Maitreya's Descent and Enlightenment Sutra (佛說彌勒下生成佛經)

"The Master has made his prophecy: A Buddha will descend in the future; He will be called Maitreya, As the earlier and later sutras have explained. I only pray, O Honored One among humans, That you will again explain this in verse; His supernatural powers and majestic virtue I now wish to hear."

The Buddha told Shariputra: "Listen attentively with a sincere mind; The future venerable Maitreya Will extensively proclaim this for you.

At that time the ocean waters will gradually recede by three thousand; Two hundred yojanas will be revealed as the Wheel-Turning King's road. The Jambudvipa continent will measure ten thousand yojanas across; Sentient beings dwelling within it will fill every place. The lands will all be wealthy and prosperous, free from punishment and calamity; Those men and women will all be born from good karma. The ground will have no thorns, only growing soft green grass; It will yield to each person's step like tula cotton. Fragrant rice will grow naturally, delicious and abundant; Trees will produce clothing, adorned with all manner of colors. The trees will stand three kosas tall, always full of flowers and fruit; The people of that land will all live to eighty thousand years. There will be no illness or suffering; free from affliction, always at peace; All will be perfect in marks and dignified, complete in complexion and strength. People will have only three afflictions: eating, aging, and excretion; Women will be five hundred years old before they marry. When anyone needs to relieve themselves, the earth will split open to receive it; When people's lives are about to end, they will go of themselves to the charnel ground.

The city will be named Wonderful Banner Mark, the capital of the Wheel-Turning King; Twelve yojanas in length, seven yojanas in width. Those who dwell there will all have planted excellent causes; This city will have surpassing virtue; all who live there will be joyful. Towers and battlements will be made of the seven treasures; Gates, locks, and courtyards will be adorned with various jewels. Ramparts and moats will all be built with wonderful gems; Famous flowers will fill them, and lovely birds will gather and soar. Seven rows of talipot palms will encircle it all around; Adorned with many treasures, nets and bells will hang everywhere. A gentle breeze will blow through the jeweled trees, producing wondrous sounds; Like an eight-part musical performance, all who hear will feel joy. Everywhere there will be ponds, covered with flowers of many colors; Gardens and groves will rise in fragrant forests, adorning this city.

In the land there will be a holy sovereign whose name will be Shankha; A golden Wheel-Turning King of the four continents, wealthy and powerful. Through the king's merit and karma, he will be brave and strong, with four armies; The seven treasures will all be complete, and a thousand sons fully provided. The four seas will all be clear and peaceful, with no weapons or warfare; He will govern beings by the true Dharma, teaching all equally. The king will have four great treasuries, each in different countries; Each treasury will contain millions of billions in precious jewels. In the country of Kalinga, the treasury will be named Pingala; In the country of Mitra, the great treasury Pundarika; The treasury Iropadhya will be located in the country of Gandhara; In the region of Varanasi, the treasury will be named Shankha. These four hidden treasuries will all belong to King Shankha; Endowed by a hundred merits, their fruition will all be accomplished.

The minister who aids the country will be a Brahmin named Good and Pure; He will understand all four Vedas, widely learned and serving as the nation's teacher. He will be thoroughly versed in various treatises, skilled in teaching and retaining what he hears; Instruction, interpretation, and grammar—none will he fail to fully understand. He will have a daughter named Pure and Wondrous, the minister's wife; Renowned for her beauty and dignity, all who see her will rejoice.

