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Apparition of a Stūpa
Then there arose a Stūpa, consisting of seven precious substances, from the place of the earth opposite the Lord, the assembly being in the middle, a Stūpa five hundred yojanas in height and proportionate in circumference. After its rising, the Stūpa, a meteoric phenomenon, stood in the sky sparkling, beautiful, nicely decorated with five thousand successive terraces of flowers, adorned with many thousands of arches, embellished by thousands of banners and triumphal streamers, hung with thousands of jewel-garlands and with hour plates and bells, and emitting the scent of Xanthochymus and sandal, which scent filled this whole world. Its row of umbrellas rose so far on high as to touch the abodes of the four guardians of the horizon and the gods. It consisted of seven precious substances, viz. gold, silver, lapis lazuli, Musāragalva, emerald, red coral, and Karketana-stone. This Stūpa of precious substances once formed, the gods of paradise strewed and covered it with Mandārava and great Mandāra flowers. And from that Stūpa of precious substances there issued this voice: Excellent, excellent, Lord Śākyamuni! thou hast well expounded this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law. So it is, Lord; so it is, Sugata.
At the sight of that great Stūpa of precious substances, that meteoric phenomenon in the sky, the four classes of hearers were filled with gladness, delight, satisfaction and joy. Instantly they rose from their seats, stretched out their joined hands, and remained standing in that position. Then the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, perceiving the world, including gods, men, and demons, filled with curiosity, said to the Lord: O Lord, what is the cause, what is the reason of so magnificent a Stūpa of precious substances appearing in the world? Who is it, O Lord, who causes that sound to go out from the magnificent Stūpa of precious substances? Thus asked, the Lord spake to Mahāpratibhāna, the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva, as follows: In this great Stūpa of precious substances, Mahāpratibhāna, the proper body of the Tathāgata is contained condensed; his is the Stūpa; it is he who causes this sound to go out. In the point of space below, Mahāpratibhāna, there are innumerable thousands of worlds. Further on is the world called Ratnaviṣuddha, there is the Tathāgata named Prabhūtaratna, the Arhat, &c. This Lord of yore made this vow: Formerly, when following the course of a Bodhisattva, I have not arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment before I had heard this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law, serving for the instruction of Bodhisattvas. But from the moment that I had heard this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law, I have become fully ripe for supreme, perfect enlightenment. Now, Mahāpratibhāna, that Lord Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c., at the juncture of time when his complete extinction was to take place, announced in presence of the world, including the gods: After my complete extinction, monks, one Stūpa must be made of precious substances of this frame (or form) of the proper body of the Tathāgata% the other Stūpas, again, should be made in dedication (or in reference) to me. Thereupon, Mahāpratibhāna, the Lord Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c., pronounced this blessing: Let my Stūpa here, this of my proper bodily frame (or form), arise wherever in any Buddha-field in the ten directions of space, in all worlds, the Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law is propounded, and let it stand in the sky above the assembled congregation when this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law is being preached by some Lord Buddha or another, and let this Stūpa of the frame (or form) of my proper body give a shout of applause to those Buddhas while preaching this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law. It is that Stūpa, Mahāpratibhāna, of the relics of the Lord Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c., which, while I was preaching this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law in this Sahā-world, arose above this assembled congregation and, standing as a meteor in the sky, gave its applause.
Then said Mahāpratibhāna, the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva, to the Lord: Show us, O Lord, through thy power the frame of the afore-mentioned Tathāgata. Whereon the Lord spake to the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna as follows: This Lord Prabhūtaratna, Mahāpratibhāna, has made a grave and pious vow. That vow consisted in this: When the Lords, the Buddhas, being in other Buddha-fields, shall preach this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law, then let this Stūpa of the frame of my proper body be near the Tathāgata to hear from him this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law. And when those Lords, those Buddhas wish to uncover the frame of my proper body and show it to the four classes of hearers, let then the Tathāgata-frames, made by the Tathāgatas in all quarters, in different Buddha-fields, from their own proper body, and preaching the law to creatures, under different names in several Buddha-fields, let all those Tathāgata-frames, made from the proper body, united together, along with this Stūpa containing the frame of my own body, be opened and shown to the four classes of hearers. Therefore, Mahāpratibhāna, have I made many Tathāgata-frames which in all quarters, in several Buddha-fields in thousands of worlds, preach the law to creatures. All those ought to be brought hither.
