Lotus Sutra (妙法蓮華經)

The World-Hero is beyond measure, Neither gods nor humans, Nor any being of any kind, Can fully know the Buddha.

The Buddha's powers, his fearlessness, His liberation and deep meditative states, And all his other qualities, Are beyond all measurement.

From countless Buddhas in the past, He fully practiced all the paths. This profound and subtle Dharma Is hard to see, hard to comprehend.

For countless billions of eons, He walked these paths to their completion, And at the place of awakening attained the fruit— All this I have fully seen and known.

Such a great result and reward, The various natures and characteristics of reality, Only I and the Buddhas of the ten directions Can truly know this matter.

This Dharma cannot be shown; Words and descriptions fall silent. Other kinds of beings Have no way to understand it, Except for the assemblies of Bodhisattvas Whose power of faith is firm.

Even the multitudes of the Buddha's disciples, Who have made offerings to many Buddhas, Who have exhausted all their defilements And dwell in their final body— Such people as these Do not have the power for this.

Suppose the whole world Were filled with beings like Shariputra, And they all pooled their thoughts to measure— They could not fathom the Buddha's wisdom.

Even if all ten directions Were filled with beings like Shariputra, And the rest of the disciples too, Filling all the worlds in the ten directions, And they all pooled their thoughts to measure— Still they could not know it.

Pratyekabuddhas of sharp wisdom, In their final, undefiled body, Filling all the worlds of the ten directions, Numerous as bamboo in a forest— If they all united their minds For billions of countless eons, Wishing to ponder the Buddha's true wisdom, They could not know even a small part.

Newly resolved Bodhisattvas, Who have made offerings to countless Buddhas, Who thoroughly understand all meanings and principles, And are skilled in explaining the Dharma— As numerous as rice, hemp, bamboo, and reeds, Filling all the worlds of the ten directions— If with single-minded, wonderful wisdom, For eons as numerous as Ganges' sands, They all joined together in thought, They could not know the Buddha's wisdom.

Non-retreating Bodhisattvas, As numerous as Ganges' sands, If with one mind they sought together, Still they could not know it.

And he said to Shariputra: "The undefiled, the inconceivable, The profound and subtle Dharma, I have now fully attained. Only I know its characteristics, And so do the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Shariputra, you should know, The words of the Buddhas do not differ. Toward the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, You should give rise to great power of faith. The World-Honored One, after a long time, Will certainly speak what is true."

He addressed the assembly of voice-hearers And those seeking the Pratyekabuddha vehicle: "I enable them to be freed from the bonds of suffering And to attain Nirvana." The Buddha, through his skillful means, Showed them the teaching of the three vehicles. Beings are attached in various places; He leads them out and enables them to escape.

The Wisdom Sun, the Great Honored One, After so long, finally speaks this Dharma. He proclaims that he has attained Power, fearlessness, samadhi, Meditation, liberation— All inconceivable truths. What he gained at the place of awakening No one is able to ask about; My mind is hard to fathom, And no one can question it. Without being asked, he speaks of it himself, Praising the path he practices. His wisdom is extremely subtle and wonderful— What all Buddhas have attained. The arhats, free of defilements, And those who seek Nirvana, Have all now fallen into a web of doubt: Why does the Buddha say this? Those who seek the path of the solitary awakened, Monks and nuns, The gods, dragons, ghosts, spirits, And the celestial musicians— They look at each other, hesitant, Gazing up at the Two-Footed Honored One. What does this mean? We beg the Buddha to explain. Among all the voice-hearers, The Buddha said I am the foremost. Yet now, my own understanding Cannot resolve my confusion: Is this the ultimate truth? Is this the path to be practiced? We, born from the Buddha's mouth, With palms together, look up and wait, Hoping he will utter his subtle voice And speak the truth at this time. The gods, dragons, and spirits— As numerous as the sands of the Ganges— Along with bodhisattvas seeking Buddhahood, Eighty thousand in number, And rulers of countless kingdoms, Wheel-turning kings who have arrived, All with palms together, with reverent hearts, Yearn to hear the complete path.

Dharma King, unsurpassed honored one, Please speak, and have no worry. This vast assembly, countless beings, Are those who can revere and have faith.

"Stop, stop, no need to speak. My Dharma is wondrous and hard to grasp. Those with pride and arrogance, When they hear it, will not believe or respect it."

O Supremely Honored One, the Two-Footed Sage, We ask you to proclaim the ultimate truth. As the eldest son of the Buddha, Please grace us with your teachings.

This vast assembly before you, Holds deep faith and reverence for the Dharma, For through many lifetimes, You have guided and nurtured them.

