金光明最勝王經 四天王護國品
若只護住王位，卻沒有人願意聽法、說法、受持正法，這個國家真的安穩嗎？
〈四天王護國品〉沒有把答案只放在疆界有多堅固上。它要國王從高座上下來：坐小卑座，捨自在位，離開憍慢，端心聽法；又要親自走出城門迎接法師，對持經四眾如父母一般供養守護。原來護國之要，是讓權力願意向法低頭，讓說法的人不受侵擾，讓聽法的人得到安樂。
然後，護持向整個國土展開。諸國各安其境，不貪求他國，不相侵奪；人民上下和睦如水乳，慈悲謙讓，常行慧施，具足十善。國土的豐樂不只表現在財寶，也表現在時序不亂、風雨應時、人民沒有繫縛鬥諍。若正法不再流通，經中列出的失序也由人心一路漫延到社會、天象、風雨、農作和外患。真正先失去的，不是城牆，而是『正法之流』。
經中一縷供養的香煙，從人間法座升到諸天宮殿，又遍大千世界和十方佛土。國王以法味使天眾充足，天眾則隱身護國、護人、護流通；彼此在同一部經前互為善知識。有人肯使法流通，護持便從看得見的宮室伸向看不見的眾緣。
多聞天王說如意寶珠陀羅尼，許諾財物與守護；可是得到物品以後，必須當日供養三寶、布施貧乏，不得停留；還要對有情起慈悲心，不生瞋怒、欺誑、諂曲和損害。若財富只加深占有，便離開了經中成辦的方法。所得要照經中所教，當日流向三寶與貧乏者，不得停留。
佛陀在答偈中段連用三個經中本有的譬喻說經王：像宅中的寶樹，生出一切快樂資具；像澄潔清冷的水，解除飢渴熱惱；像室內的寶篋，所需隨心而不匱乏。三個譬喻分別說生樂具、除熱惱與隨心受用；它們共同領回同一件事：經王被聽聞、奉持、讀誦、宣說，便能給國王功德，使樂福者心願滿足，使福德隨心無乏。
所以，一個國家真正要護住的是什麼？是讓人仍能放下高舉而聽法，仍有人不畏留難而說法，仍有共同的慈悲與十善，使所得不停止於自己。護到說法師忘失的句義重新憶起，護到經典廣宣流布而不迅速隱沒，護到聞法者離憂、生喜、登出離道而不退菩提——這時所護的才不只是眼前一國，而是正法在人間繼續發生的可能。
If a royal throne is preserved, yet no one is willing to hear the Dharma, teach the Dharma, or uphold right Dharma, is that realm truly secure?
“Chapter 12: The Four Heavenly Kings Protect the Realm” does not place its answer solely in the strength of borders. It requires the king to descend from his high seat: to sit on a small, low seat, relinquish the position of sovereign freedom, leave pride behind, and listen to the Dharma with a collected mind. It further requires him to go out through the city gate in person to welcome the Dharma teacher, and to provide for and protect the fourfold community that upholds the sūtra as he would his own parents. The essential work of protecting a realm, it turns out, is to let power bow before the Dharma, to keep those who teach free of obstruction, and to let those who listen find peace and happiness.
Protection then extends across the whole land. Each realm remains secure within its own territory, without coveting other realms or invading and plundering one another. Those above and below live in harmony like water blended with milk; they are compassionate, modest, and yielding, constantly practice wise generosity, and fulfill the ten wholesome courses of action. A realm’s flourishing is shown not only in its treasures, but also in seasons that do not fall into disorder, timely wind and rain, and people free from bondage and conflict. If right Dharma ceases to circulate, the disorder listed in the sūtra spreads outward from the human mind into society, celestial signs, wind and rain, crops, and foreign threats. What is truly lost first is not the city wall but 『正法之流』—“the current of right Dharma.”
In the sūtra, a single stream of incense smoke offered at the Dharma seat rises from the human world to the palaces of the gods, then fills the great trichiliocosm and the buddha lands of the ten directions. The human king satisfies the gods with the flavor of the Dharma, while the gods remain unseen as they protect the realm, its people, and the circulation of the sūtra; before the same scripture, each serves as a spiritual friend to the other. When someone is willing to keep the Dharma in circulation, protection extends from visible halls and chambers into the unseen web of conditions.
Vaiśravaṇa teaches the wish-fulfilling jewel dhāraṇī and promises wealth and protection. Yet once the goods have been obtained, they must that very day be offered to the Three Jewels and given to the poor, with none left in reserve. One must also arouse compassion toward sentient beings and give rise to no anger, deceit, flattery, crookedness, or harm. If wealth merely deepens possessiveness, it departs from the method the sūtra sets forth. Whatever is obtained must, as the sūtra instructs, flow that very day toward the Three Jewels and those in need, without remaining in one’s possession.
In the middle of the Buddha’s answering verses, he uses in succession three similes already present in the sūtra to describe the king of sūtras: it is like a jeweled tree inside a house that produces every provision of happiness; like clear, cool water that relieves hunger, thirst, and burning distress; and like a jeweled casket in a room whose contents meet every wish without exhaustion. The three similes respectively describe producing the means of happiness, relieving burning distress, and freely receiving what one needs. Together they lead back to the same point: when the king of sūtras is heard, upheld, recited, and proclaimed, it can confer merit upon kings, fulfill the wishes of those who seek happiness, and provide blessings without lack according to one’s heart.
What, then, must a realm truly protect? It must preserve the possibility that people can still lower what they have raised high and listen to the Dharma; that someone can still teach without fearing obstruction; that compassion and the ten wholesome courses of action can still be practiced together; and that what is obtained does not stop with oneself. Protection must reach the point where a Dharma teacher recalls words and meanings that had been forgotten, where the scripture is widely proclaimed and circulated instead of quickly disappearing, and where listeners leave sorrow, give rise to joy, ascend the path of release, and do not retreat from awakening. What is protected then is no longer only one realm in the present moment, but the possibility that right Dharma will continue to take place in the human world.
唐義淨譯《金光明最勝王經》卷六〈四天王護國品第十二〉· 大正藏 T16n0665〔起 T16 0427b20〕。段/行首〔T16 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨。
〔T16 0427b20〕爾時，世尊聞四天王恭敬供養《金光明經》，及能擁護諸持經者，讚言：「善哉！善哉！汝等四王已於過去無量百千萬億佛所，恭敬供養，尊重讚歎，植諸善根，修行正法，常說正法，以法化世。汝等長夜於諸眾生常思利益，起大慈心，願與安樂，以是因緣，能令汝等現受勝報。若有人王恭敬供養此《金光明》最勝經典，汝等應當勤加守護，令得安隱。汝諸四王及餘眷屬無量無數百千藥叉護是經者，即是護持去、來、現在諸佛正法。汝等四王及餘天眾并諸藥叉，與阿蘇羅共鬪戰時，常得勝利；汝等若能護持是經，由經力故，能除眾苦、怨賊、飢饉及諸疾疫。是故汝等若見四眾受持讀誦此經王者，亦應勤心共加守護，為除衰惱，施與安樂。」
爾時，四天王即從座起，偏袒右肩，右膝著地，合掌恭敬白佛言：「世尊！此金光明最勝經王，於未來世，若有國土城邑聚落、山林曠野，隨所至處流布之時，若彼國王於此經典至心聽受，稱歎供養，并復供給受持是經四部之眾，深心擁護，令離衰惱，以是因緣，我護彼王及諸人眾，皆令安隱，遠離憂苦，增益壽命，威德具足。世尊！若彼國王見於四眾受持經者，恭敬守護猶如父母，一切所須悉皆供給，我等四王常為守護，令諸有情無不尊敬。是故我等并與無量藥叉諸神，隨此經王所流布處，潛身擁護，令無留難，亦當護念聽是經人諸國王等，除其衰患，悉令安隱，他方怨賊皆使退散。若有人王聽是經時，隣國怨敵興如是念：『當具四兵壞彼國土。』世尊！以是經王威神力故，是時隣敵更有異怨，而來侵擾於其境界，多諸災變疫病流行。時王見已即嚴四兵，發向彼國欲為討罰。我等爾時當與眷屬無量無邊藥叉諸神，各自隱形為作護助，令彼怨敵自然降伏，尚不敢來至其國界，豈復得有兵戈相罰。」
爾時，佛告四天王：「善哉！善哉！汝等四王，乃能擁護如是經典。我於過去百千俱胝那庾多劫，修諸苦行，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，證一切智，今說是法。若有人王受持是經，恭敬供養者，為消衰患，令其安隱，亦復擁護城邑聚落，乃至怨賊悉令退散，亦令一切贍部洲內所有諸王，永無衰惱鬪諍之事。四王當知！此贍部洲八萬四千城邑聚落、八萬四千諸人王等，各於其國受諸快樂，皆得自在，所有財寶豐足受用，不相侵奪，隨彼宿因而受其報，不起惡念貪求他國，咸生少欲利樂之心，無有鬪戰繫縛等苦。其土人民自生愛樂，上下和穆，猶如水乳，情相愛重，歡喜遊戲，慈悲謙讓，增長善根。以是因緣，此贍部洲安隱豐樂，人民熾盛，大地沃壤，寒暑調和，時不乖序，日月星宿常度無虧，風雨隨時，離諸災橫，資產財寶皆悉豐盈，心無慳鄙，常行慧施，具十善業，若人命終，多生天上，增益天眾。大王！若未來世有諸人王聽受是經，恭敬供養并受持是經，四部之眾尊重稱讚。復欲安樂饒益汝等及諸眷屬無量百千諸藥叉眾，是故彼王常當聽受是妙經王，由得聞此正法之水甘露上味，增益汝等身心勢力，精進勇猛，福德威光悉令充滿。是諸人王若能至心聽受是經，則為廣大希有供養，供養於我釋迦牟尼應、正等覺。若供養我，則是供養過去、未來、現在百千俱胝那庾多佛。若能供養三世諸佛，則得無量不可思議功德之聚。以是因緣，汝等應當擁護彼王后妃眷屬，令無衰惱，及宮宅神常受安樂，功德難思，是諸國土所有人民，亦受種種五欲之樂，一切惡事皆令消殄。」
〔T16 0428b03〕爾時，四天王白佛言：「世尊！於未來世，若有人王，樂聽如是《金光明經》，為欲擁護自身、后妃、王子，乃至內宮諸婇女等，城邑宮殿，皆得第一不可思議最上歡喜寂靜安樂，於現世中，王位尊高，自在昌盛，常得增長，復欲攝受無量無邊難思福聚，於自國土令無怨敵及諸憂惱災厄事者。世尊！如是人王不應放逸令心散亂，當生恭敬至誠殷重，聽受如是最勝經王。欲聽之時，先當莊嚴最上宮室，王所愛重顯敞之處，香水灑地，散眾名花，安置師子殊勝法座，以諸珍寶而為挍飾，張施種種寶蓋幢幡，燒無價香，奏諸音樂。其王爾時當淨澡浴，以香塗身，著新淨衣及諸瓔珞，坐小卑座，不生高舉，捨自在位，離諸憍慢，端心正念，聽是經王；於法師所，起大師想。復於宮內后妃王子婇女眷屬生慈愍心，喜悅相視，和顏軟語，於自身心大喜充遍。作如是念：『我今獲得難思殊勝廣大利益，於此經王，盛興供養。』既敷設已，見法師至，當起虔敬渴仰之心。」
爾時，佛告四天王：「不應如是不迎法師。時彼人王應著純淨鮮潔之衣，種種瓔珞以為嚴飾，自持白蓋及以香花，備整軍儀，盛陳音樂，步出城闕迎彼法師，運想虔恭為吉祥事。四王！以何因緣令彼人王親作如是恭敬供養？由彼人王舉足下足，步步即是恭敬供養、承事尊重百千萬億那庾多諸佛世尊，復得超越如是劫數生死之苦，復於來世如是劫數，當受輪王殊勝尊位。隨其步步，亦於現世福德增長自在為王，感應難思，眾所欽重；當於無量百千億劫人天受用七寶宮殿，所在生處常得為王，增益壽命，言詞辯了，人天信受，無所畏懼，有大名稱，咸共瞻仰，天上人中受勝妙樂，獲大力勢，有大威德，身相奇妙，端嚴無比，值天人師，遇善知識，成就具足無量福聚。四王當知！彼諸人王見如是等種種無量功德利益，故應自往奉迎法師。若一踰繕那，乃至百千踰繕那，於說法師應生佛想，還至城已，作如是念：『今日釋迦牟尼如來、應、正等覺入我宮中，受我供養，為我說法。我聞法已，即於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不復退轉，即是值遇百千萬億那庾多諸佛世尊。我於今日即是種種廣大殊勝上妙樂具，供養過去、未來、現在諸佛。我於今日即是永拔琰摩王界、地獄、餓鬼、傍生之苦。便為已種無量百千萬億轉輪聖王、釋梵天主善根種子。當令無量百千萬億眾生，出生死苦，得涅槃樂，積集無量無邊不可思議福德之聚，後宮眷屬及諸人民皆蒙安隱，國土清泰，無諸災厄、毒害、惡人，他方怨敵不來侵擾，遠離憂患。』四王當知！時彼人王應作如是尊重正法，亦於受持是妙經典苾芻、苾芻尼、鄔波索迦、鄔波斯迦，供養恭敬尊重讚歎，所獲善根，先以勝福施與汝等及諸眷屬。彼之人王，有大福德善業因緣，於現世中得大自在增益威光，吉祥妙相皆悉莊嚴，一切怨敵能以正法而摧伏之。」
〔T16 0429a05〕爾時，四天王白佛言：「世尊！若有人王能作如是恭敬正法，聽此經王，并於四眾持經之人，恭敬供養，尊重讚歎。時彼人王欲為我等生歡喜故，當在一邊，近於法座，香水灑地，散眾名花，安置處所，設四王座，我與彼王共聽正法。其王所有自利善根，亦以福分施及我等。世尊！時彼人王請說法者，昇座之時，便為我等燒眾名香，供養是經。世尊！時彼香煙於一念頃，上昇虛空，即至我等諸天宮殿，於虛空中變成香蓋。我等天眾聞彼妙香，香有金光照曜我等所居宮殿，乃至梵宮及以帝釋、大辯才天、大吉祥天、堅牢地神、正了知大將、二十八部諸藥叉神、大自在天、金剛密主、寶賢大將、訶利底母五百眷屬、無熱惱池龍王、大海龍王所居之處。世尊！如是等眾於自宮殿見彼香煙，一剎那頃變成香蓋，聞香芬馥，覩色光明，遍至一切諸天神宮。」
佛告四天王：「是香光明非但至此宮殿，變成香蓋，放大光明；由彼人王手擎香鑪，燒眾名香供養經時，其香煙氣於一念頃遍至三千大千世界，百億日月、百億妙高山王、百億四洲，於此三千大千世界一切天、龍、藥叉、健闥婆、阿蘇羅、揭路茶、緊那羅、莫呼洛伽宮殿之所，於虛空中充滿而住。種種香煙變成雲蓋，其蓋金色普照天宮。如是三千大千世界所有種種香雲香蓋，皆是《金光明最勝王經》威神之力。是諸人王手持香鑪供養經時，種種香氣非但遍此三千大千世界，於一念頃亦遍十方無量無邊恒河沙等百千萬億諸佛國土，於諸佛上虛空之中變成香蓋，金色普照亦復如是。時彼諸佛聞此妙香，覩斯雲蓋及以金色，於十方界恒河沙等諸佛世尊現神變已，彼諸世尊悉共觀察，異口同音讚法師曰：『善哉！善哉！汝大丈夫！能廣流布如是甚深微妙經典，則為成就無量無邊不可思議福德之聚。若有聽聞如是經者，所獲功德其量甚多，何況書寫、受持、讀誦、為他敷演、如說修行。何以故？善男子！若有眾生聞此《金光明最勝王經》者，即於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不復退轉。』」
爾時，十方有百千俱胝那庾多無量無數恒河沙等諸佛剎土，彼諸剎土一切如來異口同音，於法座上讚彼法師言：「善哉！善哉！善男子！汝於來世，以精勤力，當修無量百千苦行，具足資糧，超諸聖眾，出過三界，為最勝尊，當坐菩提樹王之下，殊勝莊嚴，能救三千大千世界有緣眾生，善能摧伏可畏形儀諸魔軍眾，覺了諸法最勝清淨甚深無上正等菩提。善男子！汝當坐於金剛之座，轉於無上諸佛所讚十二妙行甚深法輪，能擊無上最大法鼓，能吹無上極妙法螺，能建無上殊勝法幢，能然無上極明法炬，能降無上甘露法雨，能斷無量煩惱怨結，能令無量百千萬億那庾多有情，渡於無涯可畏大海，解脫生死無際輪迴，值遇無量百千萬億那庾多佛。」
爾時，四天王復白佛言：「世尊！是《金光明最勝王經》，能於未來現在成就如是無量功德，是故人王若得聞是微妙經典，即是已於百千萬億無量佛所種諸善根，於彼人王我當護念。復見無量福德利故，我等四王及餘眷屬無量百千萬億諸神，於自宮殿見是種種香煙雲蓋神變之時，我當隱蔽不現其身，為聽法故，當至是王清淨嚴飾所止宮殿講法之處。如是乃至梵宮、帝釋、大辯才天、大吉祥天、堅牢地神、正了知神大將、二十八部諸藥叉神、大自在天、金剛密主、寶賢大將、訶利底母五百眷屬、無熱惱池龍王、大海龍王、無量百千萬億那庾多諸天藥叉，如是等眾為聽法故，皆不現身，至彼人王殊勝宮殿莊嚴高座說法之所。世尊！我等四王及餘眷屬藥叉諸神，皆當一心共彼人王為善知識，因是無上大法施主，以甘露味充足於我，是故我等擁護是王，除其衰患，令得安隱，及其宮殿城邑國土諸惡災變悉令消滅。」
爾時，四天王俱共合掌白佛言：「世尊！若有人王於其國土，雖有此經，未常流布，心生捨離，不樂聽聞，亦不供養尊重讚歎，見四部眾持經之人，亦復不能尊重供養，遂令我等及餘眷屬無量諸天，不得聞此甚深妙法，背甘露味，失正法流，無有威光及以勢力，增長惡趣，損減人天，墜生死河，乖涅槃路。世尊！我等四王并諸眷屬及藥叉等，見如斯事，捨其國土，無擁護心。非但我等捨棄是王，亦有無量守護國土諸大善神悉皆捨去。既捨離已，其國當有種種災禍，喪失國位，一切人眾皆無善心，惟有繫縛，殺害瞋諍，互相讒諂，抂及無辜，疾疫流行，彗星數出，兩日並現，博蝕無恒，黑白二虹表不祥相，星流地動，井內發聲，暴雨惡風不依時節，常遭飢饉，苗實不成，多有他方怨賊侵掠，國內人民受諸苦惱，土地無有可樂之處。世尊！我等四王及與無量百千天神，并護國土諸舊善神遠離去時，生如是等無量百千災怪惡事。世尊！若有人王欲護國土，常受快樂，欲令眾生咸蒙安隱，欲得摧伏一切外敵，於自國境永得昌盛，欲令正教流布世間，苦惱惡法皆除滅者。世尊！是諸國主必當聽受是妙經王，亦應恭敬供養讀誦受持經者。我等及餘無量天眾以是聽法善根威力，得服無上甘露法味，增益我等所有眷屬，并餘天神皆得勝利。何以故？以是人王至心聽受是經典故。世尊！如大梵天於諸有情常為宣說世出世論，帝釋復說種種諸論，五通神仙亦說諸論。世尊！梵天、帝釋、五通仙人雖有百千俱胝那庾多無量諸論，然佛世尊慈悲哀愍，為人天眾說《金光明》微妙經典，比前所說，勝彼百千俱胝那庾多倍不可為喻。何以故？由此能令諸贍部洲所有王等正法化世，能與眾生安樂之事，為護自身及諸眷屬，令無苦惱，又無他方怨賊侵害，所有諸惡悉皆遠去，亦令國土災厄屏除，化以正法無有諍訟。是故人王各於國土，當然法炬，明照無邊，增益天眾并諸眷屬。世尊！我等四王無量天神藥叉之眾，贍部洲內所有天神，以是因緣得服無上甘露法味，獲大威德勢力光明無不具足，一切眾生皆得安隱，復於來世無量百千不可思議那庾多劫常受快樂，復得值遇無量諸佛，種諸善根，然後證得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。如是無量無邊勝利，皆是如來、應、正等覺，以大慈悲過諸梵眾，以大智慧逾於帝釋，修諸苦行勝五通仙，百千萬億那庾多倍不可稱計，為諸眾生演說如是微妙經典，令贍部洲一切國主及諸人眾，明了世間所有法式，治國化人勸導之事，由此經王流通力故，普得安樂。此等福利，皆是釋迦大師於此經典廣為流通慈悲力故。世尊！以是因緣，諸人王等皆應受持，供養恭敬，尊重讚歎此妙經王。何以故？以如是等不可思議殊勝功德利益一切，是故名曰最勝經王。」
〔T16 0430b24〕爾時，世尊復告四天王：「汝等四王及餘眷屬，無量百千俱胝那庾多諸天大眾，見彼人王，若能至心聽是經典，供養恭敬、尊重讚歎者，應當擁護，除其衰患，能令汝等亦受安樂；若四部眾能廣流布是經王者，於人天中廣作佛事，普能利益無量眾生，如是之人，汝等四王常當擁護。如是四眾，勿使他緣共相侵擾，令彼身心寂靜安樂，於此經王廣宣流布，令不斷絕，利益有情，盡未來際。」
爾時，多聞天王從座而起，白佛言：「世尊！我有如意寶珠陀羅尼法，若有眾生樂受持者，功德無量。我常擁護令彼眾生離苦得樂，能成福智二種資糧。欲受持者先當誦此護身之呪。」即說呪曰：
「南謨薜室囉末拏也莫訶曷囉闍也 怛姪他 囉囉囉囉 矩怒矩怒 區怒區怒 寠怒寠怒 颯嚩颯嚩羯囉 羯囉莫訶毘羯喇麼 莫訶毘羯喇麼 莫訶曷囉社 曷𠸪叉曷𠸪叉 覩漫〔自稱己名〕 薩婆薩埵難者 莎訶
「世尊！誦此呪者，當以白線呪之七遍，一遍一結，繫之肘後，其事必成；應取諸香，所謂安息、栴檀、龍腦、蘇合、多揭羅、熏陸，皆須等分，和合一處，手執香爐，燒香供養，清淨澡浴，著鮮潔衣，於一靜室，可誦神呪請我薜室囉末拏天王。」即說呪曰：
「南謨薜室囉末拏〔引〕也
「南謨檀那䭾也 檀泥說囉〔引〕也 阿揭撦 阿鉢𡃤弭哆 檀泥說囉 鉢囉麼 迦留尼迦 薩婆薩埵 呬哆振哆 麼麼〔己名〕檀那末奴鉢喇拽撦 碎閻摩揭撦 莎訶
「此呪誦滿一七遍已，次誦本呪。欲誦呪時，先當稱名敬禮三寶，及薜室羅末拏天王。能施財物，令諸眾生所求願滿，悉能成就，與其安樂。如是禮已，次誦薜室羅末拏天王如意末尼寶心神呪，能施眾生隨意安樂。」爾時，多聞天王即於佛前，說如意末尼寶心呪曰：
〔T16 0431a05〕「南謨曷喇怛娜 怛喇夜野〔引〕南謨薜室囉末拏〔引〕也
「莫訶囉闍〔引〕也 怛姪他 四弭四弭 蘇母蘇母 栴茶栴茶 折囉折囉 薩囉薩囉羯囉羯囉 枳哩枳哩 矩嚕矩嚕 母嚕母嚕 主嚕主嚕 娑大也頞貪 我名某甲 昵店頞他 達達覩莎訶 南謨薜室囉末拏也莎訶檀那䭾也莎訶 曼奴喇他鉢唎脯喇迦〔引〕也莎訶
「受持呪時，先誦千遍，然後於淨室中瞿摩塗地作小壇場，隨時飲食，一心供養，常然妙香，令烟不絕。誦前心呪晝夜繫心，惟自耳聞，勿令他解。時有薜室囉末拏王子名禪膩師，現童子形，來至其所。問言：『何故須喚我父？』即可報言：『我為供養三寶，事須財物，願當施與。』時禪膩師聞是語已，即還父所，白其父言：『今有善人發至誠心，供養三寶，少乏財物，為斯請召。』其父報曰：『汝可速去，日日與彼一百迦利沙波拏〔此是根本梵音，惟目貝齒而隨方不定，或是貝齒，或是金銀銅鐵等錢，然摩揭陀現今通用一迦利沙波拏有一千六百貝齒，總數可以准知，若准物直隨處不定。若人持呪得成就者，獲物之時自知其數。有本云：每日與一百陳那羅，即金錢也。乃至盡形日日常得，西方求者多有神驗，除不至心也〕。』
