Day 26

Day 26 concludes Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, includes Chapter 22, Transmission, and introduces Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Having last month heard of the Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas in gāthās, we hear the praise for keeper of this sutra.

Even if I praise for innumerable kalpas
The keeper of this sūtra,
To whom it is to be transmitted,
I cannot praise him highly enough.

His merits are as limitless,
As infinite, as boundless
As the skies of the worlds
Of the ten quarters.

Anyone who keeps this sūtra
Will be able to see me. He also will be able to see
Many-Treasures Buddha,
[The Buddhas of] my replicas,
And the Bodhisattvas whom I have taught today.

Anyone who keeps this sūtra will be able to cause me to rejoice.
He also will be able to bring joy
To [the Buddhas of] my replicas
And also to Many-Treasures Buddha who once passed away.

He also will be able to see
The present, past and future Buddhas
Of the worlds of the ten quarters,
Make offerings to them, and cause them to rejoice.

Last month I remarked upon the unfathomable idea of “an enlightened being ‘joyfully’ acting’ in response to the vow of the Bodhisattvas from underground. And this month I smile at the promise that, as a keeper of this sūtra, I will cause Śākyamuni “to rejoice. He also will be able to bring joy To [the Buddhas of] my replicas And also to Many-Treasures Buddha who once passed away.”

Pure joy.