With single-minded devotion and joined palms, They long to hear your words. We twelve hundred, along with others seeking enlightenment, Humbly request you, for the sake of all present, To expound your teachings with compassion.

For when they hear this Dharma, Their hearts will well up with immense joy.

Monks and nuns, who harbor arrogant conceit, Laymen with self-pride, laywomen with doubt, Such assemblies of four kinds, numbering five thousand, See not their own faults, their precepts incomplete, Cherishing their flaws. These of little wisdom have left, The chaff of the multitude, departed by the Buddha's might, Such people of scant merit, unfit to receive this Dharma. This assembly has no deadwood, only the true and sincere.

Shariputra, listen well! The Dharma attained by all Buddhas, With countless skillful means, is taught for the sake of beings. The thoughts in beings' minds, the various paths they tread, Their many desires and natures, deeds good and evil past. The Buddha knows all this, then with conditions, similes, And skillful words, brings joy to all who hear.

Sometimes he speaks sutras, verses, and past deeds, Past lives, unprecedented events, also causes and conditions, Similes and prophecies, and analytical teachings. Those of dull faculties delight in lesser ways, clinging to birth and death, Amid countless Buddhas, they walk not the profound path, Tormented by many sufferings, for them he teaches nirvana. I devised this skillful means, to lead them to Buddha-wisdom, Yet never said that you would realize Buddhahood. Why not said before? Because the time had not yet come. Now is precisely the time, to decisively teach the Great Vehicle.

These nine types of teachings, I give according to beings, With entry into the Great Vehicle as the root, thus I speak this sutra. There are Buddha's children with pure minds, gentle and keen faculties, Who at countless Buddhas' places have walked the profound path. For these Buddha's children, I teach this Great Vehicle sutra, I predict such beings will become Buddhas in future lives, Through deep mindfulness of the Buddha and keeping pure precepts. When they hear of attaining Buddhahood, great joy fills their bodies, The Buddha knows their minds' conduct, thus teaches the Great Vehicle.

Disciples or bodhisattvas, hearing what I teach, Even a single verse, will all become Buddhas without doubt. In the Buddha-lands of the ten directions, there is only the One Vehicle, No second, no third, except the Buddha's skillful teachings. Only with provisional names, beings are guided, To teach Buddha-wisdom, the Buddhas appear in the world. Only this one truth is real, the other two are not true, Never with the lesser vehicle does the Buddha ferry beings across. The Buddha himself abides in the Great Vehicle, in accord with what he attained, Adorned with powers of concentration and wisdom, thus he saves beings.

Having self-verified the supreme path, the Great Vehicle's equal Dharma, Were I to teach the lesser vehicle, even to one person, I would fall into stinginess—this cannot be. If people faithfully take refuge in the Buddha, the Tathagata does not deceive, Nor harbors greed or envy, having cut off all evil in dharmas. Therefore the Buddha, in the ten directions, stands utterly fearless. Adorning myself with marks, my light illumines the world, Honored by countless beings, I teach the seal of true reality.

Shariputra, you should know, I made a vow since the beginning, To bring all beings to be equal with me, without distinction. What I once vowed, now is already fulfilled, Transforming all beings, leading each into the Buddha-path. If I encounter beings, teaching all the Buddha-way, The unwise, confused, are deluded and refuse instruction. I know these beings have not cultivated virtuous roots, Firmly attached to the five desires, confused by craving, they give rise to affliction. Through desires as conditions, they fall into the three evil destinies, Revolving in the six realms, enduring all kinds of suffering, Taking on tiny forms in the womb, increasing life after life. People of weak virtue and scant merit, oppressed by many sufferings, Enter the dense forest of wrong views, asserting existence or non-existence. Holding to these views, fully sixty-two in number, Deeply attached to false phenomena, firmly grasping, unable to let go, Arrogant and self-exalting, crooked and dishonest at heart, For millions of eons, they never hear the Buddha's name, Nor hear the true Dharma—such people are hard to save.

Therefore, Shariputra! I devised skillful means, Teaching paths that end suffering, showing them nirvana. Though I speak of nirvana, that is not the true cessation, For all dharmas from the beginning have always been inherently still. When Buddha's children complete the path, in future lives they become Buddhas, I, with power of skillful means, reveal the three-vehicle teaching. All the World-Honored Ones teach the One Vehicle path, Now this great assembly should all dispel their doubts, The words of all Buddhas are one, there is only one, not two or three.