「其持呪者見是相已，知事得成。當須獨處淨室，燒香而臥。可於床邊置一香篋，每至天曉，觀其篋中獲所求物。每得物時，當日即須供養三寶，香花飲食兼施貧乏，皆令罄盡，不得停留。於諸有情起慈悲念，勿生瞋誑諂害之心。若起瞋者，即失神驗，常可護心，勿令瞋恚。又持此呪者，於每日中憶我多聞天王，及男女眷屬稱揚讚歎，恒以十善共相資助，令彼天等福力增明，眾善普臻證菩提處。彼諸天眾見是事已，皆大歡喜，共來擁衛持呪之人。又持呪者壽命長遠，經無量歲，永離三塗，常無災厄，亦令獲得如意寶珠及以伏藏，神通自在，所願皆成。若求官榮，無不稱意，亦解一切禽獸之語。
「世尊！若持呪時，欲得見我自身現者，可於月八日或十五日，於白疊上畫佛形像，當用木膠雜彩莊飾，其畫像人為受八戒。於佛左邊作吉祥天女像，於佛右邊作我多聞天像，并畫男女眷屬之類。安置座處咸令如法，布列花彩，燒眾名香，然燈續明，晝夜無歇，上妙飲食種種珍奇，發殷重心隨時供養，受持神呪，不得輕心。請召我時應誦此呪：
「南謨室利健那也 勃陀〔引〕也 南謨薜室囉末拏也 藥叉囉闍〔引〕也 莫訶囉闍阿地囉闍也 南麼室唎耶裔 莫訶提弊〔引〕裔 怛姪他 怛囉怛囉 咄嚕咄嚕 末囉末囉 𡨧卛吐𡨧卛吐 漢娜漢娜 末尼羯諾迦 跋折囉薜琉璃也 目底迦楞訖㗚哆 設唎囉裔 蒲〔引〕薩婆薩埵呬哆迦摩薜室囉末拏 室唎夜提鼻 跋𡅘婆也 醫呬醫呬磨毘藍婆 瞿㗚拏瞿㗚拏𧙕〔麻八反〕喇娑𧙕喇娑 達䭾呬麼麼 阿目迦那末寫〔自稱己名〕達哩設那迦末寫達哩設南 麼麼末那 鉢喇曷囉大也 莎訶
「世尊！我若見此誦呪之人，復見如是盛興供養，即生慈愛歡喜之心。我即變身作小兒形，或作老人、苾芻之像，手持如意末尼寶珠，并持金囊入道場內，身現恭敬，口稱佛名，語持呪者曰：『隨汝所求，皆令如願。』或隱林藪，或造寶珠，或欲眾人愛寵，或求金銀等物，欲持諸呪，皆令有驗。或欲神通壽命長遠，及勝妙樂，無不稱心。我今且說如是之事，若更求餘，皆隨所願，悉得成就，寶藏無盡，功德無窮。假使日月墜墮于地，或可大地有時移轉，我此實語終不虛然，常得安隱，隨心快樂。世尊！若有人能受持讀誦是經王者，誦此呪時，不假疲勞，法速成就。世尊！我今為彼貧窮困厄苦惱眾生，說此神呪，令獲大利，皆得富樂，自在無患，乃至盡形，我當擁護，隨逐是人，為除災厄。亦復令此持《金光明最勝王經》流通之者，及持呪人，於百步內光明照燭，我之所有千藥叉神亦常侍衛，隨欲驅使，無不遂心。我說實語，無有虛誑，惟佛證知。」
〔T16 0432a05〕時多聞天王說此呪已，佛言：「善哉！天王！汝能破裂一切眾生貧窮苦網，令得富樂，說是神呪，復令此經廣行於世。」
時四天王俱從座起，偏袒一肩，頂禮雙足，右膝著地，合掌恭敬，以妙伽他讚佛功德：
「佛面猶如淨滿月，亦如千日放光明；
目淨脩廣若青蓮，齒白齊密猶珂雪。
佛德無邊如大海，無限妙寶積其中；
智慧德水鎮恒盈，百千勝定咸充滿。
足下輪相皆嚴飾，轂輞千輻悉齊平；
手足鞔網遍莊嚴，猶如鵝王相具足。
佛身光曜等金山，清淨殊特無倫匹；
亦如妙高功德滿，故我稽首佛山王。
相好如空不可測，逾於千月放光明；
皆如焰幻不思議，故我稽首心無著。」
爾時，四天王讚歎佛已，世尊亦以伽他而答之曰：
「此《金光明》最勝經，無上十力之所說；
汝等四王常擁護，應生勇猛不退心。
此妙經寶極甚深，能與一切有情樂；
由彼有情安樂故，常得流通贍部洲。
於此大千世界中，所有一切有情類；
餓鬼傍生及地獄，如是苦趣悉皆除。
住此南洲諸國王，及餘一切有情類；
由經威力常歡喜，皆蒙擁護得安寧。
亦使此中諸有情，除眾病苦無賊盜；
賴此國土弘經故，安隱豐樂無違惱。
若人聽受此經王，欲求尊貴及財利；
國土豐樂無違諍，隨心所願悉皆從。
能令他方賊退散，於自國界常安隱；
由此最勝經王力，離諸苦惱無憂怖。
如寶樹王在宅內，能生一切諸樂具；
最勝經王亦復然，能與人王勝功德。
譬如澄潔清冷水，能除飢渴諸熱惱；
最勝經王亦復然，令樂福者心滿足。
如人室有妙寶篋，隨所受用悉從心；
最勝經王亦復然，福德隨心無所乏。
汝等天主及天眾，應當供養此經王；
若能依教奉持經，智慧威神皆具足。
現在十方一切佛，咸共護念此經王；
見有讀誦及受持，稱歎善哉甚希有。
若有人能聽此經，身心踊躍生歡喜；
常有百千藥叉眾，隨所住處護斯人。
於此世界諸天眾，其數無量不思議；
悉共聽受此經王，歡喜護持無退轉。
若人聽受此經王，威德勇猛常自在；
增益一切人天眾，令離衰惱益光明。」
爾時四天王聞是頌已，歡喜踊躍，白佛言：「世尊！我從昔來未曾得聞如是甚深微妙之法。」心生悲喜，涕淚交流，舉身戰動，證不思議希有之事，以天曼陀羅花、摩訶曼陀羅花而散佛上。作是殊勝供養佛已，白佛言：「世尊！我等四王各有五百藥叉眷屬，常當處處擁護是經及說法師，以智光明而為助衛。若於此經所有句義忘失之處，我皆令彼憶念不忘，并與陀羅尼殊勝法門令得具足。復欲令此最勝經王所在之處，為諸眾生廣宣流布，不速隱沒。」
爾時，世尊於大眾中說是法時，無量眾生皆得大智聰叡辯才，攝受無量福德之聚，離諸憂惱，發喜樂心，善明眾論，登出離道，不復退轉，速證菩提。
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
唐義淨譯《金光明最勝王經》卷六〈四天王護國品第十二〉白話譯。真言保存底本音寫，不翻譯、不正字化。
〔科§1〕佛陀讚歎四王，勸護國王、持經者與正法
這時，佛陀聽見四天王恭敬供養《金光明經》，又願意保護持經的人，便讚歎他們：『善哉，善哉！你們四王過去已在無量百千萬億佛前恭敬供養、尊重讚歎，種下許多善根；你們修行正法，時常宣說正法，以法教化世間。長久以來，你們常想利益眾生，發起大慈心，願意給眾生安樂；由於這些因緣，現在才能得到殊勝果報。』
佛陀接著囑咐：若有國王恭敬供養這部《金光明》最勝經典，四王應勤加守護，使他安穩。四王、四王的無量眷屬，以及護持此經的百千藥叉，能護這部經，也就是護持過去、未來、現在諸佛的正法。四王、其餘天眾和藥叉與阿蘇羅交戰時，常能勝利；若又護持此經，便能依經的力量消除眾苦、怨賊、飢饉和疾病瘟疫。所以，四王若看見苾芻、苾芻尼、鄔波索迦、鄔波斯迦四眾受持、讀誦這部經王，也應共同勤勉守護，為他們消除衰損和憂惱，給予安樂。
這一番囑咐依次照顧三個層面：供養經典的國王要得安穩；護經的四王、天眾、眷屬與藥叉要有力量消除眾苦；實際受持、讀誦的四部眾也要離衰惱、得安樂。護經因而不是只護卷冊，也包含護供養者、護流通者和護三世諸佛正法。
〔科§2〕四王發願守護流通處，令鄰敵退散
四天王立即從座位起身，袒露右肩，右膝跪地，合掌恭敬稟告佛陀：未來世中，這部《金光明最勝經王》無論流布到國土、城邑、聚落、山林或曠野，只要當地國王至誠聽受、稱歎供養，又供給受持此經的四部眾，深心保護他們遠離衰惱，四王便要保護這位國王和他的人民，使他們安穩，遠離憂苦，壽命增長，威德具足。
若國王看見受持經典的四眾，像對父母一般恭敬保護，供給他們一切所需，四王也要常常守護這位國王，使一切有情都尊敬他。四王並與無量藥叉諸神，要隨著經王所到之處隱藏身形、暗中守護，不讓流通受阻；也要護念前來聽經的國王等人，消除衰患，使他們安穩，令他方怨賊退散。
若一位國王正在聽經，鄰國的敵人卻起念要備齊四軍，破壞他的國土，經王的威神力便使那個鄰敵另受別的敵人侵擾，境內又多災變和疫病。這位聽經受護的人王見到這些情勢，便整備四軍，發向那鄰敵之國，要加以討罰。此時，四王要率領無量無邊藥叉眷屬，各自隱身援助，使敵人自然降伏，連國界也不敢接近，更不能發生兵戈互罰。
〔科§3〕佛陀印可：使贍部洲諸國各安其土
佛陀再度讚歎四王能護這部經。祂說，自己在過去百千俱胝那庾多劫中修種種苦行，證得無上正等正覺和一切智，如今宣說此法。若國王受持、恭敬供養此經，四王就要消除他的衰患，使他安穩；又要守護城邑聚落，使怨賊退散，令贍部洲一切國王永遠沒有衰惱和鬥諍。
贍部洲有八萬四千城邑聚落、八萬四千國王；佛陀所說的安樂，是各王都在自己的國土自在受樂，財寶豐足受用，彼此不侵奪，各依宿世之因領受果報，不起貪求他國的惡念，人人生起少欲和利益安樂之心，沒有戰爭、繫縛等苦。國中人民彼此愛樂，上下和睦如水乳相合，互相尊重，歡喜遊戲，慈悲謙讓，增長善根。
由此，贍部洲安穩豐樂，人民興盛；大地肥沃，寒暑調和，四時不亂；日月星宿依常度運行而沒有虧失，風雨應時，遠離災禍；資產財寶豐盈，人們心不慳吝，常行智慧之施，具足十善業。命終之後，多生天上，使天眾增長。
未來若有國王聽受此經、恭敬供養，並尊重稱讚持經四眾，又想安樂饒益四王、無量眷屬和百千藥叉，就應時常聽受這部微妙經王。聽聞正法如飲甘露上味，能增益四王身心勢力，使他們精進勇猛，福德、威勢和光明都得充滿。國王至心聽經，便是以廣大稀有的供養供養釋迦牟尼應、正等覺；供養釋迦牟尼佛，也就是供養過去、未來、現在百千俱胝那庾多佛，因而得到無量不可思議的功德聚。
所以四王應守護國王、后妃及眷屬，使其沒有衰惱；宮宅之神也常得安樂，功德不可思議；國土人民得享種種五欲之樂，一切惡事都被消除。
這段所列的國土安樂，從國王各守本國、不相侵奪開始，展開為少欲、無戰、無繫縛、人民和睦、慈悲謙讓、善根增長；又展開為地土肥沃、寒暑調和、日月星宿不失常度、風雨應時、資財豐足。人民不慳吝而行慧施、具十善，命終多生天上；人間善行又增益天眾。最後，守護仍落回國王、后妃、眷屬、宮宅神和全體人民，沒有一項只為王者個人而說。
〔科§4〕人王聽法以前，如何安置身心與道場
四王請示未來人王聽經的方法。若國王希望守護自己、后妃、王子、內宮婇女、城邑和宮殿，使他們得到第一、不可思議、最上、歡喜、寂靜的安樂；希望現世王位尊高、自在昌盛而不斷增長；希望攝受無量無邊不可思議的福聚；又希望國土沒有怨敵、憂惱和災厄，他便不可放逸、散亂，而要以恭敬、至誠、殷重之心聽受這部最勝經王。
聽經之前，先要莊嚴最上宮室，選擇國王愛重而寬敞顯明的地方，用香水灑地，散布名花，安置殊勝的師子法座，以珍寶裝飾，張設各種寶蓋、幢幡，燃燒無價香，演奏音樂。國王本人要潔淨沐浴，以香塗身，穿著新淨衣服，佩戴瓔珞；他不可坐在高位，而要坐小而低的座位，不使心高舉，暫捨君王的自在地位，遠離憍慢，端正其心，繫念聽經，對法師生起大師之想。
他也要慈愍宮內的后妃、王子、婇女和眷屬，彼此歡喜相視，和顏軟語，讓大喜充滿身心。他心中應想：『我今天得到不可思議、殊勝而廣大的利益，能對這部經王盛大興起供養。』一切敷設完成，見法師到來時，便生虔敬渴仰之心。
〔科§5〕國王親迎法師，步步成供養
佛陀指出，只在宮中等待還不夠，國王應親自迎接法師。他要穿純淨鮮潔的衣服，以各種瓔珞莊嚴自身，親手拿白蓋和香花，整備軍儀，盛陳音樂，步行出城迎接法師，以虔誠恭敬之想成辦吉祥之事。
國王每舉一步、落一步，都是恭敬供養、承事尊重百千萬億那庾多諸佛；也由每一步超越同樣劫數的生死之苦，未來在同樣劫數中受轉輪王的殊勝尊位。每一步還使他現世福德增長，自在為王，感應不可思議，受到大眾欽敬。未來無量百千億劫，他在人天中受用七寶宮殿，所生之處常得為王；壽命增長，言辭明辨，人天信受，心無畏懼，名聲廣大，受眾瞻仰；在天上人間享受勝妙快樂，具有大力量和大威德；身相奇妙，端嚴無比；值遇天人師與善知識，具足無量福聚。正因看見這些利益，國王即使要走一踰繕那乃至百千踰繕那，也應親自迎接法師，對說法師生起佛想。
回城之後，國王要這樣觀想：今天是釋迦牟尼如來、應、正等覺進入宮中，受我供養，為我說法；我聞法後，對無上正等正覺不再退轉，也等於值遇百千萬億那庾多諸佛。今天以種種廣大、殊勝、上妙的樂具，供養過去、未來、現在諸佛；今天永遠拔除琰摩王界、地獄、餓鬼、傍生之苦，也種下將來成為無量百千萬億轉輪聖王、帝釋與梵天主的善根種子；又能使無量百千萬億眾生出離生死苦，得到涅槃樂，積集無量無邊不可思議的福德聚。後宮眷屬和人民都得安穩，國土清平安泰，沒有災厄、毒害和惡人，外敵不來侵犯，人人遠離憂患。
國王應如此尊重正法，也要供養、恭敬、尊重、讚歎受持此經的苾芻、苾芻尼、鄔波索迦、鄔波斯迦。他所得善根，要先把殊勝福分施給四王及其眷屬。由於這種大福德善業因緣，國王現世得到大自在，威光增長，吉祥妙相莊嚴，一切怨敵都能以正法摧伏。
所以親迎法師所得並非一項籠統福報。經文分別說步步供養諸佛、越生死苦、得輪王位；又說現世福德、自在、感應與眾望，未來在人天受用七寶宮殿；還逐項列壽命、辯才、信受、無畏、名稱、快樂、力勢、威德、端嚴、遇天人師、遇善知識與具足福聚。國王回城後，又把聞法之益想到不退菩提、供養三世佛、離四惡趣、種王位善根、使眾生出苦得涅槃，以及眷屬人民和國土共同安隱。這些項目都不可縮成一句『迎師得福』。
〔科§6〕設四王座，香瑞遍界，諸佛讚揚
四王又說，國王若恭敬正法、聽受經王，恭敬供養、尊重讚歎持經四眾，為使四王歡喜，還要在法座附近另選一處，用香水灑地，散布名花，安置四王的座位。四王便能與國王同聽正法；國王所有自利善根，也把其中福分施給四王。
請來的法師登座時，國王為四王燃燒眾多名香供養經典。香煙在一念之間升上虛空，直達四王的天宮，於空中變成香蓋。天眾聞到妙香；香煙所現的金光照耀他們的宮殿。香煙和光明還到達梵宮，以及帝釋、大辯才天、大吉祥天、堅牢地神、正了知大將、二十八部藥叉神、大自在天、金剛密主、寶賢大將、訶利底母與五百眷屬、無熱惱池龍王、大海龍王的住處。這一切天神在自己的宮殿中，看見香煙剎那化成香蓋，聞到芬芳，見到光明；香與光遍至一切天神宮殿。
佛陀進一步說，這香光不只到達上述宮殿。當國王手持香鑪、燃燒名香供養經典，香煙一念之間遍至三千大千世界：百億日月、百億妙高山王、百億四洲，以及世界中一切天、龍、藥叉、健闥婆、阿蘇羅、揭路茶、緊那羅、莫呼洛伽的宮殿。香煙充滿虛空而住，變成金色雲蓋，普照天宮。三千大千世界所有香雲香蓋，都是《金光明最勝王經》的威神力。
香遍十方，諸佛讚歎流通者
國王手持香鑪供養時，種種香氣不只遍滿這一個三千大千世界，也在一念之間遍及十方無量無邊、恒河沙數百千萬億佛國，在諸佛上方的虛空化成香蓋，放出金色光明。十方諸佛聞到妙香，看見雲蓋和金色，又示現神變；祂們共同觀察，異口同音讚歎流通經典的法師：能廣泛流布這部甚深微妙經典，便成就無量無邊不可思議的福德聚。只要聽聞此經，所得功德已極多；何況書寫、受持、讀誦、為人敷演，又依所說修行。眾生聽聞《金光明最勝王經》，便在無上正等正覺上不再退轉。
接著，十方百千俱胝那庾多、無量無數恒河沙數佛土中的一切如來，又在各自法座上共同讚歎法師未來的果德：他將以精勤之力修無量百千苦行，具足資糧，超越諸聖眾，出過三界而為最勝尊；將坐在莊嚴的菩提樹王下，救度三千大千世界有緣眾生，摧伏形相可畏的魔軍，覺悟最勝清淨、甚深無上的正等菩提。
他將坐金剛座，轉動諸佛稱讚的無上十二妙行甚深法輪；擊最大法鼓，吹極妙法螺，建立殊勝法幢，點燃極明法炬，降下甘露法雨；斷除無量煩惱怨結，使無量百千萬億那庾多有情渡過無邊可畏的大海，解脫無際的生死輪迴，值遇無量百千萬億那庾多佛。
〔科§7〕天眾隱身聽法，與國王互為善知識
四王說，這部經在現在、未來能成就如此無量功德；能聽聞它的國王，已在百千萬億無量佛前種下善根，所以四王一定護念他。四王及無量百千萬億神眷屬在天宮看見香煙雲蓋的神變，便為了聽法而隱藏身形，來到國王清淨莊嚴的宮殿和講法處。
同樣隱身來聽法的，還有梵宮天眾、帝釋、大辯才天、大吉祥天、堅牢地神、正了知神大將、二十八部藥叉神、大自在天、金剛密主、寶賢大將、訶利底母與五百眷屬、無熱惱池龍王、大海龍王，以及無量百千萬億那庾多諸天、藥叉。他們都來到國王殊勝宮殿中莊嚴高座的說法處。
四王、眷屬、藥叉諸神要一心與國王作善知識。國王成為無上法施的施主，以甘露法味使他們充足；他們則守護國王，消除衰患，使他安穩，也使宮殿、城邑、國土的一切惡災變都消滅。這裡的護持不是單向求取：人王供養正法，使天眾得聞法味；天眾又以護念回應，使流通處得以安穩。
〔科§8〕捨法則衰，弘法則人天俱益
四王又說，若一個國家雖然有此經，國王卻從未使它流布，反而心生捨離，不樂聽聞，不供養、尊重、讚歎；看見持經四眾，也不尊重供養，那麼四王、眷屬與無量諸天便不能聽聞甚深妙法，背離甘露味，失去正法之流，威光勢力消退；惡趣增長，人天損減，眾生墜入生死之河，背離涅槃之路。
四王、眷屬、藥叉看見這種情形，就捨離國土，不再護持。不只是四王，無量守護國土的大善神也一同離去。善神捨離之後，國中種種災禍相繼而生：國王喪失王位；人民失去善心，只剩繫縛、殺害、瞋怒與爭鬥；彼此讒毀、諂曲，冤枉無辜；疾病和瘟疫流行；彗星屢次出現；兩個太陽同時顯現；日月薄蝕沒有常度；黑白兩種虹霓呈現不祥；流星墜落，大地震動；井中發出聲響；暴雨惡風不合時節；經常遭遇飢饉，苗稼果實不能成熟；外國怨賊侵掠；國內人民受盡苦惱，土地再沒有可安樂之處。四王、無量百千天神和原來護國的善神遠離時，這些無量百千災怪惡事便會生起。
反過來，若國王希望保護國土、長享快樂，使眾生安穩，摧伏外敵，使國境長久昌盛，使正教流布世間，消除苦惱惡法，他就必須聽受這部微妙經王，並恭敬供養讀誦、受持經典的人。四王和無量天眾由聽法善根的力量，得飲無上甘露法味，自己、眷屬和其他天神都獲勝利；這正是人王至心聽受經典所致。
大梵天常為有情宣說世間、出世間論，帝釋和五通神仙也各說種種論；然而佛陀以慈悲憐愍人天所說的《金光明》微妙經典，勝過他們無量論說百千俱胝那庾多倍，無法譬喻。經典能使贍部洲的國王以正法化世，給眾生安樂；守護自己和眷屬沒有苦惱，也使外敵不侵、一切惡事遠離、國土災厄消除、正法教化之下沒有諍訟。因此，每一位國王都應在自己的國土點燃法炬，照明無邊，增益天眾及其眷屬。
四王、無量天神藥叉和贍部洲一切天神由此飲到甘露法味，威德、勢力、光明都得具足；一切眾生安穩，未來無量百千不可思議那庾多劫常受快樂，值遇無量諸佛，種下善根，最後證得無上正等正覺。這些利益，源自如來以超過梵眾的慈悲、超過帝釋的大智慧，以及勝過五通仙人的苦行，為眾生宣說微妙經典；使贍部洲一切國王和人民明白世間法式、治國化人與勸導之事，依經王流通之力普得安樂。正因這些不可思議的殊勝功德利益一切眾生，此經才名為最勝經王。
經文把兩條次第說得很完整。捨離的一邊，是不流布、不樂聞、不供養四眾，接著諸天失去甘露法味、威光勢力衰減，護國善神遠離，才出現人心、疾疫、天象、風雨、農作和外患的失序。弘護的一邊，是國王至心聽受、供養持經者，使四王與天眾得法味、增威光，再由他們護國安民；人民由此長久受樂、值佛、種善根而趣菩提。兩邊各有完整因緣，不可只留下災難或富樂的結果。
〔科§9〕佛陀重勸護持聽經國王與流通四眾
佛陀於是再次囑咐四王、眷屬和無量百千俱胝那庾多天眾：國王若至心聽經，供養、恭敬、尊重、讚歎，就要守護他，消除衰患；如此也使諸天得到安樂。四眾若能廣泛流布此經，在人天中廣作佛事，普遍利益無量眾生，四王也要常常保護，不讓其他因緣侵擾，使其身心寂靜安樂，能令經王廣宣流布、相續不絕，利益有情直到未來際。
〔科§10〕多聞天王如意寶珠陀羅尼法
多聞天王從座位起身，向佛陀說明自己有如意寶珠陀羅尼法。眾生若樂意受持，功德無量；多聞天王常加守護，使他離苦得樂，成就福德、智慧兩種資糧。受持者先誦護身之呪。以下真言只保存底本音寫：
南謨薜室囉末拏也莫訶曷囉闍也 怛姪他 囉囉囉囉 矩怒矩怒 區怒區怒 寠怒寠怒 颯嚩颯嚩羯囉 羯囉莫訶毘羯喇麼 莫訶毘羯喇麼 莫訶曷囉社 曷𠸪叉曷𠸪叉 覩漫〔自稱己名〕 薩婆薩埵難者 莎訶
受持者要用白線持呪七遍，每誦一遍打一個結，繫在手肘後方，事情便能成辦。他要取安息香、栴檀、龍腦、蘇合、多揭羅、熏陸六種香，各取等分，合在一處；手執香爐燃香供養，潔淨沐浴，穿鮮潔衣，在一間安靜房室中誦神呪，請多聞天王薜室囉末拏到來。所誦如下：
南謨薜室囉末拏〔引〕也
南謨檀那䭾也 檀泥說囉〔引〕也 阿揭撦 阿鉢𡃤弭哆 檀泥說囉 鉢囉麼 迦留尼迦 薩婆薩埵 呬哆振哆 麼麼〔己名〕檀那末奴鉢喇拽撦 碎閻摩揭撦 莎訶
這段誦滿七遍後，再誦根本呪。誦呪之前，先稱名敬禮佛、法、僧三寶及薜室羅末拏天王；多聞天王能施財物，使眾生所求之願滿足成就，得到安樂。禮拜之後，再誦如意末尼寶心神呪。多聞天王在佛前宣說時，先誦：
南謨曷喇怛娜 怛喇夜野〔引〕南謨薜室囉末拏〔引〕也
接著誦：
莫訶囉闍〔引〕也 怛姪他 四弭四弭 蘇母蘇母 栴茶栴茶 折囉折囉 薩囉薩囉羯囉羯囉 枳哩枳哩 矩嚕矩嚕 母嚕母嚕 主嚕主嚕 娑大也頞貪 我名某甲 昵店頞他 達達覩莎訶 南謨薜室囉末拏也莎訶檀那䭾也莎訶 曼奴喇他鉢唎脯喇迦〔引〕也莎訶
受持這段呪時，先誦一千遍。其後在淨室中用瞿摩塗地，作一座小壇場，隨時以飲食一心供養；常燃妙香，使煙不斷。晝夜專心誦前述心呪，聲音只讓自己耳朵聽見，不讓別人知曉。
這時，多聞天王有一位名叫禪膩師的王子，會現童子身前來，問為何呼喚他的父親。持呪者應回答，是為了供養三寶而需要財物，願他施與。禪膩師聽後回到父親那裡，稟告有一位善人發至誠心供養三寶，稍缺財物，所以請召。多聞天王便命他趕快回去，每天給那人一百迦利沙波拏。
持呪者見到這個徵相，便知道事情成就。此後須獨處淨室，燃香而臥，床邊放一個香篋；每天清晨查看，篋中便有他所求之物。每次得到物品，當天就必須全部用來供養三寶，以香花飲食兼施貧乏者，不可留下。對一切有情要起慈悲心，不可生瞋怒、欺誑、諂曲、損害之心；若起瞋心，神驗便會失去，所以要常護自心，不使瞋恚生起。
持呪者每天還要憶念多聞天王及男女眷屬，稱揚讚歎，常以十善彼此資助，使諸天福力增明，眾善普遍到達證菩提之處。天眾見此大喜，共同前來守護持呪者。持呪者壽命長遠，歷經無量歲；永離地獄、餓鬼、傍生三塗，常無災厄；又獲如意寶珠和伏藏，神通自在，所願成就。求官位榮耀也能稱意，並能了解一切禽獸的語言。
若持呪者想見多聞天王現身，可在每月初八或十五日，在白疊上畫佛像，用木膠調和顏料加以莊飾；畫像者須受持八戒。佛陀左邊畫吉祥天女，右邊畫多聞天王，又畫男女眷屬。像與座處都依規安置，陳列花彩，焚燒眾名香，點燈使光明晝夜不斷；以種種珍奇上妙飲食，發起殷重心，隨時供養。受持神呪時不可輕慢。請召多聞天王所誦如下：
南謨室利健那也 勃陀〔引〕也 南謨薜室囉末拏也 藥叉囉闍〔引〕也 莫訶囉闍阿地囉闍也 南麼室唎耶裔 莫訶提弊〔引〕裔 怛姪他 怛囉怛囉 咄嚕咄嚕 末囉末囉 𡨧卛吐𡨧卛吐 漢娜漢娜 末尼羯諾迦 跋折囉薜琉璃也 目底迦楞訖㗚哆 設唎囉裔 蒲〔引〕薩婆薩埵呬哆迦摩薜室囉末拏 室唎夜提鼻 跋𡅘婆也 醫呬醫呬磨毘藍婆 瞿㗚拏瞿㗚拏𧙕〔麻八反〕喇娑𧙕喇娑 達䭾呬麼麼 阿目迦那末寫〔自稱己名〕達哩設那迦末寫達哩設南 麼麼末那 鉢喇曷囉大也 莎訶
多聞天王發願：若看見這位誦呪者和如此盛大的供養，便生慈愛歡喜之心。他會變成小兒，或變成老人、苾芻，手持如意末尼寶珠和金囊進入道場；身現恭敬，口稱佛名，告訴持呪者，凡其所求都使如願。無論想隱居林藪、製作寶珠、得到眾人愛寵、求取金銀、持其他呪得到效驗，或求神通、長壽和勝妙之樂，都能稱心。這裡只略說這些事，若另有所求，也隨其願成就；寶藏無盡，功德無窮。
多聞天王以日月墜地、大地移轉作極言，表示自己的實語終不虛妄，持呪者常得安穩，隨心快樂。受持、讀誦這部經王的人誦此呪時，不必疲勞，法便迅速成就。多聞天王為貧窮、困厄、苦惱的眾生說神呪，使他們獲大利益、富足安樂、自在無患；直到他們此生終了，都隨逐守護，消除災厄。
多聞天王也守護流通《金光明最勝王經》的人和持呪者，使百步之內光明照耀；他的一千藥叉神常隨侍保衛，任持呪者驅使，所求皆能遂心。他聲明自己所說真實，沒有虛誑，請佛陀作證。
整套受持次第因此包含：先誦護身呪；白線七遍、遍遍一結；六香等分供養；澡浴、淨衣、靜室請召；敬禮三寶與多聞天王；寶心呪先誦千遍；淨室塗地作壇，以飲食和不斷妙香供養；晝夜繫念而只讓自己聽見。得物以後又有同樣清楚的次第：當日供養三寶，兼施貧乏，全部用盡；對有情起慈悲，防護瞋怒、欺誑、諂曲與損害；每日憶念天王眷屬，以十善相互資助。前面的持誦方法與後面的用財、護心方法，都是經文所說陀羅尼法的一部分。
〔科§11〕佛陀讚歎多聞天王
多聞天王說完陀羅尼法，佛陀讚歎他能破開一切眾生被貧窮纏縛的苦網，使他們得到富足安樂；又能由宣說神呪，使這部經在世間廣泛流通。
〔科§12〕四王以五頌讚佛
四天王一同起座，袒露一肩，頂禮佛陀雙足，右膝跪地，合掌恭敬，以五首妙頌讚歎佛陀的功德：
一、佛陀的面容猶如清淨滿月，又像千輪太陽同放光明；雙目清淨、修長寬廣，如青蓮花；牙齒潔白、整齊、緊密，像白珂與雪。
二、佛陀的功德沒有邊際，猶如大海，其中積聚無量妙寶；智慧的德水長久充盈，百千殊勝禪定也全都充滿。
三、佛足下的輪相莊嚴，輪轂、輪輞和千輻整齊平正；手足的鞔網相遍滿莊嚴，如鵝王一般具足妙相。
四、佛身光耀如金山，清淨殊勝，沒有可比；又如妙高山具足功德，所以四王稽首禮敬佛山之王。
五、佛陀的相好如虛空不可測量，勝過千輪明月所放的光；一切如火焰、如幻化，不可思議，所以四王稽首禮敬心無所著的佛陀。
〔科§13〕佛陀以十五頌答勸四王
四王讚佛後，佛陀以十五首伽他回答，也勸他們繼續護經：
一、這部《金光明》最勝經，是具無上十力的佛陀所說；四王應常常守護，生起勇猛不退之心。
二、這部妙法之寶極為甚深，能給一切有情安樂；正因有情由它得到安樂，經典才能常在贍部洲流通。
三、在這個大千世界中，一切種類的有情，包括餓鬼、傍生和地獄眾生，都能消除相應苦趣之苦。
四、住在南贍部洲的國王和其他一切有情，由經典威力常生歡喜，都蒙受守護而得到安寧。
五、國土中的有情也能消除種種疾病之苦，沒有賊盜；由於此國弘揚經典，得以安穩、豐樂、沒有相違和惱害。
六、聽聞受持這部經王的人，無論求尊貴或財利；其國土也求豐樂、沒有違逆諍訟，都能隨其心願而成就。
七、經王能使他方怨賊退散，使自己的國境常得安穩；由最勝經王的力量，遠離種種苦惱，沒有憂愁怖畏。
八、如同宅內有一株寶樹王，能生出一切快樂資具；最勝經王也是如此，能給國王殊勝功德。
九、譬如澄澈、潔淨、清涼的水，能消除飢餓、口渴和炎熱煩惱；最勝經王也是如此，使愛樂福德的人心願滿足。
十、又如人的房中有一只妙寶篋，需要什麼便能隨心受用；最勝經王也是如此，使福德隨心而不匱乏。
十一、四王與諸天眾應供養這部經王；若能依教奉持，智慧與威神便得具足。
十二、現在十方一切佛都共同護念此經；祂們看見有人讀誦、受持，便稱歎善哉，說這件事極為稀有。
十三、有人聽聞此經，身心踊躍歡喜，便常有百千藥叉眾隨其所住之處保護此人。
十四、這個世界數量無量、不可思議的諸天，都共同聽受經王，歡喜護持而不退轉。
十五、聽受此經的人威德勇猛，常得自在；又能增益一切人眾、天眾，使他們遠離衰惱，增長光明。
〔科§14〕四王慶喜願護，大眾得益
四天王聽完佛陀的偈頌，歡喜踊躍，向佛陀稟告，自己從來不曾聽聞如此甚深微妙的法。他們心中悲喜交集，眼淚交流，全身震動，證得不可思議的稀有之事；隨即以天曼陀羅花、摩訶曼陀羅花散在佛陀上方，作殊勝供養。
供養後，四王再發願：他們各有五百藥叉眷屬，要處處守護這部經和說法師，以智慧光明協助保衛。說法師若忘失經中某些文句或義理，四王使他重新憶起而不忘失，又給他陀羅尼殊勝法門，使其具足；也要使這部最勝經王在所在之處為眾生廣泛宣說流布，不會很快隱沒。
佛陀在大眾中宣說此法時，無量眾生都得到大智慧、聰敏和辯才，攝受無量福德之聚，遠離種種憂惱，發起喜悅安樂之心，善能明白各種論說，登上出離之道，不再退轉，迅速證得菩提。
