"The Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma" by Leon Hurvitz
Lotus Sutra, Chapter 2
Part 1 Skillful Means
At that time, the World-Honored One rose serenely from his samadhi and proclaimed to Shariputra: "The Buddhas' wisdom is profound and incalculable. The gateways of their wisdom are hard to understand and hard to enter, so that no voice-hearer or pratyekabuddha can know them. Why is this? In former times the Buddha, personally approaching hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of innumerable Buddhas, performed exhaustively the dharmas of those Buddhas' incalculable paths. His fame for bold and earnest exertion having spread everywhere, he achieved profound dharmas that had never been before. What he preaches accords with what is appropriate, but the end point of its meaning is hard to understand.
"Shariputra, since achieving Buddhahood I have, by a variety of means and by resort to a variety of parables, broadly set forth the spoken doctrine, by countless devices leading the living beings and enabling them to abandon their encumbrances. Why is this? The Thus Come One's expedient devices, his knowledge and insight, and his paramitas have all been acquired to the fullest measure.
"Shariputra, the Thus Come One's knowledge and insight are broad and great, profound and recondite, without measure and without obstruction. His might, his fearlessness, his dhyana-concentration, his release-samadhi have deeply penetrated the limitless. He has perfected all the dharmas that have never been before. Shariputra, by making a variety of distinctions, the Thus Come One can skillfully preach the dharmas. His words are gentle, gladdening many hearts. Shariputra, to speak of the essential: as for the immeasurable, unlimited dharmas that have never been before, the Buddha has perfected them all. Cease, Shariputra, we need speak no more. Why is this? Concerning the prime, rare, hard-to-understand dharmas, which the Buddha has perfected, only a Buddha and a Buddha can exhaust their reality, namely, the suchness of the dharmas, the suchness of their marks, the suchness of their nature, the suchness of their substance, the suchness of their powers, the suchness of their functions, the suchness of their causes, the suchness of their conditions, the suchness of their effects, the suchness of their retributions, and the absolute identity of their beginning and end."
At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this doctrine, proclaimed gathas, saying:
The Hero of the World is incalculable.
Among gods, worldlings
and all varieties of living beings,
None can know the Buddha.
As to the Buddha's strengths,
His sorts of fearlessness,
His deliverances, and his samadhis,
As well as the other dharmas of a Buddha,
None can fathom them.
Formerly, following numberless Buddhas,
He fully trod the various paths,
Those dharmas profound and subtle,
Hard to see and hard to understand.
Throughout countless, millions of kalpas
He trod these various paths; [then]
On the platform of the Path he was able
To achieve the Fruit: This I fully know.
As to such great fruits and retributions as these,
Such varied doctrines of nature and marks,
I and the Buddhas of the ten directions
Are the only ones who can know these things.
These dharmas cannot be demonstrated;
Words, which are only signs, are quiescent in them.
Among the remaining kinds of living beings
None can understand them,
Except for the multitude of bodhisattvas,
Whose power of faith is firm.
The multitude of the Buddhas' disciples
Formerly made offerings to the Buddhas.
All their outflows now exhausted,
They inhabit this last body.
Men such as these,
Their strength irresistible,
Even if they filled the world,
If all were like Shariputra,
And if, exhausting their thoughts,
All calculated together,
Could not fathom the Buddha's knowledge.
Even if they filled the ten directions,
All of them like Shariputra
And the remaining disciples,
If, further, filling the kshetras
[Buddha-fields] of ten directions
And exhausting their thoughts,
They were to calculate together,
They still could not know it.
If pratyekabuddhas of keen intelligence,
Inhabiting a final body without outflows,
Were to fill even the spheres of the ten directions,
In their number like bamboo groves,
And if, putting their minds together
For millions of incalculable kalpas,
They wished to think on the real knowledge of the Buddha,
None could know a slight portion thereof.
