Then the Lord said this to the bodhisatva, the great being Maitreya: “O Maitreya, I entrust (parindāmi) you with this [teaching of] incomparable complete awakening, which has been established for countless hundreds of millions of aeons, in order that it will be memorized, understood, read, and elucidated in detail to others, in order to give thanks and gratitude to the tathāgata, fulfill my aspirations (abhiprāya), increase and purify many beings’ roots of good (kuśalamūla), make the bodhisatvas attain the light of the dharma (dharmāloka), subjugate all Māras, defeat all heretics (tīrthika), uphold the dharma of the highest meaning (paramārthadharma), and in order not to break the continuity of the three jewels (triratnavaṃśānupaccheda).”
At these words, the bodhisatva Maitreya addressed himself to the Lord: “O Lord, I will protect this unexcelled treasury of the Dharma Jewel (anuttaradharmaratnanidhāna) for the sake of the complete extinction of the tathāgata (tathāgataparinirvāṇa).
Why is that? Because, Lord, this is the true dharma (saddharma) of myself and the Awakened Lords in the past, present and future (atītānāgatapratyutpanna).
O Lord, when I have dwelled in the Tuṣita Heaven (tuṣitabhavanastha), I have strived for protecting, upholding, and keeping these sūtras for a long time.
O Lord, in the latter time, in the latter age (paścimakāle paścimasameye), if someone were to hear this true sūtra, grasp it, retain it, recite it, fully explain it to others, and practice it himself, may you know that it is because of the sustaining power of maitreya (maitreyādhiṣṭhāna).
If, Lord, the partisans of the Māra were to attack, even further, if the root of goods were to fill up every pore of my whole body, and then if all living beings in the world system of three thousand worlds were to become the wicked Māras, they do not approach even a hundredth part of the root of goods in one of the pores and so on, until nor do they approach even the likeness of it (ekaromakūpasya kuśalamūlaḥ śatatamīm api kalāṃ nopaiti yāvad upamām api nopaiti).
O Lord, as all regions of Māras (sarvamāramaṇḍala) were conquered by the power of my merits (puṇyabala) and the power of my knowledge (jñānabala), this awakening will be protected by the tathāgata for countless millions.”
The Lord said: “Good, good, Maitreya, these four are the bodhisatva’s actions. What four? 1) conquering all Māras and vices (sarvamārakleśanigraha); 2) defeating all opponents (sarvaparapravādin) in accordance with the dharma (dharmānulomikābhibhava); 3) bringing all beings to maturity (satvaparipācana); 4) upholding the true dharma (saddharmaparigraha).
Those four actions are belonging to one, namely, upholding the true dharma (saddharmaparigraha).”
爾時世尊告彌勒菩薩言。彌勒。汝受持此甚深經典。讀誦書寫廣爲人説。彌勒。我今以如斯等甚深經典囑累於汝。令此大法久住世故。降伏諸魔故。爲利益一切衆生故。令一切外道不得便故。教勅一切菩薩。使親近此經不遠離故。欲令佛法大明久住於世不衰滅故。使佛法僧種不斷絶故。
爾時彌勒菩薩即白佛言。世尊。我於如來在世及滅度後。常當受持此甚深經典廣宣流布。
所以者何。受持此法者。則爲受持過去未來現在諸佛正法。非但受一如來法也。
世尊。我亦爲自護己法故。世尊。我常與諸天人衆。普會處兜率天宮。毎爲廣説如是等甚深經典。我復當令人中。受持讀誦此經典者。使手得是經執在胸懷不離經卷。
世尊。若復末世法欲滅時。其有受持此經轉爲人説者。當知皆是彌勒威神之所建立。
世尊。若復末世法欲滅時。其有受持此經轉爲人説者。當知皆是彌勒威神之所建立。
世尊。當於爾時雖多諸魔事嬈亂行人。諸説法者。依煩惱魔爲魔所持故。不樂此經不勤修習。互相是非。我等倶當勤作方便。令説法者愛樂是經。常勤修習讀誦通利。廣爲人説。
爾時世尊讃彌勒菩薩言。善哉善哉。彌勒。汝乃能爲護持正法故作師子吼。汝不但今於我前作師子吼。亦於過去無量阿僧祇諸佛前作師子吼護持正法。
爾時世尊。復告慈氏菩薩摩訶薩言。慈氏我今以此無量阿僧祇倶胝劫積集無上正等菩提希有之法。付囑於汝。乃至欲令受持讀踊爲他廣説報佛恩故。亦滿自己希求願故。令諸有情増長善根故。令諸菩薩護法光明故。摧一切諸魔外道故。護持正法不斷三寶種故。
慈氏菩薩白佛言。世尊我今當於如來在世及涅槃後常護法藏。
何以故我亦曾於過去護斯正法。
世尊我雖在於覩史多天。於是類經倍増護持令久住世。
世尊若未來世其有衆生於如是等經聞已受持書寫讀誦。如法修行爲他廣説。當知皆是我之威力所加持故。
世尊當彼之時。若有魔及魔民共爲朋黨。不能障難如我一毛成就善根㭊爲百分千分歌羅分乃至優波尼沙陀分。若三千大千世界之中。一切有情悉並爲魔若魔眷屬。而於我所成就善根一分
福智之力。猶不能得生於障難。何況如來於無量阿僧祇倶胝劫積集無上菩提之法。而能障礙。
爾時世尊告慈氏菩薩言。善哉善哉善男子。有四種法爲菩薩行。何者爲四。所謂破煩惱魔壞諸外道。成熟有情護持正法。
善男子如是四種是菩薩行。而此四種以一行收。云何爲一。所謂護持正法
de’i tshe bcom ldan ’das kyis byaṅ chub sems dpa’ sems dpa’ chen po byams pa la bka’ stsal pa | byams pa ji tsam du gzuṅs ba daṅ | bcaṅ ba daṅ | bklag pa daṅ | gźan dag la yaṅ rgya cher yaṅ dag par (3) rab tu bstan par bya ba daṅ | de bźin gśegs pa la byas pa gzo źiṅ byas pa śes pa bskyed pa daṅ | bdag gi bsam pa yoṅs su rdzogs par bya ba daṅ | sems can rnams kyi dge ba’i rtsa ba rgyas pa rnam par dag par bya ba daṅ | byaṅ chub sems dpa’ rnams chos snaṅ ba thob par (4) bya ba daṅ | bdud thams cad tshar gcad pa daṅ | mu stegs can thams cad gźom pa daṅ | don dam pa’i chos yoṅs su gzuṅs ba daṅ | dkon mchog gsum gyi rigs mi chad par bya ba’i phyir bskal pa bye ba phrag graṅs med par yaṅ dag par bsgrubs pa’i bla na med pa yaṅ dag (5) par rdzogs pa’i byaṅ chub ’di khyod la yoṅs su gtad do ||
de skad ces bka’ stsal pa daṅ | bcom ldan ’das la byaṅ chub sems dpa’ byams pas ’di skad ces gsol to || bcom ldan ’das bdag gis de bźin gśegs pa yoṅs su mya ṅan las ’das pa’i slad du bla na med pa’i (6) chos dkon mchog gi mdzod ’di bsruṅ bar bgyi’o ||
de ci’i slad du źe na | bcom ldan ’das ’di ni bdag daṅ | ’das pa daṅ | ma ’oṅs pa daṅ | da ltar byuṅ ba’i saṅs rgyas bcom ldan ’das rnams kyi dam pa’i chos lags so ||
bcom ldan ’das bdag dga’ ldan gyi gnas na (7) mchis te | ’di lta bu’i mdo sde dag kun du bsruṅ ba daṅ | yoṅs su gzuṅ ba daṅ | yun riṅ du gnas par bgyi ba’i slad du nan tan bgyi’o ||
bcom ldan ’das slad ma’i tshe slad ma’i dus na ’di lta bu’i mdo sde dam pa su’i rna bar grag par ’gyur ba daṅ | thos nas ’dzin pa daṅ | (328a1) ’chaṅ ba daṅ | klog pa daṅ | gźan dag la yaṅ rgya cher rab tu ston ciṅ bdag ñid kyaṅ sbyor bar bgyid pa de ni bcom ldan ’das byaṅ chub sems dpa’ byams pa’i byin gyi rlabs su rig bar bgyi’o ||
bcom ldan ’das de’i tshe bdud kyi phyogs kyaṅ g-yos par gyur (2) te | ’on kyaṅ dge ba’i rtsa ba gaṅ gis bdag gi spu’i khuṅ bu re re grub pa de la stoṅ gsum gyi stoṅ chen po’i ’jig rten gyi khams kyi sems can de dag thams cad bdud sdig can du gyur kyaṅ | de dag bdag gi spu’i bu ga gcig gis yoṅs su bzuṅ ba’i dge ba’i rtsa ba’i brgya’i char (3) yaṅ ñe bar mi mchi ba nas dpe’i bar du yaṅ ñe bar mi mchi’o ||
bcom ldan ’das bdag gi bsod nams kyi stobs daṅ | ye śes kyi stobs kyis bdud kyi dkyil ’khor thams cad rab tu pham par bgyis la | de bźin gśegs pas bskal pa bye ba graṅs ma mchis par (4) yaṅ dag par bsgrubs pa’i byaṅ chub ’di bsruṅ bar bgyi’o ||
bcom ldan ’das kyis bka’ stsal pa | byams pa legs so legs so || byams pa bźi po ’di dag ni byaṅ chub sems dpa’i las te | bźi gaṅ źe na | ’di lta ste bdud daṅ | ñon moṅs pa thams (5) cad tshar gcad pa daṅ | phas kyi rgol ba thams cad chos daṅ ’thun bas zil gyis mnan pa daṅ | sems can yoṅs su smin par bya ba daṅ | dam pa’i chos yoṅs su gzuṅ ba ste | byams pa bźi po de dag ni byaṅ chub sems dpa’i las so ||
las bźi po de dag (6) las gcig gis yoṅs su bsdus so || gcig po gaṅ źe na | ’di lta ste | dam pa’i chos yoṅs su ’dzin pa’o ||
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I. The Occasion