3. Praise of the Buddha's Qualities
「童子！以是義故，若有菩薩摩訶薩欲於如來真實功德開示、辯說義味名號無有窮盡，一切所說為佛所記，汝今應當讀誦、受持、為他廣說如是三昧。
“O Youth! For this reason, if there are bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to reveal the true merits of the tathāgatas, expound their meanings, flavours, and names without end, and receive the prediction of their awakening by the buddhas, they should now read and recite, take up and bear, and widely expound to others this samādhi.
「童子！何者如來實德名號？若菩薩摩訶薩住阿蘭若樹下空閑，靜默獨坐當如是學，謂如來、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛、世尊，積集如來勝妙功德，修諸善根而不壞失，以大忍力得諸相花及隨形好而自莊嚴，可愛色中最為增上。覩者無厭，敬信愛樂，於諸智慧無能奪者，不可壞力化諸眾生，為菩薩之父、為賢聖之王、為向涅槃導師，無邊智慧、無量辯才。梵音清雅，言聲辯暢，相好希奇，有目瞻仰，隨所觀處欲捨不能。得無比身，不為欲染、不為色染，過無色界，遠離諸苦、棄捨諸法。解脫諸界非入相應，斷除諸結盡諸渴愛，渡於四流滿足智慧，安處涅槃住於實際。
“O Youth! What are the true epithets of the Tathāgata? If a bodhisattva mahāsattva dwells in an araṇya or under a tree, sits quietly in solitude, and trains in this way, he will become a Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-saṃbuddha, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Sugata, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavān. He has accumulated the Tathāgata’s excellent, wondrous merits and cultivates roots of goodness without losing them. With the power of great patience, he has attained the marks and embellishments of a great man, and is adorned with them. He is the most excellent among those of pleasing appearance, and those who see him never tire of respecting, believing, and delighting in him. His wisdom cannot be taken away from him. His indestructible power transforms sentient beings. He is the father of bodhisattvas, the king of sages, and the guide to nirvana. He has boundless wisdom and immeasurable eloquence. His Brahmā-like voice is pure and elegant, and his speech eloquent. His physical marks are extraordinary. Those with eyes can look up to him, and wherever he is looked at, they wish to move their eyes from him but cannot. He has attained an incomparable body. He is not defiled by desire or form. He has transcended the formless realm. He has left behind all suffering and rejected all dharmas. He is liberated from all realms and is not associated with any sense medium. He has cut off all bonds and ended all craving. He has crossed the four torrents and has fulfilled wisdom. He dwells peacefully in nirvāṇa, abiding in suchness.
「童子！此顯如來真實功德，是名菩薩摩訶薩住彼三昧能獲如來真實功德，開說名義無有窮盡，一切所說諸佛所記。」
“O Youth! This is the revelation of the true merits of a tathāgata. These are the true merits of a tathāgata attained by a bodhisattva mahāsattva who dwells in this samādhi. They are taught the meanings of words without end, and are all taught and given predictions of their buddhahood by buddhas."
爾時，世尊而說偈言：
Then the Bhagavān this gātha:
「於無量數千劫中，
不能說盡如來德，
久集一切妙善根，
為求如是勝定故；
"Even in countless thousands of kalpas
One could not fully expound the virtues of the Tathāgata.
He has long accumulated all wondrous roots of goodness,
In order to seek this excellent samādhi.
莊嚴美女姝妙身，
最上希奇可樂色，
我本決施無悔心，
為求如是勝定故；
He had adorned beautiful women with exquisite bodies,
Their colors supremely rare and pleasing:
With a pure intent, free from regret,
In order to attain this excellent meditation,
捨所重財及僮僕、
摩尼大寶與金銀，
以勝上心而施彼，
為求如是三昧故；
He has given away them, as with his precious wealth and servants;
Maṇis, great jewels and gold and silver,
With the highest intention to give them away,
In order to seek this samādhi.
以摩尼寶珠、瓔珞、
天冠臂印及金繩，
昔曾奉施諸尊師，
為求如是勝定故。
He has offered maṇi jewels, pearls, necklaces,
Crowns, armlets, and golden cords
To honoured teachers in the past,
In order to seek this excellent meditation.
諸妙香花無量果，
皆是犍陀婆師香，
我以此花散佛塔，
增上淳至勝妙心。
I scattered flowers of various fragrances, innumerable fruits,
Fragrances of caṇḍana and vārṣika,
On stūpas of buddhas,
Increasing the purity of the mind.
我以無量諸法施，
歡喜開導諸眾生，
於諸名聞及利養，
我初不起如是心：
I give countless teachings,
Gladly guiding sentient beings.
