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The Great Bodhisattva, mythical King of Healing, is now called forth by the Buddha. Through him he addresses the “eighty thousand great leaders”, saying:

“King of Healing! Do you see in this assembly innumerable gods, dragon-kings, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human and non-human beings, as well as monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees, seekers after bodhisattvahood, sravakahood, seekers after pratyeka-buddhahood, and seekers after Buddhahood? Such beings as these, in the presence of the Buddha, if they hear but a single verse, or a single word of the Wonderful Law-Flower Sutra, and even by a single thought delight in it, I predict they will attain to Perfect Enlightenment.”

“Again, let there be any who receive, keep, read, recite, expound or copy even a single verse of the Wonderful Law-Flower Sutra, and look upon this Sutra with reverence as if it were the Buddha, and make offerings to it in various ways with flowers, perfume, garlands, sandal-powder, perfumed unguents, incense for burning, silk-canopies, banners, flags, garments, and music, or even pay homage to it with folded hands; know, King of Healing, it is a sign that these people have already paid homage to ten myriad kotis of Buddhas, and under the Buddhas performed their great vows; therefore out of compassion 150for all living beings, they are born among men.

“King of Healing! If there be any people who ask you what sort of living beings will become Buddhas in future worlds, you should show them that these are the people who will certainly become Buddhas in those worlds. Wherefore? If my good sons and good daughters receive and keep, read and recite, or expound, and copy even a single word in the Law-Flower Sutra, and make offerings to it in various ways with flowers, perfumes, garlands, sandal-powder, fragrant unguents, incense for burning, silk-canopies, banners, flags, garments, and music, and revere it with folded hands, these people should be looked up to by all the worlds; and just as you pay homage to Tathagatas, so should you pay homage to them. Know! These people are great Bodhisattvas who, having accomplished Perfect Enlightenment and out of compassion for all living beings, are willingly born into this world, widely to proclaim and expound the Wonderful Law-Flower Sutra. How much more those who are perfectly able to receive, keep, and in every way pay homage to it! Know, King of Healing! These people will of themselves abandon the reward of their purified karma, and after my extinction, out of pity for all living beings, will be re-born in the evil world and widely proclaim this Sutra. If these good sons and daughters, after my extinction, should be able, even by stealth, to preach to one person but one word of the Law-Flower Sutra, know, these people are Tathagata-messengers sent by the Tathagata, to 151perform Tathagata-deeds. How much more so those who in great assemblies widely preach it to others!

“King of Healing! Even if there be some wicked person who out of an evil mind, throughout a whole kalpa, in presence of the Buddha, unceasingly abuses the Buddha, his sin is still light. But if any one, even with a single ill word, defames lay devotees or monks who read and recite the Law-Flower Sutra, his sin is extremely heavy. King of Healing! Know that he who reads and recites the Law-Flower Sutra—that man has adorned himself with the adornment of Buddha, and so is carried by the Tathagata on his shoulder. Wherever he goes, he should be saluted with hands whole-heartedly folded, revered, worshipped, honoured, and extolled, and offerings made to him of flowers, perfumes, garlands, sandal-powder, perfumed unguents, incense for burning, silk-canopies, banners, flags, garments, edibles and dainties, and music—he should be served with the most excellent offerings found amongst men. Celestial jewels should be scattered before him and heaped offerings made of celestial jewels. Wherefore? Because this man delighting to preach the Law, they who hear it but for a moment thereupon attain to Perfect Enlightenment.”

Then the World-honoured One, desiring to proclaim this teaching over again, spoke thus in verse:

“Should one wish to dwell in Buddhahood And attain to intuitive Wisdom, He must always earnestly honour 152The keepers of the Flower of the Law. Should one wish quickly to attain To complete omniscience, He must receive and keep this Sutra And honour those who keep it. Should one be able to receive and keep The Wonderful Law-Flower Sutra, Let him know he is the Buddha’s messenger, Who compassionates all living beings. He who is able to receive and keep The Wonderful Law-Flower Sutra, Casting aside his Paradise, and, From pity for the living, being re-born, Know, such a man as this, Free to be born where he will, Is able, in this evil world, Widely to preach the Supreme Law. You should, with celestial flowers and perfumes, Robes of heavenly jewels, and heaps Of wonderful celestial jewels, Pay homage to such a preacher of the Law. In evil ages after my extinction Those who are able to keep this Sutra Must be worshipped with folded hands, As if paying homage to the World-honoured One. With the best of dainties and sweets, And every kind of garment, This son of Buddha should be worshipped In hope of hearing him if but for a moment. In future ages, if one is able To receive and keep this Sutra, 153I will send him to be amongst men, To perform the task of the Tathagata.”

