Juryo chapter
[Gongyo part ‘B’]
"Myo ho renge kyo. Nyorai ju-ryo-hon. Dai ju-roku. Niji butsu go. Sho bo-satsu gyu. Issai daishu. Sho zen-nanshi. Nyoto to shinge. Nyorai jotai shi go. Bu go daishu. Nyoto to shinge. Nyorai jotai shi go. U bu go. Sho daishu. Nyoto to shinge. Nyorai jotai shi go. Zeji bo-satsu daishu. Mi-roku i shu. Gassho byaku butsu gon. Seson. Yui gan ses shi. Gato to shinju butsu-go. Nyo ze san byaku i. Bu gon. Yui gan ses shi. Gato to shinju butsu-go. Niji seson. Chi sho bo-satsu. San sho fu shi. Ni go shi gon. Nyoto tai cho. Nyorai hi-mitsu. Jinzu shi riki. Issai seken. Tennin gyu. Ashu-ra. Kai i kon shaka-muni-butsu. Shus shaku-shi gu. Ko gayajo fu on. Za o dojo. Taku a-naku-ta-ra san-myaku sanbodai. Nen zen-nanshi. Ga jitsu jo-butsu irai. Muryo muhen. Hyaku sen man noku. Nayuta ko. Hi nyo go hyaku sen man noku. Nayuta. Asogi. Sanzen dai sen sekai. Ke she u nin. Matchi mijin. Ka o tobo. Go hyaku sen man noku. Nayuta. Asogi koku. Nai ge ichi-jin. Nyo ze to gyo. Jin ze mijin. Sho zen-nanshi. O i unga. Ze sho sekai. Ka toku shiyui kyokei chi go. Shu fu. Mi-roku bo-sat to. Ku byaku butsu gon. Seson. Ze sho sekai. Muryo muhen. Hi sanju sho chi. Yaku hi shin-riki sho gyu. Issai shomon. Hyaku-shi-butsu. I mu-rochi. Fu no shiyui. Chi go genshu. Gato ju. A-yui-ot-chi-ji. O ze ji chu. Yaku sho fu das seson. Nyo ze sho sekai. Muryo muhen. Niji butsu go. Dai bosas shu. Sho zen-nanshi. Konto funmyo. Sengo nyoto. Ze sho sekai. Nyaku jaku mijin. Gyu fu jaku sha. Jin ni i jin. Ichi-jin ikko. Ga jo-butsu irai. Bu ka o shi. Hyaku sen man noku. Nayuta. Asogi ko. Ji ju ze rai. Ga jo zai shi. Shaba sekai. Seppo kyoke. Yaku o yosho. Hyaku sen man noku. Nayuta. Asogi koku. Dori shujo. Sho zen-nanshi. O ze chugen. Ga setsu nen-do-but to. U bu gon go. Nyu o nehan. Nyo ze kai i. Hoben fun-betsu. Sho zen-nanshi. Nyaku u shujo. Raishi ga sho. Ga i butsu-gen. Kan go shin to. Sho kon ridon. Zui sho o do. Shosho ji setsu. Myoji fudo. Nenki daisho. Yaku-bu gen gon. To nyu nehan. U i shuju hoben. Setsu mimyo ho. No ryo shujo. Hok kangi shin. Sho zen-nanshi. Nyorai ken sho shujo. Gyo o shobo. Toku hak ku ju sha. I ze nin setsu. Ga sho shukke. Taku a-noku-ta-ra san-myaku sanbodai. Nen ga jitsu. Jo-butsu irai. Ku-on nyaku shi. Tan ni hoben. Kyoke shujo. Ryo nyu butsu-do. Sa nyo ze setsu. Sho zen-nanshi. Nyorai sho en kyoden. Kai i dodas shujo. Waku sek koshin. Waku set tashin. Waku ji koshin. Waku ji tashin. Waku ji koji. Waku ji taji. Sho sho gon-setsu. Kai jitsu fu ko. Sho-i sha ga. Nyorai nyojit chiken. Sangai shi so. Mu u shoji. Nyaku tai nyaku shutsu. Yaku mu zai-se. Gyu metsu-do sha. Hi jitsu hi ko. Hi nyo hi i. Fu nyo san-gai. Ken no sangai. Nyo shi shi ji. Nyorai myo ken. Mu u shaku-myo. I sho shujo. U shu-ju sho. Shuju yoku. Shuju gyo. Shuju oku-so. Fun-bek ko. Yoku ryo sho sho zengon. I nyakkan innen. Hiyu gonji. Shuju seppo. Shosa