as devas.
The beings in the troubled states of being will decrease
While those who persevere in the good will increase.

“Then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū silently consented.

“Furthermore, O monks, the great Brahmas in the five hundreds of thousands of koṭis of lands in the south each saw their palaces illuminated as they had never been before. Joyful and ecstatic, they were struck with wonder. They immediately assembled to discuss this matter together, asking:

Why have our palaces been illuminated?

“At that time there was a great Brahma, called Sudharma. He spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse saying:

Our palaces are illuminated
With brilliant light.
There must be a reason for this,
And we should seek its source.
We have not seen such a phenomenon
During the past hundreds of thousands of kalpas.
Has a deva of great merit been born,
Or has a buddha appeared in the world?

“Thereupon five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas went toward the north with their palaces, to enquire about this phenomenon, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñā jñānābhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment, sitting on the lion seat under the bodhi tree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such nonhumans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma.

“Then all the great Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha’s feet and then circled around him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered piled up as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha’s bodhi tree. Having revered the Buddha with flowers, they offered their palaces to him, saying:

Please accept the palaces we now offer you, and benefit us through your compassion!

“Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

O Destroyer of Afflictions!
It is extremely difficult to meet a Bhagavat.
We are now meeting the Buddha for the first time
Since one hundred and thirty kalpas have passed away.
Please satisfy sentient beings,
Who are suffering from hunger and thirst,
By pouring down the rain of the Dharma!
O One Possessed of Immeasurable Wisdom,
Whom we have never met before!
Today we have encountered
The one who appears as rarely
As the uḍumbara flower blooms.
Our palaces are beautifully adorned
By this ray of light.
We entreat you to accept them
Out of your great compassion!

“Thereupon, having praised the Buddha in verse, the great Brahmas said 24b this:

O Bhagavat! We request that you turn the wheel of the Dharma, thus causing the devamāras, Brahmas, śrāmaṇas, and brahmans to be at ease and saving them all!

“Then the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison:

We entreat you, O Best of Devas and Humans,
To turn the wheel of the highest Dharma,
Beat the drum of the great Dharma,
Blow the conch of the great Dharma,
Rain the rain of the great Dharma everywhere,
And save incalculable sentient beings!
We have all come to request
That you expound it
With your profound voice!

“Then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū silently consented.

“The very same thing happened in the worlds from the southwestern to the lower regions, as well as those in other directions.

“Then all the great Brahmas in the five hundred myriads of koṭis of lands in the upper region saw their palaces illuminated with a light that had never existed before. Joyful and ecstatic, they were struck with wonder. They immediately assembled to discuss this matter together, asking:

Why have our palaces been illuminated?

“There was a great Brahma in that assembly called Śikhin. He spoke to the assembly of Brahmas in verse, saying:

Why have all our palaces
Been brilliantly illuminated
With this light of virtuous dignity
And adorned in this unprecedented way?
We have never seen such a wonderful phenomenon!
Has a deva of great merit been born,
Or has a buddha appeared in the world?

“Thereupon five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas went into the lower regions with their palaces to enquire about this phenomenon, carrying heavenly flowers in their robes. They saw the Tathāgata Mahābhijñā- jñānābhibhū on the terrace of enlightenment sitting on the lion seat under the bodhi tree. He was respectfully surrounded by humans and such nonhumans as devas, nāga kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas. They also saw the sixteen princes requesting the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma.

“Then all the great Brahmas bowed until their foreheads touched the Buddha’s feet and then circumambulated him one hundred thousand times. They scattered heavenly flowers on the Buddha, and the flowers they scattered were piled up as high as Mount Sumeru. They also paid homage to the Buddha’s bodhi tree. Having reverently offered him flowers, they presented their palaces to the Buddha saying:

Please accept the palaces we now offer you, and benefit us through your compassion!

“Then all the great Brahmas spoke these verses wholeheartedly and in unison before the Buddha:

How splendid it is to meet the buddhas,
The Great Sages who deliver the world,
Who diligently work to get sentient beings
Out of the hell of the triple world!
The Best of Devas and Humans,
Who has universal wisdom,
Out of compassion for everyone
Opens the gate to immortality
And extensively saves all.
Since olden times, immeasurable kalpas
Have passed away in vain
Without the presence of the Buddha.
In the time before the Bhagavat appears,
The ten directions are in constant darkness.
Those in the three troubled states of being increase
And the asuras also flourish.
The devas decrease all the more,
And when they die
Many of them fall into those troubled states.
Having never heard the teaching from the Buddha,
All of them always behave badly,
And their physical power and wisdom decreases.
Because of their erring deeds
They lose happiness or any notion of it.
Abiding in the teaching of false views
They know nothing of good conduct.
Deprived of the buddhas’ inspiration,
They always fall into the troubled states of being.
After a very long time, the Buddha has now
Appeared as the Eye of the World.
It is out of compassion for sentient beings
That the Buddha appears in the world.
Transcending everything, the Buddha
Has attained complete enlightenment.
We are all extremely happy,
And all the other beings joyfully acclaim
This unprecedented experience.
All our palaces are beautifully adorned
By this ray of light.
We now offer them to the Bhagavat.
Please accept them out of your compassion!
By the universal transference of this merit,
May we and all other beings
Together attain the buddha path!

“Thereupon the five hundred myriads of koṭis of great Brahmas, having praised the Buddha in verse, each spoke to him, saying:

O Bhagavat! We strongly entreat you to turn the wheel of the Dharma, give ease to many, and enable them to attain the path.

“Then all the great Brahmas spoke these verses:

O Bhagavat! Turn the wheel of the Dharma,
Beat the drum of the Dharma of immortality,
Save the suffering sentient beings,
And reveal the path to nirvana!
We strongly entreat you to accept our request;
And out of your compassion
And with your wonderful voice,
Expound the Dharma
That you have perfected
Over immeasurable kalpas.

“And then the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū acceded to the request made by all the great Brahmas from the ten directions and the sixteen princes. He then immediately turned three times the Dharma wheel of twelve spokes that no śrāmaṇas, brahmans, devamāras, Brahmas, or any other being in the world could turn. He taught:

This is suffering. This is the origination of suffering. This is the cessation of suffering, and this is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. (i.e., the Four Noble Truths)

“He also extensively taught the Dharma of the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination, saying:

Conditioned states are dependent on ignorance. Consciousness is dependent on conditioned states. Name and form are dependent on consciousness. The six sense fields are dependent on name and form. Contact is dependent on the six sense fields. Feelings are dependent on contact. Craving is dependent on feelings. Grasping is dependent on craving. Becoming is dependent on grasping. Birth is dependent on becoming. And old age, illness, death, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, and distress are dependent on birth.

When ignorance ceases, then conditioned states cease. When conditioned states cease, then consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, then name and form cease. When name and form cease, then the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, then contact ceases. When contact ceases, then feelings cease. When feelings cease, then craving ceases. When craving ceases, then grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, then becoming ceases. When becoming ceases, then birth ceases. When birth ceases, then old age, illness, death, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, and distress cease.

“When the Buddha explained this Dharma to the great assembly of the devas and humans, at that time six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of people, because they were not attached to any existent thing, became free of all corruption. All of them perfected profound meditations, the three sciences, the six transcendent powers, and were endowed with the eight liberations.

“When he taught the Dharma for the second, third, and fourth time, thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings, equal to the sands of the Ganges River, who were not attached to any existent thing, became free of all corruption. Innumerable, immeasurable, incalculable śrāvakas followed in their turn.

“At that time the sixteen princes who were still young renounced household life and became śrāmaṇeras. All their faculties were sharp, and their wisdom was penetrating. They had paid homage to hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of buddhas, practiced the pure path of discipline and integrity, and sought highest, complete enlightenment. “They all spoke to the Buddha, saying:

O Bhagavat! All of these immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of śrāvakas of great merit have all attained perfection. O Bhagavat! You should also expound the teaching of highest, complete enlightenment to us! Hearing it, we shall all practice it. O Bhagavat! We aspire for the wisdom and insight of the Tathāgata. The Buddha himself knows what is deep in our minds.

“At that time eight myriads of koṭis of people in the assembly who served the noble emperor saw the sixteen princes renounce household life and appealed to the emperor to allow their own renunciation. The emperor immediately gave his permission.

“Then the Buddha accepted the request of the śrāmaṇeras. After twenty thousand kalpas had passed he taught to the fourfold assembly this Mahayana sutra called the Lotus Sutra, the instruction for bodhisattvas and treasured lore of the buddhas.

“After the Buddha taught this sutra, all the sixteen śrāmaṇeras preserved, recited, and understood it in order to achieve highest, complete enlightenment. When the Buddha taught this sutra, all the sixteen śrāmaṇeras, the bodhisattvas, completely accepted it. There were also some among the śrāvakas who believed it. But all the other thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings became confused.

“The Buddha continuously taught this sutra for eight thousand kalpas without stopping. After teaching this sutra, he immediately entered a quiet place and abided in meditation for eighty-four thousand kalpas.

