Chapter 19
Chapter Xix.
Sadparibhta.
The Lord then addressed the Bodhisattva Mahisattva Mahsthmaprpta. In a similar way, Mahsthmaprpta, one may infer from what has been said that he who rejects such a Dharmaparyya as this, who abuses monks, nuns, lay devotees male or female, keeping this Stra, insults them, treats them with false and harsh words, shall experience dire results, to such an extent as is impossible to express in words. But those that keep, read, comprehend, teach, amply expound it to others, shall experience happy results, such as I have already mentioned: they shall attain such a perfection of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as just described.
In the days of yore, Mahsthmaprpta, at a past period, before incalculable ons, nay, more than incalculable, immense, inconceivable, and even long before, there appeared in the world a Tathgata, &c., named Bhshmagargitasvararga, endowed with science and conduct, a Sugata, &c. &c., in the on Vinirbhoga, in the world Mahsambhava. Now, Mahsthmaprpta, that Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, the law containing the four noble truths and starting from the chain of causes and efferts, tending to overcome birth, decrepitude, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, woe, grief, despondency, and finally leading to Nirvna, he showed to the disciples; the law connected with the six Perfections of virtue and terminating in the knowledge of the Omniscient, after the attainment of supreme, perfect enlightenment, he showed to the Bodhisattvas. The lifetime of that Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., lasted forty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of ons equal to the sands of the river Ganges. After his complete extinction his true law remained hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of ons equal to the atoms (contained) in Gambudvpa, and the counterfeit of the true law continued hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of ons equal to the dust-atoms in the four continents. When the counterfeit of the true law of the Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., after his complete extinction, had disappeared in the world Mahsambhava, Mahsthmaprpta, another Tathgata Bhshmagargitasvararga, Arhat, &c., appeared, endowed with science and conduct. So in succession, Mahsthmaprpta, there arose in that world Mahsambhava twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, &c., called Bhshmagargitasvararga. At the time, Mahsthmaprpta, after the complete extinction of the first Tathgata amongst all those of the name of Bhshmagargitasvararga, Tathgata, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c. when the reign (of the law) was being oppressed by proud monks, there was a monk, a Bodhisattva Mahsattva, called Sadparibhta. For what reason, Mahsthmaprpta, was that Bodhisattva Mahsattva called Sadparibhta? It was, Mahsthmaprpta, because that Bodhisattva Mahsattva was in the habit of exclaiming to every monk or nun, male or female lay devotee, while approaching them: I do not contemn you, worthies. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tath.gatas, &c. In this way, Mahsthmaprpta, that Bodhisattva Mahsattva, when a monk, did not teach nor study; the only thing he did was, whenever he descried from afar a monk or nun, a male or female lay devotee, to approach them and exclaim: I do not contemn you, sisters. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tathgatas, &c. So, Mahsthmaprpta, the Bodhisattva Mahsattva at that time used to address every monk or nun, male or female devotee. But all were extremely irritated and angry at it, showed him their displeasure, abused and insulted him: Why does he, unasked, declare that he feels no contempt for us? just by so doing he shows a contempt for us. He renders himself contemptible by predicting our future destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment; we do not care for what is not true. Many years, Mahsthmaprpta, went on during which that Bodhisattva Mahsattva was being abused, but he was not angry at anybody, nor felt malignity, and to those who, when he addressed them in the said manner, cast a clod or stick at him, he loudly exclaimed from afar: I do not contemn you. Those monks and nuns, male and female lay devotees, being always and ever addressed by him in that phrase gave him the (nick)name of Sadparibhta.
Under those circumstances, Mahsthmaprpta, the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta happened to hear this Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law when the end of his life was impending, and the moment of dying drawing near. It was the Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., who expounded this Dharmaparyya in twenty times twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of stanzas, which the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta heard from a voice in the sky, when the time of his death was near at hand. On hearing that voice from the sky, without there appearing a person speaking, he grasped this Dharmaparyya and obtained the perfections already mentioned: the perfection of sight, hearing, smell, taste, body, and mind. With the attainment of these perfections he at the same time made a vow to prolong his life for twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of years, and promulgated this Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law. And all those proud beings, monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees to whom he had said: I do not contemn you, and who had given him the name of Sadparibhta, became all his followers to hear the law, after they had seen the power and strength of his sublime magic faculties, of his vow, of his readiness of wit, of his wisdom. All those and many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of other beings were by him roused to supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Afterwards, Mahsthamaprpta, that Bodhisattva Mahsattva disappeared from that place and propitiated twenty hundred kotis of Tathgatas, &c., all bearing the same name of Kandraprabhsvararga, under all of whom he promulgated this Dharmaparyya. By virtue of his previous root of goodness he, in course of time, propitiated twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, &c., all bearing the name of Dundubhisvararga, and under all he obtained this very Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law and promulgated it to the four classes. By virtue of his previous root of goodness he again, in course of time, propitiated twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, &c., all bearing the name of Meghasvararga, and under all he obtained this very Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law and promulgated it to the four classes. And under all of them he was possessed of the afore-mentioned perfectness of sight, hearing, smell, taste, body, and mind.