butsu-ji. Mi zo zan pai. Nyo ze. Ga jo-butsu irai. Jindai ku-on. Jumyo muryo. Asogi ko. Joju fu-metsu. Sho zen-nanshi. Ga hon gyo bo-satsu do. Sho jo jumyo. Kon yu mi jin. Bu bai jo shu. Nen kon hi jitsu metsu-do. Ni ben sho gon. To shu metsu-do. Nyorai i ze hoben. Kyoke shujo. Sho-i sha ga. Nyaku buk-ku-ju o se. Haku-toku shi nin. Fu shu zengon. Bingu gesen. Ton-jaku go-yoku. Nyu o oku-so. Moken mo chu. Nyakken nyorai. Jo zai fu-metsu. Ben ki kyoshi. Ni e endai. Fu no sho o. Nan-zo shi so. Kugyo shi shin. Ze ko nyorai. I hoben setsu. Bi-ku to chi. Sho-bus shus-se. Nan ka chigu. Sho-i sha ga. Sho haku-toku nin. Ka muryo. Hyaku sen man nok-ko. Waku u ken butsu. Waku fu ken sha. I shiji ko. Ga sa ze gon. Sho bi-ku. Nyorai nan ka tokken. Shi shujo to. Mon nyo ze go. Hit to sho o. Nanzo shi so. Shin ne renbo. Katsu-go o butsu. Ben shu zengon. Ze ko nyorai. Sui fu jitsu metsu. Ni gon metsu-do. U zen-nanshi. Sho-butsu nyo-rai. Ho kai nyo ze. I do shu-jo. Kai jitsu fu ko. Hi nyo ro-i. Chi-e so-datsu. Myo ren ho-yaku. Zen ji shubyo. Go nin ta sho shi-soku. Nyaku ju niju. Nai-shi hyaku-shu. I u ji-en. On shi yo-koku. Sho shi o go. On ta daku-yaku. Yaku hotsu monran. Enden u ji. Zeji go bu. Gen rai ki ke. Sho shi on doku. Waku shitsu honshin. Waku fu shis sha. Yo ken go bu. Kai dai kangi. Haiki monjin. Zen nan non ki. Gato guchi. Go buku doku-yaku. Gan ken kuryo. Kyo shi jumyo. Bu ken shi to. Kuno nyo ze. E sho kyobo. Gu ko yaku-so. Shiki ko mimi. Kai shitsu gu-soku. Toshi wago. Yo shi ryo buku. Ni sa ze gon. Shi dai ro-yaku. Shiki ko mimi. Kai shitsu gu-soku. Nyoto ka buku. Soku jo kuno. Mu bu shugen. Go sho shi chu. Fu shis shin ja. Ken shi ro-yaku. Shiki ko gu ko. Soku-ben buku shi. Byo jin jo yu. Yo shis-shin ja. Ken go bu rai. Sui yak-kangi monjin gu-shaku ji byo. Nen yo go yaku. Ni fu ko buku. Sho-i sha ga. Dokke jinnyu. Ship ponshin ko. O shi ko shiki ko yaku. Ni i fu mi. Bu sa ze nen. Shi shi ka min. i doku sho chu. Shin kai ten-do. Sui ken ga ki. Gushak ku-ryo. Nyo ze ko yaku. Ni fu ko buku. Ga kon to setsu hoben. Ryo buku shi yaku. Soku sa ze gon. Nyoto to chi. Ga kon sui ro. Shi ji i shi. Ze ko ro-yaku. Kon ru zai shi. Nyo ka shu buku. Mot tsu fu sai. Sa ze kyo i. Bu shi ta-koku. Ken shi gen go. Nyo bu i shi. Zeji sho shi. Mon bu haiso. Shin dai uno. Ni sa ze nen. Nyaku bu zai sha. Jimin gato. No ken kugo. Konja sha ga. On so ta-koku. Ji yui koro. Mu bu jiko. Jo e hikan. Shin zui shogo. Nai chi shi yaku. Shiki ko mimi. Soku shu buku shi. Doku byo kai yu. Go bu mon shi. Shi chi toku sai. Jin ben rai ki. Gen shi ken shi. Sho zen-nanshi. O i unga. Ha u nin no. Ses-shi ro-i. Komo zai fu. Hot cha. Seson. Butsu gon. Ga yaku nyo ze. Jo-butsu irai. Muryo muhen. Hyaku sen man noku. Nayuta. Asogi ko. I shujo kp. I ho-ben-riki. Gon to metsu-do. Yaku mu u no. Nyo ho setsu ga. Komo ka sha. Niji seson. Yoku ju sen shigi. Ni setsu ge gon."
