Translated in the Great Tang Dynasty by the Tripiṭaka Master Xuan Zang by Imperial Command
At that time, the Buddha told Śāriputra: “For the sake of Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi, how does a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva rely upon the Vīrya Pāramitā to cultivate the Bodhisattva practices? Śāriputra, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva diligently cultivates the Vigour Pāramitā and carries out the Bodhisattva practices.
“Śāriputra, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, fully accomplishing and perfecting the non-retreating vigour, is able not to consider even the weighty matter of body and life, and brings forth great vigour in seeking the subtle Dharma gates of the Bodhisattva Treasury, earnestly listening, receiving, upholding, reading, reciting, thoroughly inquiring and investigating, penetrating the meaning and intent, and widely expounding and explaining them to others; or again writing them down and keeping them, cultivating them in accord with what is right. This is called a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva cultivating the Bodhisattva practices.
“Śāriputra, what is called not considering body and life? Śāriputra, when a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is cultivating the Pāramitā of vigour, suppose there is another person who brings terror upon him, saying: ‘If you receive and uphold, read, recite, and even widely explain to others, write down, keep, and cultivate in accord with what is right this scripture of the Bodhisattva Treasury, then I shall pierce your body with a hundred arrays of arrows and spears and cut off your life.’ Śāriputra, at that time, although the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva hears these words, he does not take them to heart at all, without fear, without terror, without alarm, without dread. He brings forth four kinds of steadfastness and, with heroic might, becomes even more diligent toward the subtle Dharma gates of the Bodhisattva Treasury, not abandoning, not giving up, not distancing, not departing from them, fully accomplishing fierce faith-understanding, steadfast faith-understanding, steadfast endurance, and steadfast vigour.
“Śāriputra, I shall now speak to you skillful parables for steadfast endurance and steadfast vigour, so that Bodhisattvas may acquire steadfast endurance and steadfast vigour, and in cultivating the Bodhisattva path not consider body and life. Śāriputra, suppose that all beings encompassed within the three-thousand great-thousand-world system—whether born from eggs, or from wombs, or from moisture, or by transformation, whether with form or without form, whether with perception or without perception, or neither with nor without perception, whether visible or invisible—suppose that all such beings, even for the space of a kṣaṇa, all obtain human bodies, and all of them at the same time form a hundred thousand kinds of extremely heavy enmity toward the Bodhisattva. Suppose those enemies say to the Bodhisattva: ‘If you receive and uphold, read, recite, and even widely explain to others, write down, keep, and cultivate in accord with what is right the sentences of this scripture of the Bodhisattva Treasury, then we all together shall seize you, bind you, and cut off your life.’ Śāriputra, because the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is cultivating the Vīrya Pāramitā, at that time, although he hears these words, he does not give rise to even a single thought of fear or dread. He single-mindedly gathers and holds the four kinds of True Dharma, devoting himself solely to seeking the subtle Dharma gates of the great Bodhisattva Treasury. Śāriputra, this is called the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva fully accomplishing and perfecting the non-retreating Pāramitā of vigour. He further perfects boundless power, heroic vigour, vigorous right exertion, vigorous intention, vigorous pure precepts, vigorous great endurance, vigorous meditative stabilization, vigorous great wisdom, and vigorous supreme knowledge of right conduct, all entirely vigorous.
“Śāriputra, when this Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is cultivating the Pāramitā of vigour, because he fully possesses such great power of endurance, even if immeasurable beings in the ten directions each contend with one another while holding a hundred thousand swords and knives, and give rise to murderous intent toward the Bodhisattva, at that time the Bodhisattva never gives rise to even the slightest trace of anger toward those beings. Śāriputra, because such a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva abides in the power of endurance, he is like the Great Brahmā King, like Śakra, or like the King of the Four-Jeweled Sumeru, unshakable, always dwelling in compassion, constantly bringing forth the intention to rescue and heal beings, and in all his actions never turning back. Moreover, this Bodhisattva’s mind is like great earth, like great water, like great fire, like great wind, and like space, and he is also able to skillfully cultivate the antidotes for the roots of the seeds and sprouts of greed, anger, and delusion.
