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366
SADDHARMA-PUNDARÍKA.
XX.
Stapa of magnificent precious substances, along with the Lord Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c.; they beheld, finally, those four classes of the audience. At this sight they felt struck with wonder, amazement, and rapture. And they heard a voice from the sky calling: Worthies, beyond a distance of an immense, incalculable number of hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of worlds there is the world named Saha ; there the Tathagata called Sakyamuni, the Arhat, &c., is just now revealing to the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas the Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus of the True Law, a Sūtrânta of great extent, serving to instruct Bodhisattvas, and belonging in proper to all Buddhas. Ye accept it joyfully with all your heart, and do homage to the Lord Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata, &c., and the Lord Prabhataratna, the Tathagata, &c.
On hearing such a voice from the sky all those beings exclaimed from the place where they stood, with joined hands : Homage to the Lord Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata. Then they threw towards the Saha-world various flowers, incense, fragrant wreaths, ointment, gold, cloth, umbrellas, flags, banners, and triumphal streamers, as well as ornaments, parures, necklaces, gems and jewels of all sorts, in order to worship the Lord Sakyamuni, the Tathagata , and this Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus of the True Law. Those flowers, incense, &c., and those necklaces, &c., came down upon this Saha-world, where they formed a great canopy of flowers hanging in the sky above the Tathagatas there sitting, as well as those in the hundred thousands of myriads of kotis of other worlds.
* In Burnouf's translation we find added : and the Tathâgata Prabhūtaratna.
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