[Gongyo part ‘C’]
"Ji ga toku bur rai.
Sho kyo sho kosshu.
Muryo hyaku sen man.
Oku sai asogi.
Jo seppo kyoke.
Mushu oku shujo.
Ryo nyu o butsu-do.
Nirai muryo ko.
I do shujo ko.
Hoben gen nehan.
Ni jitsu fu metsu-do.
Jo ju shi seppo.
Ga jo ju o shi.
I sho jin-zu-riki.
Ryo tendo shujo.
Sui gon ni fu ken.
Shu ken ga metsu-do.
Ko kuyo shari.
Gen kai e rendo.
Ni sho katsu-go shin.
Shujo ki shin-buku.
Shichi-jiki i nyunan.
Isshin yok ken butsu.
Fu ji shaku shinmyo.
Ji ga gyu shuso.
Ku shutsu ryojusen.
Ga ji go shujo.
Jo zai shi fu-metsu.
I ho-ben rik ko.
Gen u metsu fu-metsu.
Yo-koku u shujo.
Kugyo shingyo sha.
Ga bu o hi chu.
I setsu mujo ho.
Nyoto fu mon shi.
Tan ni ga metsu-do.
Ga ken sho shujo.
Motsu-zai o kukai.
Ko fu i gen shin.
Ryo go sho katsu-go.
In go shin renbo.
Nai shutsu i seppo.
Jin-zu-riki nyo ze.
O asogi ko.
Jo zai ryojusen.
Gyu yo sho jusho.
Shujo ken ko jin.
Dai ka sho sho ji.
Ga shi do annon.
Tennin jo juman.
Onrin sho do-kaku.
Shuju ho shogon.
Hoju ta keka.
Shujo sho yu-raku.
Shoten gyaku tenku.
Jo sas shu gi-gaku.
U mandara ke.
San butsu gyu daishu.
Ga jodo fu ki.
Ni shu ken sho jin.
Ufu sho kuno.
Nyo ze shitsu juman.
Ze sho zai shujo.
I aku-go innen.
Ka asogi ko.
Fu mon sanbo myo.
Sho u shu ku-doku.
Nyuwa shichi-jiki sha.
Sokkai ken gashin.
Zai shi ni seppo.
Waku-ji i shi shu.
Setsu butsu-ju muryo.
Ku nai ken bussha.
I setsu butsu nan chi.
Ga chi-riki nyo ze.
Eko sho muryo.
Jumyo mushu ko.
Ku shugo sho toku.
Nyoto u chi sha.
Mot to shi sho gi.
To dan ryo yo jin.
Butsu-go jip puko.
Nyo i zen hoben.
I ji o shi ko.
Jitsu zai ni gon shi.
Mu no sek komo.
Ga yaku i se bu.
Ku sho kugen sha.
I bonbu tendo.
Jitsu zai ni gon metsu.
I joken ga ko.
Ni sho kyoshi shin.
Ho-itsu jaku go-yaku.
Da o aku-do chu.
Ga jo chi shujo.
Gyo do fu gyo do.
Zui o sho ka do.
I ses shuju ho.
Mai ji sa ze nen.
I ga ryo shujo.
Toku nyu mu-jo do.
Soku joju busshin."