A vernacular rendering of Yijing’s Tang translation of The Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King, fascicle six, “The Four Heavenly Kings Protect the Realm,” Chapter 12. The formulas preserve the base text’s sound transcriptions without translation or regularization.
〔Section §1〕The Buddha Praises the Four Kings and Exhorts Them to Protect Kings, Sūtra-Holders, and the True Dharma
At that time, the Buddha heard the Four Heavenly Kings reverently make offerings to the Sūtra of Golden Light and vow to protect those who upheld it. He praised them: “Excellent, excellent! In the past, you four kings reverently made offerings before measureless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of buddhas, honored and praised them, and planted many roots of goodness. You practice the true Dharma, constantly proclaim it, and instruct the world through Dharma. For a long time, you have constantly wished to benefit sentient beings, aroused great loving-kindness, and wished to give them happiness. Through these causes and conditions, you can now obtain excellent results.”
The Buddha then charged them: if a king reverently makes offerings to this supreme scripture Golden Light, the Four Kings should guard him diligently and bring him peace. The Kings, their measureless retinues, and the hundreds of thousands of yakṣas who protect this sūtra protect the true Dharma of the buddhas of the past, future, and present. When the Kings, other divine hosts, and yakṣas fight the asuras, they are constantly victorious; by protecting this sūtra, they can also remove through its power every suffering, hostile bandit, famine, illness, and epidemic. Therefore, whenever they see bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās upholding and reciting this king of sūtras, they should diligently protect them together, remove their decline and distress, and give them happiness.
This charge attends in sequence to three levels: the king who makes offerings should be secure; the Four Kings, divine hosts, retinues, and yakṣas who protect the sūtra should possess the power to remove suffering; and the four assemblies who actually uphold and recite it should be free of decline and distress and obtain happiness. Protecting the sūtra therefore means more than guarding a scroll. It includes protecting those who offer to it, those through whom it circulates, and the true Dharma of the buddhas of the three times.
〔Section §2〕The Four Kings Vow to Guard the Places of Circulation and Cause Neighboring Enemies to Withdraw
The Four Heavenly Kings immediately rose from their seats, bared their right shoulders, placed their right knees upon the ground, reverently joined their palms, and addressed the Buddha. In future ages, wherever the Supreme King of Sūtras, Golden Light circulates—realm, city, village, mountain forest, or wilderness—if the local king listens and receives with utmost sincerity, praises and makes offerings, provides for the four assemblies who uphold the sūtra, and protects them deeply from decline and distress, the Four Kings will protect that king and his people, bringing them security, freedom from grief and suffering, increased lifespan, and complete majestic virtue.
If a king sees the four assemblies who uphold the scripture and reverently protects them as parents, providing everything they need, the Four Kings will constantly protect him and cause all sentient beings to honor him. Together with measureless yakṣas and deities, they will conceal their forms wherever the king of sūtras goes, protecting it unseen so circulation meets no obstruction. They will also watch over the king and others who come to hear, remove decline, bring security, and cause hostile bandits from other lands to withdraw.
If a king is listening to the sūtra while an enemy in a neighboring realm resolves to assemble the fourfold army and destroy his land, the majestic power of the king of sūtras causes that neighboring enemy to be troubled by another enemy, while calamities and epidemics multiply within his borders. Seeing these conditions, the human king protected while listening prepares the fourfold army and advances upon the neighboring realm to punish it. At that time, the Four Kings lead measureless, boundless yakṣa retinues, each concealed and assisting him, so that the enemy naturally submits, does not dare approach even the border, and no exchange of weapons or punishment occurs.
〔Section §3〕The Buddha Confirms the Vow: Let Every Realm in Jambudvīpa Rest Securely in Its Own Land
The Buddha again praised the Four Kings for protecting the sūtra. He said that throughout hundreds of thousands of koṭis and nayutas of kalpas in the past he practiced many austerities, realized unsurpassed complete awakening and all-knowledge, and now taught this Dharma. If a king upholds and reverently offers to this sūtra, the Four Kings should remove his decline and bring him security, guard the towns and villages, cause hostile bandits to withdraw, and make every king of Jambudvīpa forever free of decline, distress, and conflict.
Jambudvīpa contains eighty-four thousand towns and villages and eighty-four thousand kings. The happiness described by the Buddha means that every king freely enjoys happiness within his own realm, possesses abundant wealth, does not plunder another, receives results according to former causes, and gives rise to no evil thought of coveting another land. Everyone develops few desires and a mind of bringing benefit and happiness, without the suffering of war or bondage. The people love one another; those above and below unite like water and milk, respect one another, rejoice in recreation, practice compassion and humility, and increase their roots of goodness.
Jambudvīpa thereby becomes secure, abundant, and happy, and its people flourish. The earth is fertile, cold and heat are balanced, and the four seasons remain orderly. The sun, moon, and stars follow their regular courses without loss; winds and rains arrive at the proper time, and calamities remain distant. Possessions and treasure abound, people are not stingy, constantly practice generosity guided by wisdom, and possess the ten wholesome actions. After death, many are born in heaven and increase the divine hosts.
If a future king listens to and receives this sūtra, reverently makes offerings, honors and praises the four assemblies who uphold it, and wishes to bring happiness and benefit to the Four Kings, their measureless retinues, and hundreds of thousands of yakṣas, he should constantly hear this wondrous king of sūtras. Hearing the true Dharma is like drinking the supreme flavor of ambrosia. It increases the Kings’ bodily and mental power and fills them with diligence, courage, merit, majesty, and radiance. When a king hears the sūtra with utmost sincerity, he makes a vast and rare offering to Śākyamuni, Worthy of Offerings and Completely Awakened. Offering to Śākyamuni is offering to hundreds of thousands of koṭis and nayutas of buddhas of the past, future, and present, thereby obtaining a measureless, inconceivable accumulation of qualities.
The Four Kings should therefore protect the king, queen, and retinue and free them from decline and distress. The deities of the palace and dwellings constantly obtain happiness and inconceivable merit. The people of the realm enjoy the many pleasures of the five desires, and every evil is removed.
The realm’s happiness begins with kings remaining in their own lands and not plundering one another, then unfolds as few desires, absence of war and bondage, harmony among the people, compassion, humility, and increasing roots of goodness. It extends to fertile soil, balanced weather, regular courses of the sun, moon, and stars, timely rain, and abundant resources. People practice wise generosity without stinginess, possess the ten wholesome actions, and are often born in heaven; wholesome human conduct in turn increases the divine hosts. Protection finally returns to the king, queen, retinue, palace deities, and all the people. None of it is taught only for the ruler.
〔Section §4〕How a Human King Arranges Body, Mind, and the Dharma Hall before Hearing
The Four Kings asked how a human king in a future age should hear the sūtra. If he wishes to protect himself, his queen, princes, palace women, cities, and palaces and bring them the foremost, inconceivable, supreme, joyful, and quiescent happiness; if he wishes his honored royal position in this life freely to flourish and continually increase; if he wishes to gather a measureless, boundless, inconceivable accumulation of merit; and if he wishes the realm to be free of enemies, distress, and calamity, he must not be heedless or distracted but hear this supreme king of sūtras reverently, sincerely, and earnestly.
Before the teaching, the finest palace chamber should be adorned. A broad, bright place beloved by the king is selected; scented water is sprinkled upon the floor, renowned flowers scattered, and an excellent lion Dharma seat set up and adorned with jewels, precious canopies, banners, and pennants. Priceless incense is burned and music played. The king bathes, anoints his body with fragrance, wears fresh, pure garments and necklaces, and sits not upon a high throne but on a small, low seat. He does not let his mind become elevated, temporarily relinquishes royal mastery, leaves pride behind, straightens his mind, attends to the sūtra, and regards the Dharma teacher as a great master.
He also pities the queen, princes, palace women, and retinue. They look upon one another joyfully, speak gently with pleasant expressions, and fill body and mind with great joy. He should think: “Today I obtain an inconceivable, excellent, and vast benefit by making a magnificent offering to this king of sūtras.” Once all arrangements are complete, when the Dharma teacher approaches he gives rise to reverent longing.
〔Section §5〕The King Personally Welcomes the Dharma Teacher, and Every Step Becomes an Offering
The Buddha explains that waiting within the palace is insufficient. The king should personally welcome the Dharma teacher. Wearing pure, fresh clothes and many necklaces, carrying a white canopy and fragrant flowers in his own hands, arranging royal guards and abundant music, he walks out of the city to meet the teacher, accomplishing the auspicious event with reverence.
Every raising and lowering of the king’s foot becomes reverent offering, service, and honor to hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis and nayutas of buddhas. Through each step he also transcends the suffering of birth and death for the same number of kalpas and will receive the excellent position of a wheel-turning king through as many future kalpas. Every step increases his present merit; he rules freely, gains inconceivable responses, and is revered by the multitude. For measureless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of future kalpas, he enjoys seven-jeweled palaces among humans and gods and is constantly born a king. His lifespan increases; his speech becomes clear and discerning; humans and gods trust him; his mind is fearless; his fame is vast; the multitude looks up to him; he enjoys excellent happiness in heaven and among humans; he possesses immense strength and majestic virtue, a wondrous and incomparably dignified body, encounters Teachers of Gods and Humans and good spiritual friends, and possesses a measureless accumulation of merit. Seeing these benefits, the king should personally welcome the Dharma teacher even if he must walk one yojana or hundreds of thousands, regarding the teacher as a buddha.