Thereupon the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna said to the Lord: Then, O Lord, shall we reverentially salute all those bodily emanations of the Tathāgata and created by the Tathāgata.
And instantly the Lord darted from the circle of hair on his brow a ray, which was no sooner darted than the Lords, the Buddhas stationed in the east in fifty hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of worlds, equal to the sands of the river Ganges, became all visible, and the Buddha-fields there, consisting of crystal, became visible, variegated with jewel trees, decorated with strings of fine cloth, replete with many hundred thousands of Bodhisattvas, covered with canopies, decked with a network of seven precious substances and gold. And in those fields appeared the Lords, the Buddhas, teaching with sweet and gentle voice the law to creatures; and those Buddha-fields seemed replete with hundred thousands of Bodhisattvas. So, too, it was in the south-east; so in the south; so in the south-west; so in the west; so in the north-west; so in the north; so in the north-east; so in the nadir; so in the zenith; so in the ten directions of space; in each direction were to be seen many hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of Buddha-fields, similar to the sands of the river Ganges, in many worlds similar to the sands of the river Ganges, Lords Buddhas in many hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of Buddha-fields.
Those Tathāgatas, &c., in the ten directions of space then addressed each his own troop of Bodhisattvas: We shall have to go, young men of good family, to the Sahā-world near the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, &c., to humbly salute the Stūpa of the relics of Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c. Thereupon those Lords, those Buddhas resorted with their own satellites, each with one or two, to this Sahā-world. At that period this all-embracing world was adorned with jewel trees; it consisted of lapis lazuli, was covered with a network of seven precious substances and gold, smoking with the odorous incense of magnificent jewels, everywhere strewn with Mandārava and great Mandārava flowers, decorated with a network of little bells, showing a checker board divided by gold threads into eight compartments, devoid of villages, towns, boroughs, provinces, kingdoms, and royal capitals, without Kāla-mountain, without the mountains Mucilinda and great Mucilinda, without a mount Sumeru, without a Kakravāla (i.e., horizon) and great Kakravāla (i.e., extended horizon), without other principal mountains, without great oceans, without rivers and great rivers, without bodies of gods, men, and demons, without hells, without brute creation, without a kingdom of Yama. For it must be understood that at that period all beings in any of the six states of existence in this world had been removed to other worlds, with the exception of those who were assembled at that congregation. Then it was that those Lords, those Buddhas, attended by one or two satellites, arrived at this Sahā-world and went one after the other to occupy their place close to the foot of a jewel tree. Each of the jewel trees was five hundred yojanas in height, had boughs, leaves, foliage, and circumference in proportion, and was provided with blossoms and fruits. At the foot of each jewel tree stood prepared a throne, five yojanas in height, and adorned with magnificent jewels. Each Tathāgata went to occupy his throne and sat on it cross-legged. And so all the Tathāgatas of the whole sphere sat cross-legged at the foot of the jewel trees.