Background: This is the climactic portion of the Lotus Sutra’s Ceremony in the Air, a gathering of three succeeding congregations that takes place in the transcendent Land of Tranquil Light — representing the domain of Perfect Enlightenment. At the beginning of this sutra, Shakyamuni, is at India's Mount Vulture Peak (Ryojusen) where he is joined by a great assembly of hundreds of thousands of sentient beings; next, the physical environment is transformed into a transcendent one to welcome a second assemblage composed of countless buddhas who accompanied by celestial bodhisattvas arrive from every direction in the universe; finally, a third group constituted of innumerable legions of eternally-enlightened Selfless Volunteers (Bodhisattvas of the Earth) emerge at the behest of the Buddha from a sacred space below the ground. The Buddha then states that this last group constitutes his oldest disciples. With the exception of all the buddhas in attendance, the other members of the two earlier assemblies are bewildered. The celestial bodhisattvas, although possessing bodies of bliss capable of freely moving throughout space-time, report that they had never before encountered the latest arrivals. Moreover, Shakyamuni’s disciples are confused as they are under the impression that their sage-teacher had attained the buddha-state for the first time in his present lifetime — purportedly only after hundreds of thousands of eons of devoted aspiration.
Suspended in midair at the hub of this gathering is an ornate miles-high Tower belonging to Abundant Treasures, an extinct buddha whose virtual body is present so that he may bear witness to the Truth about to be revealed. He and Shakyamuni share a lion-throne inside this bejeweled Tower of boundless blessings. As the Buddha begins to speak, all are poised to hear his explanation. The ensuing soliloquy reveals that his manifestation as Shakyamuni masks a grander identity — that of an eternal Buddha. This chapter of the Lotus Sutra introduces the Declarer of the Truth, the ultimate identity of all buddhas, who in this context speaks through the medium of Shakyamuni’s body and voice. The Declarer of the Truth proceeds to offer a revolutionary doctrine about the meaning and purpose of existence imparted herein as a universal message of unparalleled importance bequeathed to all mortal beings for all time.
Translation: At this time the Buddha addressed the celestial bodhisattvas and the great assembly, as follows: "Beings of good nature, I declare herewith, you must embrace with pure hearts and accept with open and receptive minds the incontrovertible revelations which the Declarer of Truth (Nyorai) now commences to pronounce." Then he repeated it a second time: "You must embrace with pure hearts and accept with open and receptive minds the incontrovertible revelations which the Declarer of Truth now commences to pronounce."
Then he repeated it a third time: "You must embrace with pure hearts and accept with open and receptive minds the incontrovertible revelations which the Declarer of Truth now commences to pronounce."
At this time All-Encompassing Loving Kindness led the celestial bodhisattvas and the great assembly in pressing their palms together while making the following vow to the Buddha: "World-honored One, we implore you to reveal that which you have not yet revealed. We pledge to you that we will embrace every word of it with the purest of hearts and accept all of the Buddha’s words with the most open and receptive of minds."
Then they repeated their vow for a second and third time: "We implore you to reveal that which you have not yet revealed. We pledge to you that we will embrace every word of it with the purest of hearts and accept all of the Buddha’s words with the most open and receptive of minds."
At this time the World-honored One acknowledged the thrice-repeated request led by the celestial bodhisattvas with the following reply: "Now you must listen carefully as I hereby reveal the secret threefold identity of the Declarer of Truth to be one inseparable reality which is endowed with a universal power that at once transcends and pervades all of existence."
"Throughout the various kinds of worlds of existence, various kinds of celestial, biological and elemental beings, all believe that the buddha who is known as the Sage of the Shakyas is present here and now speaks before you. They know him as the one who attained unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment after leaving the palace of the Shakya clan in his youth and in due course found the entryway to ultimate wisdom while seated under the tree near the city of Gaya.
"Now, hear this, my beloved innocents! "In actuality, I have dwelt in the buddha-state for an inconceivable and boundlessly remote span, numbering back more than ten-hundred-thousand-million-billions of eons (i.e., one eon equals the duration of a universe).
"To illustrate how long it has been since then, imagine that there are five-hundred-thousand-million-billions of universes and that they have all been ground down to their elemental particles. Intending on using these grains of matter as markers, a traveler moves in an easterly direction across infinite space. On his journey he encounters myriads of living worlds. Each time he has passed five-hundred-thousand-million-billions of these lands he drops just one of these elemental particles. Continuing straight ahead on an eastward track, he repeats this pattern until he has finished dispatching all the particles.
