The Lotus Sutra
Chapter 19: Merits of the Dharma Teachers
Overview Summary
| Section 1:
Paragraphs 1─6 |
Shakyamuni Buddha teaches about the merits to be gained for the six senses—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—by the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra. The merits gained are able to purify the six senses. The eight hundred merits for the eyes enable the Dharma Teachers to witness the magnificence of the world in its grandeur.
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| Section 2:
Paragraphs 1─17 |
The twelve hundred merits for the ears enable the Dharma Teachers to hear a medley of voices and sounds.
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| Section 3:
Paragraphs 1─35 |
The eight hundred merits for the nose enable the Dharma Teachers to experience a variety of delightful scents.
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| Section 4:
Paragraphs 1─12 |
The twelve hundred merits for the tongue enable the Dharma Teachers to taste delicious food as well as to speak with melodious voices capable of joyously expounding the Dharma. |
| Section 5:
Paragraphs 1─8 |
The eight hundred merits for the body transform the bodies of the Dharma Teachers into a “mirror” that reflects the realities of life in the world.
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| Section 6:
Paragraphs 1─10 |
The twelve hundred merits for the mind enable the Dharma Teachers to have supreme understanding of the Dharma, resulting in effective preaching to the assembly of followers.
Key Messages The merits received by the ears, tongue, and the mind are twelve hundred in number while the merits received by the eyes, nose, and body are eight hundred. From the amount of merits received, we are able to deduce that the ears, tongue, and mind are relatively more important than the eyes, nose, and body.
Hence, we as humans, should always strive to use our ears to listen with a view to gain a deeper understanding of people, use our tongues to speak words of kindness and encouragement, and lastly use our minds to practice wisdom in our lives.
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Section 1: Paragraphs 1─6
1.1 At that time, the Buddha spoke to Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Ever Diligent: “If there are virtuous men and women who accept and embrace the Lotus Sutra by reading, reciting, explaining, expounding, copying, or transcribing it, these people will receive eight hundred merits for the eyes, twelve hundred merits for the ears, eight hundred merits for the nose, twelve hundred merits for the tongue, eight hundred merits for the body, and twelve hundred merits for the mind. These merits serve to adorn, cleanse, and purify their six senses.
1.2 “With pure physical eyes given by their parents at birth, these virtuous men and women will be able to view all phenomena in trichiliocosm—from the lowest of Avichi hell to the highest of Akanishtha heaven—such as mountains, forests, rivers, and oceans. They will be able to observe all living beings and understand causes and conditions created by their actions and deeds, resulting in the varying states of birth.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanza:
1.3 “If there are people in the great assembly
who are able to preach the Lotus Sutra
fearlessly and courageously,
Listen! These are their merits gained as a result.
1.4 “These people will receive
eight hundred merits for superior eyes.
Their eyes will be purified and cleansed
because of the adornment of merits.
1.5 “With the eyes received from their parents,
they will be able to view the phenomena
in trichiliocosm—
down to the lowest of Avichi hell
and up to the highest of Akanishtha heaven—
such as all of Mount Meru,
Mount Sumeru, and Iron Encircling Mountain,
as well as other mountains and forests,
great oceans, rivers, and streams.
1.6 “They will be able to view and understand
all beings living within.
Although they have not developed the celestial eyes,
the power of their physical eyes will be as mentioned.”
Section 2: Paragraphs 1─17
2.1 “O Ever Diligent! Moreover, if there are virtuous men and women who accept and embrace the Lotus Sutra by reading, reciting, explaining, expounding, copying, or transcribing it, they will gain twelve hundred merits for the ears. Because of their pure ears, they will be able to hear a galaxy of languages, words, voices, and sounds everywhere in all of the trichiliocosm—from the lowest of Avichi hell to the highest of Akanishtha heaven. They will also be able to hear the sounds of elephant, horse, cow, carriage, sobbing, lamentation, conch, drum, gong, bell, laughter, speech, man, woman, boy, girl, the Dharma, non-Dharma, suffering, pleasure, common people, holy man, happiness, unhappiness, god, dragon, yaksha, gandharva, asura, garuda, kimnara, mahoraga, fire, water, wind, hell, animal, hungry spirit, monk, nun, shravaka, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, and Buddha.