“Śāriputra, suppose a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, taking worlds as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā and filling all of them with priceless treasures, offers them all to immeasurable Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones; and suppose another Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who cultivates the Vīrya Pāramitā hears this subtle Dharma gate of the great Bodhisattva Treasury, and after hearing this scripture goes to a solitary place, binds his mindfulness, contemplates this Dharma, and diligently studies it, enabling those Bodhisattvas who have not yet cultivated it to delight in practicing it. Śāriputra, such a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, because he cultivates vigour, gathers and holds immeasurable subtle wholesome roots, and these cannot be matched by those who cultivate giving. Why is this so? Śāriputra, it is because these wholesome roots belong to Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi. Therefore, Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, with respect to these subtle Dharma gates of the Bodhisattva Treasury, should listen to them, receive them, uphold them, read and recite them, and if they also write them down and widely teach them to others, they should bring forth vigour and heroically cultivate them.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who brings forth the Vigour Pāramitā should cultivate the “practice that not to be practiced” Śāriputra, what are called the “practice that not to be practiced”? Śāriputra, the “practice that not to be practiced” is Nirvāṇa. They are called “not to be practiced” because devils and Māras cannot practice them; they are called “practice” because they are practiced by the virtuous who cultivate vigour. The so-called virtuous are the Buddhas, the Pratyekabuddha, and the disciples of the Buddha. Why is this so? It is because all virtuous ones who ascend the Holy Path, as well as the World-Honored Buddhas, all aim toward the attainment of great Nirvāṇa.
“Śāriputra, all beings frequently practice three domains. Which three domains? They are following along with the evil destinies, tending toward the evil destinies, and preparing to fall into the evil destinies. Therefore, Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas never follow after defiled Dharmas, but solely seek the Dharmas of liberation: precepts, endurance, extensive learning, white, and so forth. Śāriputra, beings in the world mostly abide in actionless, yet constantly claim that they abide in action; beings in the world are mostly lax and indolent, yet constantly proclaim that they are bringing forth vigour. Therefore, Śāriputra, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who is wise never draws near to those who are inactive and indolent, nor does he fall into their ranks, but draws near only to the great Bodhisattvas who practise and bring forth vigour. Why is this so, Śāriputra? It is because there is no being who can, as a Bodhisattva does, give rise to pure faith-understanding toward the supreme, stainless, pure marks of great Nirvāṇa. Śāriputra, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who brings forth the Vigour Pāramitā is not diligent merely for the sake of his own attainment of Nirvāṇa, but cultivates right practice and brings forth vigour for the sake of gathering in all beings, enabling all beings to obtain benefit and bliss, instructing and teaching them, settling beings upon the Holy Path. Therefore, it is said that a Bodhisattva is called a noble hero.”
At that time, the World-Honored One wished to restate this meaning and spoke in verse:
“Heroically cultivating without slowness, always possessing great vigour,
constantly and intelligently upholding the Dharma of the Bodhisattva Treasury.
Those who are skilled in contemplating the meaning of Dharma cannot comprehend the Buddha’s Inconceivable qualities;
Only those who diligently seek the pure Dharma can be called Bodhisattvas.
Those who cultivate vigour and possess great wisdom sit beneath the wondrous Bodhi tree,
Subduing the terrifying armies of evil Māra through the force of Prajñā and vigour.
Manifesting all pure conduct of precepts, fully able to cultivate worldly undertakings,
For the benefit of beings constantly practising vigour, without limit or measure.”
“Moreover, Śāriputra, such subtle scripture of the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva Treasury, when circulated in the world, can cause beings to give rise to great joy, can bring forth blessings and wisdom, can generate great wealth causing it to increase, can bring about the superior pleasures of the heavens, can bring about all forms of complete fulfillment, can produce all the powers of all Buddhas and Tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the unobstructed knowledge and understanding, the great compassion, great loving-kindness, great joy, great equanimity, and the unique qualities of the Buddhas. In brief, it can bring forth all Dharmas of all Buddhas, subdue terrifying māra-enemies, purify the mind, bring forth fierce wisdom, exhaust the roots of birth-and-death, exhaust the boundary of suffering, and draw near to Nirvāṇa. Śāriputra, in the future age, five hundred years after we enter Nirvāṇa, there will be many beings of slight merit who will not give rise to faith and respect toward this scripture and will destroy and abandon it. Yet there will also be immeasurable beings of great blessing who will revere this scripture, cultivate it in accord with what is right, diligently practise with vigour, seeking unsurpassed perfect awakening, seeking morality, seeking extensive learning, seeking concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge-and-vision of liberation, seeking all the Dharma of the Buddhas, and seeking to bring benefit and bliss to all beings, seeking to abandon wrong views and cultivate right views, seeking to abandon the flowing round of birth-and-death and cultivate the Holy Path, seeking to proclaim the True Dharma to subdue heavenly Māras, and seeking to abandon craving, subdue anger, shatter delusion, eliminate ignorance, and bring forth the light of wisdom.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, in the future age, if there are beings who, after hearing this Dharma, seek all wholesome Dharmas, they should bring forth superior, heroic, and earnest vigour; because they have heard such subtle Dharma, they will have no obstruction with respect to the Dharmas of the Buddhas and will certainly have no doubt.