Now, Mahsthmaprpta, that Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta, after having honoured, respected, esteemed, worshipped, venerated, revered so many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, and after having acted in the same way towards many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of other Buddhas, obtained under all of them this very Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law, and owing to his former root of goodness having come to full development, gained supreme, perfect enlightenment. Perhaps, Mahsthmaprpta, thou wilt have some doubt, uncertainty, or misgiving, and think that he who at that time, at that juncture was the Bodhisattva Mahsattva called Sadparibhta was one, and he who under the rule of that Lord Bhishmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., was generally called Sadparibhta by the four classes, by whom so many Tathgatas were propitiated, was another. But thou shouldst not think so. For it is myself who at that time, at that juncture was the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta. Had I not formerly grasped and kept this Dharmaparyya, Mahsthmaprpta, I should not so soon have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. It is because I have kept, read, preached this Dharmaparyya (derived) from the teaching of the ancient Tathgatas, &c., Mahsthmaprpta, that I have so soon arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. As to the hundreds of monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees, Mahsthmaprpta, to whom under that Lord the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta promulgated this Dharmaparyya by saying: I do not contemn you; you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas; you are to become Tathgatas, &c., and in whom awoke a feeling of malignity towards that Bodhisattva, they in twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of.ons never saw a Tathgata, nor heard the call of the law, nor the call of the assembly, and for ten thousand ons they suffered terrible pain in the great hell Avki. Thereafter released from the ban, they by the instrumentality of that Bodhisattva Mahsattva were all brought to full ripeness for supreme, perfect enlightenment. Perhaps, Mahsthmaprpta, thou wilt have some doubt, uncertainty, or misgiving as to who at that time, at that juncture were the persons hooting and laughing at the Bodhisattva Mahsattva. They are, in this very assembly, the five hundred Bodhisattvas headed by Bhadrapla, the five hundred nuns following Simhakandr, the five hundred lay devotees following Sugataketan,who all of them have been rendered inflexible in supreme, perfect enlightenment. So greatly useful it is to keep and preach this Dharmaparyya, as it tends to result for Bodhisattvas Mahsattvas in supreme, perfect enlightenment. Hence, Mahsthmaprapta, the Bodhisattvas Mahsattvas should, after the complete extinction of the Tathgata, constantly keep, read, and promulgate this Dharmaparyya.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
1. I remember a past period, when king Bhshmasvara, the Gina, lived, very mighty, and revered by gods and men, the leader of men, gods, goblins, and giants.
2. At the time succeeding the complete extinction of that Gina, when the decay of the true law was far advanced, there was a monk, a Bodhisattva, called by the name of Sadparibhta.
3. Other monks and nuns who did not believe but in what they saw, he would approach (and say): I never am to contemn you, for you observe the course leading to supreme enlightenment.
4. It was his wont always to utter those words, which brought him but abuse and taunts from their part. At the time when his death was impending he heard this Stra.
5. The sage, then, did not expire; he resolved upon a very long life, and promulgated this Stra under the rule of that leader.
6. And those many (persons) who only acknowledged the evidence of sensual perception were by him brought to full ripeness for enlightenment. Then, disappearing from that place, he propitiated thousands of kotis of Buddhas.
7. Owing to the successive good actions performed by him, and to his constantly promulgating this Stra, that son of Gina reached enlightenment. That Bodhisattva then is myself, Skyamuni.
8. And those persons who only believed in perception by the senses, those monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees who by the sage were admonished of enlightenment,
9. And who have seen many kotis of Buddhas, are the monks here before me,-no less than five hundred,-nuns, and female lay devotees.
10. All of them have been by me brought to complete ripeness, and after my extinction they will all, full of wisdom, keep this Stra.
11. Not once in many, inconceivably many kotis of ons has such a Stra as this been heard. There are, indeed, hundreds of kotis of Buddhas, but they do not elucidate this Stra.
12. Therefore let one who has heard this law exposed by the Self-born himself, and who has repeatedly propitiated him, promulgate this Stra after my extinction in this world.
Sadparibhta.
