The Merit of Believing

At that time the great assembly, hearing the Buddha teach that his lifespan extended across so vast a number of kalpas, immeasurable and boundless asaṃkhyeyas of beings gained great benefit. At that time the World-Honored One said to Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva: "Ajita! As I taught this — the Tathāgata's own vast and immeasurable lifespan — six hundred and eighty myriad koṭis of nayutas of Ganges-sands of beings attained the acceptance that things are unborn; a thousand times that number of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas attained the dhāraṇī-gate of hearing and retaining the Dharma; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of a single world attained unobstructed eloquence in teaching; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of a single world attained hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of the immeasurable revolving dhāraṇīs; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of a three-thousand-great-thousandfold world became able to turn the wheel of the Dharma that never turns back; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of two thousand middling lands became able to turn the pure wheel of the Dharma; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of a small thousandfold land shall, after eight more lifetimes, attain unsurpassed, perfect and complete awakening; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of four sets of four continents shall, after four more lifetimes, attain it; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of three sets of four continents shall, after three more lifetimes, attain it; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of two sets of four continents shall, after two more lifetimes, attain it; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas equal to the fine dust of a single set of four continents shall, after one more lifetime, attain it; and beings equal to the fine dust of eight worlds all brought forth the resolve for unsurpassed, perfect and complete awakening." As the Buddha taught that these bodhisattva-mahāsattvas had gained this great benefit of the Dharma, in the sky above there rained down mandārava and mahā-mandārava flowers, scattered over the immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of buddhas seated on lion thrones beneath jeweled trees, and scattered too over Śākyamuni Buddha, seated on his lion throne within the seven-jeweled stūpa, and over Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata, extinguished so long ago, and scattered as well over every great bodhisattva and the fourfold assembly. There rained down, too, fine powdered sandalwood and aloeswood incense. In the sky above, heavenly drums sounded of themselves, their wondrous voice deep and far-reaching. There rained down, further, a thousand kinds of heavenly garments, hung with every kind of necklace — necklaces of pearl, of maṇi jewels, of wish-fulfilling jewels — filling all nine directions. Censers of every jewel burned incense beyond price, filling the whole assembly of themselves, making offerings to the great gathering. Above each and every buddha stood bodhisattvas holding banners and canopies, rising rank upon rank until they reached the Brahma heaven. These bodhisattvas, with wondrous voices, sang countless verses, praising every buddha.

At that time Maitreya Bodhisattva rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke this verse: "The Buddha has taught a rare Dharma, never heard until now — the World-Honored One possesses great power, his lifespan beyond all measure. Countless children of the Buddha, hearing the World-Honored One's own distinctions, of those who have gained this benefit of the Dharma — their joy fills their whole bodies. Some abide in the ground that never turns back, some have attained dhāraṇīs, some have unobstructed eloquence, some the myriad koṭis of the revolving total-retention. There are bodhisattvas equal to the fine dust of a great-thousandfold world, each and every one able to turn the wheel of the Dharma that never turns back. There are bodhisattvas, too, equal to the fine dust of a middling-thousandfold world, each and every one able to turn the pure wheel of the Dharma. There are bodhisattvas, too, equal to the fine dust of a small-thousandfold world, each with only eight lifetimes remaining before attaining the buddha-path. There are bodhisattvas, too, equal to the fine dust of four, or three, or two sets of these four continents, attaining buddhahood after that same number of lifetimes. There are bodhisattvas, too, equal to the fine dust of a single set of four continents, with only a single lifetime remaining before attaining the wisdom of all modes. Beings such as these, hearing that the Buddha's lifespan is vast beyond measure, attain an immeasurable, outflow-free, and pure result. There are beings, too, equal to the fine dust of eight worlds, who, hearing the Buddha teach of his own lifespan, all brought forth the unsurpassed resolve. The World-Honored One teaches an immeasurable Dharma, beyond all conceiving, its benefit reaching far and wide, boundless as empty space itself. Raining down heavenly mandārava and great mandārava flowers, Śakra and Brahmā, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, come from countless buddha-lands. Raining down sandalwood and aloeswood incense, falling in profusion, like birds descending from the sky, scattered as offerings over every buddha. Heavenly drums in the sky sound of themselves, a wondrous voice; heavenly garments of a thousand myriad kinds swirl down from above. Censers of every jewel, wondrous and fragrant, burn incense beyond all price, filling every place of themselves, making offerings to every World-Honored One. The great assembly of bodhisattvas holds banners of the seven jewels, lofty and wondrous in ten thousand koṭis of forms, rising rank upon rank to the Brahma heaven. Before each and every buddha, jeweled banner-poles hang with victorious pennants, and with a thousand myriad verses they sing in praise of every tathāgata. Every kind of thing such as this, never known until now — hearing that the Buddha's lifespan is immeasurable, every being rejoices. The Buddha's name is heard throughout the ten directions, its benefit reaching beings far and wide, every one of them complete with good roots, to aid their unsurpassed resolve."

At that time the Buddha said to Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva: "Ajita! Should there be any being who, hearing that the Buddha's lifespan is vast in this way, gives rise to even a single thought of faith and understanding, the merit that being gains is beyond all limit. Suppose there were a good son or good daughter who, for the sake of unsurpassed, perfect and complete awakening, practiced, for eighty myriad koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, five of the six perfections — the perfection of giving, of moral discipline, of forbearance, of diligence, and of meditative concentration — every perfection but the perfection of wisdom. Compared to the merit described before, this merit would not equal one part in a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand myriad koṭis — not even a number or a parable could express the difference. If a good son or good daughter possesses merit such as the first, that they should ever turn back from unsurpassed, perfect and complete awakening is simply not possible."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to proclaim this meaning once more, spoke in verse: "If a person, seeking the Buddha's own wisdom, were to practice, across eighty myriad koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, five of the perfections — throughout every one of these kalpas, giving offerings to buddhas, and to pratyekabuddha disciples, and to the assembly of bodhisattvas besides, rare and excellent food and drink, fine robes and bedding, dwellings of sandalwood, adorned with gardens and groves, giving such gifts as these, of every subtle and wondrous kind, throughout the whole span of these kalpas, dedicating it all toward the buddha-path; and if, further, they kept the precepts, pure and without the slightest flaw, seeking the unsurpassed path, praised by every buddha; and if, further, they practiced forbearance, dwelling in the ground of gentleness and pliancy, so that even should every kind of evil be brought against them, their heart would never waver — even should those who have attained the Dharma, filled with arrogance, treat them with contempt and affliction, they would bear even this with patience; and if, further, they were diligent and energetic, their resolve constantly firm, through immeasurable koṭis of kalpas, with a single mind never growing slack; and, further, for innumerable kalpas, dwelt in quiet and solitary places, whether sitting or walking, casting off sleep, constantly gathering in their mind; and by these causes and conditions were able to give rise to every meditative concentration, for eighty koṭis of myriads of kalpas dwelling at peace, their mind never disturbed; and, holding the merit of this single-minded practice, sought the unsurpassed path, saying: 'May I attain the wisdom of all modes, and reach the very limit of every meditative concentration' — such a person, throughout hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas, practicing every one of these merits just as described above — if there is, besides, a good son or good daughter who, hearing me teach of my own lifespan, gives rise to even a single thought of faith, their merit surpasses all of this. If a person is entirely free of every doubt and regret, and believes with a deep heart even for the briefest moment, their merit is exactly this. Those bodhisattvas who, having practiced the path for immeasurable kalpas, hear me teach of my own lifespan, and are then able to believe and accept it — people such as these receive this sūtra upon the crown of their heads, and vow: 'May I, too, in the age to come, live long and bring beings across, just as the World-Honored One does today, king among all the Śākyas, roaring his lion's roar at the place of awakening, teaching the Dharma without any fear. May we too, in the age to come, honored by all, when we sit at the place of awakening, teach of our own lifespan in exactly this way.' If there is one of deep heart, pure and upright, learned and able to hold all in memory, who understands the Buddha's own words according to their true meaning — such a person as this holds no doubt at all in this matter."

"Furthermore, Ajita! Should anyone hear that the Buddha's lifespan is vast in this way, and understand what it truly means, the merit that person gains is without limit, able to give rise to the Tathāgata's own unsurpassed wisdom. How much more so, then, one who broadly hears this sūtra, or causes others to hear it; who upholds it themselves, or causes others to uphold it; who copies it themselves, or causes others to copy it; or who, with flowers, incense, necklaces, banners, canopies, fragrant oil, or lamps of ghee, makes offerings to the sūtra scroll — that person's merit is immeasurable and boundless, able to give rise to the wisdom of all modes. "Ajita! Should a good son or good daughter, hearing me teach of my own vast lifespan, believe and understand it with a deep heart, it is as if they see the Buddha dwelling always on Vulture Peak, surrounded by great bodhisattvas and the assembly of śrāvakas, teaching the Dharma. They see, too, this very sahā world, its ground made of lapis lazuli, level and smooth, its eight paths bordered with Jambūnada gold, rows of jeweled trees, every terrace and tower made entirely of jewels, and the assembly of bodhisattvas dwelling everywhere within it. Whoever is able to see it in this way should be known to have the mark of deep faith and understanding. "And further, after the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa, should anyone hear this sūtra and not revile or belittle it, but give rise to a heart of rejoicing, they should be known to already have the mark of deep faith and understanding — how much more so one who reads, recites, upholds, and keeps it. Such a person bears the Tathāgata upon the very crown of their head. "Ajita! Such a good son or good daughter need not, for my sake, build stūpas or temples, or construct monasteries, or make offerings of the four necessities to the assembly of monks. Why is this so? Because a good son or good daughter who upholds, reads, and recites this sūtra has, by that very fact, already built a stūpa, already constructed a monastery, already made offerings to the assembly of monks — it is as if, with the Buddha's own relics, they had raised a stūpa of the seven jewels, tall and broad, narrowing by degrees until it reached the Brahma heaven, hung with every banner and canopy and every kind of jeweled bell, with flowers, incense, and necklaces, with powdered incense, ointment incense, and burning incense, with every kind of drum and music, flute and pipe and harp, every kind of dance and performance, singing hymns of praise with wondrous voices — it is as if they had already made offerings such as these, for immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas. "Ajita! Should anyone, after my own parinirvāṇa, hear this sūtra, and be able to uphold it, copying it themselves, or causing others to copy it, it is as if they had built a monastery, its thirty-two halls made of red sandalwood, eight tāla trees in height, tall, broad, and finely adorned, where a hundred thousand monks might dwell, its gardens and groves, bathing pools, walking paths, and meditation caves, its robes, food and drink, bedding, and medicine, every kind of comfort filling it entirely. Monasteries and halls such as this, some hundred, some thousand, some myriad koṭis in number, beyond all counting — it is as if, by this very act, they had already made this offering, present before me and the assembly of monks. It is for this reason that I say: 'After the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa, should there be one who upholds, reads, recites, and teaches this sūtra for others, or copies it, or causes others to copy it, and makes offerings to the sūtra scroll, that person need not build stūpas or temples, or construct monasteries, or make offerings to the assembly of monks any further.' How much more so, then, one who is able to uphold this sūtra, and also practices giving, moral discipline, forbearance, diligence, single-mindedness, and wisdom — such a person's virtue is foremost of all, immeasurable and boundless. It is like empty space, boundless to the east, west, south, and north, in every intermediate direction, above and below; such a person's merit is, in exactly this way, immeasurable and boundless, swiftly reaching the wisdom of all modes. Should a person read, recite, and uphold this sūtra, teach it for others, copy it themselves, or cause others to copy it, and, further, be able to build stūpas, and construct monasteries, and make offerings in praise of the assembly of śrāvaka monks, and praise the bodhisattvas' own merit with hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of forms of praise, and, further, for the sake of others, by every kind of cause and condition, explain this Lotus Sūtra according to its true meaning, and, further, be able to keep the precepts purely, dwelling together with the gentle and compliant, forbearing and free of anger, their resolve firm, constantly valuing meditation and attaining every profound concentration, diligent and courageous, gathering in every wholesome teaching, of sharp faculties and wisdom, skillfully answering every hard question — "Ajita! Should good sons and good daughters, after my own parinirvāṇa, uphold and read and recite this sūtra, and possess, besides, every one of these wholesome merits, know that such a person has already set out for the place of awakening, drawing near to unsurpassed, perfect and complete awakening, seated beneath the very tree of awakening. "Ajita! Wherever such a good son or good daughter sits, or stands, or walks, in that very place a stūpa should be raised, and every god and human should make offerings to it, exactly as to a stūpa of the Buddha himself."

"If, after my own extinction, one is able to uphold this sūtra, that person's own good fortune is beyond measure, exactly as described above — it is as if they had already provided every kind of offering in full. Raising a stūpa with the relics, adorned with the seven jewels, its spire towering, broad, narrowing by degrees until it reaches the Brahma heaven, its thousand myriad koṭis of jeweled bells sounding a wondrous voice in the wind; and, for immeasurable kalpas besides, making offerings to this stūpa, with flowers, incense, and every necklace, heavenly garments and every kind of music, burning fragrant oil and lamps of ghee, their light shining all around without cease. In this evil age, at the Dharma's own final time, whoever is able to uphold this sūtra has, by that very fact, already provided every offering described above. If one is able to uphold this sūtra, it is as if the Buddha himself were present, and one had raised a monastery of ox-head sandalwood, and made offerings to it. Its thirty-two halls, eight tāla trees in height, its finest food and wondrous robes, its beds and bedding all provided in full, dwellings for a hundred thousand monks, gardens and groves and every bathing pool, walking paths and meditation caves, every kind of thing finely adorned. If there is one who, with a heart of faith and understanding, upholds, reads, recites, and copies this sūtra, or causes others to copy it, and makes offerings to the sūtra scroll, scattering flowers, incense, and powdered incense, with campaka and atimuktaka blossoms, burning fragrant oil constantly before it — one who makes offerings such as these gains immeasurable merit, boundless as empty space itself — their own good fortune is exactly the same. How much more so, then, one who upholds this sūtra, and also practices giving and moral discipline, forbearance and the delight of meditation, free of anger and harsh speech, reverent toward stūpas and shrines, humble before every monk, far removed from any thought of pride, constantly reflecting on wisdom, never angered by a hard question, but explaining it in accordance with what is asked — one who is able to practice conduct such as this, their merit cannot be measured. Should you see a teacher of the Dharma who has accomplished virtue such as this, you should scatter heavenly flowers over them, cover their body with heavenly garments, bow your head to their very feet, and hold in your heart the thought that they are a buddha. And you should think, further: 'Before long, they shall go to the very tree of awakening, attain what is free of outflow and unconditioned, and broadly benefit every god and human.' Wherever such a person dwells, whether walking, or sitting, or lying down — even where they speak but a single verse — a stūpa should be raised there, adorned and made beautiful, with every kind of offering. For the place where a child of the Buddha dwells is the very place the Buddha himself enjoys, constantly present there, walking, sitting, and lying down within it."