A Praising to All the Gods
CW30: No.59
Guru Chen's version
Yogi C. M. Chen
Namo Guru Gautama Buddha
Namo all Gods who protect the Buddha.
Our Guru Gautama told us that
He descended here from the Tushita,
Became Bhikshu and subdued demons,
'Till turned the wheel of Tathagata.
All great events are helped by Gods,
Who within his altar, work so hard.
Rare is to meet Buddha Perfect.
Invited by Gods who him admire,
To these benefactors of mankind
We should all give deep thanks without tire.
Heavenly music with many sounds,
Each says "WELCOME, WELCOME AND WELCOME!"
"Please do not forget all of mankind",
The pleas of four Gods are very kind!
God of Purity came to this world
Before the Buddha's birth some twelve years,
Appeared as a Brahmin and foretold
"Buddha will be born", heard by all ears.
Buddha Gautama does hear the sound,
His permission is to be found,
The great benefactors are Gods,
We should give them thanks so profound!
A race selected with thirty two merits
Which was asked by the God named Wise Pennant,
Descended down as a white elephant,
Suggested by the God named Achieved Light.
When Buddha descends, all Gods assemble,
Four Gods and Indra all leave their temple.
Yama, Tusita and Virmananti
With Paranirmitavasavartin.
Saha world master, the Brahmakaya,
From Parsadya and Purohita,
Parittabha and Apramanabha,
From Abhavara and Parittasubha (names of Heavens).
With Akinistha and Mahisvara
All leave their deep samadhi happiness.
From Buddha's birth day to his Nirvana,
They follow him and help all his goodness.
In this dark Kali age,
There are no more good sages.
May all Gods do the same,
Ask them to come to this stage.
Even though there are some who came,
They could not live very long.
They had many defilements,
May Gods keep their commendments.
When Buddha came to his mother's womb,
God of Purity told his father:
There will be a great event and so good,
Buddha's pure Dharma will flourish soon.
Yama makes a mystic palace,
Acts as the Buddha's holy grace.
When Buddha is born all Gods and Goddesses
Come help his mother to take a bath.
Gods offer Buddha heavenly clothes
And crystal, jewels, diamonds and gems.
Gods Brahma and Indra both transform into handsome Mahavaka form. They sing auspicious songs.
They praise Buddha with best poems.
Mahisvara and the Gods of Purity,
Make a pretty offering to celebrate.
When Buddha comes from his birthplace to the palace
Some Goddesses lift up beautiful umbrellas.
Some Goddesses sprinkle best perfume on the way,
Some Goddesses offer many gems and corals.
Gods of Rupadhatu lift some pennants,
Gods of Karmadhatu lift some nice tents,
They are like white clouds in the sky
With so many different presents.
When Buddha marries and lives in rich chamber,
All Gods, Goddesses ask him to remember,
A Tushita God named Renouncement
Flies to palace to make announcement.
He praises Buddha's merits of past lives,
And inspires the vessels to give advice.
All music vessels make voice themselves,
All say to renounce is very wise!
Buddha comes to the four gates to search,
God of Purity appears at each.
On the East he's an old man,
On the South he's a sick man,
On the West he's a dead man,
On the North he's a holy man.
Buddha asks father allow him renounce,
But his father rejects what he announces.
The King then trains some bold guards,
To keep him in days and nights.
Many tiers of gates, who can run out?
He does need God's help, there is no doubt!
There are twenty eight of Yasha's marshals
Who wait for Vaisaravana to tell.
God named Wonderful Skill gives his power,
Paves the precious road in the great space.
God named Dharma Actor gives his power,
To make his wife have an ugly face.
God named Develop gives his force,
To make great Buddha rise alone.
God Indra shows the very road
Where the Buddha should go along.
When the moon and Tisya meet,
Lord Gautama awakes and sits,
Folds both of his palms and thinks,
All Buddhism is very sweet!
The four Gods lead all angels,
Indra stands in the middle,
All hail with a loud voice,
"It's a great time, not little."
Chandaka drives the horse,
Buddha leaves the palace.
Flies in the sky and earth quakes,
Nobody knows this case.
In night they run six yojanas (30 miles)
And arrive at Datu's Forest.
Apart from Chandaka and horse
Buddha the Prince alone does rest.
In that time, none is he close to,
In that time no one knows him too.
He lives alone, he sits alone,
Only those great Gods often come.
At that time who knows how to serve,
In place of men, Gods spend their love.
God knows that Buddha does hate silk,
A cotton yellow robe he offers.
In this Kali Age, men rarely renounce,
They crave desires with pay and allowance!
Or they treat themselves as Bodhisattva,
They say they do good, have best influence!
Even if they become Bhikshu or monk,
They lead all the students without practice.
There is nobody really leaves his home,
Or leaves crowd center to truly release.
