The Rare Dishes of the King from Other Lands

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! Sooner or later, people will slander this sutra. Oh, World Honored One! What good and pure people will come and save those who commit such slanders?"

The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "Oh good man! For 40 years after my entering Nirvana, this sutra will flourish in Jambudvipa. Then, it will disappear. Oh, good man! For example, in a land where one can get sugar cane, rice, rock candy, butter, cream and sarpirmanda, people will say: 'This is the best of all flavors’. Or there may be people who are living amid a field of millet and barnyard grass, and which may say that what they eat is the best of all foods. These are people of bad luck, due to their karmic retribution. The ears of the fortunate ones will never hear of millet or barnyard grass. What they will hear will be rice bran, sugar cane, rock candy and sarpirmanda. The same is the case with this wonderful Great Nirvana Sutra. Those born dull minded and unfortunate will not wish hear it, just like those dull and little-fortunate people who hate rice bran and rock candy. It is thus with the people of the two vehicles (Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas) which will hate this unsurpassed Nirvana Sutra.

But there are people who feel gratified on hearing this sutra and who, having heard it, feel pleased and do not slander. They are like those people of good luck who eat rice bran. Oh, good man! For example, there is a king who lives in the depths of the mountains, a place located on a cliff, difficult to access. He has sugar cane, rice bran and rock candy, but since these things are difficult to obtain, he bargain and stores them, and does not eat them. Fearing that they may finish, he only eats millet and barnyard grass. Then, the king of a different land, hearing about this and feeling pity, sends rice bran and sugar cane to him. The king receives and divides them amongst the people of his land, who eat them. After eating them, they are all gladdened and say: 'Because of that king, now we are blessed with this food’. Oh, good man! It is the same with the four kinds of people. They become the generals of this great teaching. One of the four kinds of people sees that countless Bodhisattvas of others countries study, copy, or have other copies of Mahayana sutras of this kind to achieve gains, fame, knowledge, expertise, or to deal with others sutras, but they do not speak of them (the Mahayana sutras) to others. Hence, he takes this all-wonderful sutra and gives it to the Bodhisattvas, so that they might aspire to unsurpassed Bodhichitta and rest peacefully in the Enlightenment. A Bodhisattva, obtaining this sutra, speaks about it to others who, through it, become blessed with the amrta ['amrta' - Ambrosia - the state of immortality] of the Mahayana teaching. All of this is what has been brought forth by this single Bodhisattva. He enables others to hear what they have not heard before. This is like the people who, through the power of that king, enjoy rare dishes. The case is similar.

Also, Oh good man! Wherever this All-Wonderful Great Nirvana Sutra goes, that place - you should know - is indestructible. The people who live there are also adamantine. Anyone who hears this sutra will attain unsurpassed Enlightenment, and never draws back from it. Such people will gain whatever they wish to have. Oh, you Bhiksus! Uphold well what I say to you today. Any people who do not hear this sutra are, you should know, much to be pitied. Why is so? Because such people cannot uphold the deep meaning of a Mahayana Sutra like this."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.

The Virtue of the Name

The Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! How must this sutra be called? How should the Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas protect and uphold this sutra?"

The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "The name of this sutra should be 'Mahaparinirvana'. The preceding word (maha) betokens 'good', the middle word (pari) also 'good', and the final word (Nirvana) 'good' too. The meaning [of this sutra] is extremely deep, and what is written [in it] is good. The pureness of its organization is perfect, its action is pure, and it is all-satisfactory as Adamantine Treasury-House. Listen well, listen well! I shall now speak. Oh good man! The word 'maha' betokens 'eternal'. This is like all the great rivers draining into the great ocean. The same happens with this sutra. It crushes out all the bonds of illusions, all the powers of Mara, and then body and life drain into 'Mahaparinirvana'. Hence we say 'Mahaparinirvana'. Oh good man! This is like the case of a doctor who has a secret treatment embracing all the medical treatments for illnesses. Oh good man! It is the same with the Tathagata. All the various wonderful doctrines taught and all its deep meanings hidden find their way into this 'Mahaparinirvana'. That is why we say Mahaparinirvana. Oh good man! It's like a farmer who sows seeds in spring. He entertains a rare wish. When he has finished the harvesting, all his anxiety will end. Oh good man! The same is the case with all beings. If we study other sutras, we always wait for beautiful tastes. When one hears this Mahaparinirvana, [however], ceases the desire to enjoy the beautiful tastes mentioned in other sutras. This Great Nirvana well enables all beings to cross the sea of all existences. Oh good man! Of all footprints, that of the elephant is the best. The same happens with this sutra. Of all the samadhis of the sutras, the (samadhi) of this sutra is the best. Oh good man! Of all the preparations of the field, that done in autumn is the best. The same happens with this sutra. It is the best of all sutras. It is like sarpirmanda, which is the best of all medicines. It heals thoroughly the feverish worries and the frantic thoughts of beings. This Great Nirvana is the foremost of all. Oh good man! It is like the sweet butter which contains the eight tastes. The same also applies to this sutra. It contains the eight tastes. What are the eight? They are: 1) it is eternal, 2) it always is, 3) it is peaceful, 4) it is pure and cool, 5) it does not become old, 6) it does not die, 7) it is taintless, and 8) it is pleasing and happy. These are the eight tastes. It possesses these eight tastes. This is why we say 'Mahaparinirvana'. Now, all Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas peacefully abide in this and manifest Nirvana in all places. This is why we say 'Mahaparinirvana'. Oh Kasyapa! All good men and women who wish to enter Nirvana through this 'Mahaparinirvana' must study well the fact that the Tathagata is eternal and that the Dharma and Sangha are eternal."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 6 - On the Virtue of the Name.