“Śāriputra, at that time there will again be immeasurable beings who, aided by the power of the fruit of their blessings, dwell in superior intent, and, for the sake of seeking unsurpassed perfect awakening, will listen to and receive this scripture. After hearing it, they will obtain vast joy, and will skillfully study the subtle Dharma gates of the Bodhisattva Treasury and cultivate them in accordance with what is spoken.
“Again, Śāriputra, at that time there will be beings who delight in hearing the Tathāgata’s teaching. Whatever distinct conditions they may have that allow them to hear such a scripture, after hearing it, they will obtain vast joy; having obtained joy, they will bring forth steadfast diligence and will be able, within this great and subtle Dharma treasure of the Bodhisattva Treasury, to take only a small portion of its jewels.
“Śāriputra, it is like innumerable ripe fruits drifting upon the waters of the great ocean, complete in color, fragrance, and fine taste; there is a great man who, bringing forth heroic and great vigorous strength, enters the ocean, moving his hands and feet to gather those fruits, obtaining perhaps two or perhaps three. That great man, carrying those fruits, leaves the ocean, goes to a certain place, tastes them, and only then knows their pure and wondrous flavor, rare and unmatched. He then thinks thus: ‘Such wondrous fruits, complete in color, fragrance, and taste, I have never eaten since birth. I should again bring forth diligent vigour, reenter the ocean, and with hands and feet gather the remaining fruits.’ Having formed this thought, he goes to the seashore and looks everywhere, but he can no longer see them at all. Thus he deeply regrets and generates great sorrow: ‘Why did I not gather more earlier, such that now I have lost measureless wondrous fruits!’ Śāriputra, it is exactly like this. In the age after my passing, in the five hundred years when the unsurpassed True Dharma is on the verge of extinction, there will be immeasurable beings—of little faith, little giving, little morality, little wisdom, and little cultivation of diligence—who, by various distinct conditions, are able to hear such a Dharma jewel. After hearing the Dharma, they obtain from this scripture only a slight and shallow portion of meaning, even upholding only a single four-line stanza. Again, because evil Māras disturb and obscure them, they are not respected, inquired of, supported, praised, or believed by others. This keeper of the scripture, knowing that people do not respect him, thus gives rise to a mind of abandoning this scripture. He only holds the minute and slight portion of meaning from the sentences he previously heard and goes to a quiet place to contemplate and examine it. He gives rise to joy, and yet also to remorse, saying: ‘Alas, how astonishing! I have now greatly lost wholesome benefit. Why did I not hear and receive more of the unsurpassed right teaching of the Buddhas and Tathāgatas?’ He then again gives rise to a profound heart toward the Tathāgata, doubling that right mindfulness which he had previously generated. Śāriputra, at that time there will be bhikṣus seized by evil Māras who, after hearing this scripture, will in the presence of others generate slander, saying that this scripture was fashioned by those who decorate words with finery and that it is not truly spoken by the Buddha. For this reason, there will be some bhikṣus who do not listen to or receive this scripture at all.”
At that time, the World-Honored One wished to restate this meaning and spoke in verse:
“After hearing this Dharma, one should, without obstruction,
be entirely free of doubt regarding the Dharmas of the Buddhas and obtain supreme understanding.
Those of slight blessings cannot hear it; those of abundant blessings are able to hear this scripture.
