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

Then, monks, the great Brahma angels from fifty hundred thousand myriads of universes gathered together, each one mounting their own divine aerial car. They carried with them divine bags filled with celestial flowers, each bag as large as Mount Sumeru. They journeyed through all four quarters of the universe, finally arriving at the zenith. At that point, the Brahma angels, positioned at the very peak of the universe, beheld the presence of the Lord Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance).

Upon seeing the Lord, they approached him, offering their aerial cars as a tribute. They then celebrated the Lord face to face, praising him with verses appropriate for the occasion, expressing their reverence and devotion.

How splendid is the sight of the wise,
The mighty Buddhas, Lords of the skies,
Deliverers of beings in this triple realm,
Guiding all with love at the helm.

Masters of the world, seeing all,
They look to the horizon, answering the call,
Opening the gate to eternity’s shore,
Leading people to peace forevermore.

Inconceivable eons void and dark,
No Gina’s light to leave a mark,
The world wrapped in shadow’s embrace,
Waiting for wisdom and Buddha’s grace.

Hells and demons on the rise,
Ghosts and brutes under darkened skies,
Thousands of beings lost and forlorn,
Waiting for enlightenment to be reborn.

Heavenly bodies waned and fell,
Entering evil ways, a wrongful spell,
The course astray, the law unheard,
Buddha’s teachings are lost in a world absurd.

Creatures lacking purity and grace,
Happiness lost, no joyful embrace,
Morality’s rules are ignored and spurned,
Understanding and good state unearned.

Rooted in falsehood, led astray,
Not guided by the Lord, they lost their way,
Precipitated into courses untrue,
Awaiting the Buddha’s light to break through.

Hail! O Light of the world, at last, you’ve come,
Bounteous being, wisdom’s sum,
The world thanks you, gods above,
For your enlightenment, peace, and love.

Hail! Supreme Buddha-knowledge is thine,
Mighty Lord, in wisdom divine,
Our gratitude swells, the world rejoices,
In your safe arrival, in your sacred voices.

By your power, our cars gleam and glitter,
Mighty Hero, Solitary, wisdom’s transmitter,
We present them to you, accept them we pray,
Let your grace shine forth, leading the way.

Use them, O Leader, for our sake,
So that we, and all beings, may partake,
In supreme enlightenment, wisdom’s pure light,
Guided by you, in eternal peace’s bright sight.

After the great Brahma angels, monks had celebrated the Lord Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance), the Tathagata, and so on, face to face, with seasonable verses, they besought him, saying: “May the Lord move forward the wheel of the law! May the Lord preach final rest! May the Lord release all beings! Be favorable, O Lord, to this world! Preach the law, O Lord, to this world, including gods, Māras, and Brahma angels; to all people, including ascetics and Brahmans, gods, men, and demons! It will tend to the weal of the public, to the happiness of the public; out of mercy to the world, for the benefit and happiness of the people at large, both gods and men.”