After returning to the city, the king contemplates: today Śākyamuni Tathāgata, Worthy and Completely Awakened, enters my palace, receives my offering, and teaches me Dharma. By hearing, I become nonretrogressive in unsurpassed complete awakening and encounter hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis and nayutas of buddhas. Today I offer vast, excellent, supreme objects of pleasure to the buddhas of past, future, and present. Today I forever uproot suffering in Yama’s realm, the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals and plant seeds of goodness for becoming measureless wheel-turning sage kings, Śakras, and Brahmās. I also cause measureless sentient beings to leave the suffering of birth and death, obtain the happiness of nirvāṇa, and accumulate measureless, boundless, inconceivable merit. The inner-palace retinue and people become secure; the realm becomes peaceful and free of calamity, poison, evil persons, foreign invasion, and distress.
The king should thus honor the true Dharma and make offerings to, honor, revere, and praise the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who uphold this sūtra. Of his roots of goodness, he should first give an excellent share of merit to the Four Kings and their retinues. Through these causes and conditions of immense merit and wholesome action, the king obtains great mastery in the present life, increases in majestic radiance, is adorned with auspicious marks, and subdues every enemy through the true Dharma.
The benefits of personally welcoming the teacher are not one general reward. The scripture distinguishes each step as offering to buddhas, transcending the suffering of birth and death, and obtaining the position of a wheel-turning king. It also speaks of present merit, mastery, response, and public reverence; future enjoyment of seven-jeweled palaces among humans and gods; and lifespan, eloquence, trust, fearlessness, reputation, happiness, strength, majestic virtue, dignity, meeting teachers and good spiritual friends, and complete merit. After returning, the king contemplates nonretrogression, offerings to buddhas of the three times, leaving four evil destinies, planting causes for royal positions, bringing beings out of suffering into nirvāṇa, and shared security for retinue, people, and realm. These cannot be compressed into “welcoming the teacher brings merit.”
〔Section §6〕Seats for the Four Kings, Fragrant Signs throughout the Worlds, and Praise by the Buddhas
The Four Kings further say that when a king reveres the true Dharma, hears the king of sūtras, and honors the four assemblies who uphold it, he should, to bring joy to the Four Kings, select a place near the Dharma seat, sprinkle scented water, scatter renowned flowers, and prepare seats for them. The Four Kings can then hear the true Dharma with the king, and he gives them a share of the merit from his roots of goodness benefiting himself.
When the invited teacher ascends the seat, the king burns many renowned incenses for the Four Kings as an offering to the scripture. In a single thought, the smoke rises into space and reaches their heavenly palaces, becoming fragrant canopies. The gods smell the wondrous fragrance, and golden light from the smoke illuminates their palaces. Smoke and light also reach the palaces of Brahmā, Śakra, the Goddess of Great Eloquence, the Great Auspicious Goddess, the earth deity Firm and Steadfast, General Right Knowing, the twenty-eight classes of yakṣas, Maheśvara, Vajrapāṇi Lord of Secrets, General Jewel-Worthy, the mother Hārītī and her five hundred attendants, the dragon king of Lake Anavatapta, and the great ocean dragon king. Each deity sees the smoke instantly become a canopy, smells its fragrance, and sees its light. Fragrance and radiance reach every divine palace.
The Buddha further says that the smoke and light reach beyond these palaces. When the king holds an incense burner and burns renowned incense before the scripture, in one thought the smoke pervades the trichiliocosm: one hundred koṭis of suns and moons, one hundred koṭis of Mount Sumerus, one hundred koṭis of four-continent worlds, and the palaces of every god, dragon, yakṣa, gandharva, asura, garuḍa, kinnara, and mahoraga. It fills empty space and becomes golden cloud-canopies illuminating the divine palaces. Every fragrant cloud and canopy throughout the trichiliocosm arises through the majestic power of the Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King.
Fragrance Pervades the Ten Directions, and the Buddhas Praise Those Who Circulate the Sūtra
When the king holds the burner in offering, the fragrances not only fill this trichiliocosm but in a single thought pervade measureless, boundless, Ganges-sand numbers of hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of buddha-realms in the ten directions. Above the buddhas, they become fragrant canopies emitting golden light. The buddhas smell the fragrance, see canopy and light, and display spiritual transformations. Observing together, they praise with one voice the Dharma teacher who circulates the scripture: widely circulating this profound, wondrous scripture accomplishes a measureless, boundless, inconceivable accumulation of merit. Merely hearing it already brings great qualities; how much more copying, upholding, reciting, expounding it for others, and practicing as taught. Sentient beings who hear the Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King become nonretrogressive in unsurpassed complete awakening.
All the tathāgatas in hundreds of thousands of koṭis and nayutas and measureless Ganges-sand buddha-lands of the ten directions then praise from their Dharma seats the Dharma teacher’s future fruit. Through diligence, that person will practice measureless hundreds of thousands of austerities, complete the provisions, surpass noble assemblies, transcend the three realms, and become most honored. Beneath the adorned king of bodhi trees, the teacher will rescue beings with affinities throughout the trichiliocosm, subdue the fearsome armies of Māra, and awaken to the most excellent, pure, profound, unsurpassed complete awakening.
The teacher will sit upon the vajra seat and turn the profound Dharma wheel of twelve wondrous practices praised by the buddhas; beat the greatest Dharma drum, blow the most wondrous Dharma conch, raise the excellent Dharma banner, ignite the brightest Dharma torch, and rain down the ambrosia of Dharma; sever measureless knots of affliction and enmity; cause measureless beings to cross the boundless frightening sea and escape the limitless wheel of birth and death; and encounter measureless buddhas.
〔Section §7〕The Gods Listen Concealed and Become Good Spiritual Friends with the King
The Four Kings say that this sūtra can accomplish such measureless qualities now and in the future. A king able to hear it has planted roots of goodness before measureless buddhas, so they will certainly watch over him. Seeing in their palaces the transformation of fragrant smoke and cloud-canopies, the Four Kings and their measureless divine retinues conceal their forms for the sake of hearing and come to the king’s pure, adorned palace and place of teaching.
The hosts from Brahmā’s palace, Śakra, the Goddesses of Great Eloquence and Great Auspiciousness, Firm and Steadfast, General Right Knowing, the twenty-eight yakṣa classes, Maheśvara, Vajrapāṇi, General Jewel-Worthy, Hārītī and her five hundred attendants, the dragon kings of Lake Anavatapta and the ocean, and measureless gods and yakṣas likewise come unseen to the high seat in the king’s excellent palace.
The Four Kings, their retinues, and the yakṣa deities become good spiritual friends with the king with one mind. The king becomes the giver of the unsurpassed Dharma gift and satisfies them with the ambrosial flavor of Dharma; they protect him in return, remove decline, bring security, and extinguish every evil calamity in palace, city, and realm. Protection is not a one-way request. The human king offers to the true Dharma and enables the gods to hear its flavor; they answer by protecting the places where it circulates.
〔Section §8〕Abandoning Dharma Brings Decline; Propagating It Benefits Humans and Gods
The Four Kings continue: if a country possesses this sūtra but its king never circulates it, abandons it in his heart, dislikes hearing it, and neither offers to, honors, nor praises it or the four assemblies who uphold it, the Four Kings, their retinues, and measureless gods cannot hear the profound wondrous Dharma. They turn from the flavor of ambrosia, lose the current of the true Dharma, and decline in radiance and power. Evil destinies increase, humans and gods diminish, beings fall into the river of birth and death, and the road to nirvāṇa recedes.
Seeing this, the Four Kings, retinues, and yakṣas leave the realm and cease to protect it. Measureless great deities who guard the land depart with them. After the good deities leave, calamities follow one another: the king loses his throne; the people lose wholesome minds and engage in bondage, killing, anger, and conflict; they slander, flatter, and falsely accuse the innocent; illnesses and epidemics spread; comets repeatedly appear; two suns arise together; solar and lunar obscurations lose their regularity; black and white rainbows show inauspicious signs; meteors fall and the earth shakes; wells emit sounds; violent rain and harmful winds come out of season; famine is frequent and crops and fruit fail to ripen; foreign enemies invade; the people undergo suffering and the land holds no place of happiness. These measureless calamities arise when the Four Kings and other protecting deities depart.
Conversely, if a king wishes to protect the realm and enjoy lasting happiness, make beings secure, subdue foreign enemies, cause the borders to flourish, circulate true teaching, and remove distress and evil ways, he must hear this wondrous king of sūtras and reverently make offerings to those who recite and uphold it. Through the wholesome roots of hearing, the Four Kings and measureless gods drink the unsurpassed ambrosial Dharma flavor and obtain victory for themselves, their retinues, and other deities. This comes from the human king’s sincere hearing.
Great Brahmā constantly teaches worldly and transmundane treatises, while Śakra and seers with five superknowledges each teach various works. Yet the wondrous scripture Golden Light, spoken by the Buddha in compassionate pity for humans and gods, surpasses their measureless teachings by hundreds of thousands of koṭis and nayutas beyond comparison. It enables kings in Jambudvīpa to transform the world through the true Dharma, bring beings happiness, protect themselves and their retinues from distress, prevent invasion, remove every evil and calamity, and end disputes under Dharma. Each king should therefore light the torch of Dharma in his realm, illuminate without bound, and benefit the gods and their retinues.
The Four Kings, measureless gods and yakṣas, and every deity of Jambudvīpa thereby drink the ambrosial Dharma flavor and become complete in majesty, power, and radiance. Sentient beings become secure, experience happiness through measureless future nayutas of kalpas, encounter buddhas, plant roots of goodness, and finally realize unsurpassed complete awakening. These benefits arise because the Tathāgata teaches this wondrous scripture with compassion surpassing Brahmā’s hosts, great wisdom surpassing Śakra’s, and austerities surpassing those of five-superknowledge seers, enabling kings and people to understand worldly procedures, governance, transformation, and exhortation and to obtain happiness through the king of sūtras’ circulation. Because these inconceivable qualities benefit all beings, it is called the supreme king of sūtras.
The scripture fully sets out two sequences. On the side of abandonment are failure to circulate, unwillingness to hear, and failure to support the four assemblies; the gods then lose the ambrosial Dharma flavor, decline in radiance and power, and depart, after which mind, society, epidemics, celestial signs, weather, crops, and foreign affairs fall into disorder. On the side of propagation, the king hears sincerely and supports sūtra-holders, enabling the Four Kings and gods to receive the Dharma flavor and increase in radiance; they then protect land and people, who enjoy lasting happiness, encounter buddhas, plant wholesome roots, and approach awakening. Each side has a complete causal sequence and cannot be reduced to calamity or abundance alone.
〔Section §9〕The Buddha Again Exhorts Protection of Listening Kings and the Four Assemblies Who Circulate the Sūtra
The Buddha again charged the Four Kings, their retinues, and measureless hundreds of thousands of koṭis and nayutas of gods: if a king hears the sūtra with utmost sincerity and makes offerings, honors, reveres, and praises it, protect him and remove his decline; this also brings the gods happiness. If the four assemblies circulate the sūtra widely, perform buddha-work among humans and gods, and benefit measureless beings, the Four Kings should constantly protect them from disturbance by other conditions, bring them quiescence and happiness of body and mind, and enable the king of sūtras to be proclaimed and circulated without interruption, benefiting beings into the future.
〔Section §10〕Vaiśravaṇa’s Wish-Fulfilling Jewel Dhāraṇī Method
Vaiśravaṇa rose from his seat and told the Buddha that he possessed a Wish-Fulfilling Jewel Dhāraṇī method. If beings gladly uphold it, its qualities are measureless. Vaiśravaṇa constantly protects them, frees them from suffering, gives happiness, and perfects their provisions of merit and wisdom. The practitioner first recites the protective formula. The sound transcription below preserves only the base text:
南謨薜室囉末拏也莫訶曷囉闍也 怛姪他 囉囉囉囉 矩怒矩怒 區怒區怒 寠怒寠怒 颯嚩颯嚩羯囉 羯囉莫訶毘羯喇麼 莫訶毘羯喇麼 莫訶曷囉社 曷𠸪叉曷𠸪叉 覩漫 薩婆薩埵難者 莎訶—the formula’s transmitted Han sound sequence.
The practitioner takes a white thread and recites seven times, tying one knot after each recitation and fastening it behind the elbow, whereupon the undertaking can be accomplished. Equal portions of six incenses—anxixiang, sandalwood, borneol, suhe, duojieluo, and xunlu—are combined. Holding an incense burner, making offerings, bathing, and putting on fresh clothes, the practitioner recites in a quiet room and invites Vaiśravaṇa to come:
南謨薜室囉末拏也—the formula’s transmitted Han sound sequence.
南謨檀那䭾也 檀泥說囉也 阿揭撦 阿鉢𡃤弭哆 檀泥說囉 鉢囉麼 迦留尼迦 薩婆薩埵 呬哆振哆 麼麼檀那末奴鉢喇拽撦 碎閻摩揭撦 莎訶—the formula’s transmitted Han sound sequence.
After reciting this seven times, the practitioner recites the root formula. First, one invokes and venerates the Buddha, Dharma, Saṅgha, and King Vaiśravaṇa, who can give wealth, fulfill what beings seek, and bring happiness. After bowing, one recites the heart-formula of the wish-fulfilling maṇi jewel. When Vaiśravaṇa proclaimed it before the Buddha, he first recited:
南謨曷喇怛娜 怛喇夜野南謨薜室囉末拏也—the formula’s transmitted Han sound sequence.
He then recited:
莫訶囉闍也 怛姪他 四弭四弭 蘇母蘇母 栴茶栴茶 折囉折囉 薩囉薩囉羯囉羯囉 枳哩枳哩 矩嚕矩嚕 母嚕母嚕 主嚕主嚕 娑大也頞貪 我名某甲 昵店頞他 達達覩莎訶 南謨薜室囉末拏也莎訶檀那䭾也莎訶 曼奴喇他鉢唎脯喇迦也莎訶—the formula’s transmitted Han sound sequence.
The practitioner first recites this formula one thousand times. Then, in a clean room, the floor is smeared with gomaya and a small altar made. Food and drink are offered single-mindedly at the proper times, while wondrous incense burns continuously. By day and night the practitioner recites the heart-formula in concentration, audibly only to one’s own ears and without letting others know.
Vaiśravaṇa has a prince named Channishi, who appears as a boy and asks why his father has been summoned. The practitioner should answer that wealth is needed to make offerings to the Three Jewels and ask him to give it. Channishi returns and reports that a good person wishes sincerely to offer to the Three Jewels but lacks some wealth. Vaiśravaṇa orders him to return quickly and give the practitioner one hundred kārṣāpaṇas each day.
Seeing this sign, the practitioner knows the method has succeeded. Thereafter one sleeps alone in the clean room with incense burning and a fragrant casket beside the bed. Each morning, the desired object is found within. Whatever is received must that same day be used entirely for offerings to the Three Jewels and for giving fragrant flowers and food to the poor; none may be retained. One must arouse compassion for every sentient being and never give rise to anger, deceit, flattery, or harm. If anger arises, the spiritual efficacy is lost; the mind must constantly be guarded from anger.
Every day, the practitioner should recollect and praise Vaiśravaṇa and his male and female retinues. Through the ten wholesome actions, they assist one another, increase the gods’ merit and radiance, and direct every good toward awakening. Seeing this, the divine hosts rejoice and protect the practitioner together. The practitioner lives long through measureless years, remains forever free of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals and without calamity, obtains the wish-fulfilling jewel and hidden treasures, possesses mastery in superknowledges, and fulfills every wish. Requests for office and honor are fulfilled, and the languages of all birds and beasts are understood.
If the practitioner wishes to see Vaiśravaṇa appear, on the eighth or fifteenth day of the month an image of the Buddha should be painted upon white cloth with pigments mixed using wood glue; the painter must keep the eight precepts. The Great Auspicious Goddess is painted to the Buddha’s left and Vaiśravaṇa to his right, together with their male and female retinues. Image and seats are arranged according to rule, flowers and colored cloth displayed, many incenses burned, and lamps kept alight day and night. Rare, supreme foods are offered with an earnest mind. The formula must never be upheld carelessly. To summon Vaiśravaṇa, recite:
南謨室利健那也 勃陀也 南謨薜室囉末拏也 藥叉囉闍也 莫訶囉闍阿地囉闍也 南麼室唎耶裔 莫訶提弊裔 怛姪他 怛囉怛囉 咄嚕咄嚕 末囉末囉 𡨧卛吐𡨧卛吐 漢娜漢娜 末尼羯諾迦 跋折囉薜琉璃也 目底迦楞訖㗚哆 設唎囉裔 蒲薩婆薩埵呬哆迦摩薜室囉末拏 室唎夜提鼻 跋𡅘婆也 醫呬醫呬磨毘藍婆 瞿㗚拏瞿㗚拏𧙕喇娑𧙕喇娑 達䭾呬麼麼 阿目迦那末寫達哩設那迦末寫達哩設南 麼麼末那 鉢喇曷囉大也 莎訶—the formula’s transmitted Han sound sequence.
Vaiśravaṇa vows that upon seeing the practitioner and such vast offerings, he gives rise to loving joy. He appears as a child, old man, or bhikṣu, holding a wish-fulfilling maṇi jewel and a golden purse, enters the ritual ground, displays reverence, invokes the Buddha’s name, and tells the practitioner that every request will be granted. Whether one wishes to dwell secluded in a forest, make a jewel, receive affection and honor, obtain gold or silver, gain efficacy in other formulas, or seek superknowledges, long life, and excellent happiness, all are fulfilled. These matters are only briefly stated; other wishes are likewise accomplished. The treasure is inexhaustible, and the qualities have no end.
Vaiśravaṇa invokes the falling of the sun and moon and movement of the earth as extreme impossibilities to declare that his true speech will never be false. The practitioner remains secure and happy as wished. When those who uphold and recite this king of sūtras recite the formula, they need not become exhausted; the method is swiftly accomplished. Vaiśravaṇa teaches it for poor, distressed, and troubled beings, bringing them great benefit, abundance, happiness, mastery, and freedom from trouble, and follows and protects them until the end of life, removing calamities.
Vaiśravaṇa also protects those who circulate the Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King and those who uphold the formula, causing light to shine within one hundred paces. His one thousand yakṣas constantly attend and protect them, obey their commands, and fulfill what they seek. He declares that his words are true and without deception and asks the Buddha to bear witness.
The full sequence therefore includes the protective formula; seven recitations over a white thread with one knot each; equal portions of six incenses; bathing, clean clothes, and a quiet-room summons; veneration of the Three Jewels and Vaiśravaṇa; one thousand initial recitations of the jewel heart-formula; a clean room with smeared floor and altar, food, and uninterrupted incense; and day-and-night recollection audible only to oneself. After receiving objects, the sequence is equally clear: offer to the Three Jewels and the poor that same day, exhaust everything, arouse compassion, guard against anger, deceit, flattery, and harm, recollect Vaiśravaṇa’s retinue every day, and assist one another through the ten wholesome actions. Both the recitation method and the method for using wealth and guarding the mind belong to the dhāraṇī method taught by the scripture.
〔Section §11〕The Buddha Praises Vaiśravaṇa
After Vaiśravaṇa explained the dhāraṇī method, the Buddha praised him for breaking open the painful net of poverty binding sentient beings and bringing them abundance and happiness, and for causing this scripture to circulate widely in the world by teaching the divine formula.
〔Section §12〕The Four Kings Praise the Buddha in Five Stanzas
The Four Heavenly Kings rose together, bared one shoulder, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, placed their right knees upon the ground, reverently joined their palms, and praised the Buddha’s qualities in five wondrous stanzas:
One. The Buddha’s face is like the pure full moon and like a thousand suns emitting light together. His pure, long, broad eyes resemble blue lotuses; his teeth are white, even, and close, like shell and snow.
Two. The Buddha’s qualities are boundless like the ocean where measureless jewels gather. The water of wisdom’s qualities is forever full, and hundreds of thousands of excellent concentrations fill it completely.
Three. The wheel-marks beneath the Buddha’s feet are adorned, with hubs, rims, and one thousand spokes even and straight. The webbing marks fill and adorn his hands and feet; like the king of geese, he possesses excellent marks.
Four. The Buddha’s body shines like a golden mountain, pure, excellent, and beyond comparison. Like wondrous Mount Sumeru, it possesses qualities; therefore the Four Kings bow to the king of Buddha-mountains.
Five. The Buddha’s marks and excellences are immeasurable as empty space and surpass the light of one thousand bright moons. Everything is like flame and illusion, inconceivable; therefore the Four Kings bow to the Buddha whose mind clings nowhere.
〔Section §13〕The Buddha Answers in Fifteen Stanzas and Exhorts the Four Kings
After their praise, the Buddha answered in fifteen gāthās and exhorted them to continue protecting the sūtra:
One. This supreme scripture Golden Light was spoken by the Buddha possessing the unsurpassed ten powers. The Four Kings should constantly protect it and arouse a courageous, nonretrogressive mind.
Two. This wondrous Dharma jewel is exceedingly profound and gives every sentient being happiness. Because beings receive happiness from it, the scripture can constantly circulate in Jambudvīpa.
Three. Throughout this trichiliocosm, every kind of being—including hungry ghosts, animals, and hell beings—can eliminate the suffering of its corresponding painful destiny.
Four. Kings dwelling in southern Jambudvīpa and all other beings constantly rejoice through the scripture’s power, receive protection, and obtain peace.
Five. Beings within the realm are freed from every illness, and thieves disappear. Because the realm propagates the scripture, it becomes secure, abundant, and free of discord and harm.
Six. Those who hear and uphold this king of sūtras may seek honor or wealth; their realms may seek abundance without rebellion or dispute. All is accomplished according to their wishes.
Seven. The king of sūtras causes hostile bandits from other lands to withdraw and one’s own borders to remain secure. Through the supreme scripture’s power, every suffering departs, without sorrow or fear.
Eight. Like a king of jeweled trees within a house producing every object of happiness, the supreme king of sūtras gives excellent qualities to the king.
Nine. Like clear, pure, cool water removing hunger, thirst, and feverish distress, the supreme king of sūtras fulfills the wishes of those who delight in merit.
Ten. Like a wondrous jeweled casket in a person’s room providing whatever is needed, the supreme king of sūtras causes merit to accord with the mind without depletion.
Eleven. The Four Kings and divine hosts should make offerings to this king of sūtras. If they uphold it according to the teaching, wisdom and majestic spiritual power become complete.
Twelve. All the buddhas of the ten directions now protect this sūtra together. Seeing someone recite and uphold it, they praise, “Excellent! This event is exceedingly rare.”
Thirteen. When someone hears this sūtra and leaps with joy in body and mind, hundreds of thousands of yakṣas constantly protect that person wherever they dwell.
Fourteen. The measureless, inconceivable gods of this world hear and receive the king of sūtras together, joyfully protecting it without retreat.
Fifteen. Those who hear and receive this sūtra are majestic, courageous, and constantly masterful. They also benefit all humans and gods, freeing them from decline and increasing their radiance.
〔Section §14〕The Four Kings Rejoice and Vow to Protect; the Assembly Benefits
On hearing the Buddha’s verses, the Four Heavenly Kings leapt with joy and told him that they had never heard such profound and wondrous Dharma. Grief and joy mingled in their hearts, tears streamed, and their whole bodies trembled as they realized an inconceivable rarity. They scattered heavenly mandārava and great mandārava flowers above the Buddha as an excellent offering.