"Pray tell, my beloved innocents! Is there anyone among you who is capable of calculating the number of living worlds that this imaginary traveler has passed on his journey?"
All-Encompassing Loving Kindness Bodhisattva led the others in responding, as follows: "World-honored One! The number of worlds you have described is inconceivable and boundless, defies calculation and stretches beyond the grasp of thought. Even the most learned and visionary among us, including those who have secured a state of clear and pure wisdom, can not hope to imagine or fathom such numbers. Moreover, among those of us who reside in the stage of non-regression none can apprehend such scope. World-honored One! The numbers you have described are beyond conception, beyond all bounds."
At this time the grand audience of celestial bodhisattvas and others were compelled to listen further, as follows: "My beloved innocents! There is still more to divulge, if what I am saying here is to become clear to you. Suppose we were to collect all the worlds our traveler had encountered, including those he passed over and those he marked, and then ground them down into their elementary particles. Know this, the total number of particles accrued thusly still would fall short of my original buddha-state by more than a hundred-thousand-million-billion eons.
"Thus I declare that ever since beginningless time I have been present continuously throughout the realms of enduring suffering, preaching the laws, teaching the means, and delivering blessings to mortal beings in more than a hundred-thousand-million-billion domains.
"My beloved innocents! Over this vast span I have lived untold lifetimes wherein I have often referred to myself as a buddha named Eternal Flame, or some such appellation as I required in formulating various permutations of my buddha-identity — all in an effort to lead multitudes of mortal followers to the threshold of nirvana. Whatever name my manifestation may undertake, it is always used as part of my tactful and expedient efforts meant to help them discern the meanings and powers compressed into my sutras and to distinguish relative value among my various teachings.
"My beloved innocents! Whenever mortal beings have approached me with a seeking mind, whether the quality of their faculties has been keen or dull, I have regarded them with a buddha’s inner-seeing eye to ascertain their desire to know the Truth of the Reality of All Existence. Whenever and wherever mortal beings seek the way to ultimate Truth, I repeatedly manifest before them as a sage-teacher using one name or another and, in each case, provide them with an appropriate means suited to their advancement. As I have done in this lifetime in certain cases, I announce my impending entry into nirvana. However, that concept is itself just another of the tactful means which I use in preparing mortal beings to receive the wonderful Truth of All Truths whose subtle and liberating power continuously graces mortals with the unparalleled joy of life.
"My beloved innocents! The Declarer of the Truth observes that when mortal beings are shallow in their desire for greater Truth, they display a penchant for self-serving motives and contemptible behaviors. To inspire them I preach that I first attained unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment in this lifetime — after leaving my family at a young age in search of the ultimate answer. But as I have declared to you here, in actuality I have been dwelling in the buddha-state for all time, and only use such tactful and expedient constructs to inspire their desire for greater Truth and thus open their way to Perfect Enlightenment.
"My beloved innocents! The Declarer of the Truth expounds many sutras for the sake of liberating mortal beings. In them he may refer to himself when speaking of others, or refer to others when speaking of himself; he may appear to be one thing when in actuality he is something other, or appear to be something other when in actuality it is him; and, he may present his experiences as those of others, or present the experiences of others as his own. Nevertheless, have no doubt that every one of his words, appearances and experiences are utterly true and devoid of any false airs.
"Why is this necessary? The Declarer of the Truth uses such means to reveal the true nature of threefold time (i.e., past, present and future). From his eternally panoramic vantage, demarcations do not exist — neither that of birth nor death, neither that of existence nor extinction, neither that of substance nor empty space, neither that of singularity nor diversity. Mortals cannot see this as they experience the passing of time from their place within time. The Declarer of the Truth, however, clearly sees the true nature of all things without error.
"As mortal beings possess multifarious natures, desires, experiences, and ways of perceiving and distinguishing value, the Declarer of the Truth enables all of them to extend the roots of faith for the sake of their growth by devising multifarious actions, concepts, comparisons, parables, phrases and doctrines. Throughout all space-time he has never neglected his role as a buddha — even for a single moment.
"He has been doing so for as long as eternity. The actual age of his buddha-state, being so extreme, spans immeasurable numbers of lifetimes and extends over countless eons. And yet, never even once, during all that time, had the Declarer of the Truth chosen to depart the mortal world [for nirvana] in pursuit of his own extinction.