Those of slight blessings, though they hear it, do not generate faith;
those of abundant blessings, after hearing it, revere it and honor it as though adorning themselves with flower garlands.
Those of slight blessings say that this is not the holy teaching; they will fall into evil destinies, like blind men falling into a deep pit.
Those of abundant blessings, after hearing it, give rise to joy and will go to fortunate destinies, like clarified butter rising to the surface of water.
Those of slight blessings, upon hearing it, give rise to sorrow and affliction, and through long nights they will suffer and not escape darkness.
Even if they hear a little, they will again be disturbed by Māras, slander the Buddha’s awakening, and swiftly fall into hell.”
“Moreover, Śāriputra, the Buddhas and Tathāgatas fully accomplish and perfect the pure and subtle wisdom, such that they are able to know even the minds of the four assemblies. If there is one bhikṣu, bhikṣuṇī, upāsaka, or upāsikā in the future age, when the True Dharma is extinguished, and there are some who hear such a scripture and follow it in accord with its meaning, or some who, after hearing it, slight and slander it, or some beings who have never heard it at all, all such matters are fully known by the pure wisdom of the Tathāgata. Śāriputra, if there are Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas and all other beings who, after hearing and receiving such a scripture, diligently cultivate it, they will accomplish four kinds of unobstructed purity. Which four? First, they accomplish unobstructed purity in śīla; second, they accomplish purity free from peril and hardship; third, they accomplish unobstructed purity in encountering Buddhas and attending upon and making offerings to them; fourth, they accomplish purity in seeing Maitreya Buddha, such that from the very first sight there will be no further obstruction. Śāriputra, those beings who, after hearing this scripture, obtain the aforesaid subtle wholesome roots will each, according to their capacities, surely obtain them. Śāriputra, this is called the four supreme pure Dharmas accomplished by Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas through cultivating the Vigour Pāramitā.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, in the future age, when the True Dharma is being extinguished, there will be Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas who abide in the Mahāyāna, cultivating the Vigour Pāramitā, diligently learning this scripture, bringing forth great vigour, listening, receiving, writing, reading, reciting, thoroughly investigating its meaning, and widely proclaiming and elucidating it to others. At that time, ten kinds of obstacles will arise in the world. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize them, not follow along with them, and should only bring forth heroic vigour to receive and uphold this scripture. Śāriputra, what are the ten kinds of obstacles that the wise should recognize and not follow?
“Śāriputra, there are bhikṣus who bring forth earnest vigour, seeking to hear and recite this scripture; then Māra causes the keeper of the scripture to have his mouth sealed so that he cannot speak, making it impossible for this scripture to be established. This is called the first obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, there are bhikṣus who bring forth earnest vigour, seeking to hear and recite this scripture; then Māra causes the keeper of the scripture to have diseased eyes, making it impossible for this scripture to be established. This is called the second obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, there are bhikṣus who bring forth earnest vigour, seeking to hear and recite this scripture; then Māra causes the keeper of the scripture to have all the limbs of his body simultaneously fall ill, making it impossible for this scripture to be established. This is called the third obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, there are bhikṣus who bring forth earnest vigour, seeking to hear and recite this scripture; then Māra causes the keeper of the scripture to lose joy in his dwelling place and immediately wish to abandon it, making it impossible for this scripture to be established. This is called the fourth obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, there are bhikṣus who bring forth earnest vigour, seeking to hear and recite this scripture; then Māra causes the keepers of the scripture to generate anger toward one another. Because of anger their minds are ruined, and they harm one another, making it impossible for this scripture to be established. This is called the fifth obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, there are bhikṣus who bring forth earnest vigour, seeking to hear and recite this scripture; then Māra causes them to give rise to matters of contention in speech, matters of lawsuits, matters of mutual criticism, matters of division, matters of angry scolding. Because of these matters, it is as if spears arise from their mouths, and they mutually contend, mutually injure, and mutually oppose one another. Because such disputes arise, obstacles are produced, making it impossible for this scripture to circulate, and they instead give rise to the intention to engage in other undertakings. This is called the sixth obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, there are bhikṣus who bring forth earnest vigour, seeking to recite this scripture; then Māra, in order to disrupt and destroy, manifests various forms, either as householders or as renunciants, approaching to disturb their minds, causing them to be unable to receive and uphold this scripture, and instead to slander it and give rise to thoughts delighted with other pursuits. This is called the seventh obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Moreover, Śāriputra, in