Greedy for fame and fortune,
I never had such a thought as:
『我本集於頭陀德。』
獨在樹下默無言，
無量慈悲愍眾生，
為求無上菩提果。
'I have gathered the virtues of dhūta practices.'
Sitting alone under a tree, silent and silent, With immeasurable kindness and compassion for sentient beings,
I sought the fruit of unexcelled bodhi.
共住同戒無違諍，
愛語常流潤澤音，
言詞柔軟人樂聞，
一切見之無厭捨。
They live together with me in harmony, observing the precepts, without quarreling,
Speaking kindly, with always gentle, pleasing voices,
Their words soft and pleasant to hear,
So that all who see them do not tire or get tired of them.
住於他舍離家慳，
無量億生不嫉妬，
歡喜常自行乞食，
於諸請召皆棄捨。
Living in the home of another, free from the taint of family ties,
They are not jealous for countless lifetimes. Gladly they always go begging for alms,
And they give up invitations to others.
若有多聞能受持，
於此三昧四句偈，
如是便為供養我，
以勝上心而尊敬。
If there are those who are learned and can accept and uphold
Even a four-line verse of this samādhi,
They will have made offerings to me in this way,
And with superior thoughts they will have honoured me.
我昔行於種種施，
長夜於戒而不犯，
以無量種供養佛，
為求如是寂定故。
I formerly practiced various kinds of giving
And did not violate the precepts for a long time.
I made innumerable kinds of offerings to the Buddha
Because I sought this tranquil meditation.
我於無量世界中，
滿中摩尼而廣施，
聞是三昧持一偈，
此福過彼不可量。
If I give away in abundance In innumerable worlds,
All the maṇi gems that there are,
And if someone hears this samādhi and bears a single verse,
The merit of this is more immeasurable.
一切所有種種花，
及諸妙香甚希有，
供養一切諸如來，
樂修善根無量劫。
All kinds of flowers
And rare wonderful incenses,
I gave as offerings to all the tathāgatas
And happily cultivated wholesome roots for innumerable kalpas.
世間所有諸伎樂、
勝妙飲食及寶衣，
無量劫中增上心，
常以供養諸十力。
All the music in the world,
The best food and drink, and precious garments,
With a superior mind, for immeasurable kalpas,
I always offers to those with the ten powers.
若人興於菩提願，
當獲無上大法王；
若人於此三昧經，
聞說一偈福過彼。
If anyone arouses the vow for bodhi,
He will become an unsurpassed great Dharma King.
If anyone hears and teaches even one verse
Of this samādhi sūtra, his merit exceeds that of the former.
於恒河中所有沙，
爾所劫數說其利，
敷演彼德不能盡，
以持無量福定故。
Even if one spoke of its benefits for as many kalpas
As there are grains of sand in the Ganges River,
One could not fully expound its merits,
Because it is a meditation of immeasurable virtue.
「童子！以是義故，菩薩摩訶薩於是三昧應當至心受持、讀誦、為他演說、分別顯示，廣化眾生修是三昧。」
“For this reason, O Youth, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should wholeheartedly take up and bear, read and recite, and explain, teach, and reveal this samādhi to others, and widely teach sentient beings to cultivate this samādhi.”
爾時，世尊即說偈言：
Thereupon the Bhagavān uttered this gāthā:
「於彼佛所聞如是，
無上勝妙之利益，
是故我今為汝說，
諸佛所說勝三昧。
"Having heard this teaching from those buddhas,
Of the unsurpassed, supreme benefits,
I now pronounce to you
The supreme samādhi taught by those buddhas.
七億三千萬佛所，
我於過去曾供養，
彼諸一切如來等，
亦說如是修多羅。
I made offerings in the past
To seven hundred and thirty million buddhas,
And all those tathāgatas.
Have also expounded this sūtra.
由此能入大悲心，
是故顯說此三昧，
若有習學多聞者，
得如來智則不難。
Because of this I was able to enter the mind of great compassion.
Therefore I have revealed this samādhi.
If there are those who study and learn much,
It will not be difficult for them to attain the wisdom of a tathāgata.
若能於彼末世時，
世間導師滅度後，
有諸毀法惡比丘，
於彼多聞不悕樂。
If, in the latter age,
After the nirvāṇa of the Lokanātha,
There are evil bhikṣus who destroy the Dharma,
They will not take pleasure in learning much.
雖說戒法而得活，
自於戒法不樂行；
雖說禪定而得活，
自於禪定不樂行；
Though they may be said to have earned their living by preaching the Dharma of precepts,
They themselves do not delight in the practice of precepts.
Though they may be said to have earned their living by preaching dhyāna meditation,
They themselves does not delight in the practice of dhyāna meditation.
