Zhengfahua Jing (正法華經)

Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sutra, Fascicle 6

Translated by the Tripitaka Master Zhu Fahu of the Yuezhi Kingdom during the Western Jin Dynasty

Chapter 10: Medicine King Tathagata

The Buddha told the monks, "The path of the Dharma is one and the same; there are no two vehicles—only the unsurpassed, true, and complete enlightenment. Throughout past, present, and future, there has never been a dual truth. Just as all rivers and streams flow into the ocean, merging into a single flavor, and just as the sun shines everywhere without exception, never increasing or decreasing, so it is with the Dharma.

If a noble son wishes to attain perfect enlightenment, understanding that there are no three paths or realms—past, future, or present—they should learn and uphold the Correct Dharma Flower Sutra. They should discern the emptiness of wisdom, free from any notion of the six perfections. True offering is not made with flowers, incense, music, or material gifts. Instead, one should comprehend the three liberations and reach the threefold enlightened wisdom—the boundless insight—which is the true offering.

Why is this? In the distant past, through countless inconceivable eons, there was a Buddha named Medicine King Thus Come One, the Worthy, the Perfectly Enlightened, the One Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, the Well-Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed, the Tamer of beings, the Teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One. His world was called Great Purity, and the eon was named Pure Removal. The lifespan of Medicine King Buddha was twenty intermediate eons. His assembly of Hearers numbered thirty-six million, and his Bodhisattvas numbered twelve million.

At that time, there was a wheel-turning king named Jewel Canopy, who ruled over the four continents. He had a thousand sons, all upright and courageous, along with seven precious ministers who subdued all enemies. The king served and supported Medicine King Buddha for five full eons, together with his retinue, providing complete offerings and respectful care. After five eons, he told his thousand sons, 'I have already served the Thus Come One. You too should follow in this tradition.' Upon hearing their father's command, the thousand sons then served Medicine King Buddha for another five eons, offering the finest gifts and ensuring all needs were met."

There was a prince named Good Cover. While living in quiet seclusion, he thought to himself, "The offerings we now make to the Thus-Come One — could there be any offering more special and extraordinary than this?" Through the Buddha's spiritual power, a celestial voice from the sky said to him, "Noble son, do you wish to know? There is a Dharma offering that is supreme and incomparable." The prince asked, "What is the Dharma offering?" The celestial voice replied, "You should go and ask the Thus-Come One Medicine King; he will explain it to you in detail.

Good Practice rose, went to the place where the Medicine King Thus Come One was, prostrated on the ground, and said to the Medicine King Thus Come One: "What is meant by 'the offering of the Dharma'—to reverently follow and uphold the scriptures?" The World-Honored One replied: "The offering of the Dharma means to accord with the profound and subtle scriptures taught by the Thus Come One, which enlighten all people in the world. These teachings are difficult to accept, difficult to see, and go beyond renunciation and relics. They are the treasury of the Bodhisattva scriptures, vast and profound, imprinted with the seal of spiritual mastery. They are the diligent practice that does not turn back from the wheel of progress, manifesting the six perfections of boundless wisdom. They earnestly embrace the qualities of Buddhahood, enter the true path through the patience that perceives no arising, and extend great compassion to all beings. They subdue the armies of Mara (the tempter), transcend all views of reality, and fully penetrate the twelve links of dependent origination, realizing that there is no self, no person, no permanent soul, no life. They abide in the states of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, not driven by various actions, yet dwelling in the seat of enlightenment and turning the wheel of the Dharma. They inspire devas (celestial beings), nagas (dragons), gandharvas (celestial musicians), and others, so that none fail to take joy and reverence. They open up the treasury of the Dharma, protect all noble beings, and proclaim the practices of all Bodhisattvas. They completely uproot all suffering, realizing there is no self, no body. For beings who violate moral precepts, they set them on the right path. As for the various Māra-like heretical paths that fall into inverted views and cling to conditioned existence, they always feel fear and distress and lament. The virtues of all Buddhas cause the cessation of birth and death, relieve all afflictions, and reveal the peaceful and unconditioned state—what past, present, and future Buddhas praise. They analyze and reveal the subtle forms of things, penetrate the depths of all phenomena through spiritual mastery, and open up and expound the teachings, skillfully guiding beings to uphold the true Dharma. This is what is meant by 'the offering of the Dharma.' If one, when it comes to all scriptures, is determined to attain patience with phenomena, thoroughly understands the texts, contemplates them repeatedly, expounds their essence without any false views, realizes that things arise from no source and remains patient with no-arising, perceives no self and no person, enters all causes and conditions, is free from anger and contention, engages in no disputes, perceives no self and no permanent soul, carefully follows the meaning of words, and is free from conceptual attachments, wise without negligence, directing the mind to dwell nowhere, understanding the principles and directions of the mind, using skillful means to guide one away from wrong views, washing away all clinging to phenomena, not creating a view of a person, relying on the true principle, abiding in the Dharma’s ultimate without attachment or entry, cutting off all clinging and attachments, extinguishing all ignorance, and eliminating birth, aging, sickness, and death—observing the twelve links of causation inexhaustibly, seeing through all views and not following inverted views—this, noble son, is the offering of the Dharma."

