api tu khalu punar ajita tān apy ahamadhyāśayādhimuktān kulaputrān vadāmi, ye tathāgatasya parinirvṛtasya imaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ śrutvā na pratikṣepsyanti uttari cābhyanumodayiṣyanti |
kaṃḥ punar vādo ye dhārayiṣyanti vācayiṣyanti |
tatas tathāgataṃ soṃ ’sena pariharati ya imaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ pustakagataṃ kṛtvā aṃsena pariharati |
na me tenājita kulaputreṇa vā kuladuhitrā vā stūpāḥ kartavyāḥ, na vihārā kartavyāḥ, na bhikṣusaṃghāya glānapratyayabhaiṣajyapariṣkārāstenānupradeyā bhavanti |
tat kasya hetoḥ? kṛtā me tena ajita kulaputreṇa vā kuladuhitrā vā śarīreṣu śarīrapūjā, saptaratnamayāś ca stūpāḥ kāritāḥ, yāvad brahmalokamuccaistvena anupūrvapariṇāhena sacchatraparigrahāḥ savaijayantīkā ghaṇṭāsamudgānuratāḥ, teṣāṃ ca śarīrastūpānāṃ vividhāḥ satkārāḥ kṛtā nānāvidhair divyair mānuṣyakaiḥ puṣpadhūpagandhamālyavilepanacūrṇacīvaracchatradhvajapatākāvaijayantībhir vividhamadhuramanojñapaṭupaṭahadundubhimahādundubhibhir vādyatālaninādarnirghoṣaśabdair nānāvidhaiś ca gītanṛtyalāsyaprakārair bahubhir aparimitair bahvaprameyāṇi kalpakoṭīnayutaśatasahasrāṇi satkāraḥ kṛto bhavati |
imaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ mama parinirvṛtasya dhārayitvā vācayitvā likhitvā (202,1) prakāśayitvā vihārā api tena ajita kṛtā bhavanti vipulā vistīrṇāḥ |
pragṛhītāś ca lohitacandanamayā dvātriṃśatprāsādā aṣṭatalā bhikṣusahasrāvāsāḥ |
ārāmapuṣpopaśobhitāścaṃkramavanopetāḥ śayanāsanopastabdhāḥ khādyabhojyānnapānaglānapratyayabhaiṣajyapariṣkāraparipūrṇāḥ sarvasukhopadhānapratimaṇḍitāḥ |
te ca bahvaprameyā yaduta śataṃ vā sahasraṃ vā śatasahasraṃ vā koṭī vā koṭīśataṃ vā koṭīsahasraṃ vā koṭiśatasahasraṃ vā koṭīnayutaśatasahasraṃ vā |
te ca mama saṃmukhaṃ śrāvakasaṃghasya niryātitāḥ, te ca mayā paribhuktā veditavyāḥ |
ya imaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ tathāgatasya parinirvṛtasya dhārayedvā vācayedvā deśayedvā likhedvā lekhayedvā, tadanenāhamajitaparyāyeṇa evaṃ vadāmi - na me tena parinirvṛtasya dhātustūpāḥ kārayitavyāḥ, na saṃghapūjā |
kaḥ punar vādo ’jita ya imaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ dhārayan dānena vā saṃpādayecchīlena vā kṣāntyā vā vīryeṇa vā dhyānena vā prajñayā vā saṃpādayet, bahutaraṃ puṇyābhisaṃskāraṃ sa kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā prasaved buddhajñānasaṃvartanīyamaprameyamasaṃkhyeyamaparyantam |