The great being Maitreya will depart from the Tushita Heaven; He will come to be conceived in that lady as his final birthplace. Having conceived this great sage, when ten months are fulfilled; Then the mother of the venerable one will go to the wonderful flower garden. Arriving in that wonderful garden, not sitting and not lying down; Standing gently and holding a flowering tree, she will suddenly give birth to the peerless venerable one. At that time the most victorious one, emerging from his mother's right side; Like the sun emerging from clouds, will radiate great light everywhere. Unstained by contact with the womb, like a lotus rising from water; His light will stream through the three realms, and all will look up to his great compassionate radiance. When he is born, the thousand-eyed lord Indra; Will personally lift the Bodhisattva, joyfully encountering the Two-Footed Honored One. The Bodhisattva at that time will naturally walk seven steps; And at each place his feet touch, jeweled lotuses will spring up. Surveying the ten directions, he will announce to all gods and humans; 'This is my final body; without birth I realize Nirvana.' A dragon will send down cool water to bathe the body of Great Compassion; Gods will scatter rare and wonderful flowers, filling the sky in drifting showers. Gods will hold white parasols to shelter the greatly Compassionate Honored One; Each will give rise to a rare thought, protecting the Bodhisattva. The nurse will lift the Bodhisattva, whose body bears the thirty-two marks; Complete with all radiance, she will carry him and present him to his mother. The charioteer will bring forward an ornate chariot, all adorned with jewels; Mother and son will ascend it, while gods together support the carriage. A thousand kinds of wonderful music will guide them back to the palace; As Maitreya enters the capital, celestial flowers will fall like rain. On the day the venerable one is born, the palace women who were pregnant; Will all become safe and well, and all will bear wise sons. Good and Pure, the father of the venerable one, seeing his son's wondrous appearance; Endowed with the thirty-two marks, will give rise to great joy. The father, by the method of divination, will know his son has two possibilities; To remain in the world as a Wheel-Turning King, or go forth and attain perfect enlightenment.

When the Bodhisattva has grown up, he will feel compassion for all beings; In the midst of many sufferings and perilous difficulties, where they endlessly cycle in rebirth. His golden light will shine brightly, his voice like that of Great Brahma; His eyes like blue lotus leaves, all his limbs fully complete. His body will be eighty cubits tall, his shoulders twenty cubits broad; His face half the width of his shoulders, dignified like a full moon. The Bodhisattva will master all arts and skillfully teach his students; Students who seek instruction, eighty-four thousand in number. At that time King Shankha will erect a seven-treasure banner; The banner seventy fathoms tall, sixty fathoms wide. When the jeweled banner is completed, the king will arouse a great spirit of renunciation; He will give it to the Brahmins, and equally hold an unrestricted assembly. At that time the Brahmins, one thousand in number; Receiving this wonderful jeweled banner, will break it apart in an instant. Seeing this, the Bodhisattva will reflect that all worldly things are thus; Birth and death are a painful cage, and he will seek liberation. Praying sincerely for the path of quiet cessation, he will abandon worldly life and go forth; In birth, aging, sickness, and death, he will save beings and help them escape. The venerable Maitreya will make this vow, and eighty-four thousand people; Will all give rise to a mind of renunciation, and together follow him in the pure life. On the night of his initial resolve, he will abandon worldly life and go forth; And on that same night, he will ascend to the stage of equal enlightenment.

At that time there will be a Bodhi tree named Dragon Flower; Four yojanas tall, lush and flourishing. Its branches will cover four sides, its shade extending six kroshas; The greatly Compassionate Honored One Maitreya will attain perfect enlightenment beneath it. The Honored One among humans, endowed with the eight Brahma-voice qualities; Will teach the Dharma to save beings, freeing them from all afflictions. Suffering and the origin of suffering, all will be extinguished; Those who can cultivate the Eightfold Path will reach the shore of Nirvana. For all those of pure faith, he will teach the Four Noble Truths; Those who hear this Dharma will sincerely uphold it.

In the wonderful flower garden, crowds will gather like clouds; Filling a hundred yojanas around, his followers will be everywhere. When that Wheel-Turning King Shankha hears the profound and wonderful Dharma; He will give away all his treasures and aspire in his heart to go forth. No longer attached to the upper palace chambers, he will seek only liberation; Eighty-four thousand people will all follow him and go forth. Another eighty-four thousand Brahmin youths; Hearing that the king has renounced worldly dust, will also come seeking to go forth. The treasury minister and elder, whose name will be Good Wealth; Together with a thousand followers, will also come seeking to go forth. The jewel maiden Vaishakha and other attendants; Eighty-four thousand in number, will also come seeking to go forth. And more than a hundred thousand good men and good women; Hearing the Buddha proclaim the wonderful Dharma, will also come seeking to go forth.