“At that time each of the sixteen śrāmaṇeras, the bodhisattvas, knowing that the Buddha had entered the quiet place and was abiding tranquilly in meditation, ascended the Dharma seat and extensively taught and explained the Lotus Sutra to the fourfold assembly for eighty-four thousand kalpas. Each of them saved six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. By revealing and teaching it, they gladdened these sentient beings and awoke in them the thought of highest, complete enlightenment.

“Having arisen from samādhi after eighty-four thousand kalpas had passed, the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū approached the Dharma seat and sat down with complete mindfulness. He addressed everyone in the great assembly, saying:

These sixteen śrāmaṇeras, bodhisattvas, are extraordinary. All their faculties are sharp and their wisdom is penetrating. In times past they have paid homage to immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of buddhas and have constantly practiced the pure path of discipline and integrity under them. They preserved the wisdom of the buddhas and revealed it to sentient beings, causing them to enter into it. All of you should approach and pay them homage again and again. Why is this?

If there are any śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas who are able to believe and preserve the teaching in this sutra expounded by these sixteen bodhisattvas and not disparage it, they will all attain the wisdom of the Tathāgata, highest, complete enlightenment.

The Buddha addressed the monks, saying: “These sixteen bodhisattvas always willingly taught this Lotus Sutra. Each bodhisattva has inspired six hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. In life after life, they remained with these bodhisattvas and, hearing this teaching from them, they believed and understood. For this reason they were able to meet four myriads of koṭis of Buddha Bhagavats during a period uninterrupted up to the present.

“O monks! I shall now tell you that these sixteen śrāmaṇeras, disciples of that buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, have now attained highest, complete enlightenment and presently teach the Dharma in the lands of the ten directions. There are immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas who have become their attendants.

“Two of these śrāmaṇeras have became buddhas in the east. One is called Akṣobhya in the land called Abhirati and the other is called Merukūṭa. In the southeast there are two buddhas. One is called Siṃhaghoṣa and the other is called Siṃhadhvaja. In the south there are two buddhas called Ākāśapratiṣṭhita and Nitya pari nirvṛta. There are also two buddhas in the southwest. One is called Indra dhvaja and the other is called Brahmadhvaja. In the west there are two buddhas called Amitāyus and Sarvaloka dhātū padra vodvega pratyuttīrṇa. There are two buddhas in the northwest. One is called Tamāla patracandanagandhābhijña. The other is called Meru kalpa. In the north there are two buddhas. One is called Meghas varadīpa and the other is called Meghasvara rāja. In the northeast there is a buddha called Sarva loka bha ya cchambhi tatva vidhvaṃsanakara. And the sixteenth one is myself, Buddha Śākyamuni, who in this sahā world achieved highest, complete enlightenment.

“O monks! When we were śrāmaṇeras, each of us inspired immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River. Those sentient beings who heard the teaching from me attained highest, complete enlightenment. There are sentient beings who still abide in the stage of a śrāvaka and whom I will inspire to attain highest, complete enlightenment. By means of this teaching, they will gradually enter the buddha path. Why is this?

“The wisdom of the Tathāgatas is hard to believe and hard to understand. Those incalculable sentient beings equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River who were inspired at that time were you, O monks, and those disciples who will be śrāvakas in the future after my parinirvāṇa.

“After my parinirvāṇa there will be disciples who will not hear this sutra and will neither know nor understand the bodhisattva practice; yet through the merit they have acquired, the thought of extinction will awake in them and they will enter parinirvāṇa.

“I will become a buddha in another land with a different name. Although the idea of extinction has awoken in these disciples and they have entered parinirvāṇa, in that land they will still seek the wisdom of the buddhas and will then be able to hear this sutra. They can obtain parinirvāṇa only through the buddha vehicle. There are no other vehicles except the one taught through the skillful means of the Tathāgatas.

“O monks! When the Tathāgata realizes that the time of his parinirvāṇa is approaching, knowing that the assembly is pure, firm in belief and understanding, has penetrated the teaching of emptiness, and has deeply entered meditation, he will then gather the assembly of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas together and teach this sutra to them. In this world there is no second vehicle through which one can attain parinirvāṇa; only through the single buddha vehicle can one attain it.

“You should know, O monks, that the Tathāgata through skillful means deeply penetrates the dispositions of sentient beings. Knowing their inclination toward the inferior teachings and that they are deeply attached to the desires of the five senses, he teaches nirvana for their sake. If they listen, they will accept it.