In past countless eons, immeasurable Buddhas have passed into nirvana, Hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands, millions—their number beyond measure. Such World-Honored Ones, with various conditions and similes, Countless skillful means, expounded the characteristics of dharmas. These World-Honored Ones all taught the One Vehicle Dharma, Transforming countless beings, leading them into the Buddha-path. Further, the great holy lords, knowing all the world, The deep desires of gods, humans, and all beings, Used further skillful means, to help reveal the ultimate truth.

If there are beings who met the Buddhas of the past, Whether hearing the Dharma and giving generously, or keeping precepts and patience, Diligence, meditation, wisdom—cultivating merit and insight in various ways, All such people have already attained the Buddha-path. After the Buddhas passed into nirvana, if people with kind and gentle hearts, Such beings have all attained the Buddha-path. After the Buddhas' nirvana, those who made offerings to relics, Built ten-thousand kinds of stupas of gold, silver, and crystal, Lapis lazuli and carnelian, rose-quartz and pearls— Clean and broadly adorned, they decorated the stupas. Or some built stone shrines, of sandalwood and aloeswood, Camphor and other woods, brick, tile, and clay. If in the wilderness, one piles earth into a Buddha-shrine, Even children at play, gathering sand into Buddha-stupas— All such people have already attained the Buddha-path.

If people, for the Buddha's sake, establish various images, Carving and sculpting many forms—they have all attained the Buddha-path. Or made of seven jewels, brass, red or white copper, White lead and tin, iron, wood, and clay— Or with lacquered cloth, adorning to make Buddha images, All such people have already attained the Buddha-path. Painting images of the Buddha with the hundred-merit adorned marks, Whether making them oneself or having others—all have attained the Buddha-path.

Even children at play, whether with grass, sticks, or brushes, Or with their fingernails, drawing images of the Buddha— All such people, gradually accumulating merit, Perfecting great compassion, have all attained the Buddha-path. They transform bodhisattvas, liberating countless beings.

If people, at stupas and shrines, before precious images and paintings, With flowers, incense, banners, and canopies, offer with reverent hearts— If they have others play music: drums, horns, and conch shells, Flutes, zithers, harps, pipas, cymbals, and gongs, All these various exquisite sounds, fully offered in devotion— Or with joyful hearts, singing hymns praising the Buddha's virtues, Even a single note—they have all attained the Buddha-path.

If people with distracted minds, even offering a single flower To a painted image, they gradually see countless Buddhas. Or if someone bows in worship, or merely presses palms together, Even raising one hand, or giving a slight nod— By such offerings to the image, they gradually see countless Buddhas. Having themselves achieved the supreme path, they broadly save countless beings, Entering nirvana without remainder, like fire extinguished when fuel is spent.

If people, with distracted minds, enter a stupa or shrine, And once exclaim "Homage to the Buddha!"—they have all attained the Buddha-path. Toward the Buddhas of the past, whether in the world or passed into nirvana, If one hears this Dharma, they have all attained the Buddha-path.

The future World-Honored Ones, their number is limitless, These Tathagatas also teach the Dharma through skillful means. All the Tathagatas, with countless skillful means, Deliver beings and lead them to the Buddha's undefiled wisdom— Whoever hears this Dharma, not one fails to become a Buddha. The Buddhas' original vows: "The Buddha-path I practice, I wish universally that all beings also attain this same path." The Buddhas of future ages, though they teach hundreds of thousands of millions, Countless Dharma-gates, are in truth all the One Vehicle.

The Buddhas, supreme among the two-legged, know dharmas are ever without intrinsic nature, The Buddha-seed arises from conditions, therefore the One Vehicle is taught. This Dharma abides in its own station, the characteristics of the world are ever-present, Having realized this at the seat of enlightenment, the Guide teaches through skillful means. The gods and humans pay homage—the present Buddhas of the ten directions, Their number like the Ganges' sands, appearing in the world, For the peace of beings, also teach this very Dharma. Knowing the supreme tranquility, through power of skillful means, Though they show various paths, in truth it is the Buddha-vehicle. Knowing beings' practices, the deep thoughts of their minds, The deeds of the past, their desires, natures, and powers of diligence, And the sharpness or dullness of their faculties, through various conditions, Similes and words, they teach skillfully as is fitting.

Now I too, for the peace of beings, Through various Dharma-gates, proclaim and reveal the Buddha-path. With the power of wisdom, I know beings' natures and desires, And skillfully teach various dharmas, bringing joy to all.

