The enlightened being, Tathagata Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance), had a lifetime that spanned fifty-four hundred thousand myriads of countless eons.
In the beginning, before he had achieved supreme enlightenment, he reached the summit of the terrace of enlightenment. There, he defeated the forces of Mara, the embodiment of worldly temptation and desire. He knew he was on the brink of perfect enlightenment, yet the true understanding of it remained just out of reach.
He sat at the foot of the tree of enlightenment, on the terrace, for not just one intermediate kalpa (a vast period of time) but for ten. Throughout these immense spans of time, he remained seated in meditation, body, and mind still, seeking the truth. He did not rise; he did not waver. His body was unshaken, his mind unswerving. Yet the ultimate laws of supreme, perfect enlightenment eluded him.
As the Lord reached the summit of the terrace of enlightenment, the gods of Paradise constructed a grand and royal throne, one hundred yojanas high. Upon taking his seat, the Lord attained supreme and perfect enlightenment.
At that very moment, the gods of the highest realms showered a rain of flowers around the throne, reaching a distance of one hundred yojanas. In the sky, they summoned storms, sweeping away the withered blossoms. This divine rain of flowers continued unceasingly for ten intermediate kalpas, or immense spans of time, enveloping the Lord. From the beginning of this celestial shower, the rain of flowers poured without pause, lasting until the Lord’s complete Nirvana or transcendence.
The angels responsible for guarding the cardinal points joined the celebration, causing the celestial drums of the gods to resound in honor of the Lord’s enlightenment. Their heavenly music played continuously for ten more intermediate kalpas, never ceasing until the Lord’s complete extinction or union with the ultimate reality.
After ten more intermediate kalpas, a time beyond comprehension, the Lord Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance), the Tathagata, achieved supreme, perfect enlightenment. With this awakening, sixteen sons were born to the Lord when he was a royal prince. The eldest was named Jnanakara, meaning “Maker of Knowledge.”
These sixteen young princes had colorful and attractive toys to play with, but they left their games and amusements behind. Knowing that their father, the Lord Mahabhignagnanabhibhu, had attained the pinnacle of wisdom, they approached him, escorted by their tearful mothers and nurses, the noble and wealthy king Chakravartin (meaning “Universal Monarch”), many ministers, and countless beings.
They went to the place where the Lord was seated on the summit of the terrace of enlightenment. With reverence and devotion, they saluted his feet, circled him three times, and raised their joined hands in praise. Face to face with their enlightened father, they prepared to honor him with the following verses:
O Great Physician, peerless, pure,
Through endless eons, thy cure’s secure,
Thy wish to save all souls from night,
Fulfilled at last in radiant light.
In ten kalpas past, steadfast and true,
Unmoving thou sat, a vision to pursue,
No hand, no foot, nor part did sway,
Thy quest unwavering, day by day.
Tranquil and steady, thy mind was still,
Unshaken, focused, with unbending will,
No distraction knew, so quiet and right,
Faultless and calm in eternal insight.
Rejoice, rejoice! O King of kings,
Supreme enlightenment thy journey brings,
No harm, no hurt, a fortune so grand,
We hail thee, Lion, o’er the land.
Unhappy creatures, blind and vexed,
The road to freedom they can’t detect,
Joyless, weary, lost in despair,
The end of toils they cannot bear.
In darkness thick, the world does groan,
Dangers grow, and light’s overthrown,
Gina’s word unheard, the celestial wanes,
All hope seems lost, and sorrow remains.
But now, O Majesty, world’s embrace,
Thou hast reached the hallowed, faultless place,
To thee, we owe, to thee, we fly,
Our refuge, Protector, under thy sky.
Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra 
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