勝鬘師子吼一乘大方便方廣經
The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā's Lion's Roar
宋中印度三藏求那跋陀羅譯
Translated by the Tripitaka Master Guṇabhadra of Central India during the Song Dynasty
如來真實義功德章第一
Chapter 1: True Meaning of the Tathagata's Merit
如是我聞：
This is what I heard:
一時，佛住舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園。時，波斯匿王及末利夫人信法未久，共相謂言：「勝鬘夫人是我之女，聰慧利根，通敏易悟，若見佛者必速解法，心得無疑。宜時遣信，發其道意。」夫人白言：「今正是時。」王及夫人與勝鬘書，略讚如來無量功德，即遣內人名旃提羅，使人奉書至阿踰闍國，入其宮內敬授勝鬘。勝鬘得書歡喜頂受，讀誦受持，生希有心，向旃提羅而說偈言：
At one time, the Buddha was residing in the Jeta Grove, Anathapindika's Park, in the city of Shravasti. At that time, King Prasenajit and Queen Mallika, who had recently come to have faith in the Dharma, said to each other: "Our daughter, Lady Shrimala, is intelligent and sharp-witted, quick to understand and easy to enlighten. If she were to see the Buddha, she would certainly grasp the Dharma swiftly, and her mind would attain certainty without doubt. It is fitting that we send her a message now, to inspire her aspiration for the Path." The Queen replied: "Now is indeed the time."
The King and Queen then wrote a letter to Shrimala, briefly praising the immeasurable virtues of the Tathagata. They immediately dispatched a palace attendant named Chandira to deliver the letter to the kingdom of Ayodhya. Entering the palace, Chandira respectfully presented the letter to Shrimala. Upon receiving the letter, Shrimala joyfully accepted it with reverence, read it aloud, received and upheld its message. A mind of rare aspiration arose within her, and facing Chandira, she spoke these verses:
「我聞佛音聲， 世所未曾有；
所言真實者， 應當修供養。
仰惟佛世尊！ 普為世間出；
亦應垂哀愍， 必令我得見。」
即生此念時， 佛於空中現；
普放淨光明， 顯示無比身。
勝鬘及眷屬， 頭面接足禮；
咸以清淨心， 歎佛實功德：
「如來妙色身， 世間無與等；
無比不思議， 是故今敬禮。
如來色無盡， 智慧亦復然；
一切法常住， 是故我歸依。
降伏心過惡， 及與身四種，
已到難伏地， 是故禮法王。
知一切爾焰， 智慧身自在，
攝持一切法， 是故今敬禮。
敬禮過稱量， 敬禮無譬類，
敬禮無邊法， 敬禮難思議。
哀愍覆護我， 令法種增長；
此世及後生， 願佛常攝受。」
「我久安立汝， 前世已開覺；
今復攝受汝， 未來生亦然。」
「我已作功德， 現在及餘世；
如是眾善本， 唯願見攝受。」
"I have heard the Buddha's voice, unprecedented in this world; His words are true and genuine, so I should make offerings.
I look up to you, World-Honored One, who appears for all beings in the world; Please extend your compassion, and allow me to see you."
As soon as this thought arose, the Buddha appeared in the sky, radiating pure light everywhere, revealing his incomparable form.
Shengman and her retinue bowed their heads to his feet; with pure hearts, they all praised the Buddha's true merits:
"The Tathagata's wondrous form has no equal in the world; incomparable and inconceivable, therefore we now pay homage.
The Tathagata's form is boundless, and so is his wisdom; all dharmas abide forever, therefore we take refuge.
Having subdued the faults of the mind and the four kinds of bodily misconduct, having reached the unconquerable ground, therefore we bow to the Dharma King.
Knowing all objects of perception, with wisdom and mastery over his form, upholding all dharmas, therefore we now pay homage.
We pay homage to the immeasurable, we pay homage to the incomparable, we pay homage to the boundless Dharma, we pay homage to the inconceivable.
With compassion, protect and shelter me, causing the seeds of Dharma to grow; in this life and the next, may the Buddha always accept me."
"I have long established you, awakening you in past lives; now I accept you again, and will do so in future lives as well."
"I have performed meritorious deeds, in this life and others; all such roots of goodness, I pray you will accept."
爾時，勝鬘及諸眷屬，頭面禮佛，佛於眾中即為受記：「汝歎如來真實功德，以此善根，當於無量阿僧祇劫天人之中為自在王，一切生處常得見我，現前讚歎如今無異。當復供養無量阿僧祇佛，過二萬阿僧祇劫當得作佛，號普光如來、應、正遍知。彼佛國土，無諸惡趣、老病衰惱不適意苦，亦無不善惡業道名；彼國眾生色力壽命、五欲眾具，皆悉快樂，勝於他化自在諸天；彼諸眾生純一大乘，諸有修習善根眾生皆集於彼。」
At that time, Śrīmālā and her attendants bowed their heads to the Buddha's feet. The Buddha, amidst the assembly, then bestowed upon her a prophecy: "By extolling the true virtues of the Tathāgata with this wholesome root, you shall become a sovereign ruler among humans and devas for immeasurable, countless eons. In all your future lives, you will always see me present before you, praising me just as you do now. You will further make offerings to innumerable, countless Buddhas. After passing through twenty thousand countless eons, you will attain Buddhahood, bearing the name 'Buddha Universal Light,' the One Thus Come, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One. In that Buddha-land, there will be no evil realms, nor the sufferings of aging, sickness, decline, distress, or discontent. Nor will there even be names for unwholesome deeds or evil paths. The beings in that land will enjoy beauty, strength, longevity, and the pleasures of the five senses—all surpassing even those of the Paranimmita-vasavatti devas. Those beings will be purely of the One Great Vehicle, and all who cultivate wholesome roots will gather there."
勝鬘夫人得受記時，無量眾生、諸天及人願生彼國，世尊悉記皆當往生。
When Lady Shengman received the prophecy, countless beings, gods, and humans all vowed to be reborn in that land. The World-Honored One prophesied that they would all be reborn there.