If bodhisattvas
Who have recently launched their thoughts
Who have made offerings to countless Buddhas,
Who understand completely
The direction of the various doctrines,
And who also can preach the Dharma well
Were, in the manner
Of stalks of hemp, bambo, and rice,
To fill the ksetras of the ten directions,
And if, with one mind
And by resort to their subtle wisdom,
For kalpas numerous as Ganges' sands
They were all to think and calculate together,
Still they could not understand
The Buddha's knowledge.
If bodhisattvas who do not backslide,
In number like to Ganges' sands,
Were with one mind to think and seek together,
They still could not know it.
I further proclaim to you, Shariputra,
That that which is without outflows,
Beyond reckoning and discussion,
The extremely profound and subtle Dharma,
I have already gained completely.
[In this age] only I know its marks,
As do the Buddhas [of other ages] in the ten directions.
Shariputra, let it be known
That the Buddhas' words are without discrepancy,
That toward the Dharma preached by the Buddha
One should display the strength of great faith.
After the World-Honored One's dharma
Has long been in effect,
He must preach the truth.
I proclaim to the multitude of voice-hearers
And to those seeking
The vehicle of condition-perceivers
That I am the One who shall cause them
To cast off the bonds of suffering
And attain nirvana.
The Buddha, by the power of expedient devices,
Demonstrates the teaching of the three vehicles.
The living beings, attached to this object and that,
He attracts and thus enables to extricate themselves.
At that time, in the midst of the great multitude there were voice-hearers, their outflows exhausted, arhants, Ajnatakaundinya and others, twelve hundred persons, as
well as persons who had laucnhed their thoughts toward the rank of pratyekabuddha and bhikshus, buksunis, upasakas, and upasikas, each of whom thought:
"Now, why has the World-Honored One made this speech earnestly praising expedient devices? The Dharma which the Buddha has gained is very hard to understand. He has something to say, whose meaning is hard to know, and which no voice-hearer or pratyekabuddha can attain. The Buddha has preached the doctrine of unique deliverance, which means that we, too, gaining this Dharma, shall reach nirvana. Yet now we do not know where this doctrine tends." At that time, Shariputra, knowing of the doubts in the minds of the fourfold assembly, and himself not yet fully understanding, addressed the Buddha, saying "World-Honored One, for what cause and through what conditions have you earnestly praised the Buddhas' prime device, their extremely profound and subtle Dharma, so hard to understand? In all this long time I have never before heard from the Buddha such a preaching as this. Now the fourfold assembly all have doubts. I beg the World-Honored One to expound this matter. World-Honored One, why have you earnestly praised this very profound and subtle Dharma, so hard to understand?"
At that time, Shariputra, wishing to restate this idea, proclaimed gathas, saying:
The Sun of Wisdom,
the Most Venerable of the Great Saints,
After a long time indeed preaches this Dharma,
Himself saying that he has gained such
Strengths, fearlessness, samadhis,
Dhyana-concentrations, releases,
And other such inconceivable dharmas
On the dharmas attained on the Platform of the Path,
No one is able to put questions.
"My mind [says the Buddha] is difficult to fathom,
Nor is anyone able to question it."
Those who seek to be condition-perceivers,
As well as bhikshus, bhiksunis,
Gods, dragons, demons, spirits, and gandharvas,
Look at one another and harbor uncertainties.
Entreating the Most Venerable of Two-Legged Beings,
"Why is this? We beg the Buddha to explain it to us."
Of the multitude of voice-hearers
The Buddha has said that I am the first.
Now, with respect to my own knowledge,
I Cannot resolve my doubts
As to whether this is the ultimate Dharma
Or whether it is [merely] a path to tread [toward that Dharma].
The sons born of the Buddha's mouth,
Their palms joined and looking up in expectation,
Beg you to emit a subtle sound
And thus to make timely explanation in keeping with reality.
