Sakra-Devanam-Indra was also present.

He is the second god-emperor, in charge of four regional godkings. He commands the dragons (nāgas) and demons (pretas), not letting them offend beings unrestrainedly but making them (beings) always cultivate meritorious virtues. He makes the sun and the moon shine clear and bright. He often acts as a main interlocutor who draws out remarks or sermons [from the Buddha]. Hence, he is mentioned in the beginning [of the paragraph].

They never faltered in [seeking] Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. They had already obtained dharanis, turned the irrevocable wheel of the Dharma with eloquence according to the wishes [of all living beings], made offerings to many hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, and planted the roots of virtue under those Buddhas, by whom they had always been praised. They had already trained themselves out of their compassion towards others, entered the Way to the wisdom of the Buddha, obtained [penetrated] great wisdom, and reached the Other Shore so that their fame had already extended over innumerable worlds. They had already saved many hundreds of thousands of living beings.

This refers to the conduct that took place in the past [lives].

[The passage] following this phrase illustrates the merits of the bodhisattvas through three kinds of deeds (karman). Having sympathy for, and taking care of, the weak and the deprived is what is meant by “cultivating themselves through compassion.” The word body [of cultivating themselves or, literally, cultivating body] implies both mouth and mind as well.

This word (great wisdom) refers to what they have obtained for themselves. Penetration means “[reaching] to the substratum.”

[Having reached the Other Shore] refers to what they have reached at the ultimate end.

Whereas their virtues were established internally their fame spread outward. Their merit and fame having been established, the news spread outward.

There were also eighty thousand Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.

The voice hearers basically take the exhaustion of suffering as the aim [of life]; hence, it was said earlier that they had their bondages destroyed. In the path of bodhisattvas, in which a person sets himself to embrace all [beings] he does not stay [in the world] just to get rid of bonds of existence (chieh); he wishes only to acquire such ways to help save beings. [As such] they [i.e., the bodhisattvas] are the only people to be equipped with the magic charms (dhārāṇi) and the four kinds of [unhindered] powers. Hence, their wondrous techniques for wheeling and uplifting ̄̄̄[beings to salvation] are introduced first, being followed at the end by a discussion of the innumerable people to be saved.

Maha-Prajapati Bhikṣunī was present with her six thousand attendants. Yasodhara Bhikṣunī, the mother of Rahula, was also present with her attendants.

Listed next are the group of mendicant nuns (bhiksunis). Mahāprajāpatī means, in Chinese, [the one who] loves the path (tao) greatly.

Rāhula’s mother Yaśodharā [Yaśodharā] means, in Chinese, “keeps hearing from afar.”

They were great Arhats well known to the multitude.

All these voice hearers (Śrāvakas) had “their virtues firmly established within and their fame reported without.” [People] far and near admired them [wholeheartedly]; who did not know them? This is why their names are listed and their virtues praised.

Great [of great arhats] tells that the Dharma of the Lesser Vehicle (Hinayāna) is identical with the path of the bodhisattvas.

He was accompanied by twelve thousand great bhikṣus.

If it is said that [the transmitter] heard [the preaching] by himself, one would find it difficult to believe other factors, too. If he simply said we and everybody [vaguely, not specifically] he would not be any better than “excepted from being” a solitary [witness]. [So] he lists all the [specific] cohearers. These are all that I mentioned as [the five factors] witnessing the sūtra. Bhikṣu is a general term referring to those who are in the process of destroying evils. Why are the voice hearers (śrāvakas) listed first and then the bodhisattvas? This has to do with the difference of inner and outer; inner-directedness has a limited scope, whereas outer-directedness has no restrictions. Hence, it should be in that order. It also suggests that the Buddha’s transformative teaching covers all; starting from the near, extending to the distant; there is no place where [his] Tao is not existent. Great (Mahā) refers to the assembly of people that can [counter] ninety-six kinds [of heretical views or arguments].

The Buddha once {At One Time}¹ lived on Mt. Gṛdhrakūṭa in the City of King-House.