At that moment the whole sphere was replete with Tathāgatas, but the beings produced from the proper body of the Lord Śākyamuni had not yet arrived, not even from a single point of the horizon. Then the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, &c., proceeded to make room for those Tathāgata-frames that were arriving one after the other. On every side in the eight directions of space (appeared) twenty hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of Buddha-fields of lapis lazuli, decked with a network of seven precious substances and gold, decorated with a fringe of little bells, strewn with Mandārava and great Mandārava flowers, covered with heavenly awnings, hung with wreaths of heavenly flowers, smoking with heavenly odorous incense. All those twenty hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of Buddha-fields were without villages, towns, boroughs, &c.; without Kala-mountain, &c.; without great oceans, &c.; without bodies of gods, &c. All those Buddha-fields were so arranged by him as to form one Buddha-field, one soil, even, lovely, set off with trees of seven precious substances, trees five hundred yojanas in height and circumference, provided with boughs, flowers, and fruits in proportion. At the foot of each tree stood prepared a throne, five yojanas in height and width, consisting of celestial gems, glittering and beautiful. The Tathāgatas arriving one after the other occupied the throne near the foot of each tree, and sat cross-legged. In like manner the Tathāgata Śākyamuni prepared twenty hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of other worlds, in every direction of space, in order to give room to the Tathāgatas who were arriving one after the other. Those twenty hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of worlds in every direction of space were likewise so made by him as to be without villages, towns, &c. [as above]. They were without bodies of gods, &c. [as above]; all those beings had been removed to other worlds. These Buddha-fields also were of lapis lazuli, &c. [as above]. All those jewel trees measured five hundred yojanas, and near them were thrones, artificially made and measuring five yojanas. Then those Tathāgatas sat down cross-legged, each on a throne at the foot of a jewel tree.
At that moment the Tathāgatas produced by the Lord Śākyamuni, who in the east were preaching the law to creatures in hundred thousands of myriads of koṭis of Buddha-fields, similar to the sands of the river Ganges, all arrived from the ten points of space and sat down in the eight quarters. Thereupon thirty koṭis of worlds in each direction were occupied by those Tathāgatas from all the eight quarters. Then, seated on their thrones, those Tathāgatas deputed their satellites into the presence of the Lord Śākyamuni, and after giving them bags with jewel flowers enjoined them thus: Go, young men of good family, to the Gṛdhrakūṭa mountain, where the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, &c., is; salute him reverentially and ask, in our name, after the state of health, well-being, lustiness, and comfort both of himself and the crowd of Bodhisattvas and disciples. Strew him with this heap of jewels and speak thus: Would the Lord Tathāgata deign to open this great Stūpa of jewels? It was in this manner that all those Tathāgatas deputed their satellites.
And when the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, perceived that his creations, none wanting, had arrived; perceived that they were severally seated on their thrones, and perceived that the satellites of those Tathāgatas, &c., were present, he, in consideration of the wish expressed by those Tathāgatas, &c., rose from his seat and stood in the sky, as a meteor, And all the four classes of the assembly rose from their seats, stretched out their joined hands, and stood gazing up to the face of the Lord. The Lord then, with the right forefinger, unlocked the middle of the great Stūpa of jewels, which showed like a meteor, and so severed the two parts. Even as the double doors of a great city gate separate when the bolt is removed, so the Lord opened the great Stūpa, which showed like a meteor, by unlocking it in the middle with the right forefinger. The great Stūpa of jewels had no sooner been opened than the Lord Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c., was seen sitting cross-legged on his throne, with emaciated limbs and faint body, as if absorbed in abstract meditation, and he pronounced these words: Excellent, excellent, Lord Śākyamuni; thou hast well expounded this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law. I repeat, thou hast well expounded this Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law, Lord Śākyamuni, to the (four) classes of the assembly. I myself, Lord, have come hither to hear the Dharmaparyāya of the Lotus of the True Law.
Now the four classes of the assembly, on perceiving the Lord Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c., who had been extinct for many hundred thousand myriads of koṭis of Æons, speaking in this way, were filled with wonder and amazement. Instantly they covered the Lord Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c., and the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, &c., with heaps of divine and human flowers. And then the Lord Prabhūtaratna, the Tathāgata, &c., ceded to the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, &c., the half of the seat on that very throne within that same great Stūpa of jewels and said: Let the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, &c., sit down here. Whereon the Lord Śākyamuni, the Tathāgata, &c., sat down upon that half-seat together with the other Tathāgata, so that both Tathāgatas were seen as meteors in the sky, sitting on the throne in the middle of the great S