Again he addresses the King of Healing:

“Infinite thousands, myriads of kotis are the Sutras I preach, whether already preached, now being preached, or to be preached in the future. Among them all this Law-Flower Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to apprehend. King of Healing! This Sutra is the very treasury of the secret of the Buddhas, and may not be recklessly offered to men. It is guarded by Buddhas, World-honoured Ones, and from of yore has never been divulged in the world. This Sutra, even while the Buddha is still here, has aroused much enmity and envy; how much more after his Nirvana?”

Thus does the author indicate that the doctrine of The Lotus is new and subversive. The fact that he puts the new doctrine into the lips of a spiritualized Buddha, in the form of a religious drama or apocalypse, is far from patent to his Mahayana followers who, as already stated, believe it to have been Śakyamuni’s final doctrine while here on this earth.

“Know, King of Healing! After the Tathagata enters Nirvana, those who are able to copy, keep, read, recite, worship or preach it to others, will be invested by the Tathagata with his robes, and will be protected and remembered by Buddhas now abiding in other regions.... Know, these people shall dwell with the Tathagata, and his hand shall be upon their heads.

154“King of Healing! In every place where this Sutra is preached, or read, or recited, or copied, or its volumes kept, one should erect a Stupa of the Precious Seven, making it very high, spacious and splendid. But there is no need to deposit any relics. Wherefore? Because in it there is the whole body of the Tathagata (i.e. this Sutra). This Sutra should be served, revered, honoured, and extolled with all kinds of flowers, perfumes, garlands, silk-canopies, banners, flags, music, and hymns. If any, seeing that Stupa, salute and worship it, know, that they all are near to Perfect Enlightenment. King of Healing! Many people there are, both laymen and monks, who walk in the Bodhisattva-Way, without, as it were, being able to see, hear, read, recite, copy, keep, and worship this Law-Flower Sutra. Know, that those people are not yet rightly walking in the Bodhisattva-Way. But if any hear this Sutra, then they shall be able to walk aright in the Bodhisattva-Way. If any living beings who seek after the Buddha-Way, either see or hear this Law-Flower Sutra, and after hearing it believe and discern, receive and keep it, you may know that they are near to Perfect Enlightenment.

“This Sutra opens the way from the expedient, partial method to the full revelation of truth and reality. The treasury of this Law-Flower Sutra is so deep and secure, so hidden and remote that no human being can reach it. But now the Buddha has revealed it for instructing bodhisattvas and bringing them to perfection.”

Should any good son or daughter resolve to preach 155this Sutra, let that good son or daughter “enter into the Dwelling of the Tathagata, be clad with the Robe of the Tathagata, and sit on the Seat of the Tathagata.... The Dwelling of the Tathagata is the great compassionate heart within all the living. The Robe of the Tathagata is the gentle and forbearing heart. The Seat of the Tathagata is the “Spirituality of all Existence”.

“King of Healing! I, though dwelling in another realm, will send spirit-messengers to gather together hearers of the Law for that preacher, and also send spirit monks and nuns, male and female devotees, to hear such a one preach the Law. All these spirit-people, hearing this Law, will unresistingly receive it in faith and obey it. If the preacher of this Law should abide in a place remote from the world, I will abundantly send gods, dragons, spirits, and others to listen. Though I am in a different domain, I will from time to time cause the preachers of this Law to behold me. If such a one forgets any detail of this Sutra, I will return and tell him, that he may be in perfect possession of it.

“If, when he preaches this Sutra, Some with ill mouth should abuse, Lay on swords, sticks, shards or stones, Let him think of the Buddha and be patient. In thousands, myriads of lands I will appear with unperishing body And, in infinite kotis of kalpas, Preach this Law for all the living. . . . . . 156Dwells he alone in secluded place, In solitude with no voice of man, . . . . . Then I unto him will appear With a pure and shining body.”