Even though words be in accord with li, if they do not match the occasion they will still be empty statements. Hence, next comes “at one time.” What time means is that the “subtle, triggering mechanism force (chi)” within beings stimulates (kan) the Sage, and the latter responds [appropriately and helpfully] (ying) to them; when religious interaction between ordinary people and the Sage does not miss a favorable opportunity (chi), we call it at one time.

Although there is no place where the Dharma body is not present, if the place where the preaching took place were not recorded, it would look vague and diffuse. Given that [the transmitter] had to introduce it in order to give evidence for the preaching, and there were five places in this mountain, [namely,] Rājagṛha, which is the one where the preaching took place? It was at the monastery on Gṛdhrakūṭa mountain (“Vulture Peak”).

1. I’ve used Senchu Murano’s translation of the Lotus Sutra when quoted by Tao-sheng. When he uses a phrase not used by Murano, I’ve inserted the phrase in {curly brackets}.return

Thus have I heard

This is the phrase of the transmitters of the sūtra. How is it that the sūtras have been transmitted through generations and the voice of the Buddha has not been cut off? Because there are certain factors that make it possible. It resembles the possession of a passport (literally, sealed tally) by a person, with which he will not encounter any check point that he will not be able to pass through. The sūtras have five facts established in the beginning [of the first passage] in order to make the path (tao/mārga) pass [down the generations] without difficulty. Like [of like this or thus] is the word suggesting that the words match li. When the words and li are in mutual accord, this is spoken of as like. This (or right) [of like this or thus] refers to the fact that everything the Thus Come One (Tathāgata) said is not wrong. This [word] points to all that the Buddha preaches.

He intended to transmit it to those who did not [directly] hear it. If there were just words [heard] but no information about transmission, it means that he merely followed the words he heard [which could be subject to distortion]. The importance [of a document as an authentic scripture] lies not so much in preaching [as such] as in transmission. It can be said that the Tao values one who forgets himself. [The reader is advised to] forget about (or cast off) “I” and to follow the word heard. Heard means that the words came from the Buddha himself; it clarifies that they did not come forth from “my” [the hearer’s) mind. In this way,
the sūtras have been handed down from generation to generation and the wondrous track [of the Dharma wheel] has not ceased.

As regards the topic, initiating a speech and beginning a discourse must be done gradually. As [the Buddha] is about to issue (ming) the subtle words, he thus manifests auspicious omens first. This [chapter] is organized as a general, organic introduction from which the rest of the chapters evolve; it is [like] the sun and moon of the Dharma Blossom (or Lotus). Here [the Buddha] also intends to shock the vision and hearing of the beings so as to solemnize the mood of those who wish to hear [his words].

What is meant by Wondrous?

If we talk of all sorts of speeches made by the Tathāgata and the teaching he promulgated, what sūtra would not be wondrous? The reason why this sūtra is specifically designated as wondrous is as follows: It is because the expedient three [vehicles] he (the Tathāgata) previously taught are not real, and now he declares that the three are nonexistent. As such, the words (of the sūtra) match li fully, and the falsity that appeared previously no longer remains. Hence, it is called wondrous.

What is Dharma?

In essence (t’i) there is nothing that is not Dharma; in truth there is no falsehood.

Lotus Blossom (Puṇḍarīka)

This is the term that praises the present sūtra. Indeed, of the worldly images none is more wondrous than that of the lotus blossom. The beauty of the lotus blossom is at its glory in the first opening of its bud. At the peak of the first budding, seeds fill inside and colors, fragrance, and taste become fully mature; then we call it puṇḍarīka. [The Buddha’s] proclamation that the three are existent no more resembles this. When empty talk is gone, what remains is the true speech. As the authentic speech spreads, the fruit of [the three] returning to the One becomes manifested in it.

What is Scripture (Ching/Sūtra)?

The warp (ching) and woof of the [conventional] world [etymologically] refers to uncolored silk. The warp and woof as referred to here would manifest their true illumination on those who cultivate this scripture.