雖說智慧而得活，
自於智慧不樂行；
雖說解脫而得活，
自於解脫不樂行；
Though they may be said to have earned their living by preaching about wisdom,
They themselves do not delight in the practice of wisdom.
Though they may be said to have earned their living by preaching about liberation,
They themselves do not delight in the practice of liberation.
雖說知見而得活，
自於知見不樂行。
Though they may be said to have earned their living by preaching about knowledge,
They themselves do not delight in the practice of knowledge.
如人口說：『栴檀香，
於諸香中最為上。』
有人問彼說香者：
『汝所說香自有不？』
It is like a perfumer saying, 'The fragrance of sandalwood
Is the best of all fragrances.'
Someone asks that perfumer,
'Does the fragrance you speak of exist?'
答云：『我實不聞香，
但由說香而得活。』
於佛滅後末惡世，
有不應式諸比丘，
He replies, 'I really do not smell fragrance.
I merely live by talking about fragrance.'
Thus, the troubled world of the latter days after the Buddha’s nirvāṇa,
There will be bhikṣus who do not follow the rules of proper conduct.
雖說戒法而得活，
不能自行於戒法；
於佛滅後末惡世，
有不應式諸比丘，
Even though some may be able to maintain their livelihood by preaching the Dharma of precepts,
They will be unable to put the Dharma of precepts into practice.
After the Buddha’s final nirvāṇa in the troubled age of the latter days,
There will be bhikṣus who do not follow the rules of proper conduct.
雖說定法而得活，
不能自行於定法；
於佛滅後末惡世，
有不應式諸比丘，
Even though some may be able to maintain their livelihood by preaching the Dharma of meditation,
They will be unable to put the Dharma of meditation into practice.
After the Buddha’s final nirvāṇa in the troubled age of the latter days,
There will be bhikṣus who do not follow the rules of proper conduct.
雖說慧法而得活，
不能自行於慧法；
於佛滅後末惡世，
有不應式諸比丘，
Even though some may be able to maintain their livelihood by preaching the Dharma of wisdom,
They will be unable to put the Dharma of wisdom into practice.
After the Buddha’s final nirvāṇa in the troubled age of the latter days,
There will be bhikṣus who do not follow the rules of proper conduct.
雖說解脫而得活，
不能自行解脫法；
於佛滅後末惡世，
有不應式諸比丘，
Even though some may be able to maintain their livelihood by preaching the Dharma of liberation,
After the Buddha’s final nirvāṇa in the troubled age of the latter days,
There will be bhikṣus who do not follow the rules of proper conduct.
雖說知見而得活，
不能自行知見法。
They may maintain their livelihood by preaching about of knowledge and insight,
But they cannot themselves practise the Dharma of knowledge and insight.
譬如貧賤為他欺，
後時富貴人所敬，
人、天、龍、鬼、鳩槃荼，
終不供養無定者。
It is just as a poor person who is deceived by others
Later becomes wealthy and respected by people,
Even humans, devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and kumbhāṇḍas
Will not make offerings to one without meditation.
若得三昧微妙地，
智者便得廣智藏，
為彼人天之所敬，
能以上施施眾生。
If one attains the subtle ground of samādhi,
The wise will attain a vast store of wisdom.
Being respected by humans and devas,
One can give the best to sentient beings.
我聞如是之利益，
最為勝上佛所演，
親屬、資財皆悉捨，
為欲聞說是三昧。」
Having heard such benefits
As the most excellent Buddha teaches,
I have renounced all my relatives and possessions
Because I wished to hear this samādhi expounded."
月光童子心歡喜，
合掌向佛說是言：
The youth Candraprabha was delighted
And, with palms pressed together, he addressed the Buddha, saying:
「我於佛仙滅度後，
當護持此佛勝法。
"After the Buddha-seer has entered nirvāṇa
I will preserve this excellent Buddha-Dharma.
於自身命能棄捨、
及諸世間種種樂，
於後惡世怖畏時，
當護持是勝妙定。
I will be able to relinquish my body and life
And all kinds of worldly pleasures.
In the fearful time of the evil age to come
I will preserve this excellent meditation.
我見世間無量苦，
興大悲心而欲拔，
於彼復起大慈心，
而為說此勝三昧。」
Seeing the immeasurable suffering of the world
I will arouse thoughts of great compassion and wish to remove it.
Again I will arouse thoughts of great kindness toward beings
And teach them this excellent samādhi."
眾中五百人咸起，
亦願護持是三昧。
童子於彼為上首，
亦共持此勝三昧。
Five hundred people in the assembly all stood up
And vowed to preserve this samādhi.
The youth was the foremost among them,
And together they preserved this excellent samādhi.