The Lotus
Sutra
Translated by Burton Watson
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Chapter
Twelve:
Devadatta
At that time the Buddha addressed the
bodhisattvas, the heavenly and human beings, and the four kinds of believers saying:
"Immeasurable kalpas in the past, I sought the Lotus Sutra without ever flagging.
During those many kalpas, I constantly appeared as the ruler of a kingdom who made a vow
to seek the unsurpassed bodhi. His mind never wavered or turned aside, and in his desire
to fulfill the six paramitas he diligently distributed alms, never stinting in heart,
whether the gift was elephants or horses, the seven rare articles, countries, cities,
wife, children, maidservants, or his own head, eyes, marrow and brain, his own flesh and
limbs. He did not begrudge even his own being and life. At that period the human life span
was immeasurably long. But for the sake of the Law this king abandoned his kingdom and
throne, delegated the government to the crown prince, sounded drums and sent out
proclamations, seeking the Law in four directions and saying, 'Who can expound the Great
Vehicle for me? To the end of my life I will be his provider and servant!'
"At that time there was a seer who
came to the king and said, "I have a Great Vehicle text called the Sutra of the
Wonderful Law. If you will never disobey m.e, I will expound it for you.'
"When the king heard these words of
the seer, he danced for joy. At once he accompanied the seer, providing him with whatever
he needed, picking fruit, drawing water, gathering firewood, setting out meals, even
offering his own body as a couch and seat, never stinting in body or mind. He served the
seer in this manner for a thousand years, all for the sake of the Law, working diligently
acting as a provider and seeing to it that the seer lacked for nothing."
At that time the World-Honored One,
wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying:
I recall those departed kalpas of the past
when in order to seek the great Law,
though I was the ruler of a worldly
kingdom,
I was not greedy to satisfy the five
desires
but instead struck the bell, crying in
four quarters,
"Who possesses the great Law?
If he will explain and preach it for me
I will be his slave and servant!"
At that time there was a seer named Asita
who came and announced to this great King,
"I have a subtle and wonderful Law,
rarely known in this world.
If you will undertake religious practice
I will expound it for you."
When the king heard the seer's words
his heart was filled with great joy.
Immediately he accompanied the seer,
providing him with whatever he needed,
gathering firewood, fruit and wild rice,
presenting them at appropriate times with
respect and
reverence.
Because the wonderful Law was then his
thoughts
he never flagged in body or mind.
For the sake of living beings everywhere
he diligently sought the great Law,
taking no heed for himself
or for the gratification of the five
desires.
Therefore the ruler of a great kingdom
through diligent seeking was able to
acquire this Law
and eventually to attain Buddhahood,
as I will now explain to you.
The Buddha said to his monks:
"The king at that time was I myself, and this seer was the man who is now Devadatta.
All because Devadatta was a good friend to me, I was able to become fully endowed with
this six paramitas, pity, compassion, joy, and indifference, with the thirty-two features,
the eighty characteristics, the purple-tinged golden color, the ten powers, the four kinds
of fearlessness, the four methods of winning people, the eighteen unshared properties, and
the transcendental powers and the power of the way. The fact that I have attained
impartial and correct enlightenment and can save living beings on a broad scale is all due
to Devadatta who was a good friend."
Then the Buddha said to the four kinds of
believers: "Devadatta, after immeasurable kalpas have past, will attain Buddhahood.
He will be called Heavenly King Thus Come One, worthy of offerings of right and universal
knowledge, perfect parity and conduct, well gone, understanding the world, on itself
worthy, trainer of people, teacher of heavenly and human beings, Buddha, World-Honored
One. This world will be called Heavenly Way, and at the same time Heavenly King Buddha
will abide in the world for twenty medium kalpas, broadly preaching the Wonderful Law for
the sake of living beings. Living beings numerous as Ganges sands will attain the fruit of
arhatship. Immeasurable numbers of living beings will conceive that desire to become
pratyekabuddhas, living beings numerous as Ganges sands will conceive a desire for the
unsurpassed way, will gain that truth of birthless-ness, and will never regress. After
Heavenly King Buddha enters parinirvana, his Correct Law will endure in the world for
twenty medium kalpas. The relics from his whole body will be housed in a tower built of
the seven treasures, sixty yojanas in height and forty yojanas in width and depth. All the
heavenly and human beings will take assorted flowers, powdered incense, incense for
burning, paste incense, clothing, necklaces, steamers and banners, jeweled canopies, music
and songs of praise that offer them with obeisance to the wonderful seven- jeweled tower.
