XXI

The vast body of Bodhisattvas who sprang out of the earth, as recorded in Chapter XV, now fold their hands before the Buddha and, looking towards him, declare that they will preach this Sutra, in whatsoever worlds the Buddha, in any of his transformations, may exist and cease to exist.

By this declaration the World-honoured One is now moved to reveal his majestic divine power. In a miraculous way, attractive only to those who can see in it the symbolism intended, he showed the illuminating and far-reaching power of his organ of speech. In the presence of

“Manjuśri and the countless hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of Great Bodhisattvas, as well as of monks, nuns, male and female disciples, gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human and non-human beings, and so forth”—before all these beings, he “reveals his great divine power, by putting forth his broad and far-stretched tongue, till it reaches upward to the Brahma-world, every pore radiating the light of infinite, numberless colours, shining everywhere throughout each direction of the universe. Under the jewel-trees, the Buddhas, each seated on a Lion-throne, also in like manner put forth their broad far-stretched tongues, radiating infinite light. While Śakyamuni-Buddha, and the other Buddhas under 231the jewel-trees, are thus revealing their divine powers, fully hundreds of thousands of years pass. After this they draw back their tongues, cough simultaneously, and snap their fingers in unison. These two sounds reach through every region of the Buddha-worlds, those worlds being shaken in every direction.

“In the midst of these worlds, all living beings... through the divine power of the Buddha, while in their world, see infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of Buddhas, seated on Lion-thrones under the jewel-trees; and see Śakyamuni-Buddha, together with the Tathagata Abundant-Treasures, seated on Lion-thrones in the midst of the Stupas; and also see infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of Great Bodhisattvas, and the four groups of disciples who reverently surround Śakyamuni-Buddha.”

The gods, too, see and rejoice, crying “Namah! Śakyamuni-Buddha”. Then from every quarter the gods from afar strew flowers, incense, garlands, and jewels, which form themselves “like gathering clouds, transforming into a jewelled canopy, covering the sky above the Buddhas”.

“And upon this the worlds of all the universes are united without barrier as one Buddha-land.”

Then the Buddha addresses Excellent-Conduct and the host of Bodhisattvas:

“The divine powers of Buddhas are so infinite and boundless that they are beyond thought and expression. 232Even if I, by these divine powers, through infinite, boundless, hundreds, thousands, myriads, kotis of numberless kalpas, for the sake of entailing them, were to declare the merits of this Sutra, I should still be unable to reach their end. Essentially speaking, all the laws belonging to Tathagata, all the sovereign, divine powers of Tathagata, all the mysterious, essential treasuries of Tathagata, and the most profound affairs of Tathagata, are proclaimed, displayed, revealed, and expounded in this Sutra. Therefore you should, after the extinction of the Tathagata, whole-heartedly receive and keep, read and recite, explain and copy, cultivate and practise it as taught. In whatever land, whether it be received and kept, read and recited, explained and copied, cultivated and practised as taught; whether in a place where a volume of the Sutra is kept, or in a temple, or in a grove, or under a tree, or in a monastery, or in a lay devotee’s house, in a palace, or on a mountain, in a valley, or in the wilderness, in these places you must erect a stupa and make offerings. Wherefore? You should know that these spots are thrones of enlightenment. On these spots the Buddhas attain to Perfect Enlightenment: on these spots the Buddhas roll the Wheel of the Law; on these spots the Buddhas enter Parinirvana.”

“He who is able to keep this Sutra Is one who now and always beholds me, And also Buddha Abundant Treasures . . . . . 233Just as the wind in the firmament Never has impediment, . . . . . Just as the light of sun and moon Is able to dispel the darkness, So this man, walking in the world, Can disperse the gloom of the living, And cause numberless bodhisattvas To abide in the One Great Vehicle.”