Maitreya accepts the protection of the Dharma

1.38 Then the elder Mahākāśyapa said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, in the future, in the final five-hundred-year period, the bogus ascetics who want saffron robes and who will cause the disappearance of the unsurpassed, perfect awakening that the tathāgatas have accomplished for countless millions of eons —what will they be like?” The Blessed One replied to Venerable Mahākāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, what is the point of you asking the Tathāgata for an account of this? Let it go, Kāśyapa, because if the Tathāgata actually described and explained all the faults of those foolish peoples’ sinful desires, false conceptions, deceits, frauds, errors, malign flaws, and malign forces, after you heard of the sinful behavior of those unholy individuals, even though it is incorrect, it would not appear so to you.” 1.39 Then the elder Mahākāśyapa said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I beg the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, to give his blessing so that this Dharma and Vinaya may remain for a long time, come what may.” Then the Blessed One replied to Venerable Mahākāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, before long the Tathāgata will pass into parinirvāṇa.” 1.40 Kāśyapa said, “Blessed One, in order to protect the authentic Dharma, I beg the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, to remain for an eon or longer.” The Blessed One replied to Venerable Mahākāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, even if, say, a thousand buddhas had taught the Dharma, with miracles, to those foolish people, those unholy individuals would not let go of or turn away from their sinful desires and sinful conceptions. Besides, Kāśyapa, in the future, in the final five-hundred-year period, you will be inspired to preserve the authentic Dharma, and beings with virtuous minds who will listen respectfully to your explanations will be born.” 1.41 Then the elder Mahākāśyapa said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I, along with the four-continent universe with its hamlets, towns, and villages, its crags and mountain peaks, and its oceans, rivers, and woods, would gladly plead for this on my knees for an eon or longer. But, Blessed One, I would not be glad to hear about the acts of propounding falsehood of those unholy individuals. Blessed One, I would be happy to live on a single juniper berry or sesame seed or grain of rice for an eon or longer. But, Blessed One, I would not be glad to hear about the acts of propounding falsehood of those unholy individuals. Blessed One, I would be glad to live for as long as ten million years in the four postures in a great billionfold universe burning, blazing, and raging throughout with an eon-ending fire. But, Blessed One, I would not be glad to hear about the acts of propounding falsehood of those unholy individuals. Blessed One, I would be glad to patiently accept anger, insults, denigration, degradation, intimidation, and beatings from all beings. But, Blessed One, I would not be glad to hear about the acts of propounding falsehood of those thieves and swindlers of the Dharma, those who speak nonsense about the Dharma, and teachers of counterfeit Dharma. Because my practice and knowledge are limited, I am not capable of bearing such a responsibility. But, Blessed One, a bodhisattva is capable of bearing such a responsibility. 1.42 “Furthermore, Blessed One, I venture to draw this analogy: I would compare it, Blessed One, to a certain man, old and infirm, about one hundred and twenty years of age. Afflicted with an illness, the man takes to his bed to lie down after experiencing chest pain. At that point, a certain confused man who is rich, with ample wealth and possessions, arrives and says to the bed-ridden man, ‘Fellow, I entrust you with this treasure of mine, but when I return in ten or twenty years’ time from another region, return this treasure to me.’ He hands over the treasure, and after entrusting it in this way, he goes off to another region. 1.43 “The bed-ridden man has neither sons nor daughters nor attendants, and before long, after the man has gone off to another region, the bed-ridden man dies. After that whole mass of wealth has been lost, when the man returns, no matter what the man says to anyone, there is nothing to be done. 1.44 “In the same way, Blessed One, if the treasure of the authentic Dharma is entrusted to a śrāvaka, whose practice and knowledge are limited, who is without a companion, and who will not remain for long, it will also not remain for long.” The Blessed One replied, “Yes, indeed, Kāśyapa. I, too, am aware of this. However, I knowingly asked this of you because if they hear your eloquent analogy, those unholy individuals will develop remorse.” 1.45 Then the elder Mahākāśyapa said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I venture to draw a second analogy here. I would compare it, Blessed One, to this: there is a certain person whose constitution is healthy and free of illness, who will live for many hundreds of thousands of years, and who is youthful, a young man. He has plenty of attendants and plenty of resources, an excellent lineage and family, and a virtuous disposition. He is loving and greatly compassionate, cheerful, and equanimous towards the faults of beings and the faults of the defilements. He acts for the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of love for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of the great mass of beings, gods and humans. He is steadfast in his endeavors. A certain man comes into the presence of that holy individual and says, ‘Fellow, I entrust you with this treasure of mine, so hide and protect it well. When I return in ten- or twenty-years’ time from another region, return this treasure to me.’ When he hands the treasure over, the man accepts it and hides and protects it well, and when the other man returns, he gives it back to him. 1.46 “In the same way, Blessed One, if someone entrusts the treasure of the authentic Dharma to a bodhisattva, it will not be lost for many billions of eons but will be beneficial to many beings, and the lineage of the Buddha, of the Dharma, and of the Saṅgha will remain unbroken. 1.47 “Blessed One, I am not capable of the actions that a bodhisattva accomplishes or of the goals that they accomplish. But, since the bodhisattva great being Maitreya is present in this very retinue, Blessed One, please command him. In the future, in the final five-hundred-year period when the authentic Dharma disappears, he will uphold and spread widely the unsurpassed, perfect awakening that the tathāgatas have accomplished for countless millions of eons. 1.48 “The reason, Blessed One, is that the bodhisattva great being Maitreya will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect buddhahood after the Tathāgata. Blessed One, I would compare it to the son and heir who receives the royal anointment of a king. Because he will be bestowed with sovereignty after the king, even while he receives the royal anointment, he takes delight in it and also becomes righteous. He thinks to himself, ‘After I have received this royal anointment, I shall act as king.’ He is encouraged by this thought and so becomes deeply involved in all royal activities. In the same way, when the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, passes away, this bodhisattva great being Maitreya will be bestowed with the great sovereignty of the kingdom of the authentic Dharma; therefore I beg him to deeply involve himself in protecting the authentic Dharma.” The Blessed One replied to the elder Mahākāśyapa, “Good, good, Kāśyapa! What you say is right.” 1.49 Then the Blessed One extended his golden-colored right hand, his gentle, supremely supple hand acquired through virtuous roots over countless millions of eons, its touch pleasing like the finest silk, and poured liquid the color of red lac dye onto the head of the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, anointing him. 1.50 He then said, “Maitreya, in the future, in the final five-hundred-year period, when the time has arrived for the authentic Dharma to disappear, take delight in protecting the authentic Dharma, causing it to last for a long while, upholding it, and causing the lineage of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha to remain unbroken.” 1.51 As soon as the Blessed One laid his gold-colored right hand on the crown of the bodhisattva great being Maitreya’s head, at that very moment this whole great billionfold universe shook violently three times. It shook, shook violently, and shook all over; it trembled, trembled violently, and trembled all over; it quaked, quaked violently, and quaked all over. A great radiance appeared in the world. 1.52 The gods of the earth and those who live in space, up to those of Akaniṣṭha, joined their palms together and said to the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, “Noble Maitreya, please take delight in protecting the authentic Dharma, causing it to last for a long while and upholding it for the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, out of love for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of the great mass of beings, gods and humans.” 1.53 Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya rose from his seat, draped his upper shawl over one shoulder, set his right knee on the ground, and with palms joined paid homage to the Blessed One. Then he said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, if I am happy to remain in saṃsāra until the end of time for the sake of even a single being, there is no need to say that I shall do so in order to uphold the authentic Dharma. Blessed One, I shall protect and spread widely the unsurpassed, perfect awakening that the tathāgatas have accomplished for countless millions of eons.” 1.54 As soon as the bodhisattva great being Maitreya set his right knee on the ground, this whole great billionfold universe shook violently in six ways. 1.55 Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I am no one’s rival, and I am arrogant toward no one. Why is that? Blessed One, it is because these upholders of the authentic Dharma do the work of holy individuals. The burden that bodhisattvas carry, Blessed One, is a burden the likes of which śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are incapable of carrying.” 1.56 Then the Blessed One commended the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, “Good, good, Maitreya! Just as you have uttered such a lion’s roar in my presence in order to uphold the authentic Dharma, in the same way, bodhisattvas also utter lions’ roars in the presence of all the blessed buddhas of the ten directions, as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges, and act to uphold the authentic Dharma.”