The Honored One among gods and humans, the great compassionate holy lord; Having surveyed all minds everywhere, will set forth the essential Dharma. He will announce to the assembly: 'You should know that the compassionate Lord Shakyamuni; Taught you to cultivate the true path, so that you may be born in my Dharma. Whether with incense, flowers, and garlands, adorned banners, and canopies; Offering to the Sage of the Muni, you may be born in my Dharma. Or with saffron and sandalwood, or fragrant paste for anointing; Offering to the Muni's stupa, you may be born in my Dharma. Or taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, reverently drawing near; Always cultivating good practices, you may be born in my Dharma. Or within the Buddha-Dharma, receiving and upholding the training precepts; Protecting them well without breach, you may be born in my Dharma. Or to the Sangha of the four directions, giving clothing, food, and drink; And offering fine medicines, you may be born in my Dharma. Or on the four fast days, and in the months of spiritual power; Receiving and upholding the eight precepts, you may be born in my Dharma.'

Or through the three kinds of spiritual power, teaching by miraculous manifestation; He will guide the assembly of hearers, causing all afflictions to be removed. At the first assembly he will teach the Dharma, widely liberating many hearers; Ninety-six billion people, causing them to escape the hindrance of afflictions. At the second assembly he will teach the Dharma, widely liberating many hearers; Ninety-four billion people, causing them to cross the ocean of ignorance. At the third assembly he will teach the Dharma, widely liberating many hearers; Ninety-two billion people, causing their minds to become well-tamed. Having turned the wheel of Dharma three times, gods and humans will all be pure; He will lead his assembly of disciples to enter the city for alms. Having entered the city of Wonderful Banner, the streets and lanes will all be adorned; To make offerings to the Buddha, the heavens will rain mandara flowers. The four kings and Brahma kings, together with other assemblies of gods; Will offer incense, flowers, and garlands, accompanying the greatly Compassionate Honored One. Gods of great majestic power will scatter wonderful clothing; Filling the entire city, gazing up at the Great Physician King. With wonderful jeweled incense and flowers, they will scatter and sprinkle the streets; Walking upon them will be like tula cotton. Music and banners will line the roads in rows; Gods, humans, and Indra's assembly will praise the greatly Compassionate Honored One: 'Homage to the Honored One above in heaven, homage to the supreme among men; Excellent, O Bhagavan, who can show compassion for the world.' Gods of great majestic power, who will become Mara's hosts; Will turn their hearts, join palms in reverence, and praise the Guide. Brahma kings and assemblies of gods, surrounded by their followers; Will each with Brahma-voice proclaim the wonderful Dharma.

In this world, most will be Arhats; Having eliminated defiled karma, forever free from the suffering of afflictions. Humans, gods, dragons, and spirits, gandharvas and asuras; Rakshasas and yakshas, all will joyfully make offerings. At that time the great assemblies will cut off hindrances and remove doubts; Transcending the stream of birth and death, cultivating pure conduct well. At that time the great assemblies will renounce attachment and abandon precious wealth; Free from notions of self and mine, cultivating pure conduct well. At that time the great assemblies will destroy the net of craving; Perfecting the mind of meditative concentration, cultivating pure conduct well.

Maitreya, Honored One among gods and humans, will feel compassion for sentient beings; For sixty thousand years he will teach the Dharma to save beings. Transforming and fulfilling hundreds of thousands of billions, causing them to cross the ocean of afflictions; Rescuing all who have karmic connections, only then will he enter the city of Nirvana. After the greatly Compassionate Honored One Maitreya enters parinirvana; The true Dharma will remain in the world for fully sixty thousand years. If within my Dharma someone can faithfully accept it with a deep mind; On the day of the future descent, they will surely meet the greatly Compassionate Honored One. If there are intelligent people who hear such matters as these; Who would not give rise to joyful delight, wishing to meet the venerable Maitreya? Those who seek liberation and hope to encounter the Dragon Flower assembly; Should always make offerings to the Three Treasures, and diligently strive without laziness."