“Furthermore, Dṛḍhamati, in order to swiftly actualize the superknowledges, one should eagerly undertake the worship, restoration, and cleansing of stūpas. For, Dṛḍhamati, any noble son or daughter who cleans a stūpa of the thus-gone ones will acquire four pristine, excellent aspirations. What are those four aspirations? They are the pristine, excellent aspiration for one’s form; the pristine, excellent aspiration for perfect leisure; the pristine, excellent aspiration for the stability of one’s vows; and the pristine, excellent aspiration for beholding thus-gone ones.

“The accomplishment of virtuously engendering aspirations Is that thus-gone ones will emerge, Just as emanations emerge Through the discernment of apprehending.

“Wheels on the soles of the feet and below the toes Will appear among their marks. I will explain such a sublime confluence of features as this, So listen carefully!

“My marks are likewise perfectly apparent; They are evenly distributed on my fingers and toes. Perfectly exalted and evenly distributed, Their distribution is extremely exalted.

“The luminosity of my marks is exalted, And shines like ten million light rays. Standing flooded with light, like Mount Meru, My body is crowned with a net of light rays.

“On those marks, which embody the essence, One hundred million light rays are present. The names of each of them are different, And so is their luminosity and color.

“From one of my light rays another thousand lights emerge, Which are all present in multiple colors. They will perform the deeds of awakened ones, Even after the earth throughout the trichiliocosm has collapsed.

“I was born from the light of awakening; I did not come from the fruition of actions. Upon seeing the light of thus-gone ones, Men and women become intoxicated.

“Thus-gone ones will manifest for many tens of millions of eons, Or in the arrays of different buddha realms. Wherever I performed awakened deeds, Victorious ones will likewise manifest miraculous displays.

“My absorption is all-illuminating; It fully illuminates buddha realms. The so-called luminous banner of Meru is exalted, And the absorption called valiant progress is exalted.

“Among those with an all-pervasive vision of phenomena, Some pristine ones will see buddhas manifesting here. Some will see them entering the womb, being born, And fearlessly and audaciously taking seven steps here.

“Thinking, ‘The victorious one will awaken to buddhahood,’ They will see buddhas seated in awakening at the center of the earth. Some will think they will turn the wheel of Dharma. Some will think they will act for the sake of awakening.

“Look at the radiance of that absorption, Which produces these miraculous displays! Some will think that my life span is an eon. Some, however, will think it is half an eon.

“Then, some will think it is an intermediate eon— Others, that it is two, three, four, or more eons. Then, some will think that it is ten million years, And some will fully see the actual length.

“Humans will perceive that my life span In this Jampudvīpa is eighty years. Some will perceive my life span to be a day and a night; Some will perceive my life span to be long.

“Still others will think that it is like a day and a night For the gods in this trichiliocosm. Beings will understand precisely according to their inclinations, And oral instructions will be dispensed to them accordingly.

“They will likewise by transformed according to their inclinations, As wisdom is likewise taught to them accordingly. Through being so taught, their interest will be aroused— This is the marvel of the supernatural powers.

“If their own state of being were revealed, Unwise people would go mad. Who would not be gladdened Upon seeing what my experience and state of being are?

“Those who have understood my experience Will turn the wheel of Dharma. Yet when preaching the Dharma for a variety of inclinations, They will not fully understand my experience.

“Those who do not understand the experience of the omniscient Will only teach a few expressions of Dharma. Seeing that they have no perception whatsoever, Their minds will be damaged.

“Those who understand the reality of the thus-gone ones Are never mentally damaged. They all adhere to such an experience Of the sameness of phenomena.

“Except for these eight monks Who are seated in front of me with palms joined, There will never be anyone here in the future, Dṛḍhamati, To uphold this sūtra.

“Dṛḍhamati, they have continually partaken Of the incomparable experience of past buddhas. They have always approached, Being vessels for the Dharma.

“They fully took on the mind of awakening, And were continually praised by buddhas. I know that just as they sit before me, So too did they in the past.

“They have sat in the presence of as many victorious ones As there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. They will be present later, in the final five hundred years of the Dharma, When I too will uphold that supreme awakening.

“In later times, the wisdom of the victorious ones will be theirs, And you too, Dṛḍhamati, will be courageous in it. There will also be eight million other heroes Who will set out to uphold all teachings.

“I too will listen to the Dharma there. Having heard it, I will abide by the Dharma, Practicing it without respite. Then I will teach it.

“And by teaching it, I will prophesy supreme awakening. Upon hearing their own predictions given, May the eight million be filled with joy, And levitate to a height of seven palm trees.”

The Savior of the World then said to Ānanda, “Would you be delighted and able To uphold this Dharma For the wicked in the future?”

“I would not be so delighted,” he said to the Blessed One. The victorious one then knowingly said to Kāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, will you uphold this Dharma? You should uphold the Dharma once I have passed!”

“I would not delight in doing so,” said Kāśyapa. “This trichiliocosm upholds all people, Oceans, mountains, and forests, And delights in bearing many other loads besides.

“But I would not delight in carrying this load. Who will uphold the Dharma in the future? It would be very difficult for me to control the monks. As they will not abide by this teaching,

“There is no need to mention that the guide of the world will have passed beyond. They will say, ‘Kāśyapa, you have become too old,’ And so, in the future, my words will not be followed. They will not abide by my teachings.

“Thinking, ‘We are adept in this and reflect on its meaning,’ They will reflect upon poetics and materialism, And likewise adhere to mundane grammar. Discarding concentration and absorption,

“They cavort with the worldly. They will be prosperous and widely renowned, And continually regarded by the world. I could never examine them,

“And I see severe problems. While I was dwelling alone in the forest, A god appeared and said to me, ‘The victorious ones have taught such a Dharma.

“ ‘Many beings have been tamed in the Dharma of the noble ones. Monks have become adept in concentration and absorption, And perfected the liberations, miraculous abilities, and powers. Hearing this, Śakra will be pleased.

“ ‘How amazing this is today!’ Later he will come to me, And crying unhappily, declare, ‘Kāśyapa, the Dharma will soon disappear.’

“Hearing that I will be upset, And not be eager to teach much. I am not eager to uphold that sūtra, For the monks will cower before it.

“They will not be pleased with the supreme speech, And then the divine assembly will gather there.” The Blessed One said to Kāśyapa, “I already knew, Kāśyapa, that the way of Dharma cannot be upheld.

“There is no one here among my hearers Who will uphold such sūtras as that. Except for those authorized by me To uphold such sūtras,

“Those who will later have no doubt, Will have had their doubts resolved by me. Why have those sūtras, more powerful than others, Never before been practiced?

“The monks who uphold them are new and young, While the sūtras are extensive. How will those who do not uphold such a Dharma Reach its other shore?

“Dṛḍhamati, those who see me today While I teach Will, in future times of great peril, Acquire joy upon hearing that Dharma.

“I have explained only apprehension. The fearless should have faith in those words of mine. Those who have seen the teacher in this life Will be delighted to uphold that Dharma.

“They will pursue such wisdom And then make offerings to the guides. They will worship relics and memorials too; The fearless will act as such at that time.”