The Lotus Sutra
Chapter 16: Eternal Lifespan of Tathagata
Overview Summary
| Section 1:
Paragraphs 1─16 |
The Buddha declares three times to urge the bodhisattvas in the assembly to believe in his teaching. With Bodhisattva Maitreya as the leader, the great multitude of bodhisattvas respond three times by entreating the Buddha to teach and affirm the Buddha of their faith in accepting the Buddha’s teaching.
The Buddha uses the analogy of the incalculable dust particles to illustrate the remotely long period of time since his attainment of Buddhahood. The Buddha reveals the truth of his eternal lifespan and that he has never entered parinirvana. Simply put, it is only an expedient method used by the Buddha to announce his parinirvana so as to inspire his disciples to cherish a longing heart for the Buddha and a seeking spirit for his Dharma.
The Buddha reveals the true aspects of all phenomena in the Threefold World—there is no birth or death, no ebbing or arising, etc. In other words, the ultimate truth is that of the Dharma of Emptiness.
|
| Section 2:
Paragraphs 1─10 |
Parable of a Skillful Doctor
There is a wise and skillful doctor who is also the father of many children. One day when the father is away, his children unwittingly consume some poison. When the father is back, his deranged children implore him to heal them. As such, he concocts the most outstanding medicine to save his children. Some children immediately take the medicine and are cured but some simply refuse to take the medicine. Hence, the father resorts to an alternative method. He tells his children he is old and dying and urges them to take the medicines. He then travels again and sends back a message about his sudden demise. The children are devastated upon hearing the news. Finally, the adamant ones take the medicine and are completed cured. Once the father knows that his children are restored to health, he returns home to them once more.
Key Messages The Buddha is the father and a skillful doctor who employs various expedient methods so that his children of varying capacities, natures, and desires will eventually be able to attain Buddhahood.
The ultimate truth is that a Buddha-Tathagata is a compassionate supreme being who has an eternal lifespan. This means that Life, in its very essence, is everlasting.
|
| Section 3:
Paragraphs 1─23 |
Shakyamuni Buddha speaks in poetic stanzas to summarize the parable and the eternal lifespan of Tathagata. |
Section 1: Paragraphs 1─16
1.1 At that moment, the Buddha addressed the bodhisattvas and the rest of the great assembly, saying: “O virtuous men! Have faith and understand the truthful words of Tathagata!” Again he repeated to the great assembly: “Have faith and understand the truthful words of Tathagata!” Once again, he reiterated to the great assembly: “Have faith and understand the truthful words of Tathagata!”
1.2 Then the great multitude of bodhisattvas, with Maitreya as the leader, pressed their palms together and replied to the Buddha: “O Lord of the World! We entreat you to expound the Dharma for us! All of us will faithfully believe and accept the words of the Buddha!” They repeated this three times, saying: “We entreat you to expound the Dharma for us! All of us will faithfully believe and accept the words of the Buddha!”
1.3 Thereupon, knowing that the bodhisattvas had requested three times consecutively, the Lord of the World proclaimed: “O disciples! Listen carefully to the mystical and divine powers of Tathagata! All heavenly gods, humans, and asuras in the entire Universe believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, who left the palace of Shakya not far from the city of Gaya, attained Supreme Perfect Enlightenment at the sanctuary of the Way. O virtuous men! In truth, however, it has been immeasurably boundless hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of nayuta kalpas since I became a Buddha.
1.4 “Suppose you are to grind five hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of nayuta asamkhya of trichiliocosm to dust. While passing through the five hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of nayuta asamkhya worlds in the east, you deposit one speck of dust. In the same way, you continue depositing the dust until you have finished depositing all the dust. O virtuous men! Do you think the total number of the worlds could be precisely counted?”
1.5 Bodhisattva Maitreya replied to the Buddha: “O Lord of the World! The worlds are immeasurably boundless. It is beyond calculation and measurement, beyond the power of the mind to understand. All shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, despite their impeccable wisdom, are unable to perceive the exact number. Although we abide in the stage of avivartika, we could not completely comprehend such a matter. O Lord of the World! The worlds are immeasurably boundless.”
1.6 Thereupon, the Buddha addressed the great multitude of bodhisattvas, saying: “O virtuous men! Now I am going to proclaim this. All the worlds, whether a particle of dust has been deposited or not, are reduced to dust once more. Assuming that one particle of dust represents one kalpa, the time since I became a Buddha far exceeds hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of nayuta asamkhya kalpas. Since then, I have always been in this Saha world, teaching and transforming living beings. At the same time, I have also guided and benefited living beings in the hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of nayuta asamkhya of other lands.
1.7 “O virtuous men! In the midst of my teaching, I mentioned Buddhas such as Blazing Lantern Buddha and also described their entering of nirvana. I used the expedient methods to make a distinction in my teaching.
1.8 “O virtuous men! If there are living beings who approach me, I will use my Buddha’s eyes to observe their faith and assess their faculties. Then, depending on the capacity and degree of receptiveness of each individual, I will adapt my approach of salvation accordingly. I will appear in many places and expound to them under different names or different age groups. Sometimes, I will also speak about my entering of nirvana. Moreover, I expound the exquisitely Marvelous Dharma using a myriad of expedient methods for the happiness of all living beings.
