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

At that moment, the venerable Ānanda^⁠ (Joy/Bliss) was filled with anticipation, wondering if he and the others would receive a similar prophecy. Driven by this thought, he stood, bowed at the Lord’s feet, and spoke these heartfelt words. The venerable Rāhula^⁠ (Fetter/Bond) also, feeling the same stirrings of hope, bowed before the Lord and pleaded, “Let it be our turn also, O Lord; let it be our turn also, O Well-Gone One^⁠. You are our father, our creator, our refuge. Among men, gods, and demons, we are recognized as Your sons, Your attendants, and keepers of Your sacred teachings. Please, Lord, reveal to us our path to supreme and perfect enlightenment.”

Two thousand other monks, both novices and seasoned practitioners, rose from their seats, draped their robes over one shoulder, and gazed at the Lord with hands joined in reverence. They were united in their desire, wondering if they too would be foretold a destiny of supreme enlightenment.

Then the Lord spoke to the venerable Ānanda, “You, Ānanda, are destined to become a Buddha known as The Expert One Who Joyfully Possesses the Excellent Wisdom of the Ocean^⁠, an Arhat^⁠, endowed with wisdom and virtue. You will attain supreme enlightenment after honoring sixty-two million^⁠ Buddhas, preserving their true teachings, and receiving this divine command. You will nurture countless Bodhisattvas, as numerous as the sands of twenty Ganges rivers^⁠, guiding them to ultimate realization. Your realm, radiant with lapis lazuli, will be called The Sphere of the Immeasurable Victory Banner, and your era will be known as The Eon When Charming Sounds Are Swallowed. The lifetime of this future Buddha will span countless eons, a term beyond all calculation. So many millions and billions of incalculable eons shall mark the lifetime of that Lord. And Ānanda, after that Buddha’s passing, His true teachings will endure twice as long, followed by an equal span of their semblance. Moreover, Ānanda, countless Buddhas, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, will praise the virtues of the Tathāgata, The Expert One Who Joyfully Possesses the Excellent Wisdom of the Ocean, the Arhat.”

Gather ’round, monks, to this truth I proclaim,
Ānanda-Bhadra, my law’s sacred flame,
Shall rise as a Jina, a victor so bright,
Sixty million Sugatas he’ll worship in light.

Known as the Bearer of Wisdom so Vast,
In a field called Triumph, where banners are cast,
With intellect deep as the ocean’s embrace,
He’ll arrive at a wisdom no bounds can encase.

Bodhisattvas as countless as Ganges’ fine sands,
Shall ripen and flourish by his guiding hands,
A Jina of magic, power, and grace,
His words shall resound in each worldly space.

Immense shall his life be, a kindness he’ll share,
Merciful, loving, with ceaseless care,
And when that mighty saint’s light shall wane,
His true law shall double, in hearts, it’ll remain.

The counterfeit law, too, shall stand in its place,
Twice as long under Jina’s embrace,
Then beings like sands of the Ganges shall find,
The path to enlightenment, the wisdom divine.