After the offering, the Four Kings vowed again. Each had five hundred yakṣa attendants and would protect the sūtra and Dharma teachers everywhere, assisting and guarding them through the light of wisdom. If a teacher forgot words or meanings from the scripture, they would cause the teacher to remember without loss and bestow an excellent dhāraṇī gate in full. They would also cause this supreme king of sūtras to be widely proclaimed and circulated for sentient beings wherever it was found, without quickly disappearing.
As the Buddha taught this Dharma before the assembly, measureless sentient beings obtained great wisdom, intelligence, and eloquence, gathered a measureless accumulation of merit, left every distress, gave rise to joy and happiness, skillfully understood many treatises, ascended the path of release, became nonretrogressive, and swiftly realized awakening.
談到『護國』，人很容易先想到疆界、軍力與勝負。這一品裡，怨敵、災變、豐樂與安寧都說到了，卻沒有把國土安穩的根安在城牆上：它問一個國家是否讓正法有人聽、有人說、有人受持，也要國王放下高座、親迎法師。它不是避開國土的現實，而是把根安在聞法、敬法、流通與不傷害之中。
那麼，全品貫穿的一問便是：一個國家真正要護住的，究竟是什麼？以下依經文十四節的先後，從佛陀讚歎四王，讀到四王發願使經典不隱沒；末後再另開一面古疏之鏡。經是經，鏡是鏡，兩者不相混合。
〔科§1〕護持現在的人，也護持三世正法
佛陀先讚四王過去曾供養無量諸佛、植眾善根、修行正法、常說正法、以法化世。祂所肯定的不是一次臨時的承諾，而是一條已經長久養成的心行：常想利益眾生，發大慈心，願與安樂。四王現有的勝報，經文也繫在這些因緣上。
接著，佛陀把護持的對象一層層展開。有人王供養此經，四王要使他安穩；四眾受持讀誦，四王要除其衰惱、施與安樂；四王的眷屬與百千藥叉護持此經，也就是護持過去、未來、現在諸佛正法。護一位持經者，不只是在救一個人的眼前困難；因為法要由人讀誦、宣說和實行，護人與護法便在流通處相接。
經文也不隱去衝突。四王、天眾、藥叉與阿蘇羅鬥戰，因護經而能除眾苦、怨賊、飢饉、疾疫。然而佛陀給四王的第一個方向仍是『勤心共加守護』：使受持者遠離衰惱、得到安樂。護國的起點不是把敵人放在中心，而是先確保正法及其承擔者不被摧折。
〔科§2〕使敵意不能跨過國界
四王起座、袒肩、右膝著地、合掌發願：經王流布到國土、城邑、聚落、山林或曠野，只要國王至心聽受、稱歎供養，並供給、保護持經四眾，四王便守護國王和人民，使其安穩，遠離憂苦，增長壽命與威德。國王敬持經者如父母，四王也使一切有情尊敬此王。
四王的守護多在不可見處進行。他們與無量藥叉隨經所至而隱身守護，使流通沒有留難；也護念聽經的國王，消除衰患，使他方怨賊退散。這個『隱身』很重要：經文不把一切護持都化成可展示的權力。真正有效的守護，未必需要被看見。
鄰國若起心備四兵侵略，經王威力使敵境另受侵擾與災疫；當這一國整軍前往討罰，四王又隱形相助，使敵人自然降伏，尚且不敢到達國界，更不會兵戈相罰。段落的終點不是戰勝之後的擴張，而是敵意止於境外、兵戈不能發生。經文所期望的勝利，是把將起的相害轉成不戰。
〔科§3〕各安其國，而不貪求他國
佛陀印可四王之願，又把眼光從一王一國推向整個贍部洲。八萬四千城邑聚落、八萬四千國王，各自在自己的國土受樂自在，財寶豐足，彼此不侵奪，各隨宿因受報，不起惡念貪求他國。少欲、利樂、無鬥戰繫縛，構成這幅護國圖的內在秩序。
人民上下和睦如水乳，彼此愛重，慈悲謙讓，增長善根；外在世界則大地肥沃，寒暑調和，時序不亂，日月星宿運行無虧，風雨應時，災橫遠離，財物豐盈。人心不慳，常行慧施，具十善業，命終多生天上，於是天眾也得增益。經典沒有把自然調和、社會和睦與個人善行切成三塊；它們在一個國土的安隱中彼此相連。
國王至心聽經，等於廣大供養釋迦牟尼佛；供養祂，也就是供養三世無量諸佛，由此得不可思議功德聚。四王所護也隨之擴大到后妃、眷屬、宮宅神和國中人民。國土的安樂不是王者一人的果實，而要讓內宮、宮宅與人民共同遠離衰惱，消除惡事。
〔科§4〕先從高座上下來
人王希望自身、后妃、王子、婇女、城邑和宮殿安樂，希望王位昌盛、福聚增長、國土無敵無災，經文給的第一項實行不是發號施令，而是不放逸、不散亂，以恭敬至誠之心聽法。
外在道場要有清楚次第：選擇最上、寬敞的宮室，香水灑地，散花，安師子法座，以珍寶、寶蓋、幢幡莊嚴，燃香奏樂。國王自身也要沐浴、塗香、著新淨衣、佩瓔珞。然而真正的轉折在座位：他坐小卑座，不生高舉，捨自在位，離憍慢，端心正念，對法師起大師想。
身分仍是國王，聽法時卻不讓王位壓過法座。他又對后妃、王子、婇女和眷屬生慈愍心，與眾人和顏軟語。法會尚未開始，護國已先落在降慢與慈愍：一個不能放下高舉、不能柔和對待身邊人的王者，即使宮殿再莊嚴，也還沒有進入經文所說的聽法之門。
〔科§5〕迎法師的每一步，都把功德送回眾生
佛陀進一步說，國王不能只坐等法師。他要穿鮮潔衣、持白蓋香花、整軍儀、陳音樂，親自步出城闕迎接。每一舉足下足，都成為對百千萬億諸佛的供養；也超越生死苦，種下輪王位、福德、壽命、辯才、無畏、名聲、威德、端嚴、遇善知識等因。
步行一踰繕那乃至百千踰繕那，重點不在距離的誇耀，而是『於說法師應生佛想』。迎回城後，國王觀想釋迦牟尼佛入宮受供、為己說法；由聞法不退菩提，值遇諸佛，供養三世諸佛，拔除琰摩王界、地獄、餓鬼、傍生之苦，又種下輪王、帝釋、梵王的善根。
這些利益並不收存在王者身上。國王要想到使無量眾生出離生死、得到涅槃，後宮和人民安穩，國土清泰，沒有災厄、毒害、惡人和外敵。他也供養受持經典的苾芻、苾芻尼、鄔波索迦、鄔波斯迦，並把所得勝福先施給四王和眷屬。迎法的腳步若只增加自己的尊位，便少了經文後半；它必須轉成眾生、四眾與國土共同所得的安樂。
〔科§6〕一縷香煙，把人間法座連到十方佛土
國王在法座旁另設四王座，把自利善根的福分施給四王。法師登座時，他燃燒名香供養經典。香煙一念升空，到四王天宮化成香蓋，所現金光照耀宮殿；又到梵宮、帝釋、大辯才天、大吉祥天、堅牢地神、正了知大將、二十八部藥叉神、大自在天、金剛密主、寶賢大將、訶利底母與五百眷屬、無熱惱池龍王、大海龍王所在之處。
佛陀再把這幅圖推到整個三千大千世界：百億日月、百億妙高山王、百億四洲，以及天、龍、藥叉、健闥婆、阿蘇羅、揭路茶、緊那羅、莫呼洛伽的宮殿，都被香煙充滿；種種香煙化成金色雲蓋，普照天宮。人間一場如法供養，不再只是宮室內的儀式，而成為諸天共同感受的法供。
香蓋遍十方，聞經的人被指向菩提
香氣又在一念之間遍及十方恒河沙等無量佛土，在諸佛上方變成金色香蓋。諸佛聞香、見蓋與光明，共同讚歎流通甚深經典的人：只聽聞已有眾多功德，何況書寫、受持、讀誦、為他敷演、如說修行。經文把流通列成一條由聞到行的道路，不讓『護經』停在保存卷冊。
十方如來又讚歎他未來修苦行、具資糧、超三界、坐菩提樹下、摧伏魔軍、覺無上菩提；繼而坐金剛座，轉十二妙行法輪，擊法鼓、吹法螺、建法幢、燃法炬、降甘露法雨，斷煩惱怨結，使無量有情渡過可畏大海，解脫生死輪迴，值遇諸佛。
一縷香煙的終點不是神異景象，而是有人因此走向成佛、轉法輪、度有情。供養若只求眼前瑞相，便截斷了經文自己展開的長路。
〔科§7〕人王施法味，天眾護流通
四王看見香煙雲蓋，便與眷屬隱身來到講法處。梵宮天眾、帝釋、大辯才天、大吉祥天、堅牢地神、正了知神大將、二十八部藥叉神、大自在天、金剛密主、寶賢大將、訶利底母與眷屬、兩位龍王及無量天眾藥叉，也都不現身而來聽法。
四王說，他們與國王一心互為善知識。國王作無上法施主，以甘露味充足天眾；天眾則保護國王，消除宮殿、城邑和國土的災變。這裡沒有一方永遠只是施者，另一方只是受者：國王需要護念，天眾也需要法味；彼此以法施與守護相資，流通才成為共同事業。
〔科§8〕一個國土失去的，先是正法之流
經文用很長篇幅說明捨離正法的後果。國中雖有經典，若不流布、不樂聽聞、不供養持經四眾，四王與諸天便失去聞法因緣，背甘露味、失正法流，威光勢力衰減，惡趣增長，人天損減。接著四王、藥叉和護國善神離去，國土才出現外在衰敗。
衰敗的名目一項也不含混：失去王位；人民無善心；繫縛、殺害、瞋諍、讒諂、冤枉無辜；疾疫流行；彗星屢出；兩日並現；薄蝕失常；黑白虹示不祥；星流地動；井中發聲；暴雨惡風失時；飢饉與苗實不成；他方怨賊侵掠；人民受苦，土地無可樂處。這張圖先有人心與正法的斷裂，再有社會、天象、氣候、農作與外患的全面失序。
若國王要護國、安眾、退敵、昌盛、弘正教、滅惡法，就要聽經並供養持經者。梵天、帝釋、五通仙人雖說無量論，經文仍以佛陀大慈悲所說之法為最勝：它使國王正法化世，給眾生安樂，護自身眷屬，屏除外敵災厄，止息諍訟。國王在國中點燃法炬，也使天眾得甘露法味、威德光明具足；人天共同安穩，種善根而趣菩提。
〔科§9〕佛陀把守護再交付四王
佛陀最後再勸四王：至心聽經、供養恭敬的國王，要護；廣流經王、在人天中作佛事的四眾，也要護。守護要使他們身心寂靜安樂，能持續宣說流布，令正法不斷，利益有情直到未來。
〔科§10〕陀羅尼法的中心，是得物後如何用
多聞天王宣說如意寶珠陀羅尼法，先說它能使受持者離苦得樂，成就福智二資糧。經文保存護身呪、請召呪、如意末尼寶心呪及請現身呪的音寫，又詳列白線七結、六香等分、澡浴淨衣、靜室持誦、千遍為先、小壇供養、香煙不絕、晝夜繫心等方法。音寫本身唯傳其聲，經未逐音翻譯。
禪膩師童子現身後，持呪者說明自己為供養三寶而需財物；多聞天王命王子每天給一百迦利沙波拏。經文隨即為所得財物設下明確方向：每日所得，當天就要供養三寶，並布施貧乏，全部用盡，不可停留；對有情起慈悲心，不生瞋、誑、諂、害，瞋心一起便失神驗。所得不是拿來積聚的私藏，而要立即回到供養和救濟。
持呪者也每日憶念多聞天王及男女眷屬，以十善相互資助，使天眾福力增明，共來守護。經文列出長壽、離三塗、無災厄、得寶珠伏藏、神通自在、求官稱意、解禽獸語等利益；又說初八或十五日畫佛、吉祥天、多聞天與眷屬，畫者受八戒，燈明晝夜不歇，以殷重心供養，持呪不可輕慢。
多聞天王發願現小兒、老人或苾芻形，持寶珠金囊，使持呪者求物、求愛敬、求金銀、求呪驗、求神通長壽等皆得稱心；又為貧窮困厄者說法，使其富樂無患，隨逐守護直到命終。可是經文並沒有讓所得停在自己身上：得物當日就須供養三寶、兼施貧乏，皆令罄盡而不得停留；於諸有情要起慈悲念，不生瞋誑諂害，經中明說起瞋即失神驗。此後又教每日憶念天王、以十善相資，諸天見是事已，歡喜而共來擁衛持呪之人。經文所護的不是無條件增長的貪求，而是能把所得轉成供養與利他的受持者。
〔科§11〕破貧窮苦網，也使經典廣行
佛陀讚歎多聞天王能破裂眾生的貧窮苦網，使其富樂；同一句讚歎又說，宣此神呪能令經典廣行於世。離貧與弘經不是兩條互不相干的線：人在困厄中得到資助，所得又被導回三寶、貧乏者與持經流通，於是財物沒有停在個人占有，而成為正法續行的資糧。
〔科§12〕四王以五頌仰觀佛身
四王以五頌讚佛。第一頌從面如滿月、千日放光，說到目如青蓮、齒如珂雪；第二頌以大海容納無量妙寶，讚佛無邊功德、智慧德水與百千勝定；第三頌讚足下輪相、轂輞千輻與手足鞔網；第四頌以金山和妙高山讚佛身光與功德；第五頌說相好如空不可測、勝千月光，一切如焰如幻，末後稽首心無所著的佛陀。
五頌的受詞始終是佛陀的面、目、齒、德、定慧、手足相、身光、相好與無著之心。譬喻從滿月、大日、大海、青蓮、白雪，走到金山、妙高和虛空；可見的莊嚴越說越廣，最後卻以如焰如幻收束，不把相好執成可測量的實體。
〔科§13〕佛陀以十五頌把讚歎送回護經
佛陀答偈沒有停在受讚。第一頌立刻勸四王對十力所說的經王勇猛不退；第二至第五頌說經典給有情安樂，令餓鬼、傍生、地獄苦除，護南洲國王與有情安寧，消病苦、賊盜與違惱。佛陀把四王仰觀的佛德，轉回他們應承擔的護持。
第六、第七頌說聽經者所求尊貴財利、國土豐樂與敵退境安；第八至第十頌連用三譬：宅中寶樹生諸樂具，清冷澄水除飢渴熱惱，室中寶篋隨心受用。三個譬喻各守經文所明的功能：生樂具、除熱惱、隨心取用；共同指向經王能給人王功德、使樂福者滿足、令福德無乏。
第十一至第十五頌再把責任交給天眾：供養、依教奉持，便具智慧威神；十方佛護念受持讀誦者，百千藥叉隨處守護，無量天眾共同聽受，歡喜護持不退。最後，聽經者威德勇猛自在，又能增益一切人天，使其離衰惱、益光明。佛答的終點不是『你們讚得很好』，而是『使所有人天都得到增益』。
〔科§14〕護到說法者不忘，也護到經典不隱沒
四王聞頌，悲喜流淚，全身震動，以天曼陀羅花和摩訶曼陀羅花供佛。他們各率五百藥叉眷屬，發願處處護經與說法師，以智慧光明助衛。若法師忘失經中句義，便使他憶念不忘，又給陀羅尼法門，使其具足；更使經王所在之處廣宣流布，不會迅速隱沒。
全品至此回答了開頭的問題：要護住的，不只是王位或疆界，而是讓正法能被記得、被說出、被聽見、被實行。佛陀說法時，無量眾生得到大智、聰叡、辯才，攝受福聚，離憂惱、生喜樂，善明眾論，登出離道，不退轉而速證菩提。經典沒有只留下國土安穩的外果；它最後把這些無量眾生送上出離與菩提之路。
以唯識之眼，再看護國的心識次第
上來十四節只順義淨本經文自身而說。現在另以慈恩慧沼《金光明最勝王經疏》作一面旁照之鏡：鏡中的科判、解難與唯識語彙都屬慧沼，不是經文自稱，也不回填前面正文。
慧沼先把本品放在前後品之間。他說，前品四王勸他人弘持，本品則願意親自守護；由前品的勸持，轉成本品的自行二利與佛勸廣護。向後看，他又把此下三品讀成行者得護：本品由天護，後二品由呪護。這是一條承品十一、啟品十三與十四的古疏讀法，不是義淨本品題自己明說的分品理由。
在本品內部，慧沼判成六大段：佛陀讚歎令修、四王奉教願護、四王荷恩讚佛、佛更勸護結成、四王慶喜護持、大眾聞經得益。第一段的兩聲善哉，他又並列三重讀法：護法與護人、勸他與自護、宿世善因與今世護人法。這些並列顯示，一句讚歎可從所護、能護與時間三面觀察，不必削成單一意義。
對四王願護的長段，慧沼主讀為先護人、後護法：法依人弘，所以先護弘法者；人由法成德，所以再護法。他同時保留另一讀，認為前段雙護人法，後段再以校量重勸護法，並明記自己暫依第一釋。『討罰』一字，他既說用兵或可作『伐』，又保留『罰』為敵方只有侵念、此王興師折伏的可能。疏不讓其中一義抹去另一義。
香蓋瑞應中的『法師』，慧沼也留下多向讀法：可通說法者與供養流通的國王；依文勢可只讚國王，依經力所現瑞應又可讚法師，最後說兩處相通亦好。談渡生死海時，他把離苦、斷集分開，又補記業亦可攝入集諦。四王五頌則先依相好次第分為面、眼、齒、定慧、輪相、鞔網、身光和總禮，又另存化身、報身、報化合讚、法身的第二解。這些『或可』『或復』『又解』都保留在疏內，不宜只取較順手的一條。
多聞天王法中，慧沼把先前守護弘法人與國土稱為身護，把此處破貧得財、由此弘經稱為法護；但這仍是他的科判。對琰摩王界、一百迦利沙波拏、真言音寫和儀軌細節，他以古論與當時所知作解；這些補足只在鏡中成立，不改義淨經字，也不把音寫還原成後世梵文。
再把三家逐文疏並列。智顗《金光明經文句》所疏舊本不分品十一、十二，從佛讚四王續釋到四王讚佛、佛答與發願；其八行半讚佛、二十四行半佛答的計數，依舊本偈形而立。吉藏《金光明經疏》同樣順舊本，把此半讀作佛述成讚歎、四王為王說護國方法、再明弘經得益與不弘致損，最後入偈。兩家都逐文及此，卻不可拿舊本的偈數回改義淨本五頌與十五頌。知禮《拾遺記》則在玄義層說四王護國與經王之義，應標明其層次，不冒充本品逐句注解。慧沼、智顗、吉藏逐文各依所據文本，知禮居玄義旁照；並錄其異，不判一宗吞併另一宗。
借這面鏡回望，護國便顯出一條心識次第：先由國王捨高舉、離憍慢，讓聞法成為可能；再由供養、流通與法施，使人天互為善知識；又以不貪他國、不相侵奪、慈悲謙讓、十善慧施，使外護有內在根基；最後護到法師憶念不忘、經典不速隱沒。慧沼的前後品判釋又把這一品送向後二呪護，而本品自己的最後一句，則把得益者送向出離、不退與菩提。護國若只停在一時安穩，仍未走完這部經所展開的路；它要護住正法流通，使安樂能不斷回到一切有情。
When people speak of 『護國』—“protecting a realm”—their first thoughts easily turn to borders, military strength, victory, and defeat. This chapter speaks of enemies, calamities, flourishing, and peace, yet it does not root the security of a realm in its walls. It asks whether right Dharma can still be heard, taught, and upheld there, and it requires the king to leave his high seat and welcome the Dharma teacher in person. It does not evade the realities of the realm; it roots them in hearing the Dharma, honoring the Dharma, keeping it in circulation, and refraining from harm.
One question thus runs through the entire chapter: what must a realm truly protect? We will follow the scripture’s fourteen sections in sequence, from the Buddha’s praise of the four kings to their vow that the sūtra will not disappear, and then open a separate mirror furnished by the old commentaries. The scripture is the scripture, and the mirror is the mirror; the two will not be confused.
〔Section §1〕Protecting People in the Present Also Protects the Right Dharma of the Three Times
The Buddha first praises the four kings for having made offerings to measureless buddhas in the past, planted wholesome roots, cultivated right Dharma, constantly taught right Dharma, and transformed the world through the Dharma. What he affirms is not a temporary promise made on one occasion, but a disposition long cultivated: they constantly think of benefiting sentient beings, arouse great compassion, and wish to give them peace and happiness. The sūtra also connects the excellent rewards they now possess to these conditions.
The Buddha then unfolds the objects of protection layer by layer. When a human king makes offerings to the sūtra, the four kings are to keep him secure. When members of the fourfold community receive, uphold, and recite it, the four kings are to remove their decline and distress and give them peace and happiness. When the retinues of the four kings and hundreds of thousands of yakṣas protect this sūtra, they are thereby protecting the right Dharma of the buddhas of past, future, and present. Protecting one person who upholds the sūtra does not merely rescue that individual from a present difficulty. Because the Dharma depends upon people to read, recite, proclaim, and practice it, the protection of people and the protection of the Dharma meet at the point of circulation.
The scripture does not conceal conflict. The four kings, the hosts of gods, and the yakṣas battle the asuras, and by protecting the sūtra they can remove manifold suffering, enemies and bandits, famine, and epidemics. Yet the Buddha’s first direction to the four kings remains 『勤心共加守護』—“diligently unite in protecting” those who uphold it—so that they leave decline and distress behind and gain peace and happiness. The protection of a realm does not begin by placing enemies at the center. It begins by ensuring that right Dharma and those who bear it are not crushed.
〔Section §2〕Keeping Hostility from Crossing the Border
The four kings rise from their seats, bare their shoulders, place their right knees on the ground, join their palms, and make a vow. Wherever the king of sūtras circulates—in realms, cities, villages, mountain forests, or wildernesses—if the king listens and receives it with his whole heart, praises it, makes offerings to it, and provides for and protects the fourfold community that upholds it, the four kings will protect the king and his people, keep them secure, free them from sorrow and suffering, and increase their lives and majestic virtue. When the king honors those who uphold the sūtra as he would his parents, the four kings also cause all sentient beings to honor that king.
Much of the four kings’ protection takes place beyond sight. Together with measureless yakṣas, they follow the sūtra wherever it goes and remain 『隱身』—“invisible”—as they protect it, so that its circulation meets no obstruction. They also watch over the king who listens to the sūtra, remove his decline and troubles, and cause enemies and bandits from other lands to retreat. This invisibility matters: the scripture does not turn every form of protection into demonstrable power. Protection can be effective without needing to be seen.
If a neighboring realm forms the intention to deploy the fourfold army in invasion, the power of the king of sūtras causes turmoil, disaster, and epidemic to arise elsewhere within the enemy realm. When the king of the protected land marshals his forces and advances to chastise it, the four kings again assist invisibly, causing the enemy to submit of itself. The enemy cannot even reach the border, much less engage in mutual violence with weapons. The passage does not end in expansion after victory, but in hostility stopping outside the border and armed conflict never beginning. The victory envisioned by the scripture is the transformation of impending mutual harm into nonbattle.
