Day 30

Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs

Having last month concluded the chapter with the rākṣasas and the Mother of Devils, we begin again at the top with Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Thereupon Medicine-King Bodhisattva rose front his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his hands together towards the Buddha, and said to him:

“World-Honored One! How many merits will be given to the good men or women who keep, read, recite, understand or copy the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma?”

The Buddha said to him:

“Suppose some good men or women make offerings to eight hundred billion nayuta Buddhas, that is, as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges. What do you think of this? Are the merits given to them many or not?”

“Very many, World-Honored One!”

The Buddha said: “More merits will be given to the good men or women who keep, read or recite even a single gāthā of four lines of this sūtra, understand the meanings of it or act according to it.”

Underscore here even a single gāthā of four lines of this sūtra, understand the meanings of it or act according to it with emphasis on or in that list.