"Prince Shan Gai, upon hearing the Dharma from Medicine King Buddha and making offerings, immediately attained the gentle and compliant patience of the Dharma. He took off his own robe to cover the Buddha and said to the World-Honored One: 'Please grant me your sacred grace to establish my resolve. After the Tathagata's passing, I vow to protect the true Dharma, increase Dharma offerings, subdue demonic enemies, and welcome the future Dharma.' The Buddha, knowing his intention, confirmed that he would indeed protect the city of Dharma in the final age."

The Buddha told the monks, "Prince Shan Gai, because I was in the world, took up the path of renunciation with faith from a family background. He diligently studied and cultivated all roots of virtue, and before long, he attained the five spiritual powers. His mastery of teaching and eloquence could not be interrupted. After the Buddha's passing, he fully developed spiritual powers, perfect mastery, strength, and fearlessness. For ten kalpas, he turned the wheel of the Dharma by teaching the sutras spoken by the Thus-Come-One Medicine King. To protect the true Dharma, the monk Shan Gai transformed one hundred million people in a single lifetime, inspiring them all to aspire to supreme and perfect enlightenment without ever turning back. He established fourteen million people on the paths of the voice-hearers and solitary realizers, and countless others were reborn in heavenly realms.

Monks, do you think King Jeweled Canopy of that time was someone else? He is now the Thus-Come-One, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One—the Buddha Jewel Shine. The king's one thousand sons are the thousand buddhas of this Fortunate Eon. The first of these is Krakucchanda, and the last is named Delight. Prince Shan Gai is now me. Therefore, you should know that of all offerings, none surpasses the offering of the Dharma. All buddhas—past, future, and present—arise from this. If a son or daughter of good family wishes to make offerings to the ten-direction buddhas, they should accept and uphold the 'Wondrous Dharma Flower Sutra,' recite it, and teach it to all, revealing that there is only the one vehicle, not three."

At that time, the Buddha spoke this verse:

At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the eighty thousand Bodhisattvas, saying: "Because of the Medicine King Bodhisattva and other Bodhisattvas, look closely at this assembly of four groups—countless billions of heavenly beings, dragons, spirits, asuras, garudas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, listeners (Śrāvakas), solitary realizers (Pratyekabuddhas), and Bodhisattvas. They now wish to see with their own eyes and hear the Tathāgata teach this Sutra. If anyone in this entire assembly hears just one verse or one stanza and, in a single moment of thought, feels joy and supports it, the Buddha will bestow upon them a prophecy from among these four groups: that they will attain the highest, perfect enlightenment."

