Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra

Understanding the thoughts burgeoning in the minds of his senior disciples, the Master once more spoke to the gathered monks: This eminent disciple of mine, monks, the senior Subhuti, will also embark on a spiritual journey. He will pay homage to countless Buddhas, numbering into the trillions; he will show them respect, honor, reverence, veneration, and devotion. Under their guidance, he will lead a spiritual life and attain enlightenment. After fulfilling these duties, in his final earthly existence, he will become a Tathagata, an enlightened one known as ‘Sasiketu,’ which translates to ‘Moon Signal.’

His realm of enlightenment will be named ‘Ratnasambhava,’ which translates to ‘Radiant Wisdom,’ and his era will be known as ‘Ratnaprabhasa,’ also meaning ‘Radiant Wisdom.’ This Buddha realm will be level and beautiful, crystalline in its purity, adorned with jewel trees. It will be free from pits and cliffs, devoid of drains, pleasing to the eye, and strewn with flowers. People will reside in grand palaces provided for their use. The realm will house countless disciples, so numerous that it would be impossible to quantify them. Likewise, there will be countless Bodhisattvas, their numbers reaching into the tens of billions.

The lifespan of this enlightened one, the ‘Moon Signal,’ will span twelve intermediate epochs. His actual teachings will last for twenty such epochs, and the facsimile, reproduction, or imitation of his teachings will endure for the same length. This enlightened one, appearing as a great celestial body in the sky, will impart his teachings to the monks. He will guide and educate thousands of Bodhisattvas and disciples on their path to enlightenment.

On that occasion, the Master voiced these verses:

Hear my announcement, monks, lend your ears this way,
Our senior Subhuti, my disciple, will be a Buddha one day.

After beholding mighty Buddhas, thirty billion in array,
He will embark on the path to knowledge, without delay.

In his final earthly form, the hero will display,
The thirty-two signs of a Seer, shining like a golden ray,
Beneficial and bountiful, leading the world’s way.

The realm where this friend of the world will guide the stray,
Saving countless beings, will be beautiful, night and day,
Pretty and delightful, to all who enter its sway.

Many Bodhisattvas in it will stay,
Turning the unerring wheel of Dharma, in full display,
Under that enlightened one, they will be the realm’s array.

His disciples, countless, like stars in the Milky Way,
Gifted with six transcendent faculties, in spiritual ballet,
Triply knowledgeable, magical, firm in liberation’s relay.

His magical power, as he attains supreme enlightenment, will allay,
All doubts, inconceivable, in its radiant array,
Gods and men, as numerous as Ganges’ sand, will his wisdom convey,
Always saluting reverentially, in honor and dismay.

Twelve intermediate epochs, he will stay,
The actual teachings of that great man, twenty epochs, will play,
And its imitation will endure, an equal array.