1.9 “O virtuous men! Tathagata observes that most living beings are fond of inferior teachings. For those who have little virtue and are heavily loaded with filthy sins, I teach them about my leaving home as a young man and my subsequent attainment of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. Yet in truth, I have already attained Buddhahood in the remote past. In other words, I am simply using the expedient methods to teach and transform living beings so as to lead them to enter the Buddha-Way.
1.10 “O virtuous men! All sutras expounded by Tathagata are for the purpose of the salvation of living beings. Sometimes I speak of myself, sometimes of others; sometimes I appear as myself; sometimes as others; sometimes I demonstrate my actions, sometimes the actions of others; but all that I say is nothing but the absolute truth.
1.11 “Why is this so? Because Tathagata completely perceives the true characteristics of the Threefold World as they are: there is no birth or death, no ebbing or arising. Neither is there present existence and subsequent extinction, substantial reality or fictitious imagination, same or different. These characteristics of realities are not what one perceives them to be while living in the Threefold World. Tathagata has clearly and unmistakably seen all these.
1.12 “As a result of various natures, desires, actions, and the cognitive capabilities of living beings, I use a set of tools such as causes and conditions, parables, similes, and various figures of speech to expound a litany of doctrines, leading them to cultivate virtuous roots. These are the Buddha-works that I have never neglected even for a moment.
1.13 “It has been an immensely long period of time since I became a Buddha. My lifespan is immeasurable asamkhya kalpas. Eternal and immortal, I have always been dwelling here without ever entering parinirvana.
1.14 “O virtuous men! Initially I practiced the bodhisattva way; my acquired lifespan had not been exhausted but was twice as long as the number previously mentioned. However, now although in truth I do not actually enter parinirvana, I declare that I do. This is only an expedient method through which Tathagata teaches and transforms all living beings.
1.15 “Why is this so? Because if the Buddha has been living in the world for a long time, people with shallow merits will stop cultivating virtuous roots, resulting in poverty and lowliness. Greedily attached to the five desires, they will be trapped in the nets of delusions. If they see that Tathagata is immortal without ever passing on, arrogance and selfishness will arise, resulting in discouragement and idleness. Hence, failing to realize how difficult it is to meet the Buddha, they will not approach the Buddha with respect and reverence.
1.16 “As such, Tathagata uses the expedient method to teach, saying: ‘O monks! You should understand that it is rare for a Buddha to appear in the world.’ Why is this so? Because people of shallow merits may go through immeasurable hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of kalpas with or without having the opportunity to meet a Buddha. Hence I say this to them: ‘O monks! It is difficult to meet a Buddha.’ Upon hearing this, living beings will realize the rarity of encountering a Buddha. In this way, they will cultivate virtuous roots by cherishing an admiring heart that longs for the Buddha. Herein lies the reason for Tathagata to proclaim his parinirvana, despite the fact that he has never actually entered parinirvana.”
Section 2: Paragraphs 1─10
2.1 “Again O virtuous men! All Buddhas-Tathagatas expound the Dharma in an identical way. All teachings are the absolute truth for the sake of saving living beings. Suppose there was a skillful doctor who was wise and sagacious. Accomplished in the art of medicine, he was ingenious in concocting various medicines for different types of illnesses. He had many children, perhaps ten, twenty, or even hundreds of them. One day, he had to travel overseas to the other lands because of some business matters. Shortly after his departure, his children unwittingly drank some poison. They became deranged and delirious when the poison started to take effect. Collapsing on the ground, they writhed in unspeakable pain and agony.
2.2 “When the father returned home, he discovered that his children were afflicted by the poison. Some of them were totally out of their minds, while others were not. Seeing that their father had returned home from a faraway land, all of them were overjoyed. Kneeling down, they implored: ‘How wonderful it is to see you returning home safely! We are ignorant for unknowingly drinking some poison. May you please heal us and extend our lives!’
2.3 “When the father saw his children experiencing such excruciating pains, he concocted outstanding medicine using various prescriptions. Choosing the finest medicinal herbs that meet all requirements of color, fragrance, and flavor, he then grinded, sifted, and blended them together. Thereafter, he gave the medicine to his children and said: ‘This is an outstanding medicine! It meets the requirements of color, fragrance, and flavor. Take the medicine and you shall be cured of all pains forever.’
2.4 “Those children who had not lost their senses were still able to recognize the medicine as superb in both color and fragrance. They immediately took the medicine and were completely healed. However, the rest of those who were out of their minds—despite their joy in seeing their father’s return and having requested the healing of their illnesses—stubbornly refused to take the medicine. Why? Because the poison had already penetrated too deeply into their minds. Although the medicine was supreme in both color and fragrance, they were unable to perceive it as an outstanding medicine.
2.5 “The father reflected thus: ‘My poor children! Their minds are totally muddled because of the poison! Much as they are delighted to see me and have requested me to heal them, they refuse to take the outstanding medicine. Now, I must resort to the expedient methods to convince them in taking the medicine.’
