The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: Chapter 19 - The Merit and Virtue of a Dharma Master

The Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra
Chapter 19
The Merit and Virtue of a Dharma Master

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

        “This person’s nose is pure,
        And within the world,
        All odors, fragrant or fetid,
        He can completely smell and know.

        Sumana and jatika,
        Tamala and chandana,
        The scents of aloe-wood and cassia,
        The scents of various flowers and fruits,
        The scents of living beings,
        The scents of men and women--
        The speaker of Dharma, at a distance,
        Smells them and knows where they are.

        The great and mighty wheel-turning kings,
        The minor wheel-turners and their sons,
        Ministers and courtiers--
        By their scents, he knows where they are.

        The jewels worn on the body,
        The jewel treasuries in the earth,
        The Wheel-Turning King’s jeweled women--
        Smelling their scents, he knows where they are.

        The ornaments adorning people’s bodies,
        Their clothing, beads,
        Various kinds of perfumes--
        Smelling their scents, he knows where they are.
        The gods, whether walking or sitting
        Or playing with their spiritual transformations--
        The upholder of the Dharma Flower,
        Having smelled their scents, knows them all.

        The trees with their flowers and fruits,
        The fragrance of clarified butter--
        The one who holds the Sutra, dwelling here,
        Knows the location of them all.
        In the deep recesses of the mountains,
        The chandana trees in bloom
        And the beings dwelling therein--
        Smelling their scents, he knows them all.

        The living beings on Iron Ring Mountain,
        In the great seas, or in the earth--
        By their scents, the holder of this Sutra
        Knows the location of them all.

        The male and female asuras
        And their retinues,
        Their quarrels and their play--
        By smelling their scents, he can know them.
        In the wilds or ravines,
        Lions, elephants, tigers and wolves,
        Wild oxen, and water buffalo--
        Smelling their scents, he knows where they are.

        Should a woman be pregnant with a child
        Whose sex has not yet been determined,
        Nor is it known if it is a freak or non-human,
        Smelling the scent, he can know.

        By the power of his smelling,
        He can know when she first conceived,
        Whether the fetus is mature,
        And if she will safely bear a blessed child.

        By the power of his smelling,
        He knows what men and women are thinking:
        Their defiling desires, stupidity, and hateful thoughts.
        He also knows those who cultivate goodness.

        The gold, silver, and jewels
        Hidden in the earth’s storehouses,
        Filling copper vessels--
        Smelling the scents, he knows them all.

        Various kinds of beads
        Whose value cannot be known--
        By smelling their scent, he knows their value,
        Where they came from and where they are now.

        All the flowers in the heavens,
        Mandarava and manjushaka,
        The parijata trees--
        Smelling their scents, he can know them.

        The palaces in the heavens--
        Superior, middling or inferior,
        Adorned with many jewels and flowers--
        Smelling their scents, he can know them all.

        Heavenly gardens, groves, and supreme palaces;
        Towers and wondrous Dharma Halls;
        The amusements to be found therein--
        Smelling their scents, he can know them all.

        The gods, whether listening to the Dharma
        Or enjoying the pleasures of the five desires,
        Coming or going, walking, sitting, or reclining--
        By the scents, he can know them completely.

        The garments worn by the goddesses,
        Their adornments of flowers and perfume
        As their ramble around for pleasure--
        By their scents, he knows them all.

        Proceeding thus upward,
        Reaching to the Brahma heavens,
        Those who enter Dhyana and those who leave it--
        Smelling their scents, he knows them all.
        The Heavens of Light-Sound and Pervasive Purity,
        On up to the Peak of Existence,
        Those just born there and those sliding down--
        Smelling their scents, he knows them all.

        The host of Bhikshus,
        Ever vigorous in the Dharma,
        Whether sitting or walking;
        Reading or reciting the Sutra;
        Or in the woods beneath trees,
        Concentrated, sitting in Dhyana--
        The one who upholds the Sutra, smelling their scents,
        Knows where they are.