The Buddha told the Medicine King: "If, after my nirvana, someone hears just a single four-line verse of this scripture and, in that moment, wishes to encourage others to embrace it, then the Buddha assures them that they will attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. Such a person has already served hundreds of thousands of millions of buddhas in the past and made their vows before them. Out of compassion for all beings, these people have been born here. If someone accepts and upholds even a single verse of this scripture, recites it, writes it down on bamboo or silk, keeps it in their heart without forgetting, or listens to its rhythm with respect and reverence, treating it like the sacred words of the Buddha himself, or if they offer flowers, incense, flags, and banners with sincere intention, or simply bow with palms together in homage to this sutra—then that person should be regarded as one who has found a true refuge in this world."

The Buddha further addressed Medicine King: "If a son or daughter of good family is able to uphold even a single verse of this sutra, encourages others to rejoice in it, or merely hears the title of this scripture—know that this person will, in a future life, become a Tathagata, an Arhat, a Fully Enlightened One. Why is that? Those who receive this sutra, uphold it, recite it, copy it, or make offerings to it with banners, flowers, incense, and perfumes—should be recognized as individuals who will attain supreme enlightenment. After attaining nirvana, if they see the Buddha, they will bring compassion to all gods and humans, fulfill their wishes freely, and constantly be reborn among humans to expound this sutra. Such people have already cultivated profound goodness; because of their actions, they will be born in pure Buddha lands, always seeking opportunities to teach. Know that such people are moved by compassion for all beings; for the sake of the Buddha's teachings after his passing, they are born into this world. They are like emissaries sent by the Tathagata. Such sons and daughters of good family carry out the work of the Tathagata as his messengers.

Those who teach the Dharma as proclaimed by the Buddha—even if their eloquence falls short—still receive blessings. If someone with harmful intentions, constantly harboring malice, should speak ill of such a person even for an instant, the consequences are immeasurable. The offense of slandering this person is equal to slandering the Tathagata for an entire kalpa. These teachings spring from the same seed as the Tathagata's own lineage.

When this scripture is being taught, if even a young child receives it—whether a layperson or a monk—and someone speaks harsh words to that child, uses abusive language, or spreads false accusations out of malice, that person incurs guilt as if they had directed hatred toward the Tathagata.

Sons and daughters of good family who receive this scripture, recite and read it, but do not travel to teach it or explain it to others—they will incur fault. Those who do uphold this scripture should be offered robes, fine food, incense, flowers, lamps, and precious items. Such sons and daughters of good family are great treasures and should be honored with bowing. Why? Even hearing this scripture once—make offerings to such a listener, if they dedicate it to the supreme path of enlightenment."

At that time, the Buddha spoke this verse:

The Buddha told the Bodhisattva Medicine King: "I have repeatedly declared that the scriptures I have taught in the past are countless, and those I am yet to teach are even more numerous, comparable to all the phenomena in the world. This present sutra's name and reputation are supremely exalted, foremost and unrivaled, yet it is not readily believed or accepted by the common people of the world. The Tathagata's perfect enlightenment is indestructible. Those who, in seclusion, quietly receive this sutra from a Dharma teacher are protected by the Tathagata's power, and nothing can harm them—because they have already heard it in a past life.

If there are those who hear this sutra while the Tathagata is still in the world, many will slander it. How much more difficult will it be to encounter after the Tathagata's passing? Their wishes and aspirations may be obscured. Observe the sons and daughters of good families who are like this. The Tathagatas now present in other worlds all see such people, and where they exist, they themselves will hear the sutra again. They possess the power of faith, the power of wholesome roots, and the power of aspiration, all gathered together in the Tathagata's abode as one. Such groups of people have virtue like this.

Those who seek the Tathagata's Dharma, with their minds fixed on the Buddha's palm—this results from the vows and practices of past lives. After the Buddha's passing, if there are those who believe in this true Dharma, and who accept, uphold, copy, worship, follow, and teach it to others, their merit will be like this."

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Medicine King: "If there is someone who can teach this sutra, or write it down and show it to others, you should treat that person as you would a living shrine of the Buddha. Build a magnificent, lofty, and spacious temple for them, and you need not place the Buddha's relics there. Why? Because this person already fully embodies the Buddha's relics.