The Lord then addressed the Bodhisattva Mahisattva Mahsthmaprpta. In a similar way, Mahsthmaprpta, one may infer from what has been said that he who rejects such a Dharmaparyya as this, who abuses monks, nuns, lay devotees male or female, keeping this Stra, insults them, treats them with false and harsh words, shall experience dire results, to such an extent as is impossible to express in words. But those that keep, read, comprehend, teach, amply expound it to others, shall experience happy results, such as I have already mentioned: they shall attain such a perfection of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as just described.
In the days of yore, Mahsthmaprpta, at a past period, before incalculable ons, nay, more than incalculable, immense, inconceivable, and even long before, there appeared in the world a Tathgata, &c., named Bhshmagargitasvararga, endowed with science and conduct, a Sugata, &c. &c., in the on Vinirbhoga, in the world Mahsambhava. Now, Mahsthmaprpta, that Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, the law containing the four noble truths and starting from the chain of causes and efferts, tending to overcome birth, decrepitude, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, woe, grief, despondency, and finally leading to Nirvna, he showed to the disciples; the law connected with the six Perfections of virtue and terminating in the knowledge of the Omniscient, after the attainment of supreme, perfect enlightenment, he showed to the Bodhisattvas. The lifetime of that Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., lasted forty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of ons equal to the sands of the river Ganges. After his complete extinction his true law remained hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of ons equal to the atoms (contained) in Gambudvpa, and the counterfeit of the true law continued hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of ons equal to the dust-atoms in the four continents. When the counterfeit of the true law of the Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., after his complete extinction, had disappeared in the world Mahsambhava, Mahsthmaprpta, another Tathgata Bhshmagargitasvararga, Arhat, &c., appeared, endowed with science and conduct. So in succession, Mahsthmaprpta, there arose in that world Mahsambhava twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, &c., called Bhshmagargitasvararga. At the time, Mahsthmaprpta, after the complete extinction of the first Tathgata amongst all those of the name of Bhshmagargitasvararga, Tathgata, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c. when the reign (of the law) was being oppressed by proud monks, there was a monk, a Bodhisattva Mahsattva, called Sadparibhta. For what reason, Mahsthmaprpta, was that Bodhisattva Mahsattva called Sadparibhta? It was, Mahsthmaprpta, because that Bodhisattva Mahsattva was in the habit of exclaiming to every monk or nun, male or female lay devotee, while approaching them: I do not contemn you, worthies. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tath.gatas, &c. In this way, Mahsthmaprpta, that Bodhisattva Mahsattva, when a monk, did not teach nor study; the only thing he did was, whenever he descried from afar a monk or nun, a male or female lay devotee, to approach them and exclaim: I do not contemn you, sisters. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tathgatas, &c. So, Mahsthmaprpta, the Bodhisattva Mahsattva at that time used to address every monk or nun, male or female devotee. But all were extremely irritated and angry at it, showed him their displeasure, abused and insulted him: Why does he, unasked, declare that he feels no contempt for us? just by so doing he shows a contempt for us. He renders himself contemptible by predicting our future destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment; we do not care for what is not true. Many years, Mahsthmaprpta, went on during which that Bodhisattva Mahsattva was being abused, but he was not angry at anybody, nor felt malignity, and to those who, when he addressed them in the said manner, cast a clod or stick at him, he loudly exclaimed from afar: I do not contemn you. Those monks and nuns, male and female lay devotees, being always and ever addressed by him in that phrase gave him the (nick)name of Sadparibhta.
Under those circumstances, Mahsthmaprpta, the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta happened to hear this Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law when the end of his life was impending, and the moment of dying drawing near. It was the Lord Bhshmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., who expounded this Dharmaparyya in twenty times twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of stanzas, which the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta heard from a voice in the sky, when the time of his death was near at hand. On hearing that voice from the sky, without there appearing a person speaking, he grasped this Dharmaparyya and obtained the perfections already mentioned: the perfection of sight, hearing, smell, taste, body, and mind. With the attainment of these perfections he at the same time made a vow to prolong his life for twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of years, and promulgated this Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law. And all those proud beings, monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees to whom he had said: I do not contemn you, and who had given him the name of Sadparibhta, became all his followers to hear the law, after they had seen the power and strength of his sublime magic faculties, of his vow, of his readiness of wit, of his wisdom. All those and many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of other beings were by him roused to supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Afterwards, Mahsthamaprpta, that Bodhisattva Mahsattva disappeared from that place and propitiated twenty hundred kotis of Tathgatas, &c., all bearing the same name of Kandraprabhsvararga, under all of whom he promulgated this Dharmaparyya. By virtue of his previous root of goodness he, in course of time, propitiated twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, &c., all bearing the name of Dundubhisvararga, and under all he obtained this very Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law and promulgated it to the four classes. By virtue of his previous root of goodness he again, in course of time, propitiated twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, &c., all bearing the name of Meghasvararga, and under all he obtained this very Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law and promulgated it to the four classes. And under all of them he was possessed of the afore-mentioned perfectness of sight, hearing, smell, taste, body, and mind.