        Bodhisattvas of solid resolve,
        Whether sitting in Dhyana or reading and reciting,
        Or speaking the Dharma to others--
        Smelling their scents, he knows them all.
        In any place the World Honored One may be,
        There revered by the multitudes,
        As he pities them and speaks the Dharma--
        By smelling the scent, he knows this completely.

        Living beings in the Buddha’s presence,
        Hearing the Sutra and rejoicing,
        Cultivate in accord with Dharma.
        By smelling the scents, he completely knows them.

        Even though he hasn’t yet attained the Bodhisattva’s
        Non-outflow Dharma-nose,
        Still, the upholder of this Sutra
        Will first attain a nose with such characteristics.”

“Moreover, Ever-Vigorous, if a good man or a good woman receives and upholds this Sutra, whether reading, reciting, explaining it to others, or writing it out, he or she will gain twelve hundred meritorious virtues of the tongue. All things, whether good or bad tasting, savory or unsavory, bitter or astringent, when they come in contact with his tongue will change into things of superior flavor, like heavenly sweet dew. None will not be flavorful. If he lectures amidst the great assembly, his sound will be profound and wonderful, penetrating their minds and causing them all to be joyful and happy.”

“Further, all the gods and goddesses, Shakra, Brahma, and all the gods, hearing these profound, wonderful sounds of his orderly exposition, will all come to listen. All the dragons, female dragons, yakshas, female yakshas, gandharvas, female gandharvas, asuras, female asuras, garudas, female garudas, kinnaras, female kinnaras, mahoragas, and female mahoragas, in order to hear the Dharma, will draw near him and reverently make offerings to him.”

“The Bhikshus and Bhikshunis; Upasakas and Upasikas; kings, princes, ministers, and retinues; minor wheel-turning kings; and great wheel-turning kings with their seven treasures, thousands of sons, and their inner and outer retinues will all ride their palaces there to listen to the Dharma. Because this Bodhisattva skillfully speaks the Dharma, the Brahmans, laypeople, and citizens of the country will follow him for as long as he lives, serving and making offerings to him.”

“Further, the Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas will always take delight in seeing him.”

“Wherever this person is, the Buddhas are right in front of him speaking the Dharma. He is also able to receive and uphold all the Buddhadharma and to put for the profound and wondrous Dharma-sound.”

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

        “This person’s tongue is pure
        And will never taste foul flavors.
        All of the food he eats
        Turns into sweet dew.

        Using the profound, pure, and wondrous sound,
        He speaks the Dharma for the great assembly
        Using causes, conditions, and analogies
        To guide the minds of living beings,
        Who, on hearing him, rejoice
        And make superior offerings.
        The gods, dragons, yakshas,
        And asuras, and so forth,
        All with reverent minds,
        Come to hear the Dharma.

        This person who speaks the Dharma,
        Should he wish with a wondrous sound
        To pervade three thousand worlds,
        As he wishes, he will be able to do so.

        Wheel-turning kings, great and minor,
        Their thousands of sons and their retinues,
        With palms joined and reverent minds,
        Always come to hear and receive the Dharma.

        The gods, dragons, yakshas,
        Rakshasas and pishacas,
        Also, with happy hearts,
        Always delight in coming to make offerings.
        The god king Brahma, King Mara,
        Self-Mastery, and Great Self-Mastery,
        And all the hosts of gods
        Always come to where he is.

        All the Buddhas and their disciples,
        Hearing his sound as he speaks the Dharma,
        Are ever mindful and protective,
        And sometimes manifest in person.”

“Further, Ever-Vigorous, if a good man or a good woman receives and upholds this Sutra, whether reading, reciting, explaining it to others, or writing it out, he will obtain eight hundred meritorious virtues of the body. He will obtain a pure body, as pure as vaidurya, which living beings will be delighted to see, because of the purity of his body. Living beings in the three thousand great thousand world system, whether at the time of birth or at the time of death, above or below, fair or ugly, whether born in good place or born in a evil place, will all manifest within it. The Iron Ring Mountain, the Great Iron Ring Mountain, Meru Mountain, Mahameru Mountain, and the other mountains, and all the living beings in their midst will appear within it. Below to the Avici hells and above to the Peak of Existence, all living beings will manifest therein. If Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Buddhas speak the Dharma, they will all manifest their physical images within his body.”