The gods, dragons, and spirits,
In number like to Ganges' sands,
Bodhisattvas seeking to be Buddhas,
Their great number being eighty thousands,
And of several myriads or, millions of realms
The wheel-turning sage-kings have arrived,
With palms joined and with thoughts deferential
Wishing to hear of the Perfect Path.
At that time, the Buddha proclaimed to Shariputra: "Cease, cease! There is no need to speak further. If I speak of this matter, gods and men in all the worlds shall be alarmed."
Shariputra again addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, I beg you to preach it! What is the reason? In this assembly numberless hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of asamkyeyas of living beings, having seen Buddhas, their faculties keen and their wisdom pellucid, if they hear the Buddha's preaching shall be able to put reverent faith in it." At that time Shariputra, wishing to restate this meaning, proclaimed a gatha, saying:
O King of the Dharma,
Venerable One among the Unexcelled,
Do but preach! I beg you to have no second thoughts.
In this assembly the incalculable multitude
Includes those who can put reverent faith in you.
The Buddha again restrained Shariputra: "If I preach this matter, all the gods, men, and asuras in all the worlds shall be alarmed, and the arrogant bhikshus shall fall into a great trap." At that time the WorldHonored One proclaimed a gatha, saying:
Cease, cease! No need to speak.
My dharma is subtle and hard to imagine.
Those of overweening pride,
If they hear it, shall surely
neither revere it nor believe in it.
At that time, Shariputra again addressed the Buddha, saying: "I beseech you to preach,
I beseech you to preach! In the present assembly, beings like me, numbering a hundred thousand myriads of millions, in successive incarnations have already been converted by Buddhas. Such men as these shall surely be able to revere and believe. Throughout the long night of time they shall be secure, deriving much advantage therefrom."
At that time Shariputra, wishing to restate this meaning, proclaimed gathas, saying:
O You Supremely Venerable among Two-Legged Beings,
I beg you to preach the Prime Dharma!
I am the Buddha's eldest son:
Do but deign to preach explicitly.
Incalculable multitudes in this assembly
Can revere and believe this Dharma.
The Buddha has already, generation after generation,
Taught and converted many like these.
All of one mind, with palms joined,
Wish to listen to the Buddha's Word.
We twelve hundred
And the others who seek to be BuddhasÊ
Beg that, for the sake of this multitude,
You will but deign to preach explicitly.
If they hear this Dharma,
Then they shall evince great joy.
At that time the World-Honored One declared to Shariputra:
"Since you have now thrice earnestlybe sought me, how can I not preach?
Now listen with understanding and with careful thought, for I will state it to you explicitly." While he was speaking these words, in the assembly bhiksus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas to the number of five thousand straightway rose from their seats and, doing obeisance to the Buddha, withdrew. For what reason? This group had deep and grave roots of sin and overweening pride, imagining themselves to have attained and to have borne witness to what in fact they had not. Having such faults as these, therefore they did not stay. The World-Honored One, silent, did not restrain them. At that time the Buddha declared to Shariputra: "My assembly has no more branches and leaves, it has only firm fruit. Shariputra, it is just as well that such arrogant ones as these have withdrawn. Now listen well, for I will preach to you."
Shariputra said:
"Very well, World-Honored One, for I am eager to hear."
The Buddha declared to Shariputra: "A subtle Dharma such as this the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, preach but occasionally, as the udumbara [cluster fig] blossom appears but once in a while. You should believe that in what the Buddha says the words are not vain. Shariputra, the Buddhas preach the Dharma appropriately; their purport is hard to understand. What is the reason? By resort to numberless devices and to various means, parables, and phrases do I proclaim the dharmas. This Dharma is not a thing that discursive or discriminatory reasoning can understand. Only Buddhas can know it. What is the reason? The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, for one great cause alone appear in the world. Shariputra, what do I mean by 'The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, for one great cause alone appear in the world?'