"My beloved innocents! While you may think that after eons of exerting selfless devotion one who attains the unsurpassed buddha-state retires into blissful extinction, the Declarer of the Truth now present before you declares that he plans to continue his presence here for more than twice as many eons as already have passed. In actuality, I hereby reveal to you that the nirvana a buddha refers to when he speaks of entering extinction is not real, as he always dwells in real nirvana. That former notion is yet another tactful method which he uses until mortal beings learn how to transform themselves into their true selves in the present moment.
"Why is this necessary? A buddha can not stay in the manifest world for too long, because it causes mortal minds to become spoiled. If they see him by their side for an indefinite time they grow complacent and neglect to deepen the root causes of goodness, development and enlightenment. Without realizing it, they become poor and in due course curse with anger their eventual birth into downtrodden lives. Caught in a downward spiral they cling to the temptations of avarice and become rooted in the obsessions of the five senses. They wind up twisted and warped by ignorance helplessly struggling in a net of delusions and distortions.
"A similar outcome would be likely if the Declarer of the Truth were to become ever-apparent — having ignored entry into extinction. Constantly faced with the presence of immortality the meek would develop an arrogant and aggrandized sense of self and aspiring seekers would lose their sense of urgency — resulting in their failure to progress. Therefore, it is critically important for mortals who accomplish the difficult task of encountering the Declarer of the Truth of Everlasting Life to recognize it as a supremely rare event to be honored with a reverent and seeking mind and never take it for granted. As such, the Declarer of the Truth tactfully reminds reverent followers that: ‘It is a rare privilege to be born at such a time and such a place that a buddha chooses to make his appearance.’
"Why is this necessary? Because across countless eons — a number that is beyond innumerable multiples of hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and myriads of millions — mortal beings are born countless times before some of them may chance a glimpse of such a buddha and then again countless lifetimes may pass during which some of them never experience such an encounter. That is why I say to my devoted followers: ‘Seeing the Declarer of the Truth of Everlasting Life is a rare event that is difficult to accomplish.’
"Hearing such an admonition, all mortal beings should appreciate the difficulty of encountering such a buddha and develop a longing for his appearance and a thirst for his teachings as these are vehicles for deepening the root causes of goodness, development and enlightenment.
"Whenever and wherever the Declarer of the Truth appears among mortal beings, some heed his teaching that extinction is not real. Others choose not to heed it. For their sake he sends the message that after entering extinction he will never return.
"My beloved innocents! Whenever and wherever a buddha appears as the Declarer of the Truth he uses this strategy in an effort to heal all mortal beings — both the fortunate and unfortunate. Have no doubt that this is his purpose. It is utterly true and devoid of any false airs."
"Imagine, if you will, that long ago there lived a masterful healer — wise and caring — particularly skilled in compounding elixirs capable of curing all manner of illness. This physician was father to a large family of pure-minded, innocent beings, said to number as many as ten, twenty, or possibly more than a hundred. On occassion he would leave them on their own for a period of time whenever some matter required his attention elsewhere. During one such time, while he was away in some far off place, his innocent children all drank from a concoction that had spoiled with age. It had turned into a toxic poison causing its victims to experience maddening hallucinations and unleashing such pain that they would drop to the ground writhing in agony.
"Their extraordinarily gifted parent had been able to view this disturbing scene with his mind’s eye as he hurried back to his homeland. Observing that his children had lost their senses, he ascertained that most had fallen into a deep state of illusion, while a few had managed to hold on to the last semblance of their pure reality. As he approached his residence, the healer’s children ran to greet him, excitedly kneeling before him and pleading: ‘Oh, dear father, we are so thankful that you have returned safely for in your absence we foolishly drank from a contaminated vessel. Please cure us all so that we may regain the innocent lives we have always enjoyed!’
"Identifying the perfect remedy for their suffering, the father begins its preparation by gathering the finest herbal components — each endowed with ideal qualities of color, odor and flavor. After he mills, purifies and carefully measures each ingredient, he combines them into an elixir and offers it to his children, saying: ‘The excellence of this antidote is testified to by its unsurpassed color, odor and flavor. As soon as you take it, you will be cured of your present suffering and immediately return to your natural state of good health.
