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

At that moment, the twelve hundred self-disciplined Arhats were filled with wonder and curiosity. They thought, “We are amazed and bewildered. Will the Tathagata predict our future destiny as he did for the other great disciples?” Sensing their thoughts, the Lord spoke to the venerable Maha-Kassapa, saying, “I see these twelve hundred self-disciplined Arhats face to face, Kassapa, and I will foretell their destiny. Among them, the monk Kondanna, a great disciple, will become a Tathagata named Universal Radiance after encountering sixty-two hundred thousand myriads of Buddhas. He will achieve the state of Arhat, filled with wisdom and proper conduct. And of those twelve hundred, five hundred will become Tathagatas with the same name. Eventually, all five hundred great disciples, including Gayā Kassapa, Nadi Kassapa, Uruvela Kassapa, Kala, Kalodayin, Anuruddha, Kapphina, Vakkula, Kunda, Svagata, and the rest, will reach supreme and perfect enlightenment, all bearing the name of Universal Radiance.”And then the Lord expressed his thoughts in the following verses:

Kundina’s scion, my disciple true,

Shall guide the world as Tathagata anew;

In endless time shall wisdom he unseal,

And teach the millions, making souls to heal.

Through countless Buddhas, endless time shall pass,

As Jina Samantaprabhasa’s grasp

Of purity shall mold a perfect land,

His radiance shall shine without demand.

Brilliant and strong, his voice shall resonate,

Thousands shall gather, drawn to wisdom’s gate;

A leader preaching enlightenment so rare,

Supreme he stands, none else could quite compare.

Zealous Bodhisattvas in aerial cars,

Pure and meditative, reaching for the stars,

Their lofty morals make them ever bright,

In doing good they find their truest light.

They hear the law, then travel to distant lands,

Saluting Buddhas, honoring their grand stand,

But soon return to Radiance’s field,

Such is their power, never to be concealed.

Sixty thousand eons shall be his time,

The Sugata’s reign, in wisdom so sublime;

Twice as long his true law shall reside,

In our world, his teachings to abide.

A thrice-fold era of the counterfeit law,

When holy truth at last begins to withdraw,

Gods and men shall mourn and deeply be vexed,

As the purest law becomes so complex.

Five hundred Chiefs, all men of high acclaim,

Samantaprabha’s name they all shall claim,

Following each other in pure succession,

Bearing divisions, lands, and great procession.

Their true laws align in perfect harmony,

Each stands equally long in solemn decree;

Voices joined in unison, a chorus so bright,

As highest men, their radiance pure light.

Benevolence guiding their compassionate course,

Foretelling destiny without remorse;

“This is my successor, he’ll command as I,

He’ll lead the world, under the same clear sky.”

Thus, Kassapa, behold and understand,

My self-controlled Arhats, a noble band;

No less than five hundred, see them with me,

Speak of this truth to all, let the world see.

With hearts moved by compassion, love so divine,

Successors they’ll name, in a sacred line;

“This one shall follow me, lead as I’ve led,

Commanding the world,” each Buddha has said.

Kassapa, behold these five hundred here,

Self-controlled, wise, to each other so dear;

Witness my disciples, present and strong,

Share this truth with others, pass it along.