勸助品第七
Chapter 7: Encouraging Support
佛告颰陀和：「菩薩於是三昧中，將有四事助其歡喜。過去佛持是三昧，助歡喜自致得阿耨多羅三耶三菩阿惟三佛，其智悉具足。今現在十方無央數佛，亦於是三昧中，四事助歡喜得。當來亦當從是四事助歡喜得，我悉助歡喜。」
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla, "A bodhisattva practicing this samādhi will be aided by four things that bring joy. Past Buddhas, upholding this samādhi, were aided by these four joyful things, through which they attained anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi and became perfectly enlightened Buddhas, their wisdom fully complete. The countless Buddhas now present in the ten directions also attained enlightenment through these four joyful things within this samādhi. Future Buddhas, too, will attain enlightenment through these four joyful things. I, too, aid them with joy."
佛告颰陀和：「是三昧中四事助歡喜，我於是中說少所譬喻。人壽百歲隨地行至者不休息，其人行過於疾風，寧有能計其道里不？」
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla: "There are four things in this samādhi that bring joy. Let me explain this with a small analogy. Suppose a person lives a hundred years, walking ceaselessly across the earth, moving faster than a swift wind. Could anyone possibly calculate the distance they have traveled?"
颰陀和言：「無有能計者。獨佛弟子舍利弗羅、阿惟越致菩薩，乃能計之耳。」
Bhadrapala replied, "No one can truly calculate it. Only the Buddha's disciple Shariputra and the irreversible bodhisattvas are capable of such a reckoning."
佛言：「我故語諸菩薩，若有善男子、善女人，取是人所行處，滿中珍寶布施，不如聞是三昧四事助歡喜，其福過布施者，百千萬億倍。當知是助歡喜福甚尊大。」
The Buddha said: "Therefore I tell all Bodhisattvas: If a virtuous man or woman were to take the place where this person has walked, fill it with precious jewels, and give them all away in charity, it would not compare to hearing these four aspects of Samadhi and rejoicing in them. The merit gained from this rejoicing surpasses that of the giver by hundreds of thousands of millions of times. You should know that this merit of rejoicing is most profound and great."
佛告颰陀和：「乃久遠不可計阿僧祇，爾時有佛，名私訶摩提等正覺、無上士、道法御、天人師、佛、世尊，在空閑之處。是時閻浮利縱廣十八萬億里，凡有六百四十萬國，悉豐熟，人民熾盛。有大國名颰陀和，有轉輪王惟斯芩，往到佛所，禮畢却坐一面。佛知其意，便為說是三昧。其王聞之助歡喜，即持珍寶散佛上，自念曰：『持是功德令十方人民皆安隱。』時私訶提佛般涅槃後，惟斯芩王壽終，還自生其家作太子，名梵摩達。爾時有比丘名珍寶，是時為四部弟子說是三昧。梵摩達聞之助歡喜，踊躍持寶直百億散其上，復持好衣供養之，以發意求佛道，與千人俱於是比丘所作沙門，求學是三昧，與千人共承事師八千歲不休懈。得一聞是三昧四事助歡喜，入高明智。因是却後更見六萬八千佛，輒於一一佛所，聞是三昧自致得佛，名坻羅惟逮等正覺、無上士、道法御、天人師、佛、世尊。是時千比丘從得等正覺，皆名坻羅欝沈。教不可計人民皆求佛道。」
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla: "In the distant past, countless eons ago, there was a Buddha named Siṃhamati, a Fully Awakened One, a Worthy One, a Perfect Knower, a Guide, a Teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha, a Blessed One, who dwelt in a place of solitude. At that time, Jambudvīpa stretched one hundred and eighty thousand trillion miles across. It contained six hundred and forty million countries, all prosperous and flourishing, with thriving populations.
There was a great kingdom named Bhadrapāla, ruled by a Wheel-Turning King named Viśeṣin. The king went to visit the Buddha, paid his respects, and sat to one side. The Buddha, perceiving his intention, taught him this samādhi. Hearing it, the king rejoiced and offered precious jewels before the Buddha, vowing: 'By this merit, may all beings in the ten directions find peace and security.'
After the Buddha Siṃhamati entered final nirvāṇa, King Viśeṣin passed away and was reborn in his own family as a prince, named Brahmadatta. At that time, a monk named Ratna was teaching this samādhi to the fourfold community. Brahmadatta, upon hearing it, was filled with joy. Overwhelmed with delight, he offered a hundred billion worth of jewels before the monk, and also gave fine robes as an offering. Aspiring to buddhahood, he became a monk under this teacher along with a thousand others, studying this samādhi. For eight thousand years, he and his thousand companions served their teacher tirelessly.
Having once heard of this samādhi and taken joy in it through these four actions, they entered great wisdom. From then on, they encountered sixty-eight thousand more Buddhas. At each encounter, they heard this samādhi, and ultimately attained buddhahood themselves. They became known as the Buddha Divyavidā, a Fully Awakened One, a Worthy One, a Perfect Knower, a Guide, a Teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha, a Blessed One. The thousand monks also attained perfect awakening, all named Divyayatā. They taught countless beings to seek the path of buddhahood."
佛告颰陀和：「何人聞是三昧，不助歡喜學持守誦為人說者也？」
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla, "Whoever hears of this samādhi but does not rejoice in it, study it, uphold it, recite it, or teach it to others?"
佛言：「若有守是三昧者疾逮得佛，但聞其功德不可計，何況學持者。若去百里、千里，有是三昧當求之，何況近而不求學也。若有聞是三昧欲學者，當承事其師十歲，供養瞻視不得自用，當隨師教常念師恩。」
The Buddha said: "If someone upholds this samadhi, they will quickly attain Buddhahood. Just hearing about its merits is incalculable—how much more so for those who study and uphold it. Even if this samadhi is found a hundred or a thousand miles away, one should seek it out—how much more so if it is close by and one does not seek to learn it? If someone hears about this samadhi and wishes to study it, they should serve their teacher for ten years, providing for and attending to them. They should not act according to their own will, but follow the teacher's guidance and always remember the teacher's kindness."
佛言：「我故為汝說之。聞是三昧去四千里者，往到其所，正使不得聞，其功德不可計也。所以者何？專精進故，會當得之自致作佛。」
The Buddha said: "I have spoken these teachings for your sake. If someone hears of this Samadhi and travels over four thousand miles to reach the place where it is being taught — even if they ultimately do not get to hear it — the merit they gain will still be immeasurable. Why is that? Because of their sincere and dedicated effort, they will surely attain it, and by themselves realize Buddhahood."