〔Section §3〕Each Secure in Its Own Realm, Without Coveting Another
The Buddha approves the four kings’ vow and broadens the view from one king and one realm to all of Jambudvīpa. The 84,000 cities and settlements and the 84,000 kings each freely enjoy happiness within their own lands. Rich in wealth and treasure, they do not invade and plunder one another; each experiences the results of past causes without giving rise to evil thoughts that covet another realm. Few desires, mutual benefit and happiness, and freedom from the bonds of warfare constitute the inner order of this vision of protection.
Those above and below live in harmony like water blended with milk. They cherish and respect one another, act with compassion, modesty, and forbearance, and increase their wholesome roots. In the outer world, the earth is fertile, cold and heat are balanced, the seasons do not fall into disorder, the courses of the sun, moon, and stars suffer no impairment, wind and rain come at the proper times, calamities remain far away, and goods are abundant. People are not miserly: they constantly practice wise generosity and fulfill the ten wholesome courses of action. After death, many are born among the gods, and the hosts of gods are thereby increased. The scripture does not divide natural harmony, social concord, and personal wholesome action into three isolated domains; they are mutually connected within the security of a realm.
When a king listens to the sūtra with his whole heart, it is equivalent to making a vast offering to Śākyamuni Buddha. To make offerings to him is to make offerings to measureless buddhas of the three times, and this produces an inconceivable accumulation of merit. The protection of the four kings correspondingly expands to encompass the queen, the king’s retinue, the palace spirits, and the people throughout the realm. The land’s peace and happiness are not the fruit of the ruler alone: the inner palace, the royal compound, and the people must all leave decline and distress behind and have evil events removed.
〔Section §4〕First Descend from the High Seat
If a human king wants peace and happiness for himself, his queen, princes, court women, cities, and palaces; if he wants his throne to flourish, his accumulation of merit to increase, and his realm to be free of enemies and calamities, the scripture’s first practice is not the issuing of commands. It is to listen to the Dharma without heedlessness or distraction, with reverence, sincerity, and the whole heart.
The outward Dharma assembly is to unfold in a clear sequence. The king selects the finest and most spacious chamber in the palace, sprinkles the floor with scented water, scatters flowers, sets up a lion seat for the teacher, adorns it with jewels, jeweled canopies, banners, and streamers, burns incense, and plays music. He himself bathes, anoints his body with fragrance, puts on fresh, clean clothes, and wears necklaces. Yet the true turning point concerns the seats: he sits on a small, low seat, does not raise himself up, relinquishes the position of sovereign freedom, leaves pride behind, collects his mind in right mindfulness, and regards the Dharma teacher as a great teacher.
He remains a king, yet while listening he does not allow the royal throne to tower over the Dharma seat. He also arouses compassion toward the queen, princes, court women, and retinue and addresses everyone with a pleasant expression and gentle words. Before the Dharma assembly has even begun, the protection of the realm has already taken form as the lowering of pride and the arousal of compassion. However splendid his palace, a ruler who cannot lower what he has raised high or treat those around him gently has not yet entered the gate of hearing the Dharma described in the scripture.
〔Section §5〕Every Step Taken to Welcome the Dharma Teacher Returns Merit to Beings
The Buddha goes further: the king cannot merely sit and wait for the Dharma teacher. Wearing fresh, clean clothes and carrying a white canopy, incense, and flowers, he arranges the military honor guard and music and personally walks out through the city gate to welcome the teacher. Each lifting and placing of a foot becomes an offering to hundreds of thousands of millions of koṭis of buddhas. It also transcends the suffering of birth and death and plants causes for the station of a wheel-turning king, merit, long life, eloquence, fearlessness, renown, majestic virtue, beauty, and encounters with spiritual friends.
Whether he walks one yojana or even hundreds of thousands of yojanas, the point is not to boast of distance, but 『於說法師應生佛想』—“to regard the Dharma teacher as a buddha.” After welcoming the teacher back into the city, the king visualizes Śākyamuni Buddha entering the palace, accepting offerings, and teaching him the Dharma. Through hearing the Dharma, he does not retreat from awakening; he meets buddhas and makes offerings to the buddhas of the three times; he removes the sufferings of Yama’s realm, the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals; and he plants wholesome roots for becoming a wheel-turning king, Śakra, or Brahmā.
These benefits are not stored away in the ruler. The king is to think of enabling measureless sentient beings to leave birth and death and attain nirvāṇa, of keeping the inner palace and the people secure, and of making the realm tranquil and free of disaster, poison, evil people, and foreign enemies. He also makes offerings to the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who receive and uphold the scripture, and first gives the excellent merit he has obtained to the four kings and their retinues. If the steps taken to welcome the Dharma merely increase the king’s own status, the latter half of the scripture has been lost. Those steps must become peace and happiness shared by sentient beings, the fourfold community, and the realm.
〔Section §6〕A Wisp of Incense Joins the Human Dharma Seat to the Buddha Lands of the Ten Directions
Beside the Dharma seat, the king sets up separate seats for the four kings and gives them the meritorious share of his roots of self-benefit. When the Dharma teacher ascends the seat, the king burns fine incense as an offering to the scripture. In a single thought, the incense smoke rises through the air to the palaces of the four kings, where it becomes a fragrant canopy whose golden light illuminates their halls. It also reaches the palaces of Brahmā and Śakra and the abodes of the goddess of great eloquence, the goddess Śrī, the earth spirit Dṛḍhā, General Saṃjñāya, the yakṣa spirits of the twenty-eight divisions, Maheśvara, Vajrapāṇi the Lord of Secrets, General Maṇibhadra, Hārītī and her five hundred attendants, the dragon king Anavatapta, and the dragon king of the great ocean.
The Buddha then expands this image to the entire great trichiliocosm: a billion suns and moons, a billion kings of Mount Sumeru, a billion sets of four continents, and the palaces of the gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, Garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas are all filled with the smoke of incense. The many streams of smoke become golden cloud-canopies that universally illuminate the palaces of the gods. A Dharma offering correctly performed in the human world is no longer merely a rite inside a royal chamber, but a Dharma offering experienced together by the gods.
Fragrant Canopies Fill the Ten Directions, and Those Who Hear the Sūtra Are Directed toward Awakening
In a single thought, the fragrance also pervades measureless buddha lands in the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and becomes a golden fragrant canopy above each buddha. Smelling the incense and seeing the canopies and light, the buddhas together praise the people who circulate this profound scripture. Simply hearing it already brings abundant merit—how much more so writing it out, receiving and upholding it, reading and reciting it, explaining it extensively for others, and practicing in accord with its teaching. The scripture makes circulation a path from hearing to practice; it does not permit 『護經』—“protecting the sūtra”—to stop at preserving scrolls.
The tathāgatas of the ten directions further praise how such a person will cultivate difficult practices in the future, complete the provisions, transcend the three realms, sit beneath the bodhi tree, subdue Māra’s armies, and awaken to unsurpassed bodhi. He will then sit upon the vajra seat, turn the Dharma wheel of twelve excellent aspects, beat the Dharma drum, blow the Dharma conch, raise the Dharma banner, kindle the Dharma torch, and send down the ambrosial rain of Dharma. He will cut through the hostile bonds of affliction, carry measureless sentient beings across the terrifying sea, free them from the cycle of birth and death, and enable them to encounter buddhas.
The end of a single wisp of incense is not a wondrous sign, but a person proceeding toward buddhahood, turning the Dharma wheel, and ferrying sentient beings across. To seek only an auspicious sign in the present would cut short the long road unfolded by the scripture itself.
〔Section §7〕The Human King Gives the Flavor of Dharma; the Gods Protect Its Circulation
When the four kings see the cloud-canopies of incense smoke, they and their retinues invisibly come to the place where the Dharma is being taught. The hosts from Brahmā’s palace, Śakra, the goddess of great eloquence, the goddess Śrī, the earth spirit Dṛḍhā, General Saṃjñāya, the yakṣa spirits of the twenty-eight divisions, Maheśvara, Vajrapāṇi the Lord of Secrets, General Maṇibhadra, Hārītī and her attendants, the two dragon kings, and measureless gods and yakṣas also come invisibly to hear the Dharma.
The four kings say that they and the human king are united in purpose and act as spiritual friends to one another. The king serves as an unsurpassed donor of Dharma and satisfies the gods with the flavor of ambrosia; the gods in turn protect the king and remove calamities from his palace, cities, and realm. Neither side remains forever only the giver while the other is only the recipient. The king needs protection, and the gods need the flavor of Dharma; sustained by the gift of Dharma and protection, circulation becomes a shared undertaking.
〔Section §8〕What a Realm Loses First Is the Current of Right Dharma
The scripture devotes a long passage to the consequences of abandoning right Dharma. Even when a scripture is present in the realm, if it is not circulated, if people take no joy in hearing it, and if they do not make offerings to the fourfold community that upholds it, the four kings and the gods lose their conditions for hearing the Dharma. They turn away from the flavor of ambrosia and lose the current of right Dharma; their majestic radiance and power decline, evil destinies increase, and humans and gods diminish. Only after this do the four kings, yakṣas, and benevolent spirits who protect the realm depart, and external decline appears in the land.
The catalogue of decline is not vague: loss of the royal position; people without wholesome minds; bondage, killing, anger, conflict, slander, deception, and false accusation of the innocent; spreading epidemics; recurrent comets; two suns appearing at once; abnormal eclipses; black and white rainbows as signs of misfortune; falling stars and earthquakes; sounds issuing from wells; untimely storms and violent winds; famine and failed crops; invasions and plunder by enemies from other lands; suffering among the people; and a land in which no place gives delight. This picture begins with a rupture in the human mind and the right Dharma, then spreads into comprehensive disorder across society, celestial signs, climate, agriculture, and foreign affairs.
If a king wants to protect his realm, secure the people, repel enemies, foster flourishing, promote right teaching, and extinguish evil teachings, he must hear the sūtra and make offerings to those who uphold it. Though Brahmā, Śakra, and sages with the five superknowledges teach measureless treatises, the scripture still regards the Dharma spoken by the Buddha from great compassion as supreme. It enables the king to transform the world through right Dharma, give sentient beings peace and happiness, protect himself and his retinue, ward off foreign enemies and calamities, and bring disputes to rest. When the king kindles the Dharma torch in his realm, the gods too gain the ambrosial flavor of Dharma and become replete with majestic virtue and light. Humans and gods are secure together, plant wholesome roots, and advance toward awakening.
〔Section §9〕The Buddha Entrusts Protection to the Four Kings Once Again
The Buddha finally exhorts the four kings once more. They are to protect the kings who listen to the sūtra with their whole hearts and make offerings with reverence. They are also to protect the members of the fourfold community who widely circulate the king of sūtras and perform the work of the Buddha among humans and gods. Their protection should bring tranquility and happiness to body and mind, enabling these teachers to continue proclaiming and circulating the scripture, keeping right Dharma unbroken and benefiting sentient beings into the future.
〔Section §10〕The Heart of the Dhāraṇī Rite Is How One Uses What One Obtains
Vaiśravaṇa teaches the wish-fulfilling jewel dhāraṇī rite, first saying that it can free its upholder from suffering, bring happiness, and complete the two provisions of merit and wisdom. The scripture preserves phonetic transcriptions for a protection mantra, an invocation mantra, the heart mantra of the wish-fulfilling maṇi jewel, and a mantra inviting appearance. It then gives detailed instructions involving seven knots in white thread, equal portions of six incenses, bathing and clean clothes, recitation in a quiet chamber, a thousand preliminary repetitions, offerings on a small altar, uninterrupted incense smoke, and continuous concentration by day and night. The transcribed syllables transmit sound alone; the scripture does not translate them one by one.
After the boy Canni appears, the mantra practitioner explains that he needs wealth in order to make offerings to the Three Jewels. Vaiśravaṇa commands his prince to provide one hundred kārṣāpaṇas each day. The scripture immediately gives the obtained wealth a clear direction: everything received each day must that same day be offered to the Three Jewels and given to the poor until it is completely exhausted, with nothing held back. The practitioner must arouse compassion toward sentient beings and give rise to no anger, deceit, flattery, or harm; if anger arises, the rite loses its efficacy. What is obtained is not private wealth to accumulate but must immediately return to offering and relief.
The practitioner also recollects Vaiśravaṇa and his male and female retinues each day and, through the ten wholesome courses of action, supports them in return so that the gods’ merit and strength become brighter and they come together to protect him. The scripture lists long life, freedom from the three evil destinies and calamity, the acquisition of jewels and hidden treasures, mastery of supernormal powers, success in seeking office, and understanding the speech of birds and beasts. It further instructs the practitioner, on the eighth or fifteenth day, to paint images of the Buddha, the goddess Śrī, Vaiśravaṇa, and his retinue. The painter observes the eight precepts; lamps remain burning day and night; offerings are made with an earnest mind; and the mantra is not to be treated lightly.
Vaiśravaṇa vows to appear as a child, an old man, or a bhikṣu, carrying a precious jewel and a golden pouch, so that the practitioner’s wishes for goods, affection and respect, gold and silver, mantra efficacy, supernormal powers, or long life are fulfilled. He also teaches the Dharma to the poor and distressed, bringing them wealth and happiness free from trouble, and follows and protects them until death. Yet the scripture does not allow what is obtained to stop with oneself: goods received must that same day be offered to the Three Jewels and also given to the poor, all exhausted with nothing retained. Toward sentient beings one must arouse compassionate thoughts and give rise to no anger, deceit, flattery, or harm; the scripture explicitly says that anger causes the rite to lose its efficacy. It then again teaches daily recollection of the heavenly king and mutual support through the ten wholesome courses of action. Seeing this, the gods rejoice and come together to guard the mantra practitioner. What the scripture protects is not an unchecked increase of craving, but an upholder who can turn what is obtained into offering and benefit for others.
〔Section §11〕Breaking the Net of Poverty and Suffering Also Spreads the Scripture
The Buddha praises Vaiśravaṇa for being able to tear apart the net of poverty and suffering that binds sentient beings and to make them wealthy and happy. In the same statement of praise, he says that teaching this divine mantra enables the scripture to circulate widely in the world. Relief from poverty and propagation of the sūtra are not unrelated lines: people in distress receive support, and what is obtained is directed back toward the Three Jewels, the poor, and the circulation upheld by those who bear the scripture. Wealth thus does not stop as an individual possession but becomes a provision for the continuation of right Dharma.
〔Section §12〕The Four Kings Contemplate the Buddha’s Body in Five Stanzas
The four kings praise the Buddha in five stanzas. The first moves from his face like the full moon and the light of a thousand suns to his eyes like blue lotuses and his teeth like snow-white conch. The second uses the great ocean containing measureless precious treasures to praise the Buddha’s boundless merit, waters of wisdom and virtue, and hundreds of thousands of excellent concentrations. The third praises the wheel marks beneath his feet, their hubs, rims, and thousand spokes, and the webbing between his fingers and toes. The fourth uses a golden mountain and Mount Sumeru to praise the radiance and merit of the Buddha’s body. The fifth says that his marks and excellences are immeasurable like space and brighter than a thousand moons, that all are like flames and illusions, and finally bows to the Buddha whose mind is unattached.
The objects praised throughout the five stanzas remain the Buddha’s face, eyes, teeth, virtue, concentrations and wisdom, marks on his hands and feet, bodily radiance, marks and excellences, and unattached mind. The similes move from full moon, great sun, ocean, blue lotus, and white snow to golden mountain, Mount Sumeru, and space. The visible adornments grow ever more expansive, yet the passage finally gathers them in as flame and illusion, refusing to grasp the marks and excellences as measurable entities.
〔Section §13〕In Fifteen Stanzas the Buddha Returns Praise to the Protection of the Sūtra
The Buddha’s answering verses do not stop at receiving praise. The first stanza immediately urges the four kings to be courageous and never retreat in protecting the king of sūtras taught by the one with the ten powers. The second through fifth say that the scripture gives sentient beings peace and happiness; removes the sufferings of hungry ghosts, animals, and hell beings; protects the kings and sentient beings of Jambudvīpa in security; and dispels illness, thieves, and every adversity. The Buddha turns the buddha-virtues contemplated by the four kings back toward the protection they must undertake.
The sixth and seventh stanzas speak of listeners’ wishes for rank and wealth, flourishing realms, retreating enemies, and secure borders. The eighth through tenth use three similes in succession: a jeweled tree in a house producing the means of happiness, clear cool water relieving hunger, thirst, and burning distress, and a jeweled casket in a room providing freely according to one’s wish. Each simile retains the function stated in the scripture—producing the means of happiness, relieving burning distress, and enabling one to take freely according to one’s wish. Together they indicate that the king of sūtras can give merit to human kings, satisfy those who seek happiness, and ensure that blessings are never lacking.
The eleventh through fifteenth stanzas again entrust responsibility to the gods. By making offerings and upholding the teaching as instructed, they become replete with wisdom and majestic spiritual power. The buddhas of the ten directions watch over those who receive, uphold, and recite; hundreds of thousands of yakṣas protect them wherever they go; and measureless gods listen together, rejoice, and protect without retreat. Finally, those who hear the sūtra possess majestic virtue, courage, and freedom and can increase all humans and gods, free them from decline and distress, and augment their light. The conclusion of the Buddha’s answer is not 『你們讚得很好』—“you have praised well”—but 『使所有人天都得到增益』—“cause all humans and gods to receive increase.”
〔Section §14〕Protecting the Dharma Teacher from Forgetfulness and the Scripture from Disappearance
Hearing the verses, the four kings weep with mingled sorrow and joy and tremble throughout their bodies. They offer the Buddha heavenly māndārava and great māndārava flowers. Each accompanied by five hundred yakṣas, they vow everywhere to protect the scripture and its Dharma teachers and guard them with the light of wisdom. If a teacher forgets words or meanings in the scripture, they cause him to recollect without forgetting and give him dhāraṇī gateways so that he becomes complete. They further cause the king of sūtras to be widely proclaimed and circulated wherever it is found, so that it does not swiftly disappear.
At this point, the whole chapter has answered its opening question. What must be protected is not merely a throne or a border, but the possibility that right Dharma can be remembered, spoken, heard, and practiced. As the Buddha teaches, measureless sentient beings gain great wisdom, intelligence, and eloquence; gather accumulations of merit; leave sorrow and distress; give rise to joy and happiness; become well versed in the treatises; ascend the path of release; do not retreat; and quickly realize awakening. The scripture does not leave only the external result of a secure realm. It finally sets those measureless sentient beings upon the path of release and awakening.
Looking Again at the Mental Sequence of Protecting a Realm through the Lens of Consciousness-Only
The preceding fourteen sections followed only the words of Yijing’s scripture itself. We now set beside it, as a separate reflective mirror, Huizhao’s Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King from the Ci’en lineage. The doctrinal outlines, explanations of difficulties, and Consciousness-Only vocabulary in this mirror belong to Huizhao; they are not claims made by the scripture, nor are they read back into the preceding exposition.
Huizhao first positions this chapter between the chapters before and after it. He says that in the preceding chapter the four kings exhort others to propagate and uphold the sūtra, whereas in this chapter they vow to guard it personally. Thus the earlier exhortation to uphold turns into the twofold benefit they themselves perform here and the Buddha’s exhortation to protect it widely. Looking ahead, he reads the following three chapters as describing protection gained by practitioners: protection by gods in the present chapter and protection by mantras in the next two. This ancient commentarial reading links Chapter 11 to Chapters 13 and 14; it is not a reason for the chapter division stated in the title of Yijing’s scripture itself.
Within the chapter, Huizhao divides the text into six major sections: the Buddha praises and directs cultivation; the four kings receive the teaching and vow to protect; the four kings, mindful of kindness, praise the Buddha; the Buddha again exhorts them to protect and completes the point; the four kings rejoice and undertake protection; and the assembly hears the sūtra and gains benefit. He supplies three parallel readings of the two opening exclamations of “Excellent”: protection of the Dharma and protection of people; exhorting others and protecting it themselves; wholesome causes from past lives and present protection of people and Dharma. These parallel readings show that one expression of praise can be observed from the perspectives of the protected object, the protector, and time, and need not be pared down to a single meaning.
For the long passage in which the four kings vow to protect, Huizhao’s principal reading is that they first protect people and then protect the Dharma: because the Dharma depends on people for its propagation, they first protect those who propagate it; because people develop virtue through the Dharma, they then protect the Dharma. He also preserves another reading in which the earlier passage protects both people and Dharma, while the latter renews the exhortation to protect the Dharma by comparison, and he explicitly records that he provisionally follows the first interpretation. Regarding the graph in 『討罰』, he says that military action might be written 『伐』, yet also preserves the possibility of 『罰』: the enemy merely intends invasion, and this king mobilizes forces to subdue it. The commentary does not let one meaning erase the other.
For the 『法師』—“Dharma teacher”—in the auspicious manifestation of fragrant canopies, Huizhao likewise preserves several readings. The term may apply both to the preacher and to the king who makes offerings and supports circulation. Following the immediate wording, the praise may concern the king alone; following the auspicious manifestation produced through the sūtra’s power, it may praise the Dharma teacher; and finally Huizhao says it is also good to understand the two locations as mutually inclusive. In speaking of crossing the sea of birth and death, he distinguishes leaving suffering from abandoning its origin, while adding that karma may also be included under the truth of origin. For the four kings’ five stanzas, he first follows the sequence of marks and excellences, dividing them among face, eyes, teeth, concentration and wisdom, wheel marks, webbing, bodily radiance, and general homage. He then preserves a second explanation in terms of the emanation body, reward body, joint praise of reward and emanation, and dharma-body. All these 『或可』, 『或復』, and 『又解』—“perhaps,” “alternatively,” and “another explanation”—remain in the commentary and should not be reduced to whichever line seems most convenient.
In Vaiśravaṇa’s rite, Huizhao calls the preceding protection of the people who propagate the Dharma and of their realm bodily protection, while calling the breaking of poverty and acquisition of wealth here—through which the sūtra can be propagated—protection of the Dharma. This remains his doctrinal outline. In discussing Yama’s realm, the one hundred kārṣāpaṇas, the phonetic transcription of the mantras, and ritual details, he draws on ancient treatises and the knowledge of his own time. Such supplementation belongs only inside the mirror; it neither changes the wording of Yijing’s scripture nor reconstructs the transcribed sounds into a later Sanskrit text.
We may next place three line-by-line commentaries side by side. Zhiyi’s Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light follows an older recension that does not divide the present Chapters 11 and 12. It proceeds from the Buddha’s praise of the four kings through their praise of the Buddha, the Buddha’s answer, and their vow. Its count of eight and a half lines for the praise of the Buddha and twenty-four and a half lines for the Buddha’s answer depends upon the verse form of that older recension. Jizang’s Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light likewise follows an older recension and reads this half as the Buddha confirming the praise, the four kings explaining to the king how to protect the realm, the benefits of propagating the scripture and the harms of failing to propagate it, and finally the verses. Both works comment line by line as far as this material, but the verse counts of the older recension cannot be used to alter the five and fifteen stanzas of Yijing’s text. Zhili’s Supplementary Record, by contrast, discusses the four kings’ protection of the realm and the meaning of the king of sūtras at the level of the Profound Meaning. Its level must be identified, and it must not be presented as a line-by-line commentary on this chapter. Huizhao, Zhiyi, and Jizang each comment line by line on the recension before them, while Zhili offers a reflective view at the level of the Profound Meaning. Their differences are recorded together without allowing one lineage to absorb another.