A King called Virtuous

“Oh Kasyapa! Any person who breaks the precepts and who does not protect Wonderful Dharma should be called a bogus priest. One who keeps strictly the observance of the rules (monastic) does not gain such a designation (bogus). Oh good man! In the past - there are innumerable, boundless, asamkhyas of kalpas ago – there appeared in this town of Kushinagar a Buddha who was the Alms-deserving, the All-Enlightened, the All-accomplished One, the Well-gone who Knows the World, the Unsurpassed Best Trainer, Master of Heaven and Earth, Buddha, World Honored One, and whose name was 'Tathagata of Joy-and-Benefit-Augmentation'. At that time, the world was wide and gloriously pure, rich and peaceful. People were at the height of prosperity and no hunger was felt. They seemed Bodhisattvas of the Land of Peace and Happiness. That Buddha, World Honored One, stayed in the world for an innumerable length of time. Having taught the people, he entered Parinirvana between the twin sal trees.

After Buddha having entered Nirvana, his teaching remained in the world for countless billions of years, and in the latter part of the last forty years the Buddhist teachings had not yet disappeared. At that time, there was a bhiksu called ‘Enlightened-Virtuous’, who upheld the precepts well and was surrounded by many of his relatives. He raised the lion's roar and preached all the nine types of sutras. He taught, saying: 'Do not keep menials, whether men or women, cows, sheep or whatever might go against the precepts’. At that time there were many bhiksus who were acting contrary to the precepts. On hearing this, they conspired and came upon this bhiksu brandishing swords and sticks. At that time, there was a King called 'Virtuous'. He heard about this. To protect the Dharma, he came to where the bhiksu was delivering his sermons and fought against the evil doers so that the bhiksu did not suffer. The king, however, received wounds in his entire body. Then the bhiksu Enlightened-Virtuous praised the king, saying: 'Well done, well done, oh King! You are a person who protects the Wonderful Dharma. In the days to come, you will become an unsurpassed utensil of Dharma'. The king heard his sermon and rejoiced. Then he died and was born in the land of Buddha Akshobhya and became his foremost disciple. The underlings of the king, his relatives and soldiers were all glad and did not retrogress in their Bodhicitta. When came the day of their departure from the world, they were born in the land of Buddha Akshobhya. At the time when the Wonderful Dharma was about to die out, they could act and protect a Dharma like this one. Oh Kasyapa! The king at that time was I; the bhiksu who delivered the sermons was Buddha Kasyapa. Oh Kasyapa! One who protects the Wonderful Dharma is rewarded with such incalculable fruition. This is why I today adorn my body in various ways and have perfectly achieved the indestructible Dharma-body."

Bodhisattva Kasyapa further said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! The eternal body of the Tathagata is the one carved in stone, as it was."

The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "Oh good man! For that reason, bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas should all try harder and protect Wonderful Dharma. The reward for the protection of the Wonderful Dharma is extremely great and priceless. Oh good man! Because of this, those upasakas who protect the Dharma should take the swords and sticks and protect a bhiksu who guards Dharma. Even though a person upholds the precepts, we cannot call that person one who upholds Mahayana. Even though a person has not yet received the five precepts, if it protects the Wonderful Dharma, such a person can well be called one of (who protects the) Mahayana. A person who upholds the Wonderful Dharma should take the swords and sticks, and guard the bhiksus."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 5 - On the Adamantine Body.