Chapter 15. Emerging from the Earth
At this time, from other lands—what we might consider other planets —many great Bodhisattvas came to the Saha World. Their number exceeded the total sum of the sands of eight Ganges Rivers—too many to count, so the sands of the Ganges are used as a metaphor. When these Bodhisattvas arrived at the assembly, they said to the Buddha: “World Honored One, please allow us to diligently practice, strive, uphold, read, recite, copy, and make offerings to this sutra in this Saha World after your parinirvana.” Perhaps they felt there were fewer Bodhisattvas in the Saha World and said, “We have come. We are willing to stay in your world to propagate this sutra.” At this point, the Buddha said: “Good sons, there is no need for you to uphold this sutra. Why is that? Because in the Saha World that I have taught, there are already as many great Bodhisattvas as the sands of sixty thousand Ganges Rivers, and each Bodhisattva has as many followers as the sands of sixty thousand Ganges Rivers. These multitudes will be able to uphold, read, recite, and widely proclaim this sutra after my parinirvana.”
When Shakyamuni Buddha finished these words, the earth of the three thousand great thousand-fold lands of this Saha World all shook and split open, and from the cracks, countless thousands of billions of great Bodhisattvas emerged all at once. These Bodhisattvas’ bodies were all golden in color, possessing the thirty-two marks of excellence, and their bodies emitted immeasurable light. They had previously been dwelling in the space beneath the Saha World. After emerging from the earth, they all went to the Seven-Jeweled Stupa in the sky to pay homage to Many Treasures Tathagata and Shakyamuni Buddha. They continued to emerge from the cracks in the ground for a duration of fifty small kalpas. Meanwhile, Shakyamuni Buddha and the fourfold assembly sat in silence for fifty small kalpas. However, to the fourfold assembly, it felt like only half a day in the human realm. Among them, four Bodhisattvas served as the leaders of this host of Bodhisattvas. Together, they inquired of Shakyamuni, saying: “Is the World Honored One at peace, with few illnesses and few worries? In teaching sentient beings, are you without fatigue? Are the sentient beings easy to transform? Do they not cause the World Honored One to become weary?”
Shakyamuni Buddha very calmly replied to these Bodhisattvas: “Indeed, indeed, good sons. The Tathagata is very much at peace, with few illnesses and few worries. All these sentient beings are also easy to teach and transform, so I do not feel weary. Why is this? Because all these sentient beings—all these disciples in this Lotus Assembly— have already received my teaching throughout lifetimes. They have also respected and honored various Buddhas in the past and have planted many roots of goodness. Therefore, when these sentient beings first saw my form and heard my teaching, they immediately believed and followed, being able to enter the Tathagata’s supreme wisdom—except for those who originally practiced the Lesser Vehicle. However, for those sentient beings, I am now also starting to teach the One-Vehicle, the One Buddha-Vehicle Dharma. Upon hearing this sutra, they will ultimately realize the supreme wisdom that is no different from that of the Tathagata.” Among these great Bodhisattvas, there were four representatives: one named Superior Conduct, one named Boundless Conduct, one named Pure Conduct, and one named Steadfast Conduct. These four inquired after the Buddha, and the Buddha replied to them in this way.
At this time, many Bodhisattvas in the assembly felt a sense of doubt. Represented by Maitreya Bodhisattva, they asked the World Honored One: “Where did these immeasurable and boundless Bodhisattvas actually come from?” Then the attendants of the various emanations and transformation Buddhas also asked their respective Buddhas: “These masses of Bodhisattvas emerged from the earth all at once—where did they come from?” These emanated Buddhas told them: “Good sons, please wait for a moment. Maitreya Bodhisattva has already asked Shakyamuni Buddha on your behalf, and you will soon hear the Buddha’s explanation.” Shakyamuni Buddha spoke very plainly: “All these Bodhisattvas were taught and guided by me in this Saha World after I attained Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment. I subdued their natures and caused them to make vows to seek supreme wisdom. These Bodhisattvas all dwell in the space beneath this Saha World.”
Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjushri Bodhisattva began to feel doubt in their hearts. They knew that Shakyamuni Buddha had been a prince in the kingdom of Kapilavastu, had then left the palace, and attained the Way under the Bodhi tree; it had only been about forty years since he became a Buddha. How could he have taught such immeasurable and boundless great Bodhisattvas in such a short time? They asked the Buddha: “We all have doubts. You have only been enlightened for forty-odd years. In such a short time, how could you have let them realize such excellent and wonderful marks? You know that for these wonderful marks to manifest—the body being golden and possessing the thirty-two marks of excellence—it requires the extensive practice of the Bodhisattva path. If it requires practicing the Bodhisattva path, then you have only been enlightened for forty-odd years; how could you have let them practice the Bodhisattva path extensively in just forty years and suddenly possess such beautiful and perfect bodies?”
Maitreya Bodhisattva made an analogy: “Suppose there is a man with a handsome face and black hair, only twenty-five years of age, who points to a hundred-year-old man and says, ‘This is my son.’ That hundred-year-old man also points to the young man and says, ‘This is my father, who sired and raised me.’ Such a thing is truly hard to believe. The time since the World Honored One attained the Buddha- fruit has not been long, yet you have been able to accomplish such a task of immense merit. After the Buddha’s parinirvana, if someone hears this claim, they might not believe or accept it, thereby creating the causes and conditions for the karma of destroying the Buddha- dharma. Because of this, World Honored One, we earnestly beseech you to explain for us, to dispel our doubts, and to ensure that good sons of future generations will not give rise to doubt after hearing this matter.” This is Maitreya Bodhisattva asking on behalf of sentient beings, which leads into Chapter 16: The Life Span of the Tathagata.