Immeasurable numbers of living beings will attain the fruits of arhatship, numerous living
beings will become enlightened as pratyekabuddhas, and unimaginable numbers of living
beings will conceive a desire for bodhi and will in reach the level of no
regression."
The Buddha said to the monks: "In
future ages if there are good men or good women who, on hearing the Devadatta Chapter of
the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, believe and revere it with pure hearts harbor no
doubts are perplexities, they will never fall into hell or the realm of hungry spirits or
of beasts, but will be born in the presence of the Buddhas of the ten directions, and in
the place where they are born they will constantly hear this sutra. If they are born among
human or heavenly beings, they will enjoy exceedingly wonderful delights, and if they are
born in the presence of the Buddha, they will be born by transformation from lotus
flowers."
At that time there was a bodhisattva who
was among the followers of Many Treasures World-Honored One from the lower region and
whose name was Wisdom Accumulated. He said to Many Treasures Buddha, "Shall return to
our homeland?"
Shakyamuni Buddha said to Wisdom
Accumulated, 'good man, wait a little while. There is a bodhisattva named Manjushri here
whom you should see. Debate and discuss the wonderful Law with him, and then you may
return to your homeland."
At that time Manjushri was seated on a
thousand-pedaled lotus blossom big as a carriage wheel, and the bodhisattvas who had come
with them were also seated on jeweled lotus blossoms. Manjushri had emerged in a natural
manner from the palace of the dragon king Sagara in the great ocean and was suspended in
the air. Proceeding to Holy Eagle Peak, he descended from the lotus blossom and, having
entered the presence of the Buddhas, bowed his head and paid obeisance to the feet of the
two World-Honored Ones. When he had concluded these gestures of respect, he went to where
Wisdom Accumulated was and exchanged greetings with him, and retired then retired and sat
at one side.
Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated questioned
Manjushri, saying, "When you went to the palace of the dragon king, how many living
beings did you convert?"
Manjushri replied, "The number is
immeasurable, incapable of calculation. The mouth cannot express it, the mind cannot have
fathom it. Wait a moment and there will be proof."
Before he had finished speaking, countless
bodhisattvas seated on jeweled lotus blossoms emerged from the Ocean proceeded to Holy
Eagle Peak, where they remained suspended in the air. These bodhisattvas all had been
converted and saved by Manjushri. They had carried out all the bodhisattva practices and
discussed and expounded the six paramitas with one another. Those who had originally been
voice-hearers expounded the practices of the voice-hearer when they were in the air, but
now all were practicing the Great Vehicle principle of emptiness.
Manjushri said to Wisdom Accumulated,
"The work of teaching and converting carried out that in the ocean was as you can
see."
At that time Bodhisattva Wisdom
Accumulated recited these verses of praise:
Of great wisdom and virtue, brave and
stalwart,
you have converted and saved immeasurable
beings.
Now those in this great assembly,
as well as I myself, have all seen them.
You expound the principle of the true
entity,
open up the Law of the single vehicle,
broadly guiding the many beings,
causing them quickly to attain bodhi.
Manjushri said, "When I was in
the ocean I constantly expounded the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law alone."
Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated questioned
Manjushri, saying, "This sutra is a profound, subtle and wonderful, a treasure among
sutras, a rarity in the world. Are there perhaps any living beings who, by earnestly and
diligently practicing this sutra, have been able to attain Buddhahood quickly?"