Looking back through this mirror, the protection of a realm reveals a sequence in consciousness. First, the king relinquishes self-exaltation and leaves pride behind, making hearing the Dharma possible. Next, through offerings, circulation, and the gift of Dharma, humans and gods become spiritual friends to one another. Then, by not coveting other realms or invading and plundering them, and by cultivating compassion, modesty, the ten wholesome courses of action, and wise generosity, outward protection receives an inward root. Finally, protection reaches the point where the Dharma teacher recollects without forgetting and the scripture does not quickly disappear. Huizhao’s interpretation of the sequence of chapters then directs this chapter toward the mantra-protection of the following two, while this chapter’s own final sentence directs those who gain benefit toward release, nonretrogression, and awakening. If protecting a realm stops at temporary security, it has not yet completed the road opened by this sūtra. It must protect the circulation of right Dharma so that peace and happiness can continually return to all sentient beings.
考據Apparatus
全品定位 本品以義淨譯 T16n0665 為底本。讖本 T16n0663 與合部 T16n0664 各存一〈四天王品〉，義淨則把相應內容分成品十一、品十二；本品對位舊本佛讚四王以下。以下只傳錄分合、原字、古疏科判與異解，不以一譯回改另一譯，不裁定分品義理。
一、科判定位
品界、卷縫與疏卷
義淨本品題在 T16n0665 0427b19，品身自 0427b20 起，止於 0432c09。0432c10 是卷六尾題；0432c13 是卷七題，0432c15 是卷七署記；0432c16 已是〈無染著陀羅尼品第十三〉題。因此 0432c16 只作訖界，不計入本品正文。
慧沼正疏本品題為「四天王護國品第十二」〔T39n1788 0287c21〕，所在疏卷是卷五，不是經本卷六。卷五署記為「翻經沙門慧沼撰」〔T39n1788 0286b13，第五見〕。本品疏文自 0287c22 起，首段所引若從『三門分別』起，錨在 0287c22；若從下句首字起，則是「言來意者，前品讚經勝妙勸他弘持」〔T39n1788 0287c23〕，不可把後者仍繫 0287c22。
慧沼來意全文明說：「言來意者，前品讚經勝妙勸他弘持，此下三品明經可尊，行者得護，初一天護、後二呪護。又前品四王勸他，此品願自守護。前品令他行二利，此品明自行二利。前品自意勸持，此品佛勸廣護。故前品後有此品生。」〔T39n1788 0287c23〕。這是古疏對前後品的判釋，不是經文自說。
十四節工作索引
本編依已定十四節整理正文。下列名稱只作譯注索引；經文首句是底本直說，節名所攝仍須與慧沼科判分層。
| 節 | T665 範圍 | 經文內容索引 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0427b20–0427c05 | 佛聞四王供養護持，讚宿善而勸護人法 |
| 2 | 0427c06–0427c27 | 四王願護國王、四眾、流通處與國境 |
| 3 | 0427c28–0428b02 | 佛讚成，說贍部諸國各安其土 |
| 4 | 0428b03–0428b23 | 人王莊嚴道場、降座離慢、正念聽法 |
| 5 | 0428b24–0429a04 | 人王親迎法師，所得福德迴施四王 |
| 6 | 0429a05–0429c04 | 設四王座，香瑞遍界，十方諸佛讚流通者 |
| 7 | 0429c05–0429c23 | 諸天隱身聽法，與人王共作善知識 |
| 8 | 0429c24–0430b23 | 不流通之衰損與弘護所得利益 |
| 9 | 0430b24–0430c04 | 佛重勸護聽經國王與流通四眾 |
| 10 | 0430c05–0432a04 | 多聞天王如意寶珠陀羅尼法 |
| 11 | 0432a05–0432a07 | 佛讚多聞天王破貧窮苦網、令經廣行 |
| 12 | 0432a08–0432a20 | 四王五頌讚佛 |
| 13 | 0432a21–0432b23 | 佛十五頌答勸 |
| 14 | 0432b24–0432c09 | 四王慶喜願護，時會得益 |
慧沼總判起句為「就此品中，大分為六：初世尊讚歎令修、二四王奉教願護」〔T39n1788 0288a16〕，後續四段依次是四王荷恩歎佛、佛更勸護結成、四王慶喜護持、大眾聞經得益。其第二大段又展開身護、法護以及多層細科；本編十四節只是把這些科界投影到底本品身，並不另立十四品。
二、異譯對勘、分合處理與三家逐文疏並觀
三本分合與十五個對位節點
三本都存本段。讖本題〈四天王品第六〉，題在 0340c16，整品身為 0340c17–0344c19；合部題〈四天王品第十〉，題在 0382a08，整品身為 0382a09–0385c29。義淨另立〈四天王觀察人天品第十一〉和本品；舊本後半與本品的轉接錨分別是：
- 義淨：「爾時，世尊聞四天王恭敬供養《金光明經》」〔T16n0665 0427b20〕。
- 讖本：「爾時世尊讚歎護世四天王等」〔T16n0663 0341a27〕。
- 合部：「爾時，世尊讚嘆護世四天王等」〔T16n0664 0382b17〕。
義淨本、讖本、合部的後半對位如下。第十一與第十五節只記義淨有而舊兩本此處無對位文字，不推論生成次第。
| 節點 | 義淨 T665 | 讖本 T663 | 合部 T664 | 內容 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0427b20–0427c05 | 0341a27–0341b12 | 0382b17–0382c02 | 佛述讚、勸護人法 |
| 2 | 0427c06–0427c27 | 0341b13–0341c03 | 0382c03–0382c21 | 四王願護、鄰敵退散 |
| 3 | 0427c28–0428b02 | 0341c04–0342a09 | 0382c22–0383a26 | 佛讚成、贍部安樂 |
| 4 | 0428b03–0428b23 | 0342a10–0342a26 | 0383a27–0383b14 | 人王聽法軌則 |
| 5 | 0428b24–0429a04 | 0342a27–0342c01 | 0383b15–0383c16 | 迎法師、功德與迴施 |
| 6 | 0429a05–0429a21 | 0342c02–0342c17 | 0383c17–0384a02 | 設座、燒香、香蓋至天宮 |
| 7 | 0429a22–0429c04 | 0342c18–0343a28 | 0384a03–0384b12 | 香遍大千十方、諸佛讚揚 |
| 8 | 0429c05–0429c23 | 0343a29–0343b18 | 0384b13–0384c02 | 諸天隱身聽法、與王為善知識 |
| 9 | 0429c24–0430b23 | 0343b19–0344a12 | 0384c03–0385a24 | 棄法衰損、弘法利益、校量勸弘 |
| 10 | 0430b24–0430c04 | 0344a13–0344a20 | 0385a25–0385b02 | 佛重勸護弘經者 |
| 11 | 0430c05–0432a07 | 無 | 無 | 多聞天王陀羅尼法與佛讚 |
| 12 | 0432a08–0432a20 | 0344a21–0344b06 | 0385b03–0385b17 | 四王讚佛；義淨五頌，舊本八行半 |
| 13 | 0432a21–0432b23 | 0344b07–0344c11 | 0385b18–0385c22 | 佛答；義淨十五頌，舊本二十四行半 |
| 14 | 0432b24–0432c04 | 0344c12–0344c19 | 0385c23–0385c29 | 四王歡喜、散花、願護說法者 |
| 15 | 0432c05–0432c09 | 無 | 無 | 義淨本時會得益 |
讖本、合部六十九條非標點原字異存
比較口徑是兩本後半正文的傳本文字，只取漢字作全序列比對；讖本四千八百二十五字，合部四千八百二十四字。標點差另由各本全文保存，不混入本表。下列六十九條逐一保留；相鄰增省造成的字序倒置不合併，以免縮減實際差項。
| 次 | 差類 | 讖本原字 | 讖本錨 | 合部原字 | 合部錨 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0341a27 | 「嘆」 | 0382b17 |
| 2 | 字異 | 「已」 | 0341a28 | 「以」 | 0382b18 |
| 3 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0341a28 | 「嘆」 | 0382b18 |
| 4 | 合部有 | 無 | 0341b07 | 「典」 | 0382b26 |
| 5 | 字異 | 「脩」 | 0341b09 | 「修」 | 0382b27 |
| 6 | 字異 | 「此」 | 0341b10 | 「是」 | 0382b29 |
| 7 | 字異 | 「饑」 | 0341b11 | 「飢」 | 0382b29 |
| 8 | 字異 | 「其」 | 0341b20 | 「是」 | 0382c10 |
| 9 | 字異 | 「懅」 | 0341c02 | 「懼」 | 0382c19 |
| 10 | 字異 | 「集」 | 0341c14 | 「習」 | 0383a03 |
| 11 | 字異 | 「土」 | 0341c17 | 「上」 | 0383a06 |
| 12 | 字異 | 「愛」 | 0341c17 | 「歡」 | 0383a06 |
| 13 | 字異 | 「睦」 | 0341c18 | 「穆」 | 0383a06 |
| 14 | 字異 | 「實」 | 0341c21 | 「溢」 | 0383a10 |
| 15 | 字異 | 「吝」 | 0341c22 | 「悋」 | 0383a10 |
| 16 | 字異 | 「經」 | 0342a01 | 「典」 | 0383a18 |
| 17 | 字異 | 「校」 | 0342a18 | 「絞」 | 0383b06 |
| 18 | 字異 | 「纓絡」 | 0342a20 | 「瓔珞」 | 0383b08 |
| 19 | 合部有 | 無 | 0342a20 | 「小」 | 0383b08 |
| 20 | 讖本有 | 「小」 | 0342a20 | 無 | 0383b08 |
| 21 | 字異 | 「驕」 | 0342a22 | 「憍」 | 0383b09 |
| 22 | 字異 | 「倦」 | 0342a27 | 「惓」 | 0383b14 |
| 23 | 字異 | 「纓絡」 | 0342a29 | 「瓔珞」 | 0383b16 |
| 24 | 字異 | 「白」 | 0342a29 | 「帛」 | 0383b16 |
| 25 | 合部有 | 無 | 0342b18 | 「為」 | 0383c04 |
| 26 | 讖本有 | 「為」 | 0342b18 | 無 | 0383c04 |
| 27 | 字異 | 「已」 | 0342b23 | 「以」 | 0383c09 |
| 28 | 字異 | 「陵」 | 0342b24 | 「凌」 | 0383c10 |
| 29 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0342b26 | 「嘆」 | 0383c12 |
| 30 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0342c04 | 「嘆」 | 0383c19 |
| 31 | 合部有 | 無 | 0342c12 | 「神」 | 0383c26 |
| 32 | 讖本有 | 「神」 | 0342c12 | 無 | 0383c26 |
| 33 | 合部有 | 無 | 0342c12 | 「神」 | 0383c27 |
| 34 | 讖本有 | 「神」 | 0342c12 | 無 | 0383c27 |
| 35 | 字異 | 「繞」 | 0342c15 | 「遶」 | 0383c29 |
| 36 | 字異 | 「爐」 | 0342c20 | 「鑪」 | 0384a05 |
| 37 | 字異 | 「脩」 | 0342c25 | 「修」 | 0384a11 |
| 38 | 字異 | 「爐」 | 0342c29 | 「鑪」 | 0384a14 |
| 39 | 字異 | 「光」 | 0343a04 | 「色」 | 0384a18 |
| 40 | 字異 | 「界」 | 0343a06 | 「尊」 | 0384a20 |
| 41 | 合部有 | 無 | 0343a13 | 「轉」 | 0384a27 |
| 42 | 字異 | 「必」 | 0343a16 | 「畢」 | 0384a29 |
| 43 | 字異 | 「螺」 | 0343a24 | 「䗍」 | 0384b08 |
| 44 | 字異 | 「解」 | 0343a27 | 「能」 | 0384b11 |
| 45 | 字異 | 「值」 | 0343a27 | 「復」 | 0384b11 |
| 46 | 字異 | 「至」 | 0343b07 | 「止」 | 0384b20 |
| 47 | 字異 | 「兒」 | 0343b11 | 「鬼」 | 0384b24 |
| 48 | 字異 | 「繞」 | 0343b11 | 「遶」 | 0384b24 |
| 49 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0343b21 | 「嘆」 | 0384c04 |
| 50 | 字異 | 「講」 | 0343b22 | 「讚」 | 0384c05 |
| 51 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0343b23 | 「嘆」 | 0384c06 |
| 52 | 字異 | 「王」 | 0343b28 | 「天」 | 0384c11 |
| 53 | 字異 | 「暴」 | 0343c04 | 「惡」 | 0384c16 |
| 54 | 字異 | 「饑」 | 0343c04 | 「飢」 | 0384c16 |
| 55 | 字異 | 「必」 | 0343c13 | 「畢」 | 0384c24 |
| 56 | 讖本有 | 「得」 | 0344a04 | 無 | 0385a15 |
| 57 | 字異 | 「必」 | 0344a13 | 「畢」 | 0385a23 |
| 58 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0344a13 | 「嘆」 | 0385a24 |
| 59 | 字異 | 「歎」 | 0344a16 | 「嘆」 | 0385a27 |
| 60 | 字異 | 「恬」 | 0344a20 | 「澹」 | 0385b02 |
| 61 | 讖本有 | 「天」 | 0344a21 | 無 | 0385b03 |
| 62 | 字異 | 「座」 | 0344a22 | 「坐」 | 0385b03 |
| 63 | 字異 | 「耀」 | 0344b01 | 「曜」 | 0385b12 |
| 64 | 字異 | 「經」 | 0344b20 | 「典」 | 0385c02 |
| 65 | 字異 | 「經」 | 0344c10 | 「法」 | 0385c21 |
| 66 | 讖本有 | 「天」 | 0344c12 | 無 | 0385c23 |
| 67 | 字異 | 「交」 | 0344c14 | 「橫」 | 0385c25 |
| 68 | 字異 | 「肢節」 | 0344c15 | 「支體嬉」 | 0385c25 |
| 69 | 讖本有 | 「解」 | 0344c15 | 無 | 0385c25 |
其中第十九至二十、第二十五至二十六、第三十一至三十四、第六十八至六十九等相鄰增省，分別呈現『坐卑小座／坐小卑座』『已為供養／為已供養』『大辯天神／大辯神天』『功德天神／功德神天』『肢節怡解／支體嬉怡』之字序差。表中仍守六十九個差項，不把相鄰項暗併。
三家逐文疏在分合處的位置
慧沼依義淨獨立品十二逐文，智顗、吉藏則依舊本一〈四天王品〉逐文。三家都及本段，不能把後兩家降成只有玄義旁證；也不能把舊本偈數移入義淨本。
| 家 | 文本層級 | 本段起處 | 全部逐文節點 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 慧沼 T1788 | 義淨本品十二正疏 | 0287c21 | 六大段；第二大段細分願身護人、弘法儀、依法得護、身護與法護；終至 0296b22 |
| 智顗 T1785 | 讖本一品逐文疏 | 0074b09 | 0074b09 佛述成初番；0074c01 第二番護國；0074c21 第三番人王軌模；0075a08 佛述六法六願；0075b02 第四番施善香瑞；0075b09 佛述香遍十方；0075b14 第五番興衰；0075c04 佛述成；0075c08 第六番偈讚、佛答、發誓 |
| 吉藏 T1787 | 讖本一品逐文疏 | 0166c05 | 0166c05 佛述王願與四番勸弘；0167a13 兩番弘經方法、香瑞與諸佛讚；0167b07 得失、四王讚佛、佛讚經與發願 |
智顗本段首句為「次佛述成，文為二：初合述歎經、二述其能護國。」〔T39n1785 0074b09〕；吉藏本段轉折為「就第二佛述中有二：第一讚」〔T39n1787 0166c05〕。智顗舊本計四王偈八行半、佛答二十四行半；吉藏另依舊本偈形分科；慧沼依義淨本明定五頌、十五頌。三種計數各守所據本。
智顗《金光明經玄義》T1783 與知禮《玄義拾遺記》T1784 另有玄義層見證，並非本段逐句疏。智顗以「〈四王品〉六番問答，問問之中重說其名」〔T39n1783 0006a17〕總攝舊品；知禮記諸天以神力護說者、聽者、國王與土境，相關句首為「諸天覆之等者，〈四天王品〉、〈散脂〉及〈鬼神品〉皆廣說」〔T39n1784 0014b16〕。兩者列入旁照時，層級須明記。知禮另有《金光明經文句記》T39n1786 逐文記，舊本〈四天王品〉之記釋自「釋〈四天王品〉題」〔T39n1786 0138a13〕起；與《拾遺記》玄義層分書。
三、唯識義之經據（眼）
本目只把慧沼正疏作為照經之鏡。凡屬釋名、科判、解難與論書會通，皆署慧沼，不改寫成義淨經文自說。
一、護國有防禦與攝養兩面。 慧沼釋題說：「護謂防禦攝養，防禦為彼除災，攝養增其福慧。四天為能護，國者是所護，能所合稱。」〔T39n1788 0288a01〕。他又說：「人為國本，如說有情名為佛土，故雖護人則名護國。」〔T39n1788 0288a07〕。因此在其疏中，除災只是護的一面；增福慧、護持有情與弘法人也是護國。此義可照見本品何以反覆列國王、后妃、眷屬、四眾、人民、說法師與天眾，但『人為國本』仍是慧沼的釋名語。
二、宿善落在三業。 經列恭敬、供養、尊重、讚歎、修法、說法，慧沼配為「供養恭敬身業、尊重意業、讚歎語業。」〔T39n1788 0288a28〕。這一配屬把護法的宿因落在身、語、意，不把『善根』抽空成無行相的名詞；三業分配本身則屬疏說。
三、降座聽法先治高舉與憍慢。 經依次作坐小卑座、不生高舉、捨自在位、離憍慢、端心正念、於法師起大師想、慈愍眷屬、和顏軟語。慧沼把此段列成八項：「示嚴心中，一令除掉舉、二令捨憍慢、三端心聽法、四恭敬法師、五等起慈心、六喜悅相視、七和顏軟語、八身心遍喜。」〔T39n1788 0290a14〕。唯識之眼在此先見心所的轉向：不讓高舉與慢遮蔽聽聞，再使正念、恭敬、慈心與喜悅相續現行。
四、迎師還宮有七種心想。 慧沼依經列得見本師、得大菩提、得見諸佛、供養諸佛、永離惡趣、得諸王位、令他得利七想〔T39n1788 0290c28–0291a07〕。其中琰摩王界，他解作三惡趣分判而正攝鬼趣，並引古論辨其受苦問題。七想與論書辨難都屬鏡中補足；經文直說仍是國王自念聞法、不退、供佛、離苦、種善根與令眾生得利。
五、香有金光是香煙所現。 對經句中香與金光的關係，慧沼說：「約香所依烟，說有金色光。不爾，香塵鼻根所得，如何言見？」〔T39n1788 0291b15〕。疏以根境所取解難：香由鼻根得，眼見的金色光應繫香所依之煙。這一說法可使今語不把氣味本身寫成可見色光，但須明記為慧沼解難。
六、捨法之損由內而外展開。 慧沼把經中衰損先分天神捨離、國土衰損，再把惡相列為十一：「有十一：一彗星橫數流、二兩日竝現、三日月薄蝕、四虹表不祥、五星流失常、六大地振動、七井出異聲、八風雨乖度、九苗稼不實、十他方賊侵、十一自國不樂。」〔T39n1788 0292c18〕。這只是對經文逐項科數，不可反過來把經中失國位、人行惡、疾疫等前置內容吞入『十一災相』一語。
七、如意寶珠法以利生與弘經相接。 慧沼把前段護弘法人與國土稱為身護，又把多聞天王破貧得財、由得福樂而能弘經稱為法護〔T39n1788 0293b21〕。多揭羅，他依古音寫解作「言多揭羅者，此云零凌香。」〔T39n1788 0294a04〕；薜室羅末拏、莫訶、曷羅闍，他分別解作多聞、大、王〔T39n1788 0294a03〕；曷喇怛那、怛喇夜也解作寶、三，即禮三寶〔T39n1788 0294b02〕；檀那、馱也等又依次給財、施等古德訓釋〔T39n1788 0294b03〕。此等只傳古疏音寫與釋語，不據近現代校本還原。
八、持法的心行條件不可從靈驗敘事中刪去。 經要求所得物當日供養三寶、兼施貧乏而不留，對有情起慈悲，不生瞋、誑、諂、害；又令持者以十善資助天眾。慧沼疏隨文保留這些條件，並把多聞天王末段誓願分為法易成、呪利益、身守護、益光明、眷屬侍衛五項〔T39n1788 0295b02〕。福物、守護與流通不是脫離戒善的獨立許諾。
九、五頌與十五頌均有明確受詞。 四王五頌，慧沼先依相好分面、眼、齒、定慧、輪相、鞔網、身光與總禮；另有三身讀法，詳見下一目。佛答十五頌，他分為初五讚經、次五勸人護、次二勸天護、後三總結〔T39n1788 0295c16〕。其中三譬分別是寶樹合得樂、冷水合無違、寶篋合隨心〔T39n1788 0296a10〕；不能把三個譬喻的受詞任意互換。
十、時會所得在疏中列九項。 經文連說大智聰叡辯才、福德、離憂、喜樂、明論、出離、不退、菩提；慧沼判作得智、得辨、得福、離苦、得樂、得五明、得涅槃路、得不退轉、速證菩提九項〔T39n1788 0296b19〕。九項是疏者科數，不把經文『大智聰叡辯才』悄然改寫成另一串名目。
四、諸家異釋（古德·標宗·誌錄不判）
慧沼同疏內部並存之讀
下表收錄本品正疏中實有的多讀、補讀與異本記。每一行都保留兩端，不以較順的一端刪去另一端。
| 節點 | 第一讀或正文讀 | 同疏所存另一讀 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 兩聲善哉 | 一護法、二護人 | 一勸他、二自護；又一宿世善因、二今護人法 | 0288a16 |
| 四王願護長段 | 先願身護人，後願身護法；疏者暫依此釋 | 初願雙護人法，後再校量、重勸護法 | 0288b21 |
| 討罰 | 既已興兵，依『征敗』義可作討伐 | 彼敵只有惡念而未集兵，此王興師欲折伏，故可作討罰 | 0289a07 |
| 諸佛所讚法師 | 可通說法者，也通供養流通的國王；依文勢可但讚王 | 瑞應由經威力，亦可說讚法師；疏結為兩處皆通 | 0291c11 |
| 渡海、解脫生死 | 離苦諦、斷集諦；惑是繫縛與生死本 | 業亦可同攝集諦 | 0292a20 |
| 每日所得數 | 一百迦利沙波拏，物直隨處不定 | 有本作每日一百陳那羅，即金錢 | 0294b07–0294b12 |
| 四王五頌 | 初四頌別讚相好，末一頌總讚申禮；再細分面、眼、齒、定慧、輪相、鞔網、身光 | 初一頌化身、次一頌報身、次兩頌合讚報化、後一頌法身 | 0295b21 |
討罰一處須再分清文本層。義淨經作「發向彼國欲為討罰。」〔T16n0665 0427c24〕；慧沼牒經作「時王見已，即嚴四兵發向彼國欲為討伐。」〔T39n1788 0289a06〕。疏者隨後才並說兩義。經字、牒字、疏解三層各還其位。
智顗《文句》逐文九節點
智顗依讖本一〈四天王品〉，本段有九個連續節點，已在目二逐一列錨。其主要異釋如下：
- 0074b09 把佛述成分為合述歎經與述能護國，又由法護、智眼、天黨、內智外福觀護國。
- 0074c01 說惡鄰退散不是四王偏愛善國、憎惡敵國；佛勸慈心平等，各國守本業、住境自樂，不起貪求。
- 0074c21 以安己身、妻子、宮殿、王領、福德、國無憂苦六願，對讀制心、嚴堂、去慢、正念、和顏、喜慶六種方法。
- 0075a08 以佛說親迎與多世利益，倍述四王所示六願六法，又把迴施諸天納入成就條件。
- 0075b02 對香煙金光另開觀心讀：以智慧火、實相香、戒定慧煙說供養；此是天台觀解，不是底本香瑞的字面改寫。
- 0075b09 說香光由諸天宮遍百億宮殿，再到恒沙佛上，並以十法界總攝。
- 0075b14 把興衰連成因果：王不弘經，天失法食；天神捨離，惡鬼亂行；災毒因而生起。弘經之益則以現利、天得法食、超三論、終得菩提、教主殊勝、諸法之本六面勸聽。
- 0075c04 先作佛只述興勸；又存一解，把『與安樂』讀為述興、『滅衰患』讀為述衰，兩勸皆有述成。
- 0075c08 依舊本偈形以空、日、月、水中影等通別說三身，又對月影、水動與眾生機感展開問答；這是智顗舊本的三身觀解，不移作義淨五頌的唯一分科。
吉藏《疏》逐文三節點
吉藏同依舊本一品，三個大節點也各守其宗：
- 0166c05 先以佛述成護人、護國，後說四番勸他弘通；對敵國有苦的疑問，他答經與四王並無加害之心，惡意違逆有德而自招其事。
- 0167a13 把弘經方法分重法、敬人，又分聽法運心與供養運心；香瑞由此土遍大千、十方佛土，再入諸佛讚弘經與得果。
- 0167b07 以不弘為國敗之失、弘經為土豐之得；偈段依舊本分四王讚佛與如來歎經，並以寶樹、冷水、珍寶三譬說得益。
玄義層旁照
智顗 T1783 把〈四王品〉六番問答、香蓋金光遍十方、護經宣通與攘災滅惡納入玄義總判〔0006a17；0011c12〕。知禮 T1784 記釋護說者、聽者、國王與土境，又記香蓋金光為經威神力〔0014b16；0027a16〕。兩者沒有本段逐句注解，故只列玄義旁照；知禮《文句記》T39n1786 之逐文記自 0138a13 起，另書別層。慧沼、智顗、吉藏三家逐文與知禮記釋並置，不會通成一說，也不判宗派優劣。
五、術語
護國。 品題之『國』包含國王、眷屬、人民、城邑、宮殿與土境；經文又以流通、聽聞、供養、十善、不侵奪、慈悲謙讓為安穩因。慧沼另以防禦除災、攝養增福慧釋護，以護人通於護國；後者須署古疏。
正法流。 四王說國王捨經，使諸天『背甘露味，失正法流』；弘經則使天眾得服甘露法味。『流』與經文的流布、廣宣、不斷、不速隱沒相應，不是只保存一部靜止卷冊。
四部眾。 本品所列是苾芻、苾芻尼、鄔波索迦、鄔波斯迦。白話與義疏不得只以模糊的『大眾』代替，也不得另增經文未列的受益者。
法師。 經文有人王『於法師所起大師想』、出城迎法師，又有十方佛讚法師。慧沼於後一處並存說法者、供養流通之王及兩處皆通的讀法；不可用其中一讀消去其他讀。
琰摩王界。 經與地獄、餓鬼、傍生並列。慧沼解作三惡趣的分判而正攝鬼趣，另引古論解難；今語只可在署名古疏時採此補充，不擴寫成經自說。
香蓋金光。 經說香煙升空、化蓋、放金光，遍天宮、大千與十方佛土。慧沼由根境解『香有金光』為香所依之煙現金色光；智顗另作觀心解。字面、唯識解難、天台觀解三層不混。
陀羅尼與呪。 本品如意寶珠法保存多段古代音寫、持誦次第與供養規則。音寫不翻譯、不正字化、不依近現代校本還原。慧沼只在古疏所見範圍內給多聞、大、王、三寶、財、施等訓釋，各本音字仍不互改。
迦利沙波拏。 義淨本與慧沼牒文各有夾註，字形與標點並不全同，須分開保存。義淨本夾註如下：
〔T16n0665 0431a23〕
一百迦利沙波拏〔此是根本梵音，惟目貝齒而隨方不定，或是貝齒，或是金銀銅鐵等錢，然摩揭陀現今通用一迦利沙波拏有一千六百貝齒，總數可以准知，若准物直隨處不定。若人持呪得成就者，獲物之時自知其數。有本云：每日與一百陳那羅，即金錢也。乃至盡形日日常得，西方求者多有神驗，除不至心也〕
慧沼牒文夾註如下：
〔T39n1788 0294b12〕
一百迦利沙波拏〔此是根本梵音，唯見貝齒。而隨方不定，或是貝齒，或是金銀銅鐵等錢。然摩揭陀現今通用一迦利沙波拏有一千六百貝齒，總數可以準知。若準物直，隨處不定。若人持呪得成就者，獲物之時自知其數。有本云「每日與一百陳那羅」，即金錢也，乃至盡形日日常得。西方求者多有神驗，除不志心也〕
經文與慧沼牒經。 下列字面各屬各本，不能把疏中簡式反寫成底本：
| 節點 | 義淨經 | 慧沼牒經 |
|---|---|---|
