英語訳
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The commentary says: From "These become all holy persons coming" below, clarifying that holy persons come to be reborn in this country, clarifying that they create great benefit.
If when the king's merit is exhausted, all holy persons will abandon and leave. When all holy persons depart, the seven disasters will necessarily arise. The commentary says: From "If the king" below clarifies that when merit is exhausted, disasters arise. The textual meaning is clear.
Great King, if in future ages there are kings of various countries who uphold the Three Jewels, I will send five great powerful bodhisattvas to protect their countries. First, Vajra Roar Bodhisattva, holding a thousand-jeweled wheel in his hands, will go to protect that country. Second, Dragon King Roar Bodhisattva, holding a golden wheel lamp in his hands, will go to protect that country. Third, Fearless Ten Powers Roar Bodhisattva, holding a vajra pestle in his hands, will go to protect that country. Fourth, Thunder and Lightning Roar Bodhisattva, holding a thousand-jeweled net in his hands, will go to protect that country. Fifth, Immeasurable Power Roar Bodhisattva, holding five thousand sword wheels in his hands, will go to protect that country. These five great beings and five thousand great demon kings will create great benefit in your country. You should establish their images and make offerings to them. From "Great King, if in future ages" below. Sixth, clarifying that if one can follow the teachings and practice, the five great powerful bodhisattvas will be sent for protection. Encouraging the creation of sutra images and making offerings. The text has four parts, which can be understood.
Great King, I now entrust the Three Jewels to you and all kings. Vaiśālī country, Kosala country, Śrāvastī country, Magadha country, Vārāṇasī country, Kapilavastu country, Kuśinagara country, Kauśāmbī country, Kuru country, Kaśmīra country, Mathurā country, Gāndhāra country, Gandhāra country, Śāta country, Saṅkāśya country, Gandhāra country, Pāṭali country - all such kings of various countries should receive and
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uphold the Prajñāpāramitā. The commentary says: From "Great King, I now" below. Seventh, encouraging the upholding of this sutra. The text has three parts. First clarifying the entrustment to various country kings. Second listing the sixteen countries. From "All such" below, third encouraging the upholding of this sutra. But why say sixteen when only fifteen countries are clarified? The answer is that the Mahāmegha Sūtra mentions sixteen great countries.
At that time, the great assembly and asura kings heard the Buddha's teaching about the seven fearful disasters in future ages, their body hair stood on end, they raised their voices in great outcry saying: "We wish not to be born in those countries!" At that time, the sixteen great kings immediately entrusted state affairs to their younger brothers, left home to cultivate the Way, and contemplated the four elements and four colors' surpassing characteristics. The four elements, four colors, non-attachment, consciousness, emptiness entering practice characteristics, thirty forbearances, initial ground characteristics, ultimate truth, nine ground characteristics. Therefore the Great King abandoned the ordinary person's body and entered the six-dwelling body, abandoned the seven reward bodies and entered the eight dharma bodies, realizing all practices of Prajñāpāramitā. The commentary says: From "At that time the great assembly and asura kings" below. In the third major section answering questions, clarifying that the assembly at that time heard the dharma and gained benefit. Regarding the text there are six parts. First generally clarifying that the great assembly heard the teaching and gave rise to vows. Second, the sixteen country kings awakened to the Way. First, the assembly at that time heard the teaching about the fearfulness of the seven disasters, their body hair stood on end and they made vows not to be born in those countries. Second, among the sixteen country kings gaining benefit there are two parts. First clarifying that the sixteen country kings entrusted their countries to younger brothers and made vows to leave home. Second, in cultivating the Way there are again two parts. The first two categories use provisional characteristic contemplation to cultivate the Way. From "thirty forbearances" below clarifies entering the Way through real practice. First contemplating the four elements and four colors' surpassing characteristics refers to the eight masteries. Internally contemplating the four elements is the four masteries. Internally contemplating the four elements and externally contemplating few colors without destruction is the first mastery of internal and external color contemplation.
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Internally contemplating the four elements and externally contemplating many colors is the second mastery. Internally having no four elements and externally contemplating few colors is the third mastery. Internally having no four elements and externally contemplating many colors is the fourth mastery. This destroys internal colors without destroying external colors contemplation. The latter four masteries are blue, yellow, red, white, combined to make eight masteries. Because the eight mastery contemplations are accomplished, they are called "surpassing characteristics." Next clarifying the ten totality contemplations. The four elements and four colors immediately become eight. "Non-attachment" refers to the spheres of neither existence nor non-existence. "Consciousness" is the consciousness sphere. "Emptiness" is the emptiness sphere. Combining these three makes eleven spheres. Because the ten totality contemplations are accomplished, they are called "entering practice characteristics." From "thirty forbearances" below, next clarifying entering the Way through real practice. The two types of provisional characteristic contemplations are before the grounds. The thirty forbearances are on the grounds. Each of the ten grounds has three minds, combining to make thirty forbearances. Saying "initial ground characteristics" means the first ground. Saying "ultimate truth" clarifies that the initial ground attains ultimate truth and accomplishes it, creating preparatory characteristics for the nine grounds. Saying "nine grounds" means the remaining nine grounds from the Stainless and above. Abandoning the ordinary person's body and entering the six-dwelling body means abandoning the external ordinary person's body and entering the six-dwelling body of the nature lineage and above. Abandoning the seven reward bodies and entering the eight dharma bodies means abandoning the seven expedients before the grounds and attaining the initial ground's eighth dharma body. It can also mean abandoning the effortful bodies of the previous seven grounds and entering the effortless dharma body of the eighth ground and above.
The eighteen Brahmā heaven asura kings attained the three-vehicle contemplation, united with the birthless realm, and again scattered flowers in offering: emptiness flowers, dharma-nature flowers, sage flowers, compliant flowers, birthless flowers, dharma-joy flowers, vajra flowers, conditioned contemplation middle way flowers, thirty-seven factors flowers, scattering them to the Buddha and nine hundred million great bodhisattva assembly. The commentary says: From "eighteen Brahmā asura kings" below. Third clarifying that the various heavens gained benefit. Regarding the text, there are two parts. First the three-vehicle contemplation accomplished
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gaining birthless benefit. Second scattering flowers in offering. In this flower scattering there are three parts. First scattering five forbearance flowers. Second scattering two-vehicle flowers. The five forbearance flowers are: emptiness flowers and dharma-nature flowers are pre-ground subduing forbearance. Sage flowers are the faith forbearance flowers of the first, second, and third grounds. Compliant forbearance flowers are the compliant forbearance flowers of the fourth, fifth, and sixth grounds. Birthless flowers are the birthless forbearance flowers of the seventh, eighth, and ninth grounds. Vajra flowers are tenth ground flowers. Buddha flowers are nirvāṇa forbearance flowers. Next distinguishing two-vehicle flowers. Conditioned contemplation middle way flowers are pratyekabuddha middle vehicle flowers. Thirty-seven factors flowers are śrāvaka flowers.
All other beings realized the fruit of the path stages, scattering mind-emptiness flowers, mind-tree flowers, six pāramitā flowers, wonderful enlightenment flowers, scattering them above the Buddha and all the great assembly. The commentary says: The benefit text saying "realizing the fruit of path stages" means gaining initial ground understanding, therefore called realization. Realization can penetrate, named the path. The path can advance, therefore called stages. Awakening and understanding are fulfilled, therefore called fruit. Next in the offerings there are four types of cause and effect flower offerings. Mind-emptiness flowers are principle-emptiness birthless flowers. Mind-tree flowers are consciousness-tree flowers. Six pāramitā flowers are practice flowers. Wonderful enlightenment flowers are buddha-stage flowers. Consider this.
Ten thousand bodhisattvas, mindful of future sentient beings, immediately realized wonderful enlightenment samādhi, perfect illumination samādhi, vajra samādhi, conventional truth samādhi, ultimate truth samādhi, supreme truth samādhi. These three truth samādhis are the king of all samādhis. The commentary says: From "ten thousand bodhisattvas" below, fifth clarifying that ten thousand bodhisattvas, mindful of future sentient beings, awakened and understood, attaining realization of samādhi. Wonderful enlightenment samādhi is also called principle-exhaustion samādhi. Because it illuminates and exhausts principle, it is called perfect illumination samādhi. Vajra samādhi is firm and indestructible. Conventional