Manjushri replied, "There is the
daughter of the dragon king Sagara, who was just turned eight. Her wisdom has keen roots
and she is good at the understanding the root activities and of living beings. She has
mastered the dharanis, has been able to accept and embrace all the store house of profound
secrets preached by the Buddhas, has entered deep into meditation, thoroughly grasping the
doctrines, and in the space of an instant conceived the desire for bodhi and reached the
level of no regression. Her eloquence knows no hindrance, and she thinks of living beings
with compassion as though they were her own children. She is fully endowed with blessings,
and when it comes to conceiving in mind and expounding by mouth, she is subtle, wonderful,
comprehensive and great. Kind, compassionate, benevolent, yielding, she is gentle and
refined in will, capable of attaining bodhi."
Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated said,
"When I observe Shakyamuni Thus Come One, I see that for immeasurable kalpas he
carried out harsh and difficult practices, accumulated merit, piling up virtue, seeking
the way to the bodhisattva without ever resting. I observe that throughout the
thousand-million fold world there is not a single spot tiny as a mustard seed where this
bodhisattva failed to sacrifice body and life the sake of living beings. Only after he had
done that was he able to complete the bodhi way. I cannot believe that this girl in the
space of the instant could actually achieve correct enlightenment."
Before his words had come to an end, the
dragon king's daughter suddenly appeared before the Buddha, bowed her head in obeisance,
and then retired to one side, reciting these verses of praise:
He profoundly understands the signs of
guilt and good fortune
and illuminates the ten directions
everywhere.
His subtle, wonderful pure Dharma body
is endowed with the thirty-two features;
the eighty characteristics
adorn his Dharma body.
Heavenly and human beings gaze up in awe,
dragons and spirits all pay honor and
respect;
among all living beings,
none who do not hold him in reverence.
And having heard his teachings, I have
attained bodhi -
the Buddha alone can bear witness to this.
I unfold the doctrines of the Great
Vehicle
to rescue living beings from suffering.
At that time Shariputra said to the
dragon girl, "You suppose that in this short time you have been able to attain the
unsurpassed way. But this is difficult to believe. Why? Because a woman's body is soiled
and defiled, not a vessel for the Law. How could you attain the unsurpassed bodhi? The
road to Buddhahood is long and far-reaching. Only after one has spent immeasurable kalpas
pursuing austerities, accumulating deeds, practicing all kinds of paramitas, can one
finally achieve success. Moreover, a woman is subject to the five obstacles. First, she
cannot become a Brahma heavenly king. Second, she cannot become the king Shakra. Third,
she cannot become a devil king. Fourth, she cannot become a wheel-turning sage king.
Fifth, she cannot become a Buddha. How then could a woman like you be able to attain
Buddhahood so quickly?"
At that time the dragon girl had a
precious jewel worth as much as the thousand-million-fold world which she presented to the
Buddha. The Buddha immediately excepted it. The dragon girl said to Bodhisattva Wisdom
Accumulated to the venerable one, Shariputra, "I presented the precious jewel and the
World-Honored One accepted it - was that not quickly done?"
They replied, "Very quickly!"
The girls said, "employ your
supernatural powers and watch me attain Buddhahood. It shall be even quicker than
that!"
At that time the members of the assembly
all saw the dragon girl in the space of an instant change into a man and carry out all the
practices of a bodhisattva, immediately proceeding to the Spotless World of the south,
taking a seat on a jeweled lotus, and attaining impartial and correct enlightenment. With
the thirty-two features and the eighty characteristics, he expounded the wonderful Law for
all living beings everywhere in the ten directions.
At that time in the saha world to a the
bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, gods, dragons and others of the eight kinds of guardians,
human and non-human beings all from a distance saw the dragon girl become a Buddha and
preach the law to all the human and heavenly beings in the assembly at that time. Their
hearts were filled with great joy and all from a distance paid reverent obeisance.
Immeasurable living beings, hearing the Law, understood it and were able to reach the
level of no regression. Immeasurable living beings received prophecies that they would
gain the away. The Spotless World quaked and trembled in six different ways. Three
thousand living beings of the saha world remained on the level of no regression. Three
thousand living beings conceived a desire for bodhi and received prophecies of
enlightenment. Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated, Shariputra and all the other members of the
assembly silently believed an accepted these things.
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| Content
| | Chapter 13 |
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Update: 01-12-2001