Wherever this sutra is taught, recited, sung, or written down—once a sutra scroll has been completed on bamboo or silk—you should honor and make offerings to it as you would to a Buddha stupa. Bow down to it with reverence. Offer all kinds of incense, flowers, fragrant powders, music from harps and lutes, canopies, banners, and streamers.

If any living being wishes to pay homage at a Buddha temple, they should instead draw near to this supreme, unsurpassed teaching of the sutra."

Again he addressed Medicine King: "There are many bodhisattvas who have left home to follow the path, and also many laypeople who practice the bodhisattva way, yet they cannot obtain such a sutra as this, nor see it read, recited, copied, or honored with offerings. But if there is a bodhisattva who practices the bodhisattva path and understands how to adapt skillfully, and if by chance they hear this true model of the Buddha — the shared practice of bodhisattvas — then the listener will approach it with faith and joy, enter into it, and understand it clearly. Receiving it with offerings, they will come close to supreme and perfect enlightenment on that very seat. Anyone who sees such a person — a person who has entered into this meaning — their merit cannot be measured."

The Buddha said to the Medicine King: "It is like a man dying of thirst who searches for water. He abandons the low, flat ground and digs a well on a high plateau. Each day he works, but finds only dry earth. He continues for a long time, yet because the spring is deep and far below, he finds no water. At another time, after digging much deeper, he finally sees mud and water, but it is dirty and undrinkable. What can he do? The man does not give up. He presses on and eventually reaches pure water. Then, seeing this sign of success, all his doubts and hesitations vanish. He thinks, 'I have worked so hard for so long, and now at last I have found water.'

So too, Medicine King, if someone hears this Sutra but does not accept, uphold, recite, or study it, they are still very far from the supreme, true path of enlightenment. This spiritual example is for the practice of all Bodhisattvas. But if someone hears this Correct Dharma Flower Sutra, recites it, diligently cultivates it, and holds it in their heart and puts it into practice, then they will quickly realize supreme and perfect enlightenment."

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, “All bodhisattvas who are unwilling to receive and recite this sutra cannot attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Why is this? I have already proclaimed this: if someone does not delight in this sutra, they have turned away from all the Thus-Come Ones. This sutra is the foremost of the path and the origin of all wisdom, perfecting bodhisattvas. If a bodhisattva hears this sutra and is afraid, uneasy, and does not love it, you should know that they are a beginner. If they are not afraid, then they have been cultivating the bodhisattva path for a long time. If a listener of the Vehicle of Insight encounters this sutra and is afraid or uneasy, it is because they are arrogant and self-indulgent.”

The Buddha spoke to Medicine King: "After my nirvana, if there are bodhisattvas or great beings who wish to teach this scripture to the fourfold community, they should first put on the Tathagata's robe and take their seat on the World-Honored One's lion throne. Only then should they proclaim this scripture to the fourfold community.

What does it mean to put on the Tathagata's robe? It refers to patience, gentleness, calmness, and refinement in a person—this is what is called the Tathagata's robe. People of good family, you should cultivate this robe.

What is the World-Honored One's lion throne? Understanding that all phenomena are utterly empty and still, and resting in the state of no-form and no-wish—this is the World-Honored One's lion throne.

Moreover, people of good family, when you sit in this way, you should explain this scripture to monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, gods, dragons, spirits, and supernatural beings, expanding on it in detail. You should do so with a joyful heart, never shrinking in timidity, dedicating yourselves to the great path and guiding the fourfold community.

People of good family, if you find yourselves in other worlds, you may create transformation bodies—along with their communities of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—to proclaim this teaching. If there are those who hear it but do not rejoice, I will make them joyful and ensure they take delight.

If you are in remote wilderness places where there are gods, dragons, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, I will send transformation beings to teach this scripture to them. Even if you are far away in different lands, I will manifest myself so that everyone can see.

Those who receive this scripture but cannot grasp its phrases and meanings, or lose the proper order, will have it studied and recited by others through that person's spiritual power, reaching an understanding of its meaning and sequence."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke these verses: