In this sūtra, in answer to a question put by Maitreya, the Buddha Śākyamuni teaches five qualities that bodhisattvas should have in order to live a long life free of obstacles and attain awakening quickly: (1) giving the Dharma; (2) giving freedom from fear; (3) practicing great loving kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity; (4) repairing dilapidated stūpas; and (5) causing all beings to aspire to the mind of awakening. Maitreya praises the benefits of this teaching and vows to teach it himself in future degenerate times. Both Maitreya and the Buddha emphasize the positive effects on beings and the environment that upholding, preserving, and teaching The Nectar of Speech will bring about.
The Translation
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was residing in Rājagṛha, at the Kalandakanivāsa in Veṇuvana, with a great saṅgha of five hundred bhikṣus and a great saṅgha of seventy-two thousand bodhisattvas. At that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was also seated in the assembly.
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with palms joined bowed to the Bhagavān and said, “With permission, I would like to ask the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha some questions.”
The Bhagavān replied, “Maitreya, the Tathāgata will always grant you permission. Maitreya, ask the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha whatever you wish, and I shall ease your mind by answering each of your questions.”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya then asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, [F.272.a] what are the qualities that bodhisattva mahāsattvas need to have so that none of Māra’s hordes will cause them obstacles, so that none of Māra’s retinue will transgress against them, so that out of love for sentient beings they will live for a long time, and so that they will soon fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening?”
The Bhagavān replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Maitreya, excellent, excellent! Maitreya, your intention in asking the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha about this matter is excellent, since you act for the benefit of many beings, aim for the happiness of many beings, have compassion for the world, and seek the welfare, benefit, and well-being of gods and humans. Hence, Maitreya, listen very well and keep it in mind! I will explain it.”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya replied, “I will do so,” and he listened accordingly as the Bhagavān taught as follows.
“Maitreya, there are five qualities that bodhisattva mahāsattvas should have so that none of Māra’s hordes will cause them obstacles, so that none of Māra’s retinue will transgress against them, so that out of love for sentient beings they will live for a long time, and so that they will soon fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening. What are those five qualities? They are the unceasing giving of the Dharma; the unceasing giving of freedom from fear; the unceasing practice of great love, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity; the unceasing repair of dilapidated stūpas; [F.272.b] and the unceasing inspiring of all beings to set their minds on awakening.4 Maitreya, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas have those five qualities, none of Māra’s hordes will cause them obstacles, none of Māra’s retinue will transgress against them, out of love for sentient beings they will live for a long time, and they will soon fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening.”
When the Bhagavān had taught this discourse on the five qualities, the minds of five thousand bhikṣus became free of all defilements with no further appropriation; seventy-two thousand bodhisattvas attained the acceptance that phenomena do not arise; and the Dharma eye of eighty-four thousand gods regarding phenomena became purified, free from dust and stains, and without defilements.
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya then said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I feel inspired to speak. Well-Gone One, I feel inspired to speak.”
The Bhagavān said, “Noble son, speak if you know the time has come.”
Having thus received the Bhagavān’s permission, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with palms joined bowed to the Bhagavān and said, “Bhagavān, how marvelous that this Dharma discourse has been taught by the Bhagavān in order that all beings—sick because of desire, anger, and ignorance, and obscured by the darkness of the cataracts and visual aberrations of all views—may have their illnesses of the afflictions cured, and have their unexcelled Dharma eye purified! Bhagavān, this Dharma discourse you have taught is a great nectar! [F.273.a] Bhagavān, this Dharma discourse you have taught is a great panacea! Even for beings born as animals, those who happen to hear this Dharma discourse will have gathered thereby an accumulation of great roots of virtue and will be superior to all beings. They will behold all buddhas. They will be of great service to many beings. They will bring about roots of virtue. They will purify their karmic obscurations, be freed from the animal realm, and attain human bodies. Then, remembering their previous lifetimes and gaining faith in the teachings of the Tathāgata, they will be reborn in any buddha realm they wish. So if that is the case even for them, what need is there to mention those who hear this teaching as human beings?