tadyathāpi nāma ajita ākāśa dhāturaparyantaḥ pūrvadakṣiṇapaścimottarādharordhvāsu dikṣu vidikṣu, evamaprameyāsaṃkhyeyān sa kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā puṇyābhisaṃskārān prasaved buddhajñānasaṃvartanīyān ya imaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ dhārayedvā vācayedvā deśayedvā likhedvā likhāpayedvā |
tathāgatacaityasatkārārthaṃ ca abhiyukto bhavet, tathāgataśrāvakāṇāṃ ca varṇaṃ bhāṣeta, bodhisattvānāṃ ca mahāsattvānāṃ guṇakoṭīnayutaśatasahasrāṇi parikīrtayet, pareṣāṃ ca saṃprakāśayet, kṣāntyā ca saṃpādayet, śīlavāṃś ca bhavet, kalyāṇadharmaḥ sukhasaṃvāsaḥ kṣāntaś ca bhavet, dāntaś ca bhaved anabhyasūyakaś ca, apagatakrodhamanaskāro ’vyāpannamanaskāraḥ smṛtimāṃś ca sthāmavāṃś ca bhavet, vīryavāṃś ca nityābhiyuktaś ca bhavet, buddhadharmaparyeṣṭyā dhyāyī ca bhavet, pratisaṃlayanagurukaḥ pratisaṃlayanabahulaś ca praśnaprabhedakuśalaś ca bhavet, praśnakoṭīnayutaśatasahasrāṇāṃ visarjayitā |
yasya kasyacidajita bodhisattvasya mahāsattvasya imaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ tathāgatasya parinirvṛtasya dhārayataḥ ime evaṃrūpā guṇā bhaveyur ye mayā parikīrtitāḥ, so ’jita kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā evaṃ veditavyaḥ - bodhimaṇḍasaṃprasthito ’yaṃ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā bodhim abhisaṃboddhuṃ bodhivṛkṣamūlaṃ gacchati |
yatra ca ajita sa kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā tiṣṭhedvā niṣīdedvā caṃkramedvā, tatra ajita tathāgatamuddiśya caityaṃ kartavyam, tathāgatas tūpo ’yam iti ca sa vaktavyaḥ sadevakena lokeneti ||
“又復如來滅後，若聞是經而不毀呰，起隨喜心，當知已爲深信解相，
何況讀誦、受持之者，
斯人則爲頂戴如來。
“阿逸多！是善男子、善女人，不須爲我復起塔寺，及作僧坊、以四事供養衆僧。
所以者何？是善男子、善女人，受持讀誦是經典者，爲已起塔、造立僧坊、供養衆僧。則爲以佛舍利起七寶塔，高廣漸小至于梵天，懸諸幡蓋及衆寶鈴，華、香、瓔珞，末香、塗香、燒香，衆鼓、伎樂，簫、笛、箜篌，種種儛戲，以妙音聲歌唄讚頌，則爲於無量千萬億劫作是供養已。
“阿逸多！若我滅後，聞是經典，有能受持，若自書、若教人書，則爲起立僧坊，
以赤栴檀作諸殿堂三十有二，高八多羅樹，高廣嚴好，百千比丘於其中止，
園林、浴池、經行、禪窟，衣服、飮食、牀褥、湯藥，一切樂具充滿其中。
如是僧坊、堂閣，若干百千萬億，其數無量，
以此現前供養於我及比丘僧。
是故我(009_0779_a)說：‘如來滅後，若有受持、讀誦、爲他人說，若自書、若教人書，供養經卷，不須復起塔寺，及造僧坊、供養衆僧。’
’況復有人能持是經，兼行布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、一心、智慧，其德最勝，無量無邊。
東西南北、四維上下無量無邊；是人功德，亦復如是無量無邊，疾至一切種智。
若人讀誦受持是經，爲他人說，若自書、若教人書，復能起塔，及造僧坊、供養讚歎聲聞衆僧，亦以百千萬億讚歎之法讚歎菩薩功德，又爲他人，種種因緣隨義解說此法華經，復能淸淨持戒，與柔和者而共同止，忍辱無瞋，志念堅固，常貴坐禪得諸深定，精進勇猛攝諸善法，利根智慧善答問難。
“阿逸多！若我滅後，諸善男子、善女人，受持讀誦是經典者，復有如是諸善功德，當知是人已趣道場，近阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，坐道樹下。
“阿逸多！是善男子、善女人，若坐、若立、若行處，此中便應起塔，一切天人皆應供養如佛之塔。”
Agita, I declare that a young man of good family who, after the complete extinction of the Tathâgata, shall not reject, but joyfully accept this Dharmaparyâya when hearing it, that such a young man of good family also is earnest in his belief;
far more one who keeps it in memory or reads it.
