III

Śariputra filled with a spirit of ecstasy, now addresses the Buddha, reproaching himself that he has heretofore struggled in the straits of the smaller vehicle, when, but for his own unbelief, he might have known the liberation of the Mahayana; as also might his fellow disciples.

“This is our fault, not the World-honoured One’s. Wherefore? Because had we attended to his preaching in regard to Perfect Enlightenment, we should certainly have been delivered by the Great Vehicle.... To-day I indeed know that I am really a son of Buddha, born from the mouth of Buddha, evolved from The Law, and have obtained a place in the Buddha-Law.”

His address is again lengthily produced in verse:

“Now I hear the voice of Buddha Opportunely preaching The Law, Faultless and inscrutable, By which all reach the Wisdom-throne.” . . . . .

In the former days he thought he had already reached the stage that brought Extinction (Nirvana);

“But now I have perceived That was not real extinction. When one becomes a Buddha, 82Complete with all the signs, And devas, men and yakshas, Nagas and spirits revere him, Then that may be called Eternal, complete extinction, Without any remainder.”

He means that he will attain to the eternal bliss of the Buddhas without any remainder of reincarnation, or remainder of karma that requires reincarnation. He expresses a fear lest the wonderful news he now hears might be the invention of the devil; but he rejoices that this cannot be the case, for—

“The World-honoured One preaches Truth, Not so is it with the Evil One; Henceforth I know for certain that This is not Mara acting as Buddha. ’Twas through falling into nets of doubt, I conceived it as the doing of Mara. Now hearing Buddha’s gentle voice, Profound and most refined, Expounding the pure Law, My heart is filled with joy, My doubts and regrets are ended As I rest in real Wisdom, Assured of becoming Buddha, Revered by devas and men, And, rolling the supreme Law-wheel, Convert many bodhisattvas.”

The Buddha then proceeds to tell them that this is 83not the first world in which he has taught them. They have forgotten their previous incarnations; not so the Buddha. It is, indeed, because he has, in former incarnations, trained them that they are now born into his Law here. Then he foretells the future destiny of Śariputra, telling him he will be reborn as a prince, and like Śakyamuni leave his palace to become a monk.

“O son of Śari! In a world to come, after infinite, boundless, inconceivable kalpas, when you shall have served some thousands, myriads, kotis of Buddhas, maintained the Right Law, and completed the Way which Bodhisattvas walk, you shall become a Buddha, whose title will be Flower-light Tathagata, Worshipful, All-wise, Perfectly enlightened in conduct, Well-departed, Understander of the world, Peerless Leader, Controller, Teacher of gods and men, Buddha, World-honoured One, whose domain shall be named Undefiled, whose land will be even and straight, pure and adorned, peaceful and prosperous, filled with celestial people; the ground of lapis lazuli, having eight intersecting roads with golden cords to set bounds to their sides, flanked with trees of the Seven Precious things, always full of flowers and fruits.... Its kalpa will be named Jewel-adorned... for its bodhisattvas are its great jewels. These bodhisattvas will be infinite, boundless, inconceivable, beyond computation or compare, such as none can apprehend who has not a Buddha’s wisdom. Wherever they walk jewel-flowers will receive their feet.”

.....

84“The Tathagata Flower-light, at the expiration of twelve minor kalpas, will predict the Bodhisattva ‘Resolute’ to Perfect Enlightenment and will declare to all the monks: ‘This Bodhisattva Resolute will become the next Buddha, whose title will be Flowery-footsteps’.”

.....

“Śariputra! After the extinction of Flower-Light Buddha, the Correct Law will abide in his world during thirty-two minor kalpas, and then the Semblance Law will also abide in his world during thirty-two kalpas”; in other words, the usual formalism will set in, leading to decay and disappearance.

Then the monks and nuns, male and female disciples, gods, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and others, all the great assembly of beings, human and not human, rejoice greatly, each doffing his robe and offering it in homage to the Buddha. Brahma and the gods offer celestial robes and celestial flowers, their robes remaining aloft, circling around, while countless celestial instruments make music in the sky.

“Of old, at Varanasi, Thou didst roll The Law-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, And discerningly preach the Laws Of the rise and the extinction Of the Five human Aggregates. Now again Thou dost roll the most wonderful, 85Mighty, Supreme, Wheel of the Law, The Law beyond measure profound. . . . . . The great, wise Śariputra Now has heard his prediction; We also in like manner know We too will become Buddhas, Who in all worlds are ever Most honoured and peerless.”

Again the troublesome question is raised, why the Buddha should have taught the Hinayana doctrines, only now to repudiate them and offer Mahayana doctrines in their stead. Śariputra says that while he himself has no doubt or regrets, yet here are twelve hundred disciples, “who of yore abode in the four stages of (hinayana) learning, and were always told by the Buddha—‘My Law is able to give freedom from re-birth, decrepitude, disease and death and the final attainment of Nirvana’.” How is it that he now discards all this as valueless? What becomes of the merit these disciples have laid up with so much zeal and struggle? Has the Buddha indeed been deceiving them is the meaning of his inquiry.

To this the Buddha replies:

“Have I not before said that the Buddhas, the World-honoured Ones, with a variety of reasonings, parables and terms, preach the Law as may be expedient, with the aim of final Perfect Enlightenment? All their teachings are for the purpose of transforming 86(their disciples into) bodhisattvas. But, Śariputra! Let me again in a parable make this meaning still more clear, for intelligent people, through a parable, reach understanding.”