英語訳
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The 1,600 arhats gathering for compilation within the Seven-Leaf Cave at the foot of Vulture Peak, and the assembly of ordinary and sage beings outside Pipphali Cave all came together as one. Śākyamuni, who had already entered nirvana, appeared again in the world and expounded the Benevolent Kings Sutra once more. His countenance was no different from Śākyamuni, his voice no different from the World-Honored One. [The assembly] shed tears at Śākyamuni's [response-body manifestation] and moistened their sleeves at Ānanda's nirvana. Now, among the Great Prajñā teachings at four locations and sixteen assemblies, at Vulture Peak he expounded the Benevolent Kings Prajñā, which is the concluding sutra of the prajñā teachings. The teaching-master Śākyamuni, in the seventh year of Dajian of the Chen dynasty, on an autumn night in the ninth month, manifested responsively at the meditation hall on Flower Peak above Stone Bridge on Mount Tiantai and proclaimed: "Prajñā and the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma are expounded at Vulture Peak, the place where the Lotus is taught, because they reveal the Buddha's wisdom-eye. 'Always dwelling on Vulture Peak' refers to the innermost secret place of Vairocana, the Definitive King Tathāgata of the Diamond Realm, within the nine-tiered circular palace." 《Marginal note: Above》 Japan does not know this secret teaching.
The secret dharma of the cloud-sea assembly gathering and sitting on nine-kalpa lotus flowers during the Prologue Chapter of the Benevolent Kings Sutra
During the Benevolent Kings Sutra, the cloud-sea assembly that gathered like clouds at Vulture Peak included: 800 million fruition-attained arhats and below, 800 million great sage pratyekabuddhas, 10 million wise ones, 1 billion good persons, 10 million heavenly beings, 100 million lower-realm heavenly beings, cloud-sea bodhisattvas and sage assemblies of the eight classes from other realms, and the sixteen great kings of the sixteen great countries—all coming like clouds and appearing like mist. All without exception gathered together, sitting atop nine-kalpa lotus flowers surrounding Vulture Peak, arrayed like stars across 950 li of empty space. The nine-kalpa lotus flowers represent the secret dharma of the Benevolent Kings. Thus when the teaching-master Śākyamuni manifested responsively, he approached Chan Master Zhiyi of Tiantai with questions and proclaimed: "When I expounded the Benevolent Kings Sutra, the great assembly sat on nine-kalpa lotus flowers.
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The eight-petaled central platform represents nine kalpas. The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Wisdom-Ground 《Marginal note: [Investigation] "Wisdom-Ground" is probably a copying error》 is entrusted to the Prajñā Tathāgata, therefore during the prajñā period they gradually sit on the nine-kalpa wonderful dharma lotus flowers of the eight-petaled central platform." 《Marginal note: Above》 In Vasubandhu Bodhisattva's Lotus Treatise, judging that the great assembly of the Lotus Sutra all sit on nine-kalpa lotus flowers, he states: "The voice-hearers also enter among the Tathāgata's great assembly and, like the bodhisattvas, sit atop lotus flowers. Hearing the exposition of the Tathāgata's supreme wisdom pure realm, they attain realization of the Tathāgata's profound secret treasury." 《Marginal note: Above》
The oral teaching states: Regarding sitting on nine-kalpa lotus flowers in the Benevolent Kings Sutra, if read as "kalpa" (劫) the reading is "to skim" (kasumu), if read as "drawing water" (汲) the reading is "to draw." Thus it is read as "nine-kalpa lotus flowers." This is Śākyamuni's proclamation.
The secret dharma of abandoning the stage of wondrous enlightenment and sitting in the ten grounds during the Prologue Chapter of the Benevolent Kings Sutra
In the Prologue Chapter of the Benevolent Kings Sutra: "At that time, the Buddha endowed with ten epithets, three clear knowledges, great extinction truth, and diamond wisdom—Śākyamunibuddha—on the eighth day of the first month, sat in the ten grounds and entered the samādhi of great quiescent chamber." 《Marginal note: Above》 Thus the teaching-master Śākyamuni withdrew from the stage of wondrous enlightenment and descended to become a tenth-ground bodhisattva with fundamental ignorance still uncut. Truly, the doubts and bewilderment of King Prasenajit, Vimalakīrti, and others are most reasonable. However, during the Prologue Chapter of the Benevolent Kings Sutra, the tenth ground on which Śākyamuni sits is not the tenth ground of the causal stage. This represents the tenth ground above wondrous enlightenment that surpasses all other sutras, making it the inner realization of the Benevolent Kings Sutra. Its great power and威猛 in protecting 《Marginal note: [Investigation] "hearing" should probably be written as "protecting"》 the land and safeguarding kings, protecting 《Marginal note: [Investigation] "hearing" should probably be written as "protecting"》 ministers and benefiting people surpasses all other sutras. Because of this, among the three-part mantric sutras, the Susiddhikara Sutra is considered king. The Susiddhikara Sutra, king of sutras,
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states: "If ritual empowerment and prayer using the three mysteries yoga of various mantras proves ineffective, recite the Great Prajñā Sutra seven times. Recitation is deferred to the Great Prajñā." However, the Great Prajñā Sutra does not surpass 《Marginal note: [Investigation] There may be missing characters after "Buddha"》 the inner realization of the tenth ground above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha. During the Benevolent Kings Sutra, the teaching-master Śākyamuni abandoned the stage of wondrous enlightenment, sat in the tenth ground, entered the samādhi of great quiescent extinction 《Marginal note: [Investigation] "extinction" is written as "chamber" in the sutra》, and contemplated. King Prasenajit, Vimalakīrti, and the great assembly all thus generated doubts. Each thought: "The greatly awakened World-Honored One previously already expounded for these great assemblies the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sutra, Diamond Prajñā Sutra, Heavenly King's Questions on Prajñā Sutra, and Illumination Prajñā Sutra for twenty-nine years. Today the Tathāgata sits in the tenth ground, enters the great quiescent 《Marginal note: [Investigation] After "quiescent," the sutra has the character "chamber"》 samādhi, and emits great light. During the Benevolent Kings Sutra, what is he doing?" Though they asked in sequence, even the renowned Vimalakīrti did not know the ten grounds above wondrous enlightenment and had no answer. Outside, King Prasenajit of Śrāvastī created 80,000 musical performances, and the eighteen Brahma heavens and six desire-realm heavens also created 80,000 musical performances. The musical sounds moved the three-thousand-fold world and resonated throughout the buddha-lands of the ten directions numerous as Ganges sands. This startled Śākyamuni from his concentration. Śākyamuni immediately knew the time, arose from the concentration of the tenth ground above wondrous enlightenment, and expounded the secret dharma of the Benevolent Kings. This is the most honored and supreme among all prajñā sutras. Even the great being Vimalakīrti could not know the ten grounds above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha. The dharma masters of previous generations did not know. Śākyamuni manifested responsively and told Chan Master Zhiyi of Tiantai, showing among the 46,000 dharma gates: "This is when the Benevolent Kings Sutra is expounded. On the eighth day of the first month, sitting in the ten grounds and entering the samādhi of great quiescent extinction to contemplate the Benevolent Kings Sutra. This is not the equal enlightenment below wondrous enlightenment. The ten grounds are the surpassing ten grounds above wondrous enlightenment. The ten grounds above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha are what this single lifetime expounds only once. That is to say, above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha there are also ten grounds. The first is named the
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Ground of Extremely Deep, Hard to Know, Broadly Illuminating Wisdom and Virtue above Wondrous Enlightenment. The second is named the Ground of Pure Body Divisions, Majestic 《Marginal note: [Investigation] "majestic" is written as "adorning" in the Tripiṭaka commentary》 Inconceivable Bright Virtue above Wondrous Enlightenment. The third is named the Ground of Good Bright Moon Banner, Jeweled Characteristics, Ocean Treasury above Pure Enlightenment. The fourth is named the Ground of Refined Wonderful Golden Light, Merit, Supernatural Powers, Wisdom and Virtue above Wondrous Enlightenment. The fifth is named the Ground of Fire Wheel Majestic Treasury Bright Virtue. The sixth is named the Ground of Pure Stainless Flame Light Opening Characteristics within Void Space. The seventh is named the Ground of Extensively Victorious Dharma Realm Treasury Bright Realm. The eighth is named the Ground of Purest Universal Enlightenment Wisdom Treasury, Able to Purify Stainless, Pervading Unobstructed Wisdom Penetration. The ninth is named the Ground of Limitless Hundred Million Adornments, Dedication, Able to Illuminate. The tenth is named the Vairocana Wisdom Ocean Treasury Ground above the Wondrous Enlightenment Buddha. Śākyamuni proclaimed: 'Great and small rivers flow into the great ocean. All buddha-dharmas completely flow into the great ocean of the tenth Vairocana Wisdom Treasury above the Wondrous Enlightenment Buddha.'" 《Marginal note: Above》 Thus the Benevolent Kings Prajñā Sutra surpasses all other sutras. It belongs within the ten grounds of deep secrets not expounded above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha. Even within the unexpounded ten grounds, it still surpasses the first nine grounds above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha. Because it is the sutra of inner realization of the tenth ground—the Vairocana Tathāgata Wisdom Ocean Treasury Ground—its awesome spiritual power surpasses all other sutras. When the land is in turmoil, dragon spirits are in chaos, when the people are in disorder, heaven and earth undergo transformation, sun and moon lose their timing, and fire, water, wind disasters and all various calamities arise—if one reads the Benevolent Kings Sutra and lectures on the Benevolent Kings Sutra, all disasters and difficulties immediately become calm and fortune and nobility return. This is not the domain of other sutras. Among the ten grounds surpassing the ultimate fruit of wondrous enlightenment, this represents the supreme extremity of the topmost tenth ground Vairocana Tathāgata wisdom ocean—the awesome power of the secret dharma. However, although there is Śākyamuni's proclamation regarding the tenth wisdom ocean treasury ground above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha, there is hesitation about lecturing on it, and it is deferred to the knowledge and views of various commentaries. 《Marginal note: etc.》
Secret Dharma of the Benevolent Kings Sutra Influenced by Śākyamuni, Volume One - Completed