Dragon's Gate Temple Library







The Four-Sentence Sutra


 

佛為海龍王說法印經

如是我聞:
Thus have I heard:

一時,薄伽梵在海龍王宮,
At one time the Bhagavat visited Ocean Dragon King's palace,

與大必芻眾千二百五十人俱,
along with a company of monks, one thousand two hundred and fifty in all,

並與眾多菩薩摩訶薩俱。
many of them great Bodhisattvas.

爾時,娑竭羅龍王即從座起,
At that time, Dragon King rose from his seat,

前禮佛足,白言:
bowed with his hands together, and said:

「世尊,頗有受持少法得福多不?」
"World-Honored One, have you a brief teaching that will benefit us?"

佛告海龍王:「有四殊勝法,
Buddha told Ocean Dragon King: "I have four very powerful teachings,

若有受持、讀誦、解了其義,
which you can receive, manage, read, recite, and explain.

用功雖少,獲福甚多,即與讀誦八萬四千法藏功德無異。
How much benefit will they bring? It would be like reading and reciting eighty four thousand sacred texts.

云何為四?所謂唸誦
And what are these four? You should recite:

『諸行無常,
'Nothing lasts forever.

一切皆苦,
All beings suffer.

諸法無我,
All is selfless.

寂滅為樂』。
Quiet abiding brings peace.'

龍王當知,是謂四殊勝法;
"Dragon King, you should know the meaning of these four victorious teachings.

菩薩摩訶薩無盡法智,
Even the great Bodhisattvas do not go beyond their teachings,

早證無生,速至圓寂,是故汝等常應唸誦。」
yet they quickly manifest the unborn, quickly reach peace, which is why you all should constantly recite them."

爾時,世尊說是四句法印經時,
At that time, when the World Honored One spoke the Four-Sentence Dharma Seal Sutra,

彼諸聲聞、大菩薩眾,及天龍八部--
everyone heard, from the great Bodhisattvas to the eight classes of heavenly dragons,

阿蘇羅、揵達婆等,
heavenly beings and Asuras.

聞佛所說,皆大歡喜,信受奉行。
Hearing the Buddha so speak, all felt great joy and followed His directions.


NOTES- If the Chinese text doesn't come through, you can view the original by clicking on the picture of the dragon at the top of the page.

In the text, the name "Ocean Dragon King" is not preceded by "the", since it appears to be the translation of a name in Sanskrit or Magadha, probably something like "Jalanagaraja". The traditional Chinese interpretation is that the Buddha was talking to the king of the sea serpents. If they only read the literal interpretation of such a name, it would seem reasonable to them. I will leave it up to you to decide which interpretation you think is more likely. The important thing is what the Buddha says, not who or what he's talking to.

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