CHAPTER XIII
The Entrustment of People and Gods
At that time the World Honored One extended
his gold-colored arm, and again rubbed the crown of the head of
Earth Store Bodhisattva while saying, "Earth Store, Earth Store,
your spiritual powers, compassion, wisdom, and eloquence are inconceivable.
Even if all the Buddhas of the Ten Directions
were to proclaim their praise of your inconceivable deeds, they
could not finish in thousands eons.
"Earth Store, Earth Store, remember this entrustment
that I am again making here in the Trayastrimsha Heaven in this
great assembly of hundreds of thousands of millions of indescribably
many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, and the rest of the
Eightfold Division.
I again entrust to you the gods, people, and
others who are still in the burning house and have not yet left
the Triple World.
Do not allow those beings to fall into the
evil destinies even for a single day and night, much less fall
into the Fivefold Relentless Hell or the Avichi Hell, where they
would have to pass through thousands of millions of eons with
no chance of escape.
"Earth Store, the beings of southern Jambudvipa
have irresolute wills and natures. They habitually do many evil
deeds. Even if they resolve to do good, they soon renounce that
resolve. If they encounter evil conditions, they tend to become
increasingly involved in them.
For those reasons I reduplicate hundreds of
thousands of millions of bodies to transform beings, take them
across, and liberate them, all in accord with their own fundamental
natures.
"Earth Store, I now earnestly entrust the
multitudes of gods and people to you.
If in the future among gods and people there
are good men or good women who plant a few good roots in the Buddhadharma,
be they as few as a strand of hair, a mote of dust, a grain of
sand, or a drop of water, then you should use your powers in the
Way to protect them so that they gradually cultivate the Unsurpassed
Way and do not get lost or retreat from it.
"Moreover, Earth Store, in the future, gods
or people, according to the responses of their karmic retributions,
may be due to fall into the evil destinies. They may be on the
brink of falling or may already be at the very gates to those
paths.
But if they can recite the name of one Buddha
or Bodhisattva or a single sentence or verse of a Great Vehicle
Sutra, then you should use your spiritual powers to rescue them
with expedient means.
Display a boundless body in the places where
they are, smash the hells, and lead them to be born in the heavens
and to experience supremely wonderful bliss."
At that time the World Honored One spoke in
verse, saying
I am entrusting to your care the multitudes
Of gods and people both now and in the future.
Use great spiritual powers and expedients to save them.
Do not allow them to fall into the evil destinies.
At that time Earth Store Bodhisattva, Mahasattva,
knelt on one knee, placed his palms together, and said to the
Buddha, "World Honored One, I beg the World Honored One not to
be concerned.
In the future if good men and women have a
single thought of respect toward the Buddhadharma, I shall use
hundreds of thousands of expedients to take them across and free
them. They will quickly be liberated from birth and death.
How much more will that be the case for those
who, having heard about all these good matters, are inspired to
cultivate. They will naturally become irreversible from the Unsurpassed
Way."
After he finished speaking, a Bodhisattva
named Empty Space Treasury, who was in the assembly, spoke to
the Buddha, "World Honored One, I personally have come to the
Trayastrimsha Heaven and have heard the Thus Come One praise Earth
Store Bodhisattva's awesome spiritual strength, saying that it
is inconceivable.
If in the future, good men, good women, gods,
and dragons hear this Sutra and the name of Earth Store Bodhisattva
and if they behold and bow to his image, how many kinds of blessings
and benefits will they obtain?
Please, World Honored One, say a few words
about this for the sake of beings of the present and future."
The Buddha told Empty Space Treasury Bodhisattva,
"Listen attentively, listen attentively, I shall enumerate them
and describe them to you.
"Good men or women in the future may see images
of Earth Store Bodhisattva and hear this Sutra or read or recite
it. They may use incense, flowers, food and drink, clothing, and
gems to give gifts and make offerings. They may praise, behold
and bow to him. Such beings will benefit in twenty-eight ways:
First, they will be protected by gods and dragons.
Second, their good roots will increase daily.
Third, they will amass supreme causes pertaining to Sagehood.
Fourth, they will not retreat from Bodhi.
Fifth, their clothing and food will be abundant.
Sixth, they will never be infected by epidemics.
Seventh, they will never be in disasters of fire and water.
Eighth, they will never be threatened by thieves.
Ninth, they will be respected by all who see them.
Tenth, they will be aided by ghosts and spirits.
Eleventh, women who want to can be reborn as men.
Twelfth, women who want to can be daughters of leaders of nations
and officials.
Thirteenth, they will have an upright and proper appearance.
Fourteenth, they will often be born in the heavens.
Fifteenth, they may be emperors or leaders of nations.
Sixteenth, they will have the wisdom to know past lives.
Seventeenth, they will attain whatever they seek.
Eighteenth, their families will be happy.
Nineteenth, they will never undergo any disasters.
Twentieth, they will leave the bad karmic paths forever.
Twenty-first, they will always arrive at their destination.
Twenty-second, their dreams will be peaceful and happy.
Twenty-third, their deceased relatives will leave suffering behind.
Twenty-fourth, they will enjoy blessings earned in previous lives.
Twenty-fifth, they will be praised by sages.
Twenty-sixth, they will be intelligent and have keen faculties.
Twenty-seventh, they will be magnanimous and empathic.
Twenty-eighth, they will ultimately realize Buddhahood.
"Moreover, Empty Space Treasury Bodhisattva,
if gods, dragons, or spirits of the present or future hear Earth
Store's name, bow to Earth Store's image, or hear of Earth Store's
past vows and the events of his practices, and then praise him,
behold, and bow to him, they will benefit in seven ways:
First, they will quickly transcend to levels of Sagehood.
Second, their evil karma will dissolve.
Third, all Buddhas will protect and be near them.
Fourth, they will not retreat from Bodhi.
Fifth, their inherent powers will increase.
Sixth, they will know past lives.
Seventh, they will ultimately realize Buddhahood."
At that time, all the indescribable, indescribable,
numbers of Buddhas, Thus Come Ones who had come from the Ten Directions,
and Great Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons and the rest of the Eightfold
Division, having heard Shakyamuni Buddha's praise of Earth Store
Bodhisattva's great awesome spiritual powers, praised this unprecedented
event.
Following that, incense, flowers, heavenly
garments, and pearl necklaces rained down in the Trayastrimsha
Heaven as offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha and Earth Store Bodhisattva,
and everyone in the assembly joined together in beholding and
making obeisance to them. Then they placed their palms together
and withdrew.
End of Part Three of
Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva
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