The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, appear in the world because they wish to cause the beings to hear of the Buddha's knowledge and insight and thus enable them to gain purity. They appear in the world because they wish to demonstrate the Buddha's knowledge and insight to the beings. They appear in the world because they wish to cause the beings to understand. They appear in the world because they wish to cause the beings to enter into the path of the Buddha's knowledge and insight. Shariputra, this is the one great cause for which the Buddhas appear in the world."
The Buddha declared to Shariputra:
"The Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, teach the bodhisattvas merely that whatever they do is for one purpose, namely, to demonstrate and make intelligible the Buddha's knowledge and insight to the beings. Shariputra, the Thus Come One by resort to the One Buddha Vehicle alone preaches the Dharma to the beings. There are no other vehicles, whether two or three. Shariputra, the dharmas of the Buddhas in all ten directions are also of this sort. Shariputra, the Buddhas of the past by resort to incalculable and numberless devices and to various means, parables, and phrases proclaimed the dharmas to the beings. These dharmas were all directed toward the One Buddha Vehicle. These beings, hearing the Dharma from the Buddhas, all attain thoroughly to knowledge of all modes. "Shariputra, future Buddhas shall come into the world, and they, too, by resorting to incalculable and numberless devices and to various means, parables, and phrases, shall proclaim the dharmas to the beings. These dharmas shall all be directed toward the One Buddha Vehicle. These beings, hearing the Dharma from the Buddhas, shall all attain thoroughly the knowledge of all modes.
"Shariputra, the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, in the incalculable hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of Buddha-lands in the ten directions of present time have many beings whom they benefit and put at their ease. These Buddhas also, by resort to incalculable and numberless devices and to various means, parables, and phrases, proclaim the dharmas to the beings. These dharmas are all directed toward the One Buddha Vehicle. These beings, hearing the Dharma from the Buddhas, shall all attain thoroughly to knowledge of all modes. Shariputra, these Buddhas teach the bodhisattvas merely because they wish to demonstrate the Buddha's knowledge and insight to the beings, because they wish to enlighten the beings with the Buddha's knowledge and insight, because they wish to cause the beings to enter into the Buddha's knowledge and insight. "Shariputra, I, too, am like this. Knowing that the beings have various desires and objects to which their thoughts are profoundly attached, following their basic natures, by resort to the expedient power of various means, parables, and phrases, I preach the Dharma to them. Shariputra, I do this only in order that they may gain the One Buddha Vehicle and knowledge of all modes. Shariputra, in the worlds of the ten directions there are not even two vehicles. How much the less can there be three! "Shariputra, the Buddhas come into an evil world stained with five defilements, to wit, the defilement of the kalpa, the defilement of the agonies, the defilement of the beings, the defilement of views, and the defilement of the life-span. When the kalpa is in chaos, Shariputra, the stains of the beings run deep, and with greed and envy they complete unwholesome roots. Therefore, the Buddhas, with their expedient powers, make distinctions in the One Buddha Vehicle and speak of three. "Shariputra, if a disciple of mine, thinking himself an arhant or a pratyekabuddha, neither has heard nor knows of these matters that the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, teach to bodhisattvas alone, he is no disciple of the Buddha, neither arhant nor pratyekabuddha.
If such bhikshus or bhiksunis say to themselves, 'I have already attained arhattva! This is my last body! I have perfected nirvana!' and if then they resolve no further to seek anuttarasamyaksambodhi, be it known that this lot are all persons of overweening pride. What is the reason? That a bhiksu who had truly attained arhattva should not believe this Dharma-that is impossible, except when, after a Buddha's passage into extinction, no Buddha is present. What is the reason? After the Buddha's passage into extinction, persons who receive, keep, read, recite, and understand scriptures like this one shall be hard to find. If they encounter other Buddhas, they shall then get decisive instruction concerning this Dharma. "Shariputra, you must all single-mindedly believe, understand, receive, and keep the Buddha's Word; for in the Word of the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones, there is nothing either vain or arbitrary. There are no other vehicles; there is only the One Buddha Vehicle."
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