Marilyn Perry's Lotus Sutra Hoben Chapter Translation

Lotus Sutra - Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram - Mystic Dharma of the Lotus Blossom Teaching
Hoben Chapter - Chapter Two - Expedient Means

1) At that time the World Honored One¹ almly arose from his meditation and addressed Sharihotsu², saying: “The Wisdom of all Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The door to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter. Neither people of learning nor people of realization are able to comprehend it.”

2) Why is this? In the past, the Buddha carried out countless austerities under many hundreds of thousands of myriads of epics of Buddhas. The Buddha devoted himself to these practices so valiantly and untiringly that his name is universally known. He has realized the profound, unparalleled Universal Law, and preaches it to the peoples' capacity, yet his intent can be very difficult to understand.

3) Sharihotsu, since achieving Buddhahood I have expounded my teachings through many parables and by countless expedient means to guide living beings to renounce all their attachments. Why is this? Because the Buddha is possessed with both expedient means, knowledge, teachings, and ultimate wisdom.

4) Sharihotsu, the Buddha’s knowledge and wisdom are infinite and profound, without bounds. His immeasurable mercy, limitless eloquence, power, fearlessness, concentration and emancipation in meditation have deeply penetrated the limitless. He is awakened to the Universal Law as never before.

5) Sharihotsu, the Buddha one has the power to perceive which teachings are best suited to his audience, preach them in a skillful way, and gladden the hearts of the people with warm and tender words.

6) Sharihotsu, to speak of the essential: the Buddha has fully realized the limitless, boundless Universal Law that has never before been attained.

7) But stop Sharihotsu. We will say no more. Why is this? Because what the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult to comprehend Universal Law. The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas.

8) This reality consists of:

Its appearance.
Its nature.
Its entity.
Its power.
Its influence.
Its internal cause.
Its relation.
Its latent effects.
Its manifest effects.
and their consistency from beginning to end³.

1) Niji seson. Ju sanmai. Anjo ni ki. Go shari-hotsu. Sho-but◠chi-e. Jinjin muryo. Go chi-e mon. Nange nannyu. Issai shomon. Hyaku-shi-butsu. Sho fu no chi.

2) Sho-i sha ga. Butsu zo shingon. Hyaku sen man noku. Mushu sho butsu. Jin gyo sho-butsu. Muryo doho. Yumyo shojin. Myosho fu mon. Joju jinjin. Mi-zo-u ho. Zui gi sho setsu. Ishu nange.

3) Shari-hotsu. Go ju jo-butsu irai. Shuju innen. Shuju hiyu. Ko en gonkyo. Mu shu hoben. Indo shujo. Ryo ri sho jaku.

4) Sho-i sha ga. Nyorai hoben. Chiken hara-mitsu. Kai i gu-soku.

5) Shari-hotsu. Nyorai chiken. Kodai jinnon. Muryo muge. Riki. Mu-sho-i. Zenjo. Gedas.◠Sanmai. Jin nyu musai. Joju issai. Mi-zo-u ho.

6) Shari-hotsu. Nyorai no. Shuju fun-betsu. Gyo ses◠sho ho. Gonji nyunan. Ekka shushin. Shari-hotsu. Shu yo gon shi. Muryo muhen. Mi-zo-u ho. Bus◠shitsu joju.

7) Shi shari-hotsu. Fu shu bu setsu. Sho-i sha ga. Bus◠sho joju. Dai ichi ke-u. Nange shi ho.

8) Yui butsu yo butsu. Nai no kujin. Shoho jisso. Sho-i shoho. Nyo ze so. Nyo ze sho. Nyo ze tai. Nyo ze riki. Nyo ze sa. Nyo ze in. Nyo ze en. Nyo ze ka. Nyo ze ho. Nyo ze honmak◠kukyo to.

Notes and Commentary

¹ Shakyamuni and Siddhartha are the more familiar names of the historical Buddha, sometimes referred to as Gautama Buddha.

²  Sharihotsu (Śāriputra) was Shakyamuni’s pupil, who plays an essential symbolic role throughout the Sutras regarding the - Teacher / Disciple - principle within Buddhism.

³  The Ten Factors:  appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effects, manifest effects, their consistency from beginning to end.

This portion of the Lotus Sutra, the beginning of the Lotus Sutra Hoben Chapter, from it's second chapter, summarizes important aspects of the foundations of Buddhist practice. Scholars who study and document Buddhism and Buddhist practice Buddhologists, have written extensively about the significance of the Lotus Sutra, and its prominence of some of its chapters within sevel Buddhist denominations (sects). 

Thank you for visiting this website, my personal website, and hopefully your enjoyment the information and content shared here publicly at www.marilynperry.com. Marilyn Perry | Saturday, November 11, 2023