隨喜功德品第十八
Chapter Eighteen: The Merit of Joy
爾時，彌勒菩薩摩訶薩白佛言：「世尊！若有善男子、善女人，聞是法華經隨喜者，得幾所福？」
At that time, Bodhisattva Maitreya said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! If there are good men and good women who hear this Lotus Sutra and rejoice (anumodanā) in it, how much merit will they gain?"
而說偈言：
He then spoke in verse:
世尊滅度後， 其有聞是經， 若能隨喜者， 為得幾所福？」
After the World-Honored One's extinction, Those who hear this sutra, If they can rejoice in it, How much merit will they gain?
爾時，佛告彌勒菩薩摩訶薩：「阿逸多！如來滅後，若比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷，及餘智者若長若幼，聞是經隨喜已，從法會出，至於餘處，若在僧坊，若空閑地，若城邑、巷陌、聚落、田里，如其所聞，為父母、宗親、善友、知識，隨力演說。是諸人等，聞已隨喜，復行轉教；餘人聞已，亦隨喜轉教。如是展轉，至第五十。
At that time, the Buddha said to Bodhisattva Maitreya, "Ajita! After the Tathagata's passing, if there are bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, and other wise people, whether old or young, who hear this sutra and rejoice in it, then leave the Dharma assembly and go elsewhere - whether to a monastery, a quiet place, a city, a street, a village, or fields - and according to what they have heard, expound it as best they can to their parents, relatives, good friends, and acquaintances. These people, having heard it, will rejoice in turn and teach others; those others will also rejoice and teach further. In this way, it will be passed on until it reaches fifty people."
「阿逸多！其第五十善男子、善女人，隨喜功德，我今說之，汝當善聽。若四百萬億阿僧祇世界，六趣四生眾生——卵生、胎生、濕生、化生，若有形、無形，有想、無想，非有想、非無想，無足、二足、四足、多足，如是等在眾生數者——有人求福，隨其所欲娛樂之具，皆給與之。一一眾生，與滿閻浮提金、銀、琉璃、車璩馬腦、珊瑚、虎珀，諸妙珍寶，及象、馬車乘，七寶所成宮殿樓閣等。是大施主，如是布施滿八十年已，而作是念：『我已施眾生娛樂之具，隨意所欲，然此眾生，皆已衰老年過八十，髮白面皺，將死不久，我當以佛法而訓導之。』即集此眾生，宣布法化，示教利喜，一時皆得須陀洹道、斯陀含道、阿那含道、阿羅漢道，盡諸有漏，於深禪定皆得自在，具八解脫。於汝意云何，是大施主所得功德寧為多不？」
"Ajita! I will now explain the merit of the rejoicing of the fiftieth good man or woman. Listen carefully. Suppose there were four hundred million billion asaṃkhyeyas of worlds, filled with beings of the six realms and four kinds of birth - those born from eggs, wombs, moisture, and transformation; those with form and without form; those with perception and without perception; those neither with nor without perception; those without feet, with two feet, four feet, or many feet. If someone seeking merit were to provide all these beings with whatever enjoyments they desired, and give each being enough gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, red pearl, carnelian, and other precious jewels to fill the entire continent of Jambudvīpa, as well as elephants, horses, carriages, and palaces all made of the seven precious substances.
Suppose this great benefactor continued giving in this way for eighty years, and then thought, 'I have given these beings enjoyments according to their desires, but now they have all grown old, over eighty years of age, with white hair and wrinkled faces. They will soon die. I should now teach them the Buddha's Dharma.' He then gathers these beings together, expounds the Dharma, instructs and delights them, causing them all to attain at once the paths of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship, ending all outflows, gaining mastery in profound meditation, and attaining the eight liberations.
What do you think, Ajita? Would the merit gained by this great benefactor be great or not?"
彌勒白佛言：「世尊！是人功德甚多，無量無邊。若是施主，但施眾生一切樂具，功德無量；何況令得阿羅漢果。」
Maitreya said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! This person's merit is extremely great, immeasurable and boundless. If this benefactor were to merely provide all beings with enjoyments, the merit would be immeasurable; how much more so for enabling them to attain the fruit of Arhatship."