May all the Gods and all Angels,
Protect those who have no desire,
As you protect our Dear Buddha,
Who is so pure and without tire.
Six years Buddha practices Dhuta,
Takes only little rice and herbs a day,
Is often protected by all Gods,
Mara can't trouble him in this way.
Sujata wants to make offering to Brahmin,
God of Purity purposely hides him.
Sujata sees only Buddha,
She offers the milk with a tin.
Buddha goes to Bodhi Gaya,
There sixteen Gods do protect him,
Their names are mentioned:
God of Win, God of Advance,
God of Loving, God of Goodness, God of Lighting.
God of Freedom, God of Pennant, God of Conduct,
God of Sila, God of Lotus, God of Ornament,
God of No Obstacle, and God of Great-Adornment.
God of Boldness, God of Giving,
And God of Holding-the-Great-Earth.
They all have realization,
Protect Buddha with devotion.
Indra transforms himself into cowherd,
He offers Buddha some auspicious grass
Which is very soft to make a good seat,
Hence Buddha's downward energy can pass.
The Brahma God offers a lot,
Jewels pervade throughout whole sky,
Buddha sits in meditation,
Vows to attain Samadhi high.
The Gods of six heavens of desire
Protect him, hence Mara can't be found,
In the four directions up and down,
There are many Gods who stand around.
Mara still comes with many demons,
Troubles Buddha with love and weapons.
God of Purity gives him advice,
Many bold Goddesses also come.
They offer to Buddha many flowers,
Praise him, no fear of Mara's followers.
When Buddha gets the Full Enlightenment,
All Gods enjoy it and offer jewels.
All Goddesses sing many hymns,
Many Gods praise him in their turn,
After the God of Purity,
God of Pervading Light praises him.
After God of Great Brahmin,
Paranirmita praises him,
After Nirmanarati praises,
Gods of Tushita praise him.
After Indra's deep praising,
The Four Gods also praise him.
They offer many gems too,
With many different things.
In the Kali Age there're many demons,
Most students do have a lot of desires.
False views, and cruel kings both trouble so long,
Doubt and disease and worldly love without tire.
One's inner sorrows are too much,
Realization is hard to get,
Many practices but no one reaches,
No one even sees God yet.
May all the Gods protect them,
As protect Buddha, the same,
Let them all leave their demons,
Let them achieve before long.
Let them get realization,
Let them get special power,
Let them have deep devotion,
Worthy of Buddha's followers!
After Buddha's attainment,
He then keeps in deep silence.
Mara does dare him to die,
If so, there's no influence.
But the master of this world,
Then requests Buddha three times
Turn the Dharma Wheel, he's told,
Praises Buddha with many hymns.
At that time who is the man,
Able to ask as those Gods can,
Now we still have the Dharma,
God's merit is not in vain.
Buddha accepts Gods request,
Four Gods ask him where to preach,
Four Gods are in the forest,
Whose names are told by the teacher.
The Light, The Dharma, and The Pleasure,
The Actor, all are Gods in nature,
They protect him in Bodhi Gaya,
Now they prepare Sarnath to preach.
Gods of all heavens of form and desire,
Hold heavenly umbrellas, men admire,
Arrange altar there where Park of Deer is,
Sarnath is very holy and dear.
Eighty four thousand gems made seats,
Buddha makes them into one great chair.
Each treats it as his own,
Buddha's teachings fill the air.
Buddha teaches five Bhikshus at first;
Teaches Kasya who is so earnest,
He shows eighteen transformations,
Indra hears this education.
When Buddha wants to dry his robe again,
Indra arranges a big stone in hexagon,
Hitherto everything Buddha wants,
From Indra and other Gods he gains.
After Buddha accepts their offerings,
Buddha wants to bathe, Indra gives new spring,
When Buddha wants to wash his robe again,
Indra arranges a square stone to retain.
When our Buddha goes to heaven and to sea,
Until Parinirvana all Gods see,
No time, no space, without Gods to protect him,
Gods serve the Buddha so much more than me.
In the Kali Age, Mara is strong,
Dharma's obstacles trouble us so long!
Those cruel officials do have false views,
Scholars too have no right ideas but wrong.
Few persons practicing the Dharma,
Rare is the one who knows of Karma,
The accomplished one has no power,
There's none can compare with Gautama!
There're some who may have Bodhicitta,
And desire to follow Tathagata,
He has not enough helpers and money,
May you, the Gods, help with all data!
Please do remember what you have done,
With much strength you helped Buddha so long!
Now Right Dharma remains so little,
Kindly let it flourish and prolong.
Use your strength more than you used for Buddha,
Protect the one who has the real Dharma;
Let him have much longevity,
Let him achieve the Karma!
Let him have revelation!
Let him have realization !
Let him keep the old tradition!
Let him be able to do salvation!
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