Just as the Buddha said this, the earth in the three thousand great thousand lands in the Saha world trembled and split open, and from its midst limitless trillions of Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas simultaneously welled forth.

Just as the Buddha Shakyamuni said this, the earth in the three thousand great thousand lands in the Saha world trembled and split open. “Saha” refers to our world, which means “able to be endured.” Within it there are three thousand great thousand lands. All of them quaked and split open. And from its midst limitless thousands of tens of thousands of millions of Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas simultaneously welled forth.

All at the same time, they rose up out of that place where the earth had split open. Would you say that was an amazing sight or not? Who were these Bodhisattvas? They were those whom Shakyamuni Buddha had taught and transformed in previous lives. That’s why they all came to where Shakyamuni Buddha was speaking the Dharma Flower Sutra; they wanted to listen to the Dharma.

All of those Bodhisattvas possessed golden-hued bodies, the thirty-two hallmarks, and limitless light.They had been dwelling beneath the Saha world in the empty space belonging to that world.Upon hearing the sound of Shakyamuni Buddha’s voice, all the Bodhisattvas came up from below.

All of those Bodhisattvas who rose up out of the earth possessed golden-hued bodies. Their bodies emitted purple-golden light, and they were replete with the thirty-two hallmarks and limitless light.

They had been dwelling beneath the Saha world—the world we live in—in the empty space belonging to that world. Below the Saha world, the Able-to-Be-Endured World, is the wheel of empty space, and that is where they had been staying.

Even though they were quite far away from our world, they could still hear Shakyamuni Buddha’s voice as he spoke the Dharma Flower Sutra. Upon hearing the sound of Shakyamuni Buddha’s voice, all the Bodhisattvas came up from below, from the empty-space wheel beneath this Saha world.

Each one of the Bodhisattvas was a leader who instructed and guided a great multitude. Each had a retinue numbering as many as the sand grains in sixty thousand Ganges Rivers. Still others had retinues numbering as many as the sand grains of fifty thousand, forty thousand, thirty thousand, twenty thousand, or ten thousand Ganges Rivers.

Each one of the Bodhisattvas was a leader who instructed and guided a great multitude. They were guiding masters who were teaching and transforming living beings. “Instructed” means they lectured on the Sutras and spoke the Dharma. “Guided” means they told beings what path to take, and what method to use in their cultivation. These Bodhisattvas acted as eyes for living beings. And living beings looked to them to find out how to practice. Each had a retinue numbering as many as the sand grains in sixty thousand Ganges Rivers. Each of the Bodhisattvas, who were as numerous as the sand grains in sixty thousand Ganges Rivers, brought along retinues of disciples and students numbering as many as the sand grains in sixty thousand Ganges Rivers. They were like one Dharma family. We are one big family in the Dharma, regardless of where we came from. Those who have taken refuge with the Triple Jewel are all of one family. There were as many Bodhisattvas as the sand grains in sixty thousand Ganges Rivers, and each had as many disciples as the sand grains in sixty thousand Ganges Rivers. Can you count how many that would be? Still others had retinues numbering as many as the sand grains in fifty thousand Ganges Rivers. Although it is said that each Bodhisattva had a retinue numbering as many as the sand grains in sixty thousand Ganges Rivers, some had less. Perhaps they had retinues numbering as many as the sand grains in forty thousand, thirty thousand, twenty thousand, or ten thousand Ganges Rivers.

To be continued