佛告彌勒：「我今分明語汝，是人以一切樂具，施於四百萬億阿僧祇世界六趣眾生，又令得阿羅漢果，所得功德，不如是第五十人，聞法華經一偈隨喜功德，百分、千分、百千萬億分、不及其一，乃至算數譬喻所不能知。
The Buddha told Maitreya, "I will now speak clearly to you. If this person were to provide all enjoyments to beings of the six realms in four hundred million billion asaṃkhyeya worlds, and also enable them to attain the fruit of Arhatship, the merit gained would not be equal to even one hundredth, one thousandth, or one hundred thousand millionth part of the merit gained by fiftieth person who hears one verse of the Lotus Sutra and rejoices in it. The difference is so great that no calculation or analogy can express it.
「阿逸多！如是第五十人展轉聞法華經隨喜功德，尚無量無邊阿僧祇，何況最初於會中聞而隨喜者，其福復勝，無量無邊阿僧祇，不可得比。
“Ajita! The merit of the fiftieth person who hears the Lotus Sutra and rejoices in it is already immeasurable and boundless. How much more so for the person who first hears it in the assembly and rejoices? Their merit is even greater, immeasurable and boundless beyond compare.
「又，阿逸多！若人為是經故，往詣僧坊，若坐、若立須臾聽受，緣是功德，轉身所生，得好上妙象、馬車乘、珍寶輦輿，及乘天宮。若復有人於講法處坐，更有人來，勸令坐聽，若分座令坐，是人功德，轉身得帝釋坐處，若梵王坐處，若轉輪聖王所坐之處。
Furthermore, Ajita! If a person, for the sake of this sutra, goes to a monastery and listens for even a moment, whether sitting or standing, due to this merit, in their next life they will obtain fine and marvelous elephants, horses, carriages, jeweled palanquins, and even ride in heavenly palaces. If there is a person sitting in a place where the Dharma is expounded, and another person comes and encourages them to sit and listen, or offers them a seat, this person's merit will be such that in their next life they will be reborn as Indra, or Brahma, or a wheel-turning sage king.
「阿逸多！若復有人，語餘人言：『有經，名法華，可共往聽。』即受其教，乃至須臾間聞，是人功德，轉身得與陀羅尼菩薩共生一處，利根智慧，百千萬世終不瘖瘂，口氣不臭，舌常無病，口亦無病，齒不垢黑、不黃、不踈，亦不缺落，不差、不曲，脣不下垂亦不褰縮、不麁澁、不瘡胗，亦不缺壞，亦不喎斜，不厚、不大，亦不黧黑，無諸可惡。鼻不匾虒，亦不曲戾，面色不黑，亦不狹長，亦不窊曲，無有一切不可喜相。脣舌牙齒悉皆嚴好，鼻修高直，面貌圓滿，眉高而長，額廣平正，人相具足，世世所生，見佛聞法、信受教誨。
Ajita! If furthermore there is a person who says to others, 'There is a sutra called the Lotus Sutra. Let us go together to listen to it.' And if that person, receiving this instruction, listens for even a moment, the merit of this person will be such that in their next life they will be born in the same place as Dhāraṇī Bodhisattva. They will have sharp faculties and wisdom. For hundreds of thousands of myriads of lifetimes, they will never be mute or have foul breath. Their tongue will always be free from disease, as will their mouth. Their teeth will not be dirty, black, yellow, or gap-toothed. They will not be irregular or crooked. Their lips will not be pendulous, pursed, rough, chapped, or cleft. They will not be askew, thick, large, or sallow. There will be nothing unpleasant about them. Their nose will not be flat or crooked. Their face will not be dark, long, hollow, or have any disagreeable characteristics. Their lips, tongue, and teeth will all be beautiful. Their nose will be high and straight. Their face will be round and full. Their eyebrows will be high and long. Their forehead will be broad and even. They will have all the characteristics of a perfect human. In every life they are born into, they will see Buddhas, hear the Dharma, and believe and accept the teachings."
