Samantabhadra's Exhortation: Four Dharmas for Obtaining the Sutra
Person：Samantabhadra Bodhisattva; Śākyamuni Buddha
Period：Within the Lotus Sutra narrative (the assembly on Vulture Peak)
A scriptural narrative from the final chapter (28) of the Lotus Sutra, transcribed from the "Ancient Sages" section of the Xianying lu.
Reading preferences
本則出自《法華經・普賢菩薩勸發品》，為《顯應錄》「古聖」門所錄聖典敘事。以下白話譯註依《顯應錄》所錄經文改寫。
故事
那時，普賢菩薩從東方前來，向佛說道：「我在寶威德上王佛國，遙聞此娑婆世界說法華經，便與大菩薩眾共來聽受。唯願世尊為眾生宣說。如來滅度之後，眾生要怎樣才能得聞、受持這部法華經呢？」
佛告訴普賢菩薩：「若有人成就四法，在如來滅後，當得是法華經：一者、為諸佛護念；二者、植眾德本；三者、入正定聚；四者、發救一切眾生之心。成就這四法，必得是經。」
普賢菩薩對佛說：「在後五百歲的濁惡世中，若有受持這部經典的人，我當守護他，為他除去衰患。這人若在行走或站立間讀誦此經，那時我便乘六牙白象，與大菩薩眾一同現身，供養守護——也是為了供養法華經的緣故。這人若於法華經中忘失了一句一偈，我都會教他，令他憶持不起。」
編者省思
〈勸發品〉是《法華經》的終章，也是歷代誦經者最覺親切的一章：經文親口承諾，濁世誦經者不孤單。歷代感應錄中層出不窮的「見白象」「蒙教示」記載，正是以這段經文為信仰根據。編者以為，與其把感應故事當作孤立的奇聞，不如把它們放回這個脈絡閱讀——古人是先有經文的承諾，才有感應的期待與記述。
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