Now, Mahsthmaprpta, that Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta, after having honoured, respected, esteemed, worshipped, venerated, revered so many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Tathgatas, and after having acted in the same way towards many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of other Buddhas, obtained under all of them this very Dharmaparyya of the Lotus of the True Law, and owing to his former root of goodness having come to full development, gained supreme, perfect enlightenment. Perhaps, Mahsthmaprpta, thou wilt have some doubt, uncertainty, or misgiving, and think that he who at that time, at that juncture was the Bodhisattva Mahsattva called Sadparibhta was one, and he who under the rule of that Lord Bhishmagargitasvararga, the Tathgata, &c., was generally called Sadparibhta by the four classes, by whom so many Tathgatas were propitiated, was another. But thou shouldst not think so. For it is myself who at that time, at that juncture was the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta. Had I not formerly grasped and kept this Dharmaparyya, Mahsthmaprpta, I should not so soon have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. It is because I have kept, read, preached this Dharmaparyya (derived) from the teaching of the ancient Tathgatas, &c., Mahsthmaprpta, that I have so soon arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. As to the hundreds of monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees, Mahsthmaprpta, to whom under that Lord the Bodhisattva Mahsattva Sadparibhta promulgated this Dharmaparyya by saying: I do not contemn you; you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas; you are to become Tathgatas, &c., and in whom awoke a feeling of malignity towards that Bodhisattva, they in twenty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of.ons never saw a Tathgata, nor heard the call of the law, nor the call of the assembly, and for ten thousand ons they suffered terrible pain in the great hell Avki. Thereafter released from the ban, they by the instrumentality of that Bodhisattva Mahsattva were all brought to full ripeness for supreme, perfect enlightenment. Perhaps, Mahsthmaprpta, thou wilt have some doubt, uncertainty, or misgiving as to who at that time, at that juncture were the persons hooting and laughing at the Bodhisattva Mahsattva. They are, in this very assembly, the five hundred Bodhisattvas headed by Bhadrapla, the five hundred nuns following Simhakandr, the five hundred lay devotees following Sugataketan,who all of them have been rendered inflexible in supreme, perfect enlightenment. So greatly useful it is to keep and preach this Dharmaparyya, as it tends to result for Bodhisattvas Mahsattvas in supreme, perfect enlightenment. Hence, Mahsthmaprapta, the Bodhisattvas Mahsattvas should, after the complete extinction of the Tathgata, constantly keep, read, and promulgate this Dharmaparyya.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
1. I remember a past period, when king Bhshmasvara, the Gina, lived, very mighty, and revered by gods and men, the leader of men, gods, goblins, and giants.
2. At the time succeeding the complete extinction of that Gina, when the decay of the true law was far advanced, there was a monk, a Bodhisattva, called by the name of Sadparibhta.
3. Other monks and nuns who did not believe but in what they saw, he would approach (and say): I never am to contemn you, for you observe the course leading to supreme enlightenment.
4. It was his wont always to utter those words, which brought him but abuse and taunts from their part. At the time when his death was impending he heard this Stra.
5. The sage, then, did not expire; he resolved upon a very long life, and promulgated this Stra under the rule of that leader.
6. And those many (persons) who only acknowledged the evidence of sensual perception were by him brought to full ripeness for enlightenment. Then, disappearing from that place, he propitiated thousands of kotis of Buddhas.
7. Owing to the successive good actions performed by him, and to his constantly promulgating this Stra, that son of Gina reached enlightenment. That Bodhisattva then is myself, Skyamuni.
8. And those persons who only believed in perception by the senses, those monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees who by the sage were admonished of enlightenment,
9. And who have seen many kotis of Buddhas, are the monks here before me,-no less than five hundred,-nuns, and female lay devotees.
10. All of them have been by me brought to complete ripeness, and after my extinction they will all, full of wisdom, keep this Stra.
11. Not once in many, inconceivably many kotis of ons has such a Stra as this been heard. There are, indeed, hundreds of kotis of Buddhas, but they do not elucidate this Stra.
12. Therefore let one who has heard this law exposed by the Self-born himself, and who has repeatedly propitiated him, promulgate this Stra after my extinction in this world.