"Quickly, the fortunate ones with their original pure senses still partially intact were able to discern the exquisite quality of the medicine — seeing its beautiful hue and smelling its pleasing fragrance. As soon as they took it, they immediately returned to their natural state of good health.
"However, the unfortunate ones with their original pure senses damaged refused to take the elixir. Although they had been among those who had greeted their father’s return with excitement and joined in imploring him to deliver them from suffering, the poison had penetrated their mind so deeply that they were no longer able to discern the value of his prescription. On the contrary, they were possessed by a demented aversion to the medicine — unable to see its beautiful hue or smell its pleasing fragrance.
"Their father laments: ‘Oh, my poor unfortunate innocents! Their affliction has caused them to lose control of their minds. While they may be gladdened by my return and ask me to save them from their distresses, they turn away from the effective cure I have made available to them.’ Concluding that for their sake he must devise a way to compel them to choose his formula, he makes the following announcement: ‘You should be aware, my dear ones, that when a body wears the signs of old age, it is an omen that the time of death is at hand. It is my final wish that all of you should take the excellent elixir I now leave here for you — without the slightest doubt about its powers .’ With these parting words he leaves again for a distant land and from there sends back a courier with a message that reads: ‘Your father has died.’
"Thus confronted with the news of their father’s passing, they are grief-stricken and remorseful. Obsessed with what will become of them now that he is gone, the sufferers mourn: ‘Now that our father is no longer alive, who will pity our painful lives? Who will rescue us from this world of enduring hardships? Who will care for us? Oh, dear father, why have you foresaken us? Our hopes have died with you in a distant land and now we are doomed to live out our lives as orphans without shelter or wisdom to rely upon.’
"Endlessly, they relive their desperate feelings until eventually they are confronted by the memory of their father’s legacy. Exhorted by his parting wish to take the extraordinary elixir of exquisite color, odor and flavor, they do so and immediately return to their natural state of good health.
"Receiving word abroad that all his children have been restored to their original pure state, their father makes haste to return home and reappears to the delight of all.
"Please, tell me, my dear innocents of this great assembly! Now that you have heard of the dilemma faced by the immortal healer of this parable, what do you say? Should he be condemned for lying about his death and abandoning all who are precious to him?"
[All replied:] "No, World-honored One!"
The Buddha declared: "I am like this immortal healer. I have dwelt in the buddha-state for an inconceivable and boundlessly remote span, numbering back more than ten-hundred-thousand-million-billions of eons. Throughout it all I have devoted myself to restoring mortal beings to their original state. Although I may tactfully employ expedient means — such as when I announce my impending entry into nirvana — given what is at stake, no one can accuse me of lying about my death or abandoning all who are precious to me!"
At that point the World-honored One, intending to expand on this matter, chose to expound this doctrine further through these verses:
[Gongyo part ‘C’]
"I who now speaks before you dwell
continuously in a buddha-state
whose source is so remote as to be
inconceivable and boundless;
I have dwelt in this state for so many eons that
their total span surpasses
untold multiples of ten-hundred-thousand-
million-billions and more.
Without interruption I devotedly illuminate the
True Reality of All Existence
guiding countless numbers of mortal beings to
transform their state-of-being
by inviting them into the vehicle of
Perfect Enlightenment
—throughout these incalculable eons.
"In the process of rescuing all mortal beings,
I may tactfully employ such expedient concepts
as nirvana,although in actuality I do not ever disappear into
timeless extinction.
Rather, I remain here always to reveal the Truth
in the present moment.
While I am inherently everpresent,
my transcendental identity is such that
mortal beings engrossed in various warped
states of illusion are unable to discern
my presence even though I
am as close as could be.
"The human population may believe that I no
longer abide in this world;
knowing me [under many names]
across many lands,
they make [various kinds of] offerings
at[various kinds of] shrines.
All of them yearn for me [to appear]
and thirstily pray that I deliver the hopes they
harbor in their hearts.
Whenever mortal beings are truly ready to
express an honest faith,
having cultivated demeanors characterized by
respectful behaviors
and pursued their purposes with gentle regard
for others,if they resolutely focus on [the true image of] the
Buddha [as he really is],
willing to forgo their mortal identities [for agreater one],
they can always see me in the company of this
sutra’s Buddhist assembly
as I appear at the sacred preaching ground of
Mount Vulture Peak.
