Overall Teaching

The Buddha extolls the benefit of upholding and spreading this sūtra, and the assembly rejoices in it.

Summary

1. Back in the frame, wherein the Buddha was requested to speak the Lalitavistara Sūtra, the Buddha announces that it constitutes an introduction to the play of the Buddha, and it is taught to introduce the Tathāgata. Absorb, preserve, and retell it to spread the Dharma.

2. Bodhisattvas will develop diligence as a result of this sūtra.

3. Those who join their palms in respect to this sūtra will attain eight supreme attributes, supreme: (1) body, (2) strength, (3) retinue, (4) presence of mind, (5) renunciation, (6) purity of thoughts, (7) meditative concentration, and (8) manifestation of insight.

4. If one sets up a throne for the Dharma teacher who expounds this teaching, one will obtain eight desirable positions: (1) merchant, (2) householder, (3) universal monarch, (4) world protector, (5) Śakra, (6) Vaśavartin, (7) Brahmā, a (8) non-returning bodhisattva who has reached the supreme essence of awakening.

5. If one applauds that teacher, they will get eight purities of speech: (1) others will do as one says, (2) one’s words will be accepted, (3) one’s words will be heeded, (4) one will speak pleasantly and softly, (5) one’s voice will be like that of the cuckoo bird, (6) one will have one’s say, (7) one will have a voice like Brahmā, and (8) voice like the roar of a lion. By satisfying sense faculties of sentient beings one will finally have the voice of a Buddha.

6. If one puts it into writing and honours it, and passes it on, one will attain eight treasures: (1) unfailing recall, (2) intelligence by careful analysis, (3) realization by assimilating the meaning of the sūtras, (4)  memorization, (5) confidence, (6) Dharma, (7) mind of awakening, (8) accomplishment.

7. Whoever teaches it will perfect eight accumulations: (1) generosity, (2) discipline, (3) learning, (4) calm abiding, (6) insight, (7) merit, and (8) wisdom.

8. Whoever teaches other this sūtra will obtain eight great forms of merit of becoming: (1) a cakravartin, (2) one of the four great kings, (3) become Śakra, (4) becoming Suyāma, (5) becoming Santuṣita, (6) becoming Sunirmāṇarati, (7) becoming Vaśavartin, (8) becoming Brahmā. Finally one will become a Tathāgata.

9. Whoever listens to this sūtra will attain eight pure mind states: (1) love, (2) compassion, (3) sympathetic joy, (4) equanimity, (5) four concentrations, (6) four equilibriums, (7) five types of higher knowledge, (8) ability to conquer all traces of habit tendencies.

10. Wherever this teaching is found, the eight fears will not manifest except due to karma, which are fears of: (1) rulers, (2) thieves, (3) malicious beings, (4) starvation in a wilderness, (5) fights, quarrels and disputes, (6) gods, (7) nāgas, (8) yakṣas, and all types of misfortune.

11. Even if the lifespan of the Buddha were an aeon one could not end the praise of this Dharma teaching.

12. The six perfections are boundless, thus anyone who preserves and propagates this sūtra will also have merit that is boundless.

13. Then the Tathāgata entrusted the sūtra to Mahākāśyapa, Ānanda, and Maitreya.

14. The Buddha then passed on the Dharma teaching in verse form, expounding its virtues as above, but emphasizes that whoever upholds and teaches the sūtra should keep in mind bodhicitta.

15. After the Buddha had spoken all of the assembly rejoiced at the Buddha’s teaching.

Colophon

The Thus-Gone One explained the causes Of those dharmas that have a cause And also their cessation.

This is the teaching of the Great Ascetic.

May there be good goodness!
May there be goodness in every way!

ye dharma hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hyavadat |
teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃ vādī mahāśramaṇaḥ ||

諸法從因生， 如來說其因， 
諸法滅亦然， 沙門如是說。