Conferring Predictions

Chapter 6

 

At that time, following his expounding of the verses, the World Honored One spoke to the great assembly in this manner, “My disciple, Mahakashyapa, in a future age will serve and behold three hundred thousand million Buddhas, World Honored Ones, making offerings, paying reverence, venerating and praising them; he will broadly proclaim the limitless Great Dharma of all the Buddhas.

In his final body he will become a Buddha by the name of Light Brightness Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, a Teacher of Gods and Humans, a Buddha, a World Honored One.

His country will be called Light Virtue and his eon will be called Great Adornment.

His life span as a Buddha will last for twelve minor eons.

The Proper Dharma will dwell there for twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will also dwell there for twenty minor eons.

His realm will be adorned and free of any filth or evil, tiles or stones, thorns or brambles, excrement or other impurities. The land will be flat, without high or low places, gullys or hills. The land will be made of lapis lazuli, and set about with rows of jeweled trees. The roads will be bordered with golden ropes. Precious flowers will be scattered about, purifying it entirely. The Bodhisattvas in that land will number in the limitless thousand of millions, the assembly of Hearers will be likewise uncountable. No deeds of Mara will be done there, and although Mara and his subjects will exist there, they will all protect the Buddhadharma.”

At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this principle, spoke verses saying,

“I declare to the Bhikshus that
By using my Buddha Eye
I see that Kashyapa
In a future age
Countless eons from now
Shall become a Buddha
And that in the future he
Shall make offerings to, revere and behold
Three hundred ten s thousands of millions
Of Buddhas, World Honored Ones.

And, for the sake of the Buddha’s wisdom
He shall purely cultivate Brahman conduct.
He shall make offerings to the highest
Honored One, doubly complete and then
Cultivate and practice all
Unsurpassed Wisdom.
In his final body
He shall become a Buddha.

His land will be pure,
With lapis lazuli for soil,
And with many jeweled trees
Lining the roadways,
And with the roads set off by golden cords,
Delighting all who see it.

Fine fragrance will always issue forth,
Rare flowers will be strewn about;
With all manner of rare articles
It shall be adorned.

The land will be flat and even
Without hills or gullys.
The assembly of Bodhisattvas
Will be unreckonable.

Their minds will be gentle
Having gained great spiritual powers;
They will reverently uphold the Buddha’s
Great Vehicle Sutras.

The assembly of Hearers,
Without outflows, in their last bodies,
Sons of the Dharma King,
Will also be beyond all count.
So that, even with the Heavenly Eye,
Their number shall not be known.

His life span as a Buddha will be
Twelve minor eons, and
His Proper Dharma will dwell in the world
Twenty minor eons.
The Dharma Image Age will dwell
Also for twenty minor eons.

The World Honored One, Light Brightness
Shall have a history such as this.”

At that time, Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti and Mahakatyayana were very agitated. They singlemindedly joined their palms, gazed upward at the World Honored One, not lowering their gaze for a moment, and with a single voice spoke these verses:

“Great brave hero, the World Honored One,
The Shakyan Dharma King,
Out of pity for us all
Bestow the Buddha Word!

If, knowing our profoundest thoughts,
You see that we gain predictions,
It will be like a sprinkling of sweet dew,
Dispelling heat and giving cool refreshment.

It will be like a person from a famine-stricken land,
Who suddenly encounters a royal feast:
His mind holds doubt and fear,
And he does not dare go ahead and eat.
But, if he gained the king’s permission,
Then he would certainly dare to eat.

We, in the same way, ever think
Of the errors of the Small Vehicle
And do not know how we are
To gain the Buddha’s unsurpassed wisdom.

Although we hear the Buddha’s voice
Saying that we shall become Buddhas,
Our minds hold worry and fear,
Like one who dares not yet to eat.
If we were favored by the Buddha’s prediction,
Then we should be happy and at peace.

Great, brave hero, World Honored One,
You who always wish peace for the World
Please bestow predictions upon us
Like giving the famished permission to eat!”

At that time, the World Honored One, knowing the thoughts in the minds of his great disciples, told the Bhikshus, “Subhuti will in a future age serve and behold three hundreds of myriads of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, making offerings, paying reverence, venerating, and praising them, ever cultivating the Brahman conduct, and perfecting the Bodhisattva Way.

In his final body, he will become a Buddha called Name Appearance Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, of Proper and Universal Knowledge, one Whose Understanding and Conduct are Complete, a Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, an Unsurpassed Lord, a Taming and Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One.

His eon will be called Possessing-Jewels. His country will be called Giving Birth to Jewels, his land will be level, with crystal for soil, and jeweled trees for adornments. It will be without hills or gullys, stones, thorns, filth or excrement. Jeweled flowers will cover the ground, purifying it entirely. The people of his land will all dwell on jeweled terraces or in precious, fine towers. The assembly of Hearers will be limitless and boundless, so that they cannot be known by resort to number or analogy. The assembly of Bodhisattvas will number in the countless thousands of myriads of millions of nayutas.

His life span as a Buddha will last for twelve minor eons.

The Proper Dharma will dwell there for twenty minor eons. The Dharma Image Age will also dwell there for twenty minor eons. This Buddha will constantly dwell in empty space, speaking Dharma for the multitudes and crossing over limitless Bodhisattvas and Hearers.”

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