"There and then, I appear and speak to all mortal
beings to announce:
that my life is omnipresent and everlasting;
that the power of my tactful strategies to
transform mortals is such that
I may appear to be extinct when that is required,
and not extinct at other times;
that when mortal beings living among the
far-spread regions of the cosmos
prove to be reverent at heart and in their
minds aspire to believe in Truth.
There I appear as one of them
To declare the Perfectly Endowed Reality.
"Anyone who is unaware of this,
can only believe that
I am extinct.
Those who believe so are mortals drowning in a
sea of suffering;
the reason why I do not appear to them
is that they have yet to develop a strong
enough desire to see me.
When their lives truly yearn for me,
I appear for them and unveil the True Reality of
All Existence.
Possessing the power to be anywhere at anytime,
For an eternity of eons
I am ever-present at Vulture Peak where my
sacred domain is revealed,
as well as omnipresent — simultaneously being
everywhere at once.
"As this mortal eon is born so must it end in the
distant future,
whereupon this mortal domain shall be
consumed on a great pyre.
By contrast my eternally tranquil light is
forever a haven
for all beings in the cosmos.
In it all come together as one.
Built of all that is ever envisioned
its palaces,pavilions, parks and gardens
are resplendent with precious wisdom-gems of
all colors and sizes.
Herein bejeweled trees of life produce an
abundance of fruit and blossoms
whose seeds are the cause of enlightenment and
fragrance is peace for all.
Herein cosmic forces pound their drums to
sound the laws of existence
ever concatenating the infinite expressions of
music that give life its diversity
Herein crimson flowers rain down from the
heavens in acknowledgment of
the everlasting presence of the Eternal Buddha
and all the assembled.
"This pure immortal domain of mine is an
indestructible Reality,
although it exists simultaneously in exactly the
same place as the mortal realm that burns with the flames
of distress and fear
and is filled at every corner with the cries of the suffering.
All these mortals are engrossed in continuous
misfortune
repeatedly planting the seeds of their own ruin
transmigrating for countless eons without ever encountering
my invaluable threefold secret of Everlasting Life.
Those fortunate ones who meet and embrace its virtues
are assured of peaceful and blissful demeanors.
These faithful all see me at this moment here
displaying the True Reality of Everlasting Life.
"For the sake of all manner of beings throughout
space-time I have expounded herein the view that a buddha’s
life is everlasting.
As you, who are now listening have met such a buddha,
you must be mindful of being among the
fortunate ones, indeed, to have merited such a rare honor and
accomplished so difficult a task.
You who encounter the illuminating
power of my eternal wisdom,
and now bathe in the infinitely brilliant rays of
my sage revelations
also can acquire such a fulfilling lifetime of
countless eons as I have
by devoting yourself for as long as it takes to
purifying all karma.
You who now cherish this eternal wisdom
should have no doubts about this!
There should not be any question left in your mind
as to whether the Eternal Buddha’s words are true or false.
"I am like the masterful healer in the parable.
Because he tactfully uses whatever means
necessary to cure his stricken children,
he sends word of his death even though he is
actually alive.
Nevertheless, no one can accuse him of lying or abandon.
Likewise, I am the father of this mortal world
ever healing the miserable of their sufferings and
afflictions.
Here where people as a matter of course lose
control of their minds
I appear to be absent even though I am ever-present.
If seeing me was easy,all mortals would be spoiled by arrogance and
self-aggrandizement.
Thinking that they are immortal and as such
can do anything they wished,
they would become rooted in the obsessions of
the five senses
and inured in the lowly ways of violence,avarice,
anger, and selfishness.
"I am forever tuned in to all mortal beings,
those who choose the noble path,
and those who do otherwise.
Guiding them patiently as is appropriate for
their salvation
I appear here and there as one or another
preacher
expounding different doctrines to further their
advancement.
Throughout it all, I keep one constant thought in
my mind:
‘How can I cause all mortal beings
to meet the Perfectly Endowed Reality of Everlasting Life
so that immediately they may obtain Perfect Enlightenment equal to my own.’"
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