2.2 “In essence, although these people have yet to develop celestial ears, with the pure physical ears given by their parents, they will be able to hear and understand all voices and sounds everywhere in trichiliocosm. They will be able to differentiate the varying voices and sounds without impairing their hearing faculties.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanzas:
2.3 “The ears given by their parents
will be clean and pure with no impurities.
With the ordinary ears, they will hear
the sounds of trichiliocosm.
2.4 “The sounds of elephant, horse, carriage, and cow;
the sounds of gong, bell, conch, and drum;
the sounds of zither, lute, and harp;
the sounds of pipe and flute.
2.5 “They will be able to listen
to the sound of pure and lovely music
without being mesmerized.
They will completely understand by listening
to the countless languages from human voices.
2.6 “Furthermore, they will be able to hear heavenly sounds,
exquisite music and songs,
voices of men and women,
voices of young boys and girls.
2.7 “They will be able to hear
the sounds of kalavinka birds,
jivakajivaka, and other avians
in the midst of mountains, gorges, and rivers.
2.8 “The sounds of bitter suffering in the hell,
various voices of grievous pains—
the sounds of hungry spirits
being driven from hunger and thirst,
the sounds of begging for food and drink.
2.9 “The asuras
who live on the shores of great oceans,
the sounds of their conversations
and their thunderous bellow.
2.10 “Dharma Teachers
who dwell peacefully in the midst
will be able to hear the voices of the multitudes from afar
without impairing their hearing faculties.
2.11 “Dharma Teachers
will be able to hear
a medley of sounds of birds and beasts
in the worlds everywhere in the ten directions.
2.12 “Dharma Teachers dwelling here
will be able to hear
voices and sounds
from the Brahma heaven,
Abhasvara heaven, and Subhakritsna heaven,
up to the highest of Akanishtha heaven.
2.13 “Dharma Teachers dwelling here
will be able to hear
voices of the multitude of
monks and nuns
reading and reciting,
teaching and preaching the Lotus Sutra.
2.14 “Again, they will be able to hear
the voices and sounds
of bodhisattvas,
reading and reciting,
teaching, preaching, compiling the works,
and explaining the meaning of the Lotus Sutra.
2.15 “Those people who embrace the Lotus Sutra
will be able to hear
the Buddha, the Great Venerable Sage,
teaching and transforming living beings
in the midst of the great assembly,
expounding the exquisitely Marvelous Dharma.
2.16 “They will be able to hear
without harming their hearing faculties
all the inner and outer parts of voices and sounds
in trichiliocosm,
down from the Avichi hell
and up to the Akanishtha heaven.
2.17 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra,
even though they have not gained celestial ears,
will be able to differentiate
various voices and sounds
through the superior ears given by their parents at birth.
These are the merits they will receive for their ears.”
Section 3: Paragraphs 1─35
3.1 “O Ever Diligent! Moreover, if there are virtuous men and women who accept and embrace the Lotus Sutra by reading, reciting, explaining, expounding, copying, or transcribing it, they will be able to accomplish eight hundred merits for the nose. Because of their pure noses, they will be able to detect a myriad of scents and fragrances everywhere in trichiliocosm—in the top and bottom, inner and outer worlds. The enchanting fragrances of the sumana flower, jatika flower, mallika flower, champaka flower, patala flower, red lotus flower, blue lotus flower, white lotus flower, flowering trees, fruit trees, sandalwood, aloe wood, tamalapatra, and tagara, as well as incense mixed from thousands of millions of ingredients in the form of powder, pellets, or paste—those who accept and embrace the Lotus Sutra will be able to differentiate the variety of scents while dwelling here on Earth.
3.2 “Furthermore, they will be able to distinguish odors of living beings such as elephants, horses, oxen, sheep, etc.; scents of men, women, young boys, young girls; and the aromas of plants, trees, thickets, and forests. Regardless of distance—be it far or near—they will be able to discern varying odors and distinguish them accurately.
3.3 “Those who uphold the Lotus Sutra, despite dwelling here on Earth, will also be able to discern fragrances in the heavens above. The scents of parijataka and kovidara trees, mandarava flower, great mandarava flower, manjushaka flower, great manjushaka flower, sandalwood, aloe, and various kinds of powdered incense and blended incense made of an array of celestial flowers—they will be able to discern all these without fail.
3.4 “They will also be able to discern the aromas from the bodies of heavenly gods. The scent when Lord Shakra enjoys himself and having his five desires gratified in his marvelous palace, or the scent when he expounds the Dharma for the thirty-three gods of Trayastrimsha in the Hall of the Marvelous Dharma, or the scent when he plays leisurely in his gardens, as well as the scent from the bodies of male and female heavenly gods—they will be able to discern and perceive all these from afar.
3.5 “In the same way, their levels of olfactory perception will be extended up to the Brahma heaven or even higher up to Akanishtha heaven. They will be able to discern the bodily scent of heavenly gods and celestial incense burnt in the heavens. Furthermore, they will also be able to recognize the presence of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas by perceiving their bodily scents from afar.
3.6 “Even though they are able to discern these scents, their olfactory organs will not be impaired. If they wish to discriminate one scent from another and describe them for others, they will be able to do so accurately.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanzas:
3.7 “Because of their pure olfactory organs,
they will be able to discern all odors,
be it fragrant or foul,
in the midst of the worlds.
3.8 “The aromas of sumana and jatika flowers,
tamalapatra and sandalwood,
aloes and cassia,
and various fragrant flowers and fruit.
3.9 “Though Dharma Teachers dwell at a distance,
they will be able to discern
the presence of men and women
through their distinctive bodily scents.
3.10 “They will scent the presence
of the powerful King of Wheel-Turning,
the lesser King of Wheel-Turning,
together with their children, ministers, and palace attendants.
3.11 “They will scent the presence
of the treasures of King of Wheel-Turning,
the rare jewels worn by him,
underground treasures, and his precious queen.
3.12 “They will identify people
through the scents of ornaments,
necklaces, garments,
and an assortment of perfumes worn by them.
3.13 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra
will be able to scent the activities of the heavenly gods
whether they are walking or sitting,
amusing themselves, or performing magical tricks.
3.14 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra on Earth
will be able to identify the locations
of flowers and the fruit of various trees and butter oils
through their distinctive aromas and fragrances.
3.15 “They will scent the presence
of living beings dwelling in the midst of
deep and perilous mountains—
places where flowers of sandalwood trees bloom in abundance.
3.16 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra
will scent the presence of living beings
dwelling in the midst of Iron Encircling Mountain,
which is surrounded by the great oceans.
3.17 “They will scent the presence
of squabbles and amusements
between men and women of asuras
and their relatives and attendants.
3.18 “They will scent the location of
prairies or ravines,
lions, elephants, tigers, wolves,
bisons, buffaloes, and the rest.
3.19 “They will know by scenting
if the baby in a pregnant woman
is a boy or a girl
or whether the baby is abnormal or non-human.
3.20 “Through the power of scent,
they will know in the early stages of pregnancy
if the woman will be successfully
giving birth to a fortune baby with peace and joy.
3.21 “Through the power of scent
they will perceive the thoughts of men and women
whether they are contaminated
with desires, foolishness, or anger,
or practicing kindness and virtue.
3.22 “They will use scent to determine
the location where the hidden underground treasures
such as gold, silver, or bronze and various precious gems
are in profusion.
3.23 “They will use scent to determine
the origin, location, and value of various necklaces,
whether they are precious or worthless,
even before the appraisal is completed.
3.24 “They will use scent to identify
various flowers in the heavens
such as mandarava and manjushaka flowers,
as well as parijataka trees.
3.25 “By scenting a cornucopia of jeweled flowers
they will determine the grades of adornment—
be it superior, mediocre, or inferior—
of the various heavenly palaces.
3.26 “They will use scent to discern
those who are enjoying themselves
in the heavenly gardens or splendid palaces,
the observatories as well as the Hall of the Marvelous Dharma.
3.27 “They will use scent to discern
if heavenly gods are listening to the preaching of the Dharma,
indulging in the five desires,
walking to and fro, sitting or lying down.
3.28 “They will use scent to perceive
heavenly maidens having fun playing in circles
from the floral fragrances emitted by
their lovely celestial dresses.
3.29 “They will use scent to know
if someone has entered or left meditation,
if his meditative level has spiraled in ascending order
up to the Brahma heavens.
3.30 “They will use scent to know
those who are born for the first time
or those who have departed in the heavens—
Abhasvara, Subhakritsna, or Akanishtha heaven.
3.31 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra
are able to know by scenting,
the location of a multitude of monks
who are earnestly practicing the Dharma
by reading or reciting the Lotus Sutra
while sitting or walking around,
or by practicing seated meditation with focus
under trees in the forests.
3.32 “They will use scent to perceive bodhisattvas,
who are firm in aspiration,
practicing seated meditation,
as well as reading, reciting, and teaching the Lotus Sutra.
3.33 “They will use scent to perceive
the omnipresent Lord of the World,
who is revered by all living beings,
preaching the Dharma out of compassion for all living beings.
3.34 “They will use scent to perceive
living beings in the presence of the Buddha
who rejoice upon hearing the Lotus Sutra
and practice in accordance with the Dharma.
3.35 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra,
although they have not obtained
the immaculate olfactory organs
typically owned by bodhisattvas,
will first acquire the olfactory organs as described above.”
Section 4: Paragraphs 1─12
4.1 “O Ever Diligent! In addition, if there are virtuous men or women who accept and embrace the Lotus Sutra by reading, reciting, explaining, expounding, copying, or transcribing it, they will obtain twelve hundred merits for the tongue. Regardless of whether the food is pleasant or unpleasant, sweet or not sweet, bitter or astringent, their tongues will transform these into a superior taste as sweet and delightful as the celestial sweet dew. With their tongues, they are able to expound in the midst of the great assembly through an exceptionally sonorous voice that is capable of penetrating minds and bringing joy for all.
4.2 “When the heavenly sons and daughters, Lord Shakra, King Brahma, and other heavenly gods hear the exceptionally sonorous voice preaching the Dharma in a systematic manner, they will all gather to listen. Dragons and dragon daughters, yakshas and yaksha daughters, gandharvas and gandharva daughters, asuras and asura daughters, garudas and garuda daughters, kimnaras and kimnara daughters, and mahoragas and mahoraga daughters will assemble closely around the Dharma Teachers in order to listen to the Dharma. They will also give reverence and offerings to the teachers.
4.3 “Monks, nuns, lay male disciples, lay female disciples, kings, princes, ministers and their retinue, small wheel-turning kings, and great wheel-turning kings with their seven-treasure thousands of children as well as their followers will travel via their palaces to listen to the Dharma. The skillful preaching of bodhisattvas will result in lifelong support from the Brahmans, householders, and ordinary citizens.
4.4 “Again, shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas will always be delighted to meet them. Irrespective of where they are, all Buddhas will face in that direction whenever they expound the Dharma. This is because they are able to accept and embrace all the Buddhas’ doctrines and speak in a deeply sonorous voice.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanzas:
4.5 “Because of their pure tongues,
they will not experience any unpleasant tastes.
All the food they consume
will become as sweet as the dew.
4.6 “Speaking in a deep, pure, and mellifluous voice
they will expound the Dharma to the great assembly
by using causal explanation and parables
to mold the minds of all living beings,
bringing joy to those who hear the Dharma.
These people, in return, will give them the finest offerings.
4.7 “Heavenly gods, dragons, and yaksas
as well as asuras
will gather together to listen to the Dharma
with reverent hearts.
4.8 “If there are people who wish to expound the Dharma
using their wonderful voice
that is capable of permeating all the
trichiliocosm,
they are able to do so at will.
4.9 “The small and great Kings of Wheel-Turning,
and their thousands of children and followers
will always come over to listen to and accept the Dharma,
with pressed palms and reverent hearts.
4.10 “Heavenly gods, dragons, yakshas,
rakshasas, and pishachas
will always give offerings
delightfully.
4.11 “All heavenly gods such as
heavenly King Brahma and King Mara,
Ishvara and Maheshvara,
will always arrive at their places.
4.12 “Upon hearing the voices of their preaching,
the Buddhas and their disciples
will always remember to protect them,
and at times reveal themselves to them.”
Section 5: Paragraphs 1─8
5.1 “O Ever Diligent! Furthermore, if there are virtuous men and women who accept and embrace the Lotus Sutra by reading, reciting, explaining, expounding, copying, and transcribing it, they will obtain eight hundred merits for their bodies. Their bodies will be as pure as lapis lazuli, a delightful sight for all living beings. As a result of their pure bodies, all living beings in trichiliocosm—whether they are born or pass away in the upper or lower realms, with lovely or unsightly demeanors, amidst favorable or unfavorable circumstances—will all be reflected in their bodies.
5.2 “Iron Encircling Mountain, Great Iron Encircling Mountain, Mount Meru, and Mount Mahameru, as well as living beings in the midst will all be reflected. Living beings down from the Avichi hell and up to the Akanishtha heaven will all be reflected, too. The bodily forms and shapes of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas who expound the Dharma will all be reflected in their bodies as well.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanzas:
5.3 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra
will have bodies as pure as
lapis lazuli of the most crystal clear,
an endearing sight for all living beings.
5.4 “It is as pure as a clear mirror,
in which forms and shapes are reflected.
Bodhisattvas in their pure bodies
will be able to view everything in the world.
They alone will be able to understand
when the rest are unable to see.
5.5 “Amid trichiliocosm,
the forms and shapes of
new living beings—
be they heavenly gods, humans, or asuras,
those in the state of Hell, Hungry Spirit, or Beast—
will all be reflected in their bodies.
5.6 “Heavenly palaces
up to the Akanishtha heaven,
Iron Encircling Mountain, Mount Meru,
and Mount Mahameru,
as well as various great oceans,
will all be reflected in their bodies.
5.7 “The Buddhas and shravakas,
children of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas,
whether they are alone
or preaching the Dharma among the assembly,
will all be reflected in their bodies.
5.8 “Even though they have not achieved
the immaculate bodies of the Dharma,
all the phenomena will be reflected
on their pure but ordinary bodies.”
Section 6: Paragraphs 1─10
6.1 “O Ever Diligent! Furthermore, after the parinirvana of Tathagata, if there are virtuous men or women who accept and embrace the Lotus Sutra by reading, reciting, explaining, expounding, copying, or transcribing it, they will gain twelve hundred merits for their minds. Because of their pure minds, even if they should hear only one stanza or one phrase of the Lotus Sutra, they will master the immeasurably boundless meanings of the Dharma. Once they understand the meanings, they will be able to expound one phrase or one stanza for a month, for four months, or for a year. The doctrines they expound will abide by the Dharma and will never be contrary to the true reality of natural phenomena.
6.2 “If they were to explain using secular texts or speak on matters in the areas of politics, investment, or enterprises, they will comply with the principles of the True Dharma. Although they have yet to develop complete and perfect wisdom, because of their absolutely pure minds, they will be able to understand the motives and behaviors of all living beings in the six paths of existence in trichiliocosm. Their ways of thinking and spoken words will be consistent with the Buddha-Dharmas as well as the sutras expounded by former Buddhas, without deviating from the truth.”
Thereupon, the Lord of the World, wishing to reiterate his meaning, proclaimed in stanzas:
6.3 “Pure are the minds of these people,
bright, sharp, and without defilement.
With such wonderful minds as the foundation,
they will be able to understand
the superior, mediocre, and inferior Dharma.
Even if they hear only one stanza or one phrase,
they will be able to master the immeasurable meanings
and expound the Dharma systematically
for one month, four months, or a year.
6.4 “As a result of embracing the Lotus Sutra,
they will be able to understand instantly
the various thoughts and intentions
of all living beings
dwelling in the six paths of existence,
the inner and outer worlds in which
heavenly gods, dragons, humans,
yaksas, ghosts, and spirits are dwelling.
6.5 “With their appearances being adorned
with hundreds of good fortunes,
similar to the innumerable Buddhas in the ten directions,
they are capable of preaching to all living beings
who are able to accept and embrace their teachings.
6.6 “Because they embrace the Lotus Sutra
they will never forget stanzas from the alpha to the omega.
Because they are able to ponder the immeasurable meanings,
they will also be able to expound the Dharma
in immeasurable ways.
6.7 “Having understood the natures of phenomena,
perceived the systematic workings of the Dharma,
and grasped various terminologies and languages,
the Dharma Teachers are able to preach
flexibly using the knowledge acquired.
The Dharma they expound will comply with
the Dharma expounded by former Buddhas.
Because they follow the principles in such a manner,
they are able to preach in the great assembly without fear.
6.8 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra
will have pure mental faculties.
Although they have not attained
the stage of immaculate perfection,
they will manifest the signs as described above.
6.9 “Those who embrace the Lotus Sutra
will dwell peacefully in an extraordinary place,
being adored, respected, and rejoiced
by all living beings.
6.10 “Because they embrace the Lotus Sutra
they are able to skillfully leverage the power of languages
to expound the Dharma
in thousands of millions of ways.”
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