Medicine King, Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, and others should bestow upon all living beings the medicine of the remaining teachings, with the exception of the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra.
Once the Latter Day of the Law has begun, however, with regard to the Hinayana sutras, the Mahayana sutras, and the Lotus Sutra that were entrusted to Mahakashyapa, Ananda, and others; to the bodhisattvas Manjushri, Maitreya, and others; and to Medicine King, Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, and others, though the words of these sutras will remain, they will no longer serve as medicine for the illnesses of living beings. That is to say, the illnesses will be grave, and the medicine, weak. At that time, Bodhisattva Superior Practices will make his appearance in the world and bestow the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo upon all the living beings of Jambudvipa.
Then the people will all look upon this bodhisattva as an enemy. They will be like so many monkeys faced with a dog, or like demons eyeing human beings with spite. They will treat him as if he were Bodhisattva Never Disparaging of the past, who was not only cursed and hated by all people but was attacked with staves, rocks, and tiles, or as if he were the monk Realization of Virtue, who was nearly put to death.
At that time, Mahakashyapa and Ananda will hide on Eagle Peak3 or disappear into the Ganges River,4 and Maitreya and Manjushri will withdraw to the inner court of the Tushita heaven5 or retire to Mount Fragrant.6 Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds will return to the western region,7 and Bodhisattva Universal Worthy, to the eastern region.8 Although there will be persons who practice the various sutras, since no one will be there to guard or protect them, they will be unable to benefit themselves or others. Although there will be persons who chant the
names of the various Buddhas, the heavenly gods will be unable to protect them. Instead they will be as helpless as calves separated from their mothers, or pheasants sighted by hawks.
At that time, the great demons from the worlds of the ten directions will come crowding into the continent of Jambudvipa and will take possession of the four categories of Buddhists, causing them to inflict injury on their parents or to do away with their brothers and sisters. In particular, these demons will enter into the hearts of those monks and nuns throughout the nation who appear to be wise or seem to be diligent in observing the precepts, and through them will practice deception upon the ruler of the nation and his ministers.
At that time, when under the protection of Bodhisattva Superior Practices a person bestows just the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, upon all the people, those four categories of Buddhists and other prominent monks will hate him as if he were their parents’ enemy, a foe from a previous existence, a sworn enemy of the imperial house, or a person bent on revenge.
At that time, great changes will take place in the heavens. Eclipses of the sun and moon will occur, great comets will streak across the sky, and the earth will quiver and shake as if it were a waterwheel. After this will come the disaster of domestic rebellion, in which the ruler of the nation, his brothers, and the other great men of the nation will be attacked and killed. Next will come the disaster of invasion from abroad, in which the land will be attacked by a neighboring nation, the people will be taken prisoner or commit suicide, and all the people throughout the country, whether high or low, will suffer great tribulation.
All of this will come about solely because the person who is propagating