| 安隱／安穩 | 「汝等應當勤加守護，令得安隱。」〔T16n0665 0427b27〕 | 「汝等應當勤加守護，令得安穩。」〔T39n1788 0288b05〕 |
| 飢／饑 | 「能除眾苦、怨賊、飢饉及諸疾疫。」〔T16n0665 0427c03〕 | 「能除眾苦、怨賊饑饉及諸疾疫。」〔T39n1788 0288b10〕 |
| 討罰／討伐 | 「發向彼國欲為討罰。」〔T16n0665 0427c24〕 | 「時王見已，即嚴四兵發向彼國欲為討伐。」〔T39n1788 0289a06〕 |
| 繫縛／擊縛 | 「無有鬪戰繫縛等苦。」〔T16n0665 0428a10〕 | 「無有鬪戰擊縛等苦。」〔T39n1788 0289b12〕 |
| 自生／自然 | 「其土人民自生愛樂，上下和穆，猶如水乳」〔T16n0665 0428a11〕 | 「其土人民自然受樂，上下和穆猶如水乳」〔T39n1788 0289b16〕 |
六、譬喻·修辭
水乳。 贍部洲安樂段以「上下和穆，猶如水乳」〔T16n0665 0428a11〕形容人民和睦相愛。譬喻所明是和合，不可外加經文沒有的政體判斷。
甘露與法炬。 四王以甘露法味說聞法所得，又勸國王在國中燃起法炬。前者顯法能充足天眾，後者顯流通能照明無邊；兩者都回到聽受與弘經，不把甘露物質化，也不把法炬改造成武力象徵。
法鼓、法螺、法幢、法炬、法雨與大海。 十方佛讚流通者未來轉法輪，依次說擊鼓、吹螺、建幢、燃炬、降雨、斷煩惱，使有情渡生死大海。這是一組說法、破惑、度生的修辭鏈，不能任取一象徵脫離前後因果。
四王讚佛諸譬。 滿月、千日、青蓮、珂雪、大海、妙寶、金山、妙高、虛空、焰幻都實見於五頌。前四頌多讚面目齒德、定慧、手足相與身光，第五頌總讚相好不可測而如焰如幻；受詞須隨頌而定。
佛答三譬。 三譬逐頌為：
- 「如寶樹王在宅內，能生一切諸樂具；最勝經王亦復然，能與人王勝功德。」〔T16n0665 0432b08〕
- 「譬如澄潔清冷水，能除飢渴諸熱惱；最勝經王亦復然，令樂福者心滿足。」〔T16n0665 0432b10〕
- 「如人室有妙寶篋，隨所受用悉從心；最勝經王亦復然，福德隨心無所乏。」〔T16n0665 0432b12〕
慧沼以得樂、無違、隨心分別三譬；吉藏也依寶樹、冷水、珍寶分說。三者並列可見譬喻各有句內功能，不宜揉成一個泛稱『滿願』的譬喻。
七、互讀·承衍
由品十一到品十二。 義淨本品十一以四王勸人王與大眾流通經典收束，本品從佛陀讚四王、勸其親自守護開始。慧沼因此判『前品四王勸他，此品願自守護』，又以他利、自行二利和佛勸廣護說承接。這是古疏判，不作義淨分品動機的歷史斷言。
由本品到品十三、十四。 慧沼說此下三品明經可尊、行者得護，以本品為天護，後二品為呪護。磁碟次第中，後二品即 0432c16 起〈無染著陀羅尼品第十三〉與 0433b05 起〈如意寶珠品第十四〉。這條承衍只陳慧沼科判，不把『後二呪護』冒充本品經句。
護人與護法。 經文從護國王、四眾、法師，走到護經不斷；又從國王法施使天眾得甘露，走到天眾護王國。慧沼以法藉人弘、人由法成德說其先後，另存雙護人法之讀。互讀時應保存兩種觀察，不將人或法降為純工具。
興與衰。 國王弘經，天眾得聞法味而護國；國王捨經，天眾失法味而離去，災相隨生。智顗、吉藏都以興衰勸護，卻各有因果與分段方式。三家同見此軸，不表示細科完全相同。
從五頌到十五頌。 四王仰讚佛身功德，佛答立刻轉向護經、安有情、退怨賊、供養經王與人天增益。慧沼依義淨本分五讚經、五勸人、二勸天、三結；舊疏依舊本有不同偈數與三身分科。互讀只顯各本如何收束，不回改二十頌的底本文字。
時會所得。 經末原句為：「無量眾生皆得大智聰叡辯才，攝受無量福德之聚，離諸憂惱，發喜樂心，善明眾論，登出離道，不復退轉，速證菩提。」〔T16n0665 0432c06〕。它把護國之益收回聞法眾生的智慧、福德、離苦、喜樂、明論、出離、不退與菩提。所得全列，不以『大眾皆得利益』一語縮去。
八、校本定位
- 本譯注以義淨 T16n0665 為正文底本：品題 0427b19，品身 0427b20–0432c09；0432c10、0432c13、0432c15 是卷縫文字，0432c16 是下一品題。
- 讖本 T16n0663〈四天王品第六〉後半 0341a27–0344c19、合部 T16n0664〈四天王品第十〉後半 0382b17–0385c29，與本品作對位見證。兩本均有本段，不另立缺品或增補敘事。
- 義淨本把舊本一品分作前後兩品；本層只記固定對位與分合，不臆斷分品原因。
- 讖本、合部六十九條非標點漢字差已逐條列出；標點、書名號、異體字各守本傳，不用合部標點整飭讖本，也不用義淨回校舊本。
- T665 在舊本相應位置以外另有多聞天王如意寶珠陀羅尼法與時會得益。只記文字有無，不從有無推出生成、義理或原語本狀態。
- 本品陀羅尼音寫依 T665 原字保存，全形空白、重複音節、異體字與擴展漢字均不整飭。原傳夾註若徵引，使用〔〕逐字照錄；慧沼牒文音字與義淨底本分開。
- T665 有二組偈、四十偈行，按相鄰兩行合為四王五頌、佛答十五頌。白話須二十頌逐頌對譯；舊本八行半、二十四行半的計數不移植。
- 慧沼本品正疏在卷五，品題 0287c21，署記 0286b13 為全疏第五見；『言來意者』實錨 0287c23。智顗、吉藏逐文疏依舊本，知禮《拾遺記》屬玄義記釋、《文句記》T39n1786 屬逐文記〔0138a13 起〕，層次分明。
本品三譯、三家逐文疏、玄義旁照與慧沼內部多讀，皆以傳錄而不裁判為原則。護國的字面從護持人法、聽受流通、國土安穩，一直延伸到法師不忘、經典不隱與眾生趣菩提；校勘若把異存磨平，反而會遮蔽這條傳承如何在不同文本中展開。
Placement of the complete chapter. This chapter takes Yijing’s T16n0665 as its base text. Dharmakṣema’s T16n0663 and Baogui’s composite T16n0664 each preserve one “Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings,” whereas Yijing divides the corresponding material into Chapters 11 and 12; the present chapter aligns with the older recensions beginning from the Buddha’s praise of the Four Kings. What follows records only the divisions and combinations, original graphs, ancient commentarial outlines, and alternate explanations. It does not revise one translation by means of another or adjudicate the doctrinal meaning of the chapter division.
I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement
Chapter Boundaries, Fascicle Seams, and Commentary Fascicle
The chapter title in Yijing’s recension stands at T16n0665 0427b19. The chapter body begins at 0427b20 and ends at 0432c09. The line at 0432c10 is the ending title of fascicle six; 0432c13 is the title of fascicle seven, and 0432c15 its attribution line; 0432c16 is already the title of “The Dhāraṇī without Defilement,” Chapter 13. Thus 0432c16 serves only as the terminal boundary and is not counted as part of the present chapter body.
Huizhao’s principal commentary titles the chapter 「四天王護國品第十二」—“The Four Heavenly Kings Protect the Realm, Chapter 12” 〔T39n1788 0287c21〕. Its commentary fascicle is fascicle five, not fascicle six of the sūtra. The attribution for fascicle five is 「翻經沙門慧沼撰」—“Composed by the scripture-translating śramaṇa Huizhao” 〔T39n1788 0286b13, the fifth occurrence〕. The chapter commentary begins at 0287c22. If its opening is taken from 『三門分別』—“distinguished through three approaches”—the anchor is 0287c22; if it is taken from the first graph of the following sentence, then it is 「言來意者，前品讚經勝妙勸他弘持」—“Concerning the reason for its coming: the preceding chapter praised the sūtra’s excellence and subtlety and exhorted others to propagate and uphold it” 〔T39n1788 0287c23〕. The latter cannot still be attached to 0287c22.
Huizhao’s complete explanation of the reason for its coming expressly says: 「言來意者，前品讚經勝妙勸他弘持，此下三品明經可尊，行者得護，初一天護、後二呪護。又前品四王勸他，此品願自守護。前品令他行二利，此品明自行二利。前品自意勸持，此品佛勸廣護。故前品後有此品生。」—“Concerning the reason for its coming: the preceding chapter praised the sūtra’s excellence and subtlety and exhorted others to propagate and uphold it. The following three chapters clarify that the sūtra is worthy of reverence and that practitioners obtain protection: the first concerns protection by deities, and the latter two protection by spells. Again, in the preceding chapter the Four Kings exhorted others; in this chapter they vow to protect it themselves. The preceding chapter caused others to practice the two benefits; this chapter clarifies their own practice of the two benefits. The preceding chapter exhorted upholding on their own initiative; in this chapter the Buddha exhorts broad protection. Therefore this chapter arises after the preceding chapter” 〔T39n1788 0287c23〕. This is the ancient commentary’s interpretation of the relation between the preceding and following chapters, not a statement made by the sūtra itself.
Fourteen-Section Working Index
This edition organizes the body according to the established fourteen sections. The names below serve only as an index for the translation and annotation. The opening words of the scriptural passages are direct statements of the base text, while the scope assigned by each section name must still be kept distinct from Huizhao’s doctrinal outline.
| Section | T665 range | Index of scriptural content |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0427b20–0427c05 | The Buddha hears that the Four Kings make offerings and protect the sūtra, praises their past goodness, and exhorts them to protect people and Dharma |
| 2 | 0427c06–0427c27 | The Four Kings vow to protect rulers, the fourfold community, places of circulation, and the borders of realms |
| 3 | 0427c28–0428b02 | The Buddha confirms them and teaches that the eighty-four thousand cities and settlements and eighty-four thousand rulers of Jambudvīpa should each remain secure in their own lands |
| 4 | 0428b03–0428b23 | The human ruler adorns the Dharma site, descends from his seat and leaves pride behind, and listens to the Dharma with right mindfulness |
| 5 | 0428b24–0429a04 | The human ruler personally welcomes the Dharma teacher and dedicates the resulting merit to the Four Kings |
| 6 | 0429a05–0429c04 | Seats are established for the Four Kings, fragrant signs pervade the realms, and the buddhas of the ten directions praise those who circulate the sūtra |
| 7 | 0429c05–0429c23 | The deities conceal themselves to hear the Dharma and become spiritual friends together with the human ruler |
| 8 | 0429c24–0430b23 | Decline from failure to circulate the sūtra and benefits obtained through propagating and protecting it |
| 9 | 0430b24–0430c04 | The Buddha again exhorts protection of rulers who hear the sūtra and members of the fourfold community who circulate it |
| 10 | 0430c05–0432a04 | Vaiśravaṇa’s wish-fulfilling jewel dhāraṇī method |
| 11 | 0432a05–0432a07 | The Buddha praises Vaiśravaṇa for breaking the net of poverty and suffering and causing the sūtra to circulate widely |
| 12 | 0432a08–0432a20 | The Four Kings praise the Buddha in five stanzas |
| 13 | 0432a21–0432b23 | The Buddha responds and exhorts them in fifteen stanzas |
| 14 | 0432b24–0432c09 | The Four Kings rejoice and vow to protect; the assembly receives benefit |
Huizhao’s opening sentence of the overall division is 「就此品中，大分為六：初世尊讚歎令修、二四王奉教願護」—“Within this chapter there are six major divisions: first, the World-Honored One praises and exhorts cultivation; second, the Four Kings respectfully receive the teaching and vow to protect” 〔T39n1788 0288a16〕. The remaining four divisions are, in sequence, the Four Kings’ grateful praise of the Buddha, the Buddha’s further exhortation to protect and concluding establishment, the Four Kings’ joyful protection and upholding, and the assembly’s benefit upon hearing the sūtra. His second major division is further unfolded into bodily protection of persons, the protocol for propagating the Dharma, protection obtained in reliance upon Dharma, and bodily and Dharma protection, with still finer subdivisions. This edition’s fourteen sections merely project those boundaries onto the body of the base text; they do not establish fourteen separate chapters.
II. Alternate Translations · Collation of the Three Translations
Division and Combination among Three Recensions and Fifteen Alignment Nodes
All three recensions preserve this material. Dharmakṣema titles it “The Four Heavenly Kings,” Chapter 6, at 0340c16, with the entire chapter body at 0340c17–0344c19. The composite recension titles it “The Four Heavenly Kings,” Chapter 10, at 0382a08, with the entire chapter body at 0382a09–0385c29. Yijing separately establishes “The Four Heavenly Kings Observe Gods and Humans,” Chapter 11, and the present chapter. The transition anchors between the latter half of the older chapters and the present chapter are respectively:
- Yijing: 「爾時，世尊聞四天王恭敬供養《金光明經》」—“At that time, the World-Honored One heard that the Four Heavenly Kings reverently made offerings to the Sūtra of Golden Light” 〔T16n0665 0427b20〕.
- Dharmakṣema: 「爾時世尊讚歎護世四天王等」—“At that time, the World-Honored One praised the Four Heavenly Kings, Protectors of the World, and the others” 〔T16n0663 0341a27〕.
- Composite recension: 「爾時，世尊讚嘆護世四天王等」—“At that time, the World-Honored One praised the Four Heavenly Kings, Protectors of the World, and the others” 〔T16n0664 0382b17〕.
The latter halves of Yijing’s, Dharmakṣema’s, and the composite recensions align as follows. Nodes eleven and fifteen record only that Yijing has text for which the two older recensions have no aligned wording at this point; they do not infer a sequence of textual genesis.
| Node | Yijing T665 | Dharmakṣema T663 | Composite T664 | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0427b20–0427c05 | 0341a27–0341b12 | 0382b17–0382c02 | The Buddha recounts and praises, exhorting protection of people and Dharma |
| 2 | 0427c06–0427c27 | 0341b13–0341c03 | 0382c03–0382c21 | The Four Kings vow to protect; neighboring enemies retreat and disperse |
| 3 | 0427c28–0428b02 | 0341c04–0342a09 | 0382c22–0383a26 | The Buddha confirms them; Jambudvīpa is peaceful and happy |
| 4 | 0428b03–0428b23 | 0342a10–0342a26 | 0383a27–0383b14 | Protocol for a human ruler listening to the Dharma |
| 5 | 0428b24–0429a04 | 0342a27–0342c01 | 0383b15–0383c16 | Welcoming the Dharma teacher, merit, and dedication |
| 6 | 0429a05–0429a21 | 0342c02–0342c17 | 0383c17–0384a02 | Establishing seats, burning incense, and fragrant canopies reaching divine palaces |
| 7 | 0429a22–0429c04 | 0342c18–0343a28 | 0384a03–0384b12 | Fragrance pervades the trichiliocosm and the ten directions; the buddhas praise |
| 8 | 0429c05–0429c23 | 0343a29–0343b18 | 0384b13–0384c02 | The deities conceal themselves to hear the Dharma and become spiritual friends to the ruler |
| 9 | 0429c24–0430b23 | 0343b19–0344a12 | 0384c03–0385a24 | Decline from abandoning Dharma, benefits of propagating it, comparison, and exhortation to propagate |
| 10 | 0430b24–0430c04 | 0344a13–0344a20 | 0385a25–0385b02 | The Buddha again exhorts protection of those who propagate the sūtra |
| 11 | 0430c05–0432a07 | None | None | Vaiśravaṇa’s dhāraṇī method and the Buddha’s praise |
| 12 | 0432a08–0432a20 | 0344a21–0344b06 | 0385b03–0385b17 | The Four Kings praise the Buddha: five stanzas in Yijing, eight and a half verse lines in the older recensions |
| 13 | 0432a21–0432b23 | 0344b07–0344c11 | 0385b18–0385c22 | The Buddha responds: fifteen stanzas in Yijing, twenty-four and a half verse lines in the older recensions |
| 14 | 0432b24–0432c04 | 0344c12–0344c19 | 0385c23–0385c29 | The Four Kings rejoice, scatter flowers, and vow to protect Dharma teachers |
| 15 | 0432c05–0432c09 | None | None | Benefit received by the assembly in Yijing’s recension |
Sixty-Nine Nonpunctuation Graph Variants between Dharmakṣema and the Composite Recension
The comparison concerns the transmitted wording in the latter half of the two recensions and takes only Han graphs for a full-sequence comparison: Dharmakṣema has four thousand eight hundred twenty-five graphs, and the composite recension four thousand eight hundred twenty-four. Punctuation differences remain preserved in each complete recension and are not mixed into this table. All sixty-nine differences below are retained one by one. Reversals in graph order produced by adjacent additions or omissions are not merged, lest the actual number of differences