Shariputra, you should know! With the Buddha-eye I observe, I see beings in the six paths, poor, without merit or wisdom, Entering the perilous road of birth and death, suffering ceaselessly, Deeply attached to the five desires, like a yak loving its tail— Veiling themselves with craving and attachment, blind and dark, seeing nothing. They do not seek the mighty Buddha, nor the Dharma that ends suffering, Sinking deep into wrong views, trying to escape suffering with suffering— For such beings, I arise a great compassionate heart.

When I first sat at the seat of enlightenment, gazing at the tree and walking in meditation, For three times seven days, I pondered such matters: "The wisdom I have attained is subtle, wonderful, and supreme above all. Beings' faculties are dull, blinded by pleasure and delusion— How can such beings possibly be saved?" At that time, the Brahma kings, the lords of gods, The four guardian kings, and the great sovereign gods, With other divine assemblies, and hundreds of thousands of attendants, Respectfully pressed palms and bowed, requesting that I turn the Dharma-wheel.

I then reflected: "If I only praise the Buddha-vehicle, Beings sunk in suffering would not believe this Dharma. Rejecting the Dharma in disbelief, they would fall into the three evil destinies. I would rather not teach at all, and quickly enter nirvana. Then I recalled the Buddhas of the past and their power of skillful means— The path I have now attained should also be taught as three vehicles."

As I was so reflecting, the Buddhas of the ten directions appeared, Comforting me with Brahma-voices: "Excellent, Shakyamuni! Supreme guide, having attained this unsurpassed Dharma, Following all the Buddhas, employ the power of skillful means. We too have all attained the most wonderful, supreme Dharma, And for the sake of all kinds of beings, teach the three vehicles distinctly. Those of little wisdom delight in lesser dharmas, not believing they can become Buddhas— Therefore through skillful means, we explain the various fruits. Though we teach the three vehicles, it is only to instruct bodhisattvas."

Shariputra, you should know! Hearing the holy lion's Deep, pure, and subtle voice, I joyfully exclaimed, "Homage to the Buddha!" Then I thought: "I have appeared in this evil and turbid world, As the Buddhas have said, I too will follow their example." Having considered this, I went straight to Varanasi. The still nature of all dharmas cannot be expressed in words— Through the power of skillful means, I taught the five monks. This is called turning the Dharma-wheel, and then there arose the sound of nirvana, Along with arahants, Dharma, and Sangha—distinct names. From distant eons past, I have praised and revealed the Dharma of nirvana, Ending forever the suffering of birth and death—thus I have always taught.

Shariputra, you should know! I see the Buddha's children, Those who earnestly seek the Buddha-path—countless millions, All with reverent hearts, coming to where the Buddha is, Having heard from past Buddhas the Dharma taught through skillful means. I then thought: "The purpose for the Tathagata's appearance Is to teach the Buddha's wisdom—now is precisely the time."

Shariputra, you should know! Those of dull faculties and little wisdom, Attached to appearances, arrogant—cannot believe this Dharma. Now, joyful and fearless, among the bodhisattvas, I set aside skillful means and directly teach the supreme path. Bodhisattvas hearing this Dharma have all their nets of doubt removed, And the twelve hundred arahants will likewise become Buddhas.

Just as the Buddhas of the three times observe the manner of teaching, I now likewise teach this Dharma of non-distinction. That Buddhas arise in the world—to encounter them from afar is difficult; Even when they appear in the world, teaching this Dharma is again difficult. Through countless eons, hearing this Dharma is also difficult; One who is able to hear this Dharma—that person is hard to find. Like the udumbara flower, loved by all, Rare among gods and humans, blooming only once in a while— One who hears the Dharma, rejoices and praises, even utters a single word, Has already made offerings to all the Buddhas of the three times. Such a person is extremely rare, more so than the udumbara flower.

"Do not harbor doubts—I am the king of all dharmas. I proclaim to all assemblies: only through the One Vehicle path Do I teach the bodhisattvas—there are no voice-hearer disciples. Shariputra, you and all—voice-hearers and bodhisattvas— Should know this wondrous Dharma is the secret essential of all Buddhas. In this evil world of five turbidities, beings merely delight in desires— Such beings will never seek the Buddha-path. In the future age, evil people hearing the Buddha teach the One Vehicle Will be confused and refuse to accept, breaking the Dharma and falling to evil destinies. But those who are shameful, pure, and seek the Buddha-path— For such as these, I should broadly praise the One Vehicle path.

Shariputra, you should know! The Dharma of all Buddhas is thus: Through ten-thousand skillful means, teaching in accordance with what is fitting— Those who do not study and practice cannot understand this. Now that you already know the Buddhas are the world's teachers, Their skillful means and appropriate arrangements—have no more doubts. Let great joy arise in your hearts, knowing you yourselves shall become Buddhas."