He who after collecting this Dharmaparyâya into a volume carries it on his shoulder carries the Tathâgata on his shoulder.
Such a young man or young lady of good family, Agita, need make no Stûpas for me, nor monasteries; need not give to the congregation of monks medicaments for the sick or (other) requisites [This agrees with the teaching of the Vedanta that Brahma-knowledge is independent of good works].
For, Agita, such a young man or young lady of good family has (spiritually) built for the worship of my relics Stûpas of seven precious substances reaching up to the Brahma-world in height, and with a circumference in proportion, with the umbrellas thereto belonging, with triumphal streamers, with tinkling bells and baskets; has shown manifold marks of respect to those Stûpas of relics with diverse celestial and earthly flowers, incense, perfumed garlands, ointments, powder, cloth, umbrellas, banners, flags, triumphal streamers, by various sweet, pleasant, clear-sounding tymbals and drums, by the tune, noise, sounds of musical instruments and castanets, by songs, nautch and dancing of different kinds, of many, innumerable kinds; has done those acts of worship during many, innumerable thousands of kotis of Æons.
One who keeps in memory this Dharmaparyâya after my complete extinction, who reads, writes, promulgates it, Agita, shall also have built monasteries, large, spacious,
extensive, made of red sandal-wood, with thirty-two pinnacles, eight stories, fit for a thousand monks,
adorned with gardens and flowers, having walks furnished with lodgings, completely provided with meat, food and drink and medicaments for the sick, well equipped with all comforts.
And those numerous, innumerable beings, say a hundred or a thousand or ten thousand or a koti or hundred kotis or thousand kotis or hundred thousand kotis or ten thousand times hundred thousand kotis,
they must be considered to form the congregation of disciples seeing me from face to face, and must be considered as those whom I have fully blessed.
He who, after my complete extinction, shall keep this Dharmaparyâya, read, promulgate, or write it, he, I repeat, Agita, need not build Stûpas of relics, nor worship the congregation;
not necessary to tell, Agita, that the young man or young lady of good family who, keeping this Dharmaparyâya, shall crown it by charity in alms, morality, forbearance, energy, meditation, or wisdom, will produce a much greater accumulation of merit; it is, in fact, immense, incalculable, infinite.
Just as the element of ether, Agita, is boundless, to the east, south, west, north, beneath, above, and in the intermediate quarters, so immense and incalculable an accumulation of merit, conducive to Buddha-knowledge, will be produced by a young man or young lady of good family who shall keep, read, write, or cause to be written, this Dharmaparyâya.
He will be zealous in worshipping the Tathâgata shrines; he will laud the disciples of the Tathâgata, praise the hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of virtues of the Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, and expound them to others; he will be accomplished in forbearance, be moral, of good character, agreeable to live with, and tolerant, modest, not jealous of others, not wrathful, not vicious in mind, of good memory, strenuous and always busy, devoted to meditation in striving after the state of a Buddha, attaching great value to abstract meditation, frequently engaging in abstract meditation, able in solving questions and in avoiding hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of questions.
Any Bodhisattva Mahâsattva, Agita, who, after the Tathâgata's complete extinction, shall keep this Dharmaparyâya, will have the good qualities I have described. Such a young man or young lady of good family, Agita, must be considered to make for the terrace of enlightenment; that young man or young lady of good family steps towards the foot of the tree of enlightenment in order to reach enlightenment.
And where that young man or young lady of good family, Agita, stands, sits, or walks, there one should make a shrine', dedicated to the Tathâgata, and the world, including the gods, should say: This is a Stûpa of relics of the Tathâgata.
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