the future age, when the True Dharma is about to be extinguished, there will be young bhikṣus who toward this scripture give rise to pure faith and give rise to delight, and within my Dharma bring forth earnest vigour to cultivate the Vīrya Pāramitā, abiding with deep mind in Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi, and respectfully listening to this scripture; once they hear it, they will give rise to great joy. At that time, these young bhikṣus will be obstructed by their two fundamental teachers, the Upādhyāya and the Ācārya, causing them to lose all desire toward the Dharma they themselves are cultivating. Then the two teachers will say to them: “The scripture you uphold is not the Buddha’s speech, not the Buddha’s Bodhi, not the True Dharma, not the Vinaya, and not the teaching of the Great Master.” At that time the bhikṣus, hearing the instruction of their teachers and accepting it in faith, will abandon the Buddha’s Bodhi. Then the two teachers will again tell the bhikṣus: “You should diligently cultivate and learn the Dharma and discipline that I teach.” At that time the bhikṣus, accepting this and receiving it, will have the superior wholesome roots they previously cultivated completely destroyed by their teachers, entirely cut off. Śāriputra, after those bhikṣus have severed their wholesome roots, they will again be deceived by evil Māras; because they are deceived, they will perform deeds that obstruct the right teaching of the Buddha, and at the time of death evil conditions will appear before them, bringing confusion, dullness, and delusion, and even the suffering of premature death will gather before them, and further they will produce karma that summons the hell-destiny. Śāriputra, all such future unwholesome events are entirely known by the Tathāgata.
“Again, Śāriputra, in the future age there will be young bhikṣus who, toward this scripture, give rise to wrong views, slander and disbelieve it, and wherever they travel, walk, or pass through, they will constantly use various words to slander it unceasingly. The Tathāgata fully knows all these matters.
“Śāriputra, when Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas bring forth earnest vigour and abide in the Great Vehicle, at that time they should give rise to four contemplations. What four? First, they should give rise to the contemplation of taming their own selves; second, they should contemplate the deeds they themselves perform and should not contemplate the deeds of others; third, they should give rise to the contemplation of compassion for those beings; fourth, dwelling in solitary and quiet places, they should give rise to the contemplation of guarding their own minds and the minds of others. Śāriputra, when abiding in the Mahāyāna and encountering slander, one should bring forth these four contemplations.
“Again, Śāriputra, in the future age there will be immeasurable beings who hold to various wrong views. Those bhikṣus who teach the True Dharma will have few who believe in them, will not be honored, will not be questioned about the meaning of the scriptures, will not be supported or approached or attended upon; instead they will be subjected to deception and contempt. Those bhikṣus who teach adharma will have many who believe in them, they will obtain great influence, and will be honored, questioned about scripture meanings, supported, and praised by beings. Because of this, they will further slander and ridicule this scripture. Śāriputra, at that time the beings who originally had no delight in this scripture, after hearing such slander, will have even less delight; and those who originally had delight, after hearing the slander, will abandon this scripture and teach others to abandon it. The power of those bhikṣus who slander the Dharma will become even more fierce, making it impossible for those who read and recite this scripture to expound it in the midst of great assemblies. This is called the eighth obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should recognize it and should not follow it in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, in the future age there will be bhikṣus who are covered by craving, who often commit theft and robbery, and who delight in three worldly corruptions. What three? First, delight in seeking worldly robes and bowls; second, delight in seeking worldly food and drink; third, delight in seeking worldly poetic adornments, embellished verses, and idle compositions. These three are called the ninth obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.
“Again, Śāriputra, in the future age, when the True Dharma is extinguished, there will be Bodhisattvas who, because they abide in the Great Vehicle and cultivate the Vīrya Pāramitā, bring forth earnest and heroic vigour toward this scripture, writing it, receiving it, investigating, reading, reciting, and widely expounding and teaching it to others. However, the listeners will be seized by Māras and covered by the obstructions of afflictions and karma, delighting in worldly activities, enjoying worldly activities, diligently seeking worldly undertakings; delighted by worldly discourse, increasingly enjoying worldly discourse, diligently seeking worldly discourse; delighted by sleep, diligently seeking delight in sleep; delighting in crowds, enjoying crowds, diligently seeking attachment to crowds. Toward this scripture they are unable to receive and uphold it, nor do they read it, nor investigate its meaning, nor widely expound and elucidate it for others. Śāriputra, within the Buddha’s teaching, aside from these indolent and evil bhikṣus, there are none who cause greater internal harm or who more swiftly destroy the True Dharma. This is called the tenth obstacle. Those who possess wisdom should deeply recognize it and not follow it along in its course.”
