Ancient Buddhism in Japan, Vol. 2

"Emptiness" original: Śūnyatā; a central Buddhist concept referring to the lack of inherent existence in all phenomena. In the sixth chapter, the Four Deva Kings original: Shitennō; the four celestial guardians of the cardinal directions, the Guardians of the World, promise with all their numberless followers (demons and spirits) to protect the kings (together with their families and their countries) who attentively listen to this sutra and respectfully make offerings, reading, receiving, and keeping this holy text. Then they praise the Buddha’s pure moon with its thousand-fold light, and the Buddha answers them with a hymn of praise regarding this sutra’s blessing power. This is the main part of the text and the principal reason for the great importance attached to it. We may deduce this from the fact that in A.D. 741 (the 13th year of the Tempyō era, third month, 24th day), when the Emperor Shōmu established the Kokubunji or Provincial State Monasteries, he called them Konkwōmyō Shitennō gokokuji, or "Monasteries for the protection of the country by the Four Deva Kings (to be obtained by means of) the Sutra of the Golden Light."

As to the protection promised in the other sections by Sarasvatī The goddess of music and eloquence, known in Japan as Benzaiten, Kudoku Ten ("Goddess of Blessing Power," which is Kichijō Ten or the goddess Śrī), the Earth goddess Dṛḍha, and the Demon King Sañjaya (Sanshi kijin), who with all his followers shall protect those who devoutly listen to this sutra—we saw above (Chapter VIII, Section 15, page 309) that the goddess Śrī (Lakṣmī), the Goddess of Felicity, was worshipped by means of the Kichijō-kekwa or "Rites of Repentance in honor of the Goddess Śrī," based upon the Sutra of the Sovereign Kings of Golden Light (Konkwōmyō-Saishōōkyō). Thus we see that next to the Four Deva Kings, this goddess was considered to be the mightiest protectress of faithful believers in the holy "King of Sutras," the Sutra of the Golden Light.

§ 2. The Golden Light Sutra (Konkwōmyōkyō) in China.

According to the Biographies of Eminent Monks original: Kao-săng-chw’en (Kōsōden), A.D. 519,¹ Kaśyapa Mātaṅga original: Shōmatō, who in A.D. 67—

¹ Nanjō No. 1490, Chapter 1; compiled in A.D. 519 by Huijiao original: Hwui-kiao, a Chinese priest of the Liang dynasty (Appendix III 8).