XVIII
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Soothill, William Edward and Kumārajīva
Maitreya then asks the Buddha what will be the happiness of one who receives with joy the Law-Flower message. The Buddha’s reply is that the reward of him who hears, not direct, nor second-hand, but even at fiftieth-hand will be incalculable.
“It is like the number of all the living creatures in the six states of existence in four hundred myriad kotis of numberless worlds, born in the four ways, egg-born, womb-born, humidity-born, or born by metamorphosis, whether they are formed or formless, whether conscious or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious; footless, two-footed, four-footed, or many-footed, it is as the sum of all these living creatures. Suppose some one, seeking their happiness, provides them with every article of pleasure they may desire, giving each creature the whole of a world with its gold, silver, lapis-lazuli, moon-stone, agate, coral, amber, and every sort of wonderful jewel, with elephants, horses, carriages, and palaces, towers built of the Precious Seven—and so forth. This great master of gifts thus bestows gifts for full eighty years and then reflects thus:
“‘I have bestowed on all these beings articles of pleasure according to their desires, but now they have grown old and worn, and over eighty years of age, with hair grey and faces wrinkled, and death is not far off—I ought to instruct and guide them in the Buddha-Law.’
“Thereupon, gathering together those beings, he proclaims to them the Law’s instruction; and by his revealing, teaching, benefiting and rejoicing, they all in a moment become disciples ... free from imperfections, having acquired mastery of profound meditation, and completed the Eight Emancipations. What is your opinion? May the merits obtained by this great master of gifts be considered many or not?”
“World-honoured One!” said Maitreya to the Buddha, “The merits of this man are very many, infinite and boundless. Even though this master of giving had only made gifts of all those articles of pleasure to those creatures, his merits would be infinite; how much more when he causes them to attain to sainthood?’
“Then said the Buddha to Maitreya: ‘I will now speak clearly to you. The merits attained by such a man, if he bestowed those means of happiness on all beings in the Six States of existence of four hundred myriad kotis of numberless worlds, and caused them to attain to sainthood, would not compare with the merits of that fiftieth person who, hearing a single verse of the Law-Flower Sutra, receives it with joy; they are not equal to one hundredth, or one thousandth, or one fraction of a hundred thousand myriad kotis; the power of figures or comparisons cannot express it. Ajita! If the merits of such a fiftieth person who in turn hears the Law-Flower Sutra and accepts it with joy, are indeed so infinite, so boundless and numberless; how much more surpassingly infinite, boundless and beyond number or compare is the happiness of him who is amongst the first hearers in the assembly and receives it joyfully.”
If any one hears this preaching even momentarily, his merit is so great that in his next reincarnation “he will acquire the most excellent kind of elephants, horses and carriages, jewelled palanquins and litters, and ride in celestial cars”. It is reasonable to accept these as celestial or spiritual ideas, conceived of through the medium of material forms.
Again, if any one invites another to sit down, or share his seat, in order to hear this good news, or persuades another to go and hear it; he will be reborn where wise Bodhisattvas dwell, and himself have all his faculties glorified. His lips will be pure and beautiful, only fragrance will come from them, and his presence will be a joy.
“Age after age his mouth will not suffer,
His teeth not be gaping, yellow or black;
His lips not thick, awry or cracked,
With no disgusting appearance;
His tongue neither dried, black nor shrunk;
His nose high, long and straight;
His forehead broad and smooth;
His face refined and dignified,
A joy for men to behold;
No fetid breath from his mouth,
The scent of the Utpala-flower
Ever exhaling from his lips.”