At that time, the World-Honored One wished to restate this meaning and spoke in verse:
“When the True Dharma is lost and extinguished, there will be many obstacles; the various deeds of evil Māras will flourish,
and people will no longer cultivate the pure and white Dharmas, nor delight in seeking the supreme Nirvāṇa.
Those whose wisdom is shallow and who hold to wrong views will not be willing to abide in the True Dharma,
but will instead engage in all manner of adharma practices, and without doubt they will fall into evil destinies.
When these beings approach the end of life, no one will be able to render rescue,
and their preceptors and instructors, after their deaths, will likewise fall into the three evil destinies.
Through the long course of time across a hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, seeking worldly gain,
they will undergo all manner of suffering, constantly burned by the three fires. How shall I enable them to quickly obtain liberation?
I have attained the unsurpassed perfect and complete awakening and have set in motion the subtle Brahmā Dharma wheel,
a wheel that neither devas nor worldly beings are able to turn, and I turn it for the sake of liberating beings.
At that time, these beings will abandon this Dharma of mine, which is so difficult to encounter in the world,
and will draw near to Māras and to the various kinds of Māras, thereby incurring boundless and exceedingly heavy sufferings.
This will obstruct their cultivation of the causes of giving, morality, and the Holy Path of awakening.
If there is someone who is diligent in the Buddha’s teaching, they will lead that person astray and cause him to deviate from the right path.
Whoever hears this Dharma and expounds the teaching of non-self and emptiness,
when they abide in this Dharma and cultivate it according to what is right, Māras will create obstacles for them.
This most supreme and most true Dharma will be regarded as not supreme and not true,
and the right teaching of the Buddha will be slandered and reviled. One should know that such persons will swiftly fall into hell.
If there are beings who toward the Buddha give rise to deep, firm affection and reverence, who,
after hearing this pure Dharma, rejoice in harmony with it and praise it,
then Māra, knowing that they have given rise to joy, will fall into grief and fear along with his retinue.
He will then produce various terrifying and dreadful manifestations and place many obstacles before such a person.
Or Māra will transform into the appearance of a bhikṣu, feigning closeness and whispering secretly, saying:
“This is not truly the path of awakening; why do you run about seeking it here?”
Some beings toward this scripture are on the verge of giving rise to firm and vigour,
yet they are enticed to agree, to belittle, and to make sport, and thus they cast it aside and no longer cultivate it.
After they have been deceived and disturbed by Māra, they follow the intentions of Māra and cling to them,
then declaring that this scripture is not the True Dharma, thereby forever abandoning the path of quiescent extinction.
They abandon the Great Teacher and no longer diligently pursue the unsurpassed Dharma,
and instead give rise again to the craving of self-attachment, swiftly falling into hell.
At that time there will be a few beings who delight in diligently seeking this Dharma of emptiness,
yet are unable to gather together in harmony for communal cultivation, and thus they each disperse to other lands.
Such an unsurpassed and supreme Dharma, all who are about to hear it will revile and slander it;
and those who would protect the Dharma, out of fear, will withdraw and flee. This condition will arise in the future age.
In that country, there will be no one to uphold the Dharma; though in distant places there may be some, they will not be many,
and even those who receive and uphold this scripture will discard and abandon it entirely and no one will come and inquire into it.
Within the holy teaching upon which the world relies, such exceedingly profound and unsurpassed Dharma will,
in the future, face immeasurable obstacles, its signs distinct, as though visible before one’s very eyes.
At that time, there will be virtuous and good beings who protect the Dharma, who do not spare their own bodies and lives, who abide in solitary places,
cultivate, and widely proclaim such Dharma, and they will swiftly be reborn in a fortunate destiny.”
Dharma Torch 