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其有能護 此經法者 則為供養 我及多寶
此多寶佛 處於寶塔 常遊十方 為是經故
亦復供養 諸來化佛 莊嚴光飾 諸世界者
若說此經 則為見我 多寶如來 及諸化佛
諸善男子 各諦思惟 此為難事 宜發大願
「其有能護」：釋迦牟尼說我現在開始講《妙法蓮華經》。講完了《妙法蓮華經》，我就要入涅槃了。你們各位應該在我和多寶佛的面前，來發願護持《妙法蓮華經》，和弘揚《妙法蓮華經》，令《妙法蓮華經》這個妙法久住世間。所以就說其有能護，「此經法者」：假設你們這些人，有能發願護持《妙法蓮華經》這種妙法的這樣的人，「則為供養，我及多寶」：這個也就是你供養我了。你能護持《妙法蓮華經》，就是供養我。為什麼呢？這《妙法蓮華經》就是我的真身。「我及多寶」：不但供養我釋迦牟尼佛，也就是供養多寶如來。
「此多寶佛」：這位多寶佛，「處於寶塔」，他在這寶塔的裡邊，可是他坐在寶塔裡邊，「常遊十方」，常常到其他的十方國土去，「為是經故」：因為要證明這個《妙法蓮華經》，和聽這個《妙法蓮華經》。「亦復供養。諸來化佛」：你若能發願弘揚《妙法蓮華經》，這也就是供養我分身的一切化佛。「莊嚴光飾」：你莊嚴佛土，來光飾諸佛世界，「諸世界者」：你能講《妙法蓮華經》，你就是莊嚴諸佛國土無量的世界。「若說此經」：你若是能講說《妙法蓮華經》的話，「則為見我」：你就是見到我釋迦牟尼佛了。不但見到我釋迦牟尼佛，也見「多寶如來」：這多寶如來的真身也見到。「及諸化佛」，和我釋迦牟尼佛所有的無量無邊這麼多的化佛，你都供養了。
「諸善男子」：各位，你們這些善心的男人，和善心的女人，「各諦思惟」：你們各各都要審諦。審諦，就是好好地想一想；思惟，好好地思索思索這個道理。「此為難事」：能發願護持《妙法蓮華經》、宣說《妙法蓮華經》、講演《妙法蓮華經》，這是很難的一件事，你不要看它很容易了。就是來聽《妙法蓮華經》，你能來聽，這也是很難的一件事；很難的！很不容易遇著的。說：「我想要聽《妙法蓮華經》。」沒有人給你講，你怎麼聽啊？你自己也不會講。啊！所以這是很難的。那麼要怎麼樣子呢？「宜發大願」來，要發大願：「生生世世我要親近三寶，生生世世我要護持這《妙法蓮華經》，生生世世我要皈依善知識、我要親近善知識。」發這種大願。「在這個善知識的面前，來聽《妙法蓮華經》。」要發這種願，你才能有機會聽見《妙法蓮華經》。要不然，就是有講《妙法蓮華經》的，你也不願意聽。你想要聽，可是前面那個腳邁到門裡邊來了，後邊那個腳就要往後退，就要往外了，說：「不要去啦！快快走啦！」於是乎就走了，沒有機會聽《妙法蓮華經》。所以，你能來聽《妙法蓮華經》，這真是不可思議的一件事。《水鏡回天錄》說：「孰為佛法，可思議哉？」這也就是正是說的《妙法蓮華經》不可思議的境界。
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Reminder from last issue:
If anyone vows to protect, uphold, read and speak the Dharma Flower Sutra, the Thus Come One Many Jewels, and Shakyamuni Buddha and all his transformation body Buddhas will know it, and will come to protect that person.
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Whoever can protect
The Dharma of this Sutra
Has thereby made offerings
To me and Many Jewels.
The Buddha Many Jewels,
Dwelling in the jeweled stupa,
Always travels throughout the ten directions
For the sake of this Sutra.
Moreover, one will have made offerings
To the transformation Buddhas here,
Who adorn with splendor
All the worlds.
If one speaks this Sutra,
One will have seen me,
The Thus Come One Many Jewels
And the transformation Buddhas.
All of you good men,
Think it over carefully!
This is a difficult matter
Requiring a great vow.
Whoever can protect/ the Dharma of this Sutra/ Shakyamuni Buddha says, "I am just now starting to speak the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. After I finish speaking it, I am going to enter Nirvana. Now, in front of me and the Thus Come One Many Jewels, you should all make vows to protect, uphold, and propagate the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, and cause this wonderful Dharma to remain in the world for a long time. If you all can protect the Dharma of this Sutra, you have thereby made offerings/ to me and Many Jewels/ Why? The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is my real body. Not only have you made offerings to me, but also to the Thus Come One Many Jewels.
The Buddha Many Jewels/ dwelling in the jeweled stupa/ always travels throughout the ten directions for the sake of this Sutra/ Seated in the jeweled stupa, the Buddha Many Jewels often travels to other lands in the ten directions in order to listen to and certify the speaking of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. Moreover, one will have made offerings/ to the transformation Buddhas here/ who adorn with splendor/ all of the worlds/ If you vow to propagate the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, you are making offerings to all my transformation body Buddhas. If you speak the Dharma Flower Sutra, you are adorning the limitless Buddhalands and worlds. If one speaks this Sutra/ one will have seen me/ Shakyamuni Buddha, the Thus Come One Many Jewels/ and the transformation Buddhas/ You will not only have seen Shakyamuni Buddha, you will also have seen the true body of the Thus Come One Many Jewels, and all the limitless transformation Buddhas of Shakyamuni Buddha. You will have made offerings to them all.
All of you good men/ think it over carefully!/ All of you men and women of good hearts, you should carefully reflect upon and consider this. This is a difficult matter/ requiring a great vow/ It is a very difficult matter to make a vow to protect, uphold, preach, and lecture upon the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. You shouldn't consider it a simple matter. It is difficult even to come to listen to it being lectured. You might want to hear lectures on it, but if no one is lecturing it, how are you going to hear it then? You can’t lecture on it yourself. It is no easy matter. What’s to be done? You should make a great vow. Make vows, saying:
In every life, I will draw near the Triple Jewel.
In every life, I will protect and uphold
the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.
In every life, I will take refuge with a Good Knowing Advisor.
In every life, I will draw near a Good Knowing Advisor.
In every life, I will listen to my Good Knowing Advisor
lecture on the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.
You have to make this kind of vow. Then you will have a chance to hear this Sutra. Otherwise, even if it were being lectured, you wouldn't want to hear it. You might get one foot in the door, but the other foot will retreat and say, "Don't go in! Let's get out of here, quick!" So there's no chance to hear the Sutra. Just to be able to come and listen to the lectures is quite inconceivable. In the book Reflections in Water and Mirrors, it says "Who would have thought the Buddhadharma was anything but inconceivable!" It’s just describing the inconceivable state of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.
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