2.6 “He said to them: ‘You should understand that I am already old and my days are numbered. I will leave this outstanding medicine here with you. You should take it without having to worry about its effectiveness.’ After giving the advice, he traveled to another land and ordered his messenger to send the following news back home: ‘Your father is dead.’
2.7 “Meanwhile, when the children heard about their father’s sudden demise, they were devastated, thinking: ‘If our father was still around, he would have compassionately saved and protected us! But now, he has passed on in a distant land.’
2.8 “The children became orphans. With no one to rely upon and grief-stricken, they finally came to their senses. Realizing that the medicine was indeed outstanding in color, fragrance, and flavor, the remaining children eventually took the medicine and were completely cured. Knowing that his children were healed, their father immediately returned home to them once more.”
2.9 “O virtuous men! Has this skillful doctor committed any falsehood?”
“No, Lord of the World.”
2.10 The Buddha said: “This is the same with me. It has been immeasurably boundless hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of nayuta asamkhya kalpas since I attained Buddhahood. But for the salvation of living beings, I apply the power of expedient methods by declaring my parinirvana. However, no one can claim that I have committed any falsehood in accordance with the Dharma.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanzas:
Section 3: Paragraphs 1─23
3.1 “Since I attained Buddhahood,
immeasurable hundreds of thousands
of millions of billions
of asamkhya kalpas have passed.
3.2 “Through the immeasurable kalpas,
I have always been teaching and transforming
innumerable billions of living beings,
leading them to enter the Buddha-Way.
3.3 “For the purpose of saving living beings,
as an expedient method, I appear to have entered nirvana.
Yet in truth, I have never entered parinirvana.
I have always been here, preaching the Dharma.
3.4 “I have always been here, living among all of you.
With my divine powers,
living beings are unable to see me
even though they are so close to me.
3.5 “When living beings witnessed my parinirvana,
they gave offerings to my relics widely.
With loving hearts of admiration,
they gazed at me longingly.
3.6 “When all living beings have become
faithful, honest, and gentle,
wholeheartedly wishing to meet the Buddha,
even at the cost of sacrificing their own lives,
a community of monks and I
will gather at Eagle Peak.
I will then declare to all living beings:
‘I have always been here, without entering parinirvana.’
3.7 “Because of the expedient methods,
sometimes I appear extinct, sometimes not.
If there are living beings in other regions
who are joyfully and reverently faithful,
I will also live among them,
expounding the unsurpassed Dharma for them.
3.8 “If you had not heard this teaching,
you would think I had entered parinirvana.
I see all living beings
being drowned in the sea of suffering.
Hence I choose not to reveal myself
so that living beings will cherish a longing heart for me.
Because of their admiration,
I will expound the Dharma for them.
3.9 “Such are my divine powers—
for asamkhya kalpas,
I have always resided at Eagle Peak
as well as many other regions.
3.10 “When all living beings witness the end of a kalpa,
razed by the inferno of great fire,
only my land will be at peace,
teeming with heavenly and human beings.
3.11 “Parks, gardens, and palaces
are gloriously adorned with a bevy of precious treasures,
jeweled trees, and various types of fruits and flowers,
a marvelous place for living beings to have pleasures.
3.12 “Heavenly gods strike the celestial drums,
always performing many wonderful songs.
Mandarava flowers are showered
upon the Buddha and the great assembly.
3.13 “My pure land will not be ruined,
yet it appears to people as if it is being ravaged by fire.
Anxiety, misery, and fear
are pervasive all over.
3.14 “The sinful living beings,
because of their unwholesome karma,
have not heard the name of the Three Treasures
for asamkhya kalpas.
3.15 “Those who have cultivated virtues and merits,
gentle, upright, and receptive,
will all be able to see me
expounding the Dharma right here.
3.16 “At this assembly,
I reveal the immeasurable lifespan of a Buddha.
Because one will only meet a Buddha after a long time,
I teach how difficult it is to encounter a Buddha.
3.17 “The powers of my insight are as such—
the illuminating light of wisdom
and the innumerable kalpas of lifespan
are the results of immeasurable ages of cultivation.
3.18 “My disciples, the people of wisdom!
Cast aside your doubts
and forever eliminate them!
For the Buddha-words are the absolute truth!
3.19 “Like a skillful doctor who uses the expedient methods
to treat his deranged children.
He declares that he is dead
but no one can allege him of deception.
3.20 “I am the Father of the World,
who saves many suffering people.
For those who are befuddled,
I declare that I am gone but I am still alive.
3.21 “Because if they were to always see me,
arrogance would arise in their hearts.
Indulging in the five desires,
they would fall into the evil paths.
3.22 “Always, I understand all living beings,
those who are practicing the Way and those who are not.
Thus I adapt my teaching appropriate to their understanding
by expounding the various doctrines.
3.23 “Every day, I am thinking:
‘How can I lead all living beings
to enter the unsurpassed Way
and quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?’”
Action #1: Be a Patron of Lotus Happiness
Action #2: Buy the Book at the Amazon