“Suppose in a desolate, fearful place there were a dangerous road five hundred yojanas long. There is a large group that wants to travel along this road to reach a place where there is great treasure. They have a leader who is wise and penetrating and who knows the passable and impassable parts of this dangerous road very well. Although he wants to guide these people past the danger, they become exhausted along the way. Addressing the leader they say:

We are extremely tired and frightened. We cannot go any further. We are still far away from our destination, and we want to turn back.

“The leader, knowing many skillful means, thinks:

These people are to be pitied. How could they want to turn back and abandon the great treasure?

“After thinking this the leader, through his skillful means, magically creates a city three hundred yojanas away along the dangerous road. He addresses the people, saying:

Do not be frightened. Do not turn back! You may now stay in this great city and be at your leisure. If you enter this city, you can be comfortable and at ease. Once you are able to go on and reach the treasure site, then you can depart once more.

“Then the exhausted people rejoice greatly and praise this unprecedented experience, saying:

We are now free of this evil road and will be comfortable and at ease.

“Then they proceed to the apparitional city and enter it. They believe that their hardships are over and feel at ease. Then the leader realizes that they are rested and their fatigue has gone. He immediately makes the apparitional city vanish and says to the people:

All of you, come along! The treasure site is near. I made that great apparitional city only in order to let you rest.

“O monks! The Tathāgata is exactly like this. Now for your sake he has become a great leader who knows the long, dangerous, and evil road of birth, death, and desire’s confusion. You should leave it and be saved.

“If sentient beings hear only about the single buddha vehicle they will then want neither to see nor approach a buddha. They will think that the buddha path is long and attainable only after enduring severe and protracted suffering. The Buddha, knowing their minds, knowing that they are weak-willed and of lowly aspiration, teaches them the two nirvanas through skillful means in order to let them rest halfway to the goal. If there are sentient beings who abide in either of these two stages, the Tathāgata immediately teaches:

What you have accomplished is not complete. The stage you abide in is close to the wisdom of the buddhas. You should observe and consider that the nirvana you have obtained is not the true one. It is only through the power of the Tathāgata’s skillful means that the single buddha vehicle is explained as three.

“The Buddha is just like that leader who conjured a great apparitional city to let the people rest. Knowing that they were rested, he addressed them, saying: “The treasure site is near. This city is not real. It is only my invention.”

Thereupon the Bhagavat, wanting to elaborate on the meaning of this further, spoke these verses:

The Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū sat
On the terrace of enlightenment for ten kalpas,
But still the Dharma of the buddhas
Did not appear to him,
And he did not attain the buddha path.
The devas, nāga kings, asuras, and others
Constantly rained down heavenly flowers
In order to pay homage to that buddha.
The devas beat heavenly drums
And played various kinds of music.
The fragrant winds blew the withered flowers away
And then they rained down fresh, beautiful ones.
After ten intermediate kalpas had passed,
He then attained the buddha path;
And all the devas and humans
Became joyful and ecstatic.
The sixteen princes of that buddha,
Surrounded by thousands of
Myriads of koṭis of attendants,
Came to the place where the Buddha was.
Having bowed until their foreheads touched his feet,
They requested him to turn the wheel of the Dharma
Saying:

O Noble Lion!
Fill us and everyone else with the rain of the Dharma!
It is extremely difficult to meet a Bhagavat,
Since he appears only once in a very long time!

To get the attention of the beings,
The Buddha shook the entire world.
The palaces of the Brahmas in the five hundred
Myriads of koṭis of lands in the east
Were illuminated as never before.
All of the Brahmas, seeing this phenomenon,
Came to the place where the Buddha was.
They reverently scattered flowers
And offered him their palaces.
Requesting the Buddha
To turn the wheel of the Dharma,
They praised him in verse.
The Buddha knew that the right time
Had not yet arrived,
And although he had been asked,
He sat in silence.
The other three directions, the four remaining quarters,
And the upper and lower regions were all like this.
All the Brahmas scattered flowers,
Offered their palaces, and requested the Buddha
To turn the wheel of the Dharma, Saying:

It is extremely difficult to meet a Bhagavat.
We entreat you to open wide the gate to immortality
And turn the wheel of the highest Dharma
Through your great compassion!

The Bhagavat, having immeasurable wisdom,
Accepted their request
And expounded various teachings,
Such as the Four [Noble] Truths
And the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination, saying:

Beginning with ignorance
And ending with old age and death,
All these derive from birth.
You should know about such miseries!