「阿逸多！汝且觀是，勸於一人令往聽法，功德如此，何況一心聽說、讀誦，而於大眾為人分別、如說修行？」
"Ajita! Just observe this; encouraging one person to go listen to the Dharma generates such merit. How much more so for those who wholeheartedly listen, explain, read, and recite, and for those who expound it to a great assembly and practice according to the teachings?"
爾時世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：
At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:
若人於法會， 得聞是經典， 乃至於一偈， 隨喜為他說，
If a person in a Dharma assembly, Hears this sutra, Even if only one verse, And joyfully explains it to others,
如是展轉教， 至于第五十， 最後人獲福， 今當分別之。
And if this teaching is passed on, Until it reaches a fiftieth person, The merit gained by the last person, I will now explain in detail.
如有大施主， 供給無量眾， 具滿八十歲， 隨意之所欲。
Suppose there was a great benefactor, Who provided for countless multitudes, For a full eighty years, Giving them whatever they desired.
見彼衰老相， 髮白而面皺， 齒踈形枯竭， 念其死不久， 我今應當教， 令得於道果。
Seeing their signs of old age, White hair and wrinkled faces, Teeth sparse and bodies withered, Thinking their death was near, He thought, "I should now teach them, To attain the fruits of the path."
即為方便說， 涅槃真實法，
Then he skillfully teaches them, The true Dharma of Nirvāṇa:
世皆不牢固， 如水沫泡焰， 汝等咸應當， 疾生厭離心。
"The world is not stable, Like foam, bubbles, or flames. You should all Quickly develop a mind of renunciation."
諸人聞是法， 皆得阿羅漢， 具足六神通， 三明八解脫。
When people hear this teaching, They all became Arhats, Perfected in the six supernatural powers, The three insights and eight liberations.
最後第五十， 聞一偈隨喜， 是人福勝彼， 不可為譬喻。
The last, the fiftieth person, Who hears one verse and rejoices, This person's merit surpasses the former, Beyond any comparison.
如是展轉聞， 其福尚無量， 何況於法會， 初聞隨喜者。
The merit of hearing it passed on like this, Is still immeasurable, How much more so for one in the Dharma assembly, Who first hears it with joy.
若有勸一人， 將引聽法華， 言此經深妙， 千萬劫難遇，
If someone encourages one person, To go listen to the Lotus Sutra, Saying, ‘This sutra is profound and wonderful, Difficult to encounter in thousands of millions of kalpas,"
即受教往聽， 乃至須臾聞， 斯人之福報， 今當分別說。
And they accept the teaching and go listen, Even if only for a moment, The karmic rewards of this person, I will now explain in detail.
世世無口患， 齒不踈黃黑， 脣不厚褰缺， 無有可惡相，
Life after life they will have no oral afflictions, Their teeth will not be sparse, yellow or black, Their lips will not be thick, pursed or lacking, They will have no repulsive features,
舌不乾黑短， 鼻高修且直， 額廣而平正， 面目悉端嚴，
Their tongue will not be dry, black or short, Their nose will be high, straight and well-formed, Their forehead broad and even, Their face and eyes all dignified,
為人所喜見， 口氣無臭穢， 優鉢華之香、 常從其口出。
They will be pleasing for people to see, Their breath will not have foul odors, The fragrance of utpala flowers Will always emit from their mouth.
若故詣僧坊， 欲聽法華經， 須臾聞歡喜， 今當說其福。
If they deliberately go to a monastery, Wishing to hear the Lotus Sutra, And joyfully listen even for a moment, Now I will explain their merit.
後生天人中， 得妙象馬車， 珍寶之輦輿， 及乘天宮殿。
In later lives among devas and humans, They will obtain fine elephants, horses and carriages, Jeweled palanquins, And even ride in celestial palaces.
若於講法處， 勸人坐聽經， 是福因緣得， 釋梵轉輪座。
If in a place where the Dharma is taught, They encourage others to sit and listen to the sutra, Because of this merit, They will attain the seat of Śakra, Brahmā, or a wheel-turning king.
何況一心聽， 解說其義趣， 如說而修行， 其福不可量。」
How much more so for one who listens single-mindedly, Explains its meaning, And practices according to its teachings, Their merit is immeasurable.