“Bhagavān, hearing this Dharma discourse is of great benefit to beings. Bhagavān, beings who hear this Dharma discourse belong to the assembly of those who are certain to awaken fully to unexcelled and perfect awakening. Respected Bhagavān, because they will be embraced by the thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddhas, they will soon fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening.”
“Excellent, Maitreya, excellent!” said the Bhagavān. “Maitreya, it is just as you have said. It is the truth. It is that alone. It is unmistaken. Even those who listen to this Dharma discourse doubtingly will have no small roots of virtue, so what need is there to mention those who listen to, retain, hold, read, master, and [F.273.b] teach it extensively and properly without any doubts? Such holders of the sūtra will not encounter the works of Māra. They will not be harmed by desire, anger, ignorance, pride, avarice, rage, or malevolence. Their bodies will not be stricken by plague or disease. In whatever region such a sūtra as this is kept, wherever such a Dharma teacher dwells, or wherever this Dharma discourse is written down as a scripture—in such places all diseases, epidemics, harm, contagions, and conflicts will be quelled.”
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, later, in the future, during the final five hundred years when the time of destruction has come, the true Dharma is disappearing, and there is a great danger that the Buddha’s awakening will vanish, I shall teach this Dharma discourse to those noble beings. I shall invigorate them. In places where a holder of this sūtra resides, I shall quell all untimely cold winds, winter rains, famine, diseases, plagues, epidemics, infectious disease, harm, and conflict. In a place where this Dharma discourse is kept and written down as a scripture or tied at the top of a banner and worshiped—in such a place, all the terrors of hostile armies, thieves, rākṣasas, and ḍākinīs will be quelled through my blessing. I shall bless those places where such Dharma teachers reside and where this sūtra is kept, so that all harvests, riches, grains, flowers, leaves, and fruits may be abundant, and all kinds of joy may arise.” [F.274.a]
“Excellent, Maitreya!” said the Bhagavān. “It is excellent indeed that you have donned the great armor and proclaimed the lion’s roar for the benefit of all beings in order to uphold the true Dharma of the Tathāgata and to sustain5 the Dharma way of the Tathāgata. I entrust this Dharma discourse to you. Thereby, later, in the future, during the final five hundred years when the time of destruction has come, the true Dharma is disappearing, and there is a great danger that the Buddha’s awakening will vanish, you should teach this Dharma discourse to all beings. You should proclaim it. You should inspire those noble beings. You should proclaim that they must do nothing else but persevere in taking ultimate reality as their authority. You should teach them only according to ultimate reality. You should be sure to teach them in such a way that those noble beings understand this Dharma discourse unmistakably as it is.”
The bodhisattva Maitreya said, “Bhagavān, I will do so.”
Thereupon Indra and his retinue of gods, Brahmā and his retinue of gods, Prajāpati, and others, realizing that this Dharma discourse was coming to an end, offered heavenly flowers, fragrant smoke, incense, flower garlands, ointments, powders, garments, parasols, banners, and flags to the Bhagavān and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya.
They then exclaimed, “Bhagavān, this Dharma discourse that benefits innumerable beings is indeed a marvelous nectar of speech!” [F.274.b]
The Bhagavān now said to Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, such a Dharma discourse is rarely heard. Therefore, you must retain this Dharma discourse. You must write it down, hold it, read it aloud, and master it!”
“Bhagavān, I will retain this Dharma discourse,” said Ānanda. “Bhagavān, what is the name of this Dharma discourse? How should it be remembered?”
“Ānanda,” replied the Bhagavān, “you should remember this Dharma discourse as The Nectar of Speech. You should also refer to it as The Question of Maitreya.”
After the Bhagavān had thus spoken, the entire assembly—Venerable Ānanda, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, the bhikṣus, the bodhisattvas, and also the gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas—all rejoiced and praised the words of the Bhagavān.
This concludes the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Nectar of Speech.”