When the Buddha expounded this teaching,
Six hundred myriads of koṭis of trillions of people
Attained the complete extinction of all suffering,
And became arhats.
At the time of the second teaching,
Thousands of myriads of people,
Equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River,
Unattached to any existent thing,
Also attained arhatship.
After that an incalculable number
Of beings attained the path.
Even if one were to count
For myriads of koṭis of kalpas,
One could not finish counting their number.
Then the sixteen princes renounced
Household life and became śrāmaṇeras.
They all asked the Buddha to expound
The teaching of the Mahayana, saying:

Let us and all of our attendants
Attain the buddha path!
We entreat you to let us obtain
The Bhagavat’s eye of wisdom, supreme in purity!

The Buddha, knowing the minds of his children
And their past conduct, taught the six perfections
And various transcendent powers
Through incalculably numerous explanations
And various illustrations.
Explaining the true teaching
And the path to be practiced by the bodhisattvas,
He taught this Lotus Sutra in verses
Equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River.
After the Buddha taught this sutra,
He entered meditation in a quiet place
And sat with complete concentration in the same spot
For eighty-four thousand kalpas.
Those śrāmaṇeras, knowing that the Buddha
Had not arisen from meditation,
Taught the highest wisdom of the buddhas
To immeasurable koṭis of beings.
Each sat on the Dharma seat
And explained this Mahayana sutra.
After the great parinirvāṇa of that buddha,
They propagated the Dharma and inspired others.
Each śrāmaṇera saved
Six hundred myriads of koṭis of sentient beings,
Equal in number to the sands of the Ganges River.
Those who heard the teaching
After the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa
Were always born together with their teachers
In various other buddha lands.
These sixteen śrāmaṇeras
Completely cultivated the buddha path
And now, in the ten directions,
They have attained highest, complete enlightenment.
Then those who heard the Dharma
In the presence of each of these buddhas
And those who are in the śrāvaka stage
Will gradually be taught the buddha path.
I am one of the sixteen.
I have also taught you in the past.
Therefore through skillful means
I will now also lead you to the goal
Which is the wisdom of the buddhas.
Through these former causes and conditions,
I will now teach the Lotus Sutra
In order to let you enter the buddha path.
Do not be worried or frightened!
Suppose there were a dangerous road
In a deserted wasteland far away,
Where there are many harmful beasts.
There is neither water nor grass.
It is a fearful place for human beings.
Innumerable thousands of myriads of beings
Wish to pass along this dangerous way.
But that road is very long,
Some five hundred yojanas.
Then there is a leader,
Endowed with deep wisdom and knowledge,
Discerning and resolute,
Who saves the people from various calamities
When they meet with danger.
The people all get tired
And address the leader, saying:

We are all now totally exhausted.
We want to turn back from here!

The leader thinks:

These people are really to be pitied.
How could they possibly want to return
And lose the great treasure!

He immediately thinks of skillful means
And how he should now use his transcendent powers;
And he makes a great apparitional city
With houses adorned and surrounded
With gardens, moats, and ponds.
There are fortified gates and tall towers,
And it is full of men and women.
When the apparition is complete,
He immediately consoles the people, saying:

Do not be afraid!
When you enter the city,
You can each do as you please.

All the people enter the city.
They are very happy and feel at ease,
Thinking they have been saved.
When the leader knows they are rested,
He gathers them together and addresses them, saying:

You should now proceed,
For this is just an apparitional city!
Seeing that you were extremely fatigued
And that you wanted to turn back
After coming halfway,
I made this apparitional city through skillful means.
You should now strive
To reach the treasure site together.

I am exactly like this.
I am the leader of all.
Perceiving that those seeking the way
Have become timid, have stopped halfway,
And are unable to walk to the end of the dangerous road
Of birth, death, and desire’s confusion,
I use skillful means and teach nirvana
So that they may rest, saying:

You have extinguished suffering,
And you have completed what must be done.

Knowing that they have reached nirvana
And attained arhatship, the Buddha immediately
Gathers the great assembly together
And teaches the True Dharma.
All the buddhas explain and teach
The three vehicles through skillful means.
Although there is only the single buddha vehicle,
They teach two in order to provide a place of rest.
For your benefit I now teach the truth:

What you have attained is not the ultimate goal.
You must call forth great efforts
In order to obtain the omniscience of a buddha.
If you attain omniscience
And the qualities of the Buddha,
Such things as the ten powers,
And become endowed with the thirty-two marks,
Then you will have attained the ultimate goal.

The buddhas, the Leaders, teach nirvana
In order to let beings rest in comfort.
When they know that they have rested,
They lead them to the wisdom of the buddhas.