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

        “If a person holds the Dharma Flower,
        His body will be extremely pure,
        Like that of pure vaidurya,
        And living beings will all take delight in seeing him.

        Also, as in a pure, bright mirror
        All images are seen,
        The Bodhisattva, within his pure body,
        Sees everything in the world.

        He alone has clear perception,
        For these things are not seen by other people.
        Within tree thousand worlds,
        All the multitudes of living beings--
        Gods, humans, asuras,
        Hell-beings, ghosts, and animals:
        All such images as these--
        Appear within his body.
        The palaces of the gods
        Up to the Peak of Existence,
        The Iron Ring and Meru
        And Mahameru Mountains,
        And the waters of all the great seas
        All appear within his body.

        The Buddhas and Hearers,
        Disciples of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas,
        Whether singly or in a multitude,
        Speaking Dharma, all manifest.

        Although he has not yet gained the non-outflow,
        Wondrous body of the Dharma-nature,
        Within his pure, ordinary body,
        All things manifest.”

“Further, Ever-Vigorous, if a good man or a good woman, after passing into stillness of the Thus Come One, receives and upholds this Sutra, whether reading, reciting, explaining it to others or writing it out, he will obtain twelve hundred meritorious virtues of the mind. With his pure mind, by hearing so much as a single verse or a single sentence, he will comprehend limitless, boundless meanings. Having understood these meanings, he will then be able to expound on a single sentence or a single verse for as long as a month, four months, or up to a year. All the Dharma he speaks will accord with the meaning and purport, and none of it will contradict the Real Mark. If he speaks on worldly texts, expounds on the principles of government, or follows an occupation to make a living, it will all accord with the proper Dharma. In the three thousand great thousand world system, all the living beings of the six destinies, their mental processes, their mental activities, the frivolous assertions in their minds, all these he completely knows. Although he has not yet gained the non-outflow wisdom, still his mind is as pure as this. All of this person’s thoughts, calculations, or pronouncements are Buddhadharma, and none are not true and real, and all have been spoken in the Sutras of former Buddhas.”

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

        “This person’s mind is pure,
        Bright, sharp, and immaculate.
        With this wonderful mins,
        He knows superior, middle and inferior Dharmas.

        If he hears but a single verse,
        He comprehends limitless meanings
        And speaks them in good order according to Dharma,
        For a month, four months, or a year.

        Inside and outside this world,
        All the living beings,
        Be they gods, dragons, or humans,
        Yakshas, ghosts, or spirits,
        All those in the six destinies,
        All of their different thoughts,
        The upholder of the Dharma Flower,
        As a reward, knows all at once.

        The countless Buddhas in the ten directions,
        Adorned with the marks of a hundred blessings,
        Speak the Dharma for living beings.
        He hears it all and can receive and hold it.

        He ponders limitless meanings
        And speaks limitless Dharmas, too,
        Without a mistake or omission from beginning to end,
        Because he upholds the Dharma Flower.

        He completely knows the marks of all Dharmas,
        And recognizes their meaningful sequence.
        Knowing the names and words,
        He expounds on them as he understands them.

        What this person says
        Is all the Dharma of former Buddhas.
        And because he expounds on this Dharma,
        He is fearless in the assembly.

        The one who upholds the Dharma Flower
        Has a pure mind like this.
        Although he has not yet attained to no-outflows,
        He already has such marks as these.

        This person, upholding the Sutra,
        Dwells securely on rare ground,
        And all living beings
        Delight in him, cherish and revere him.

        He can, with a thousand myriads of kinds
        Of skillful, clever words,
        Speak the Dharma in detail,
        Because he upholds the Dharma Flower.”

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The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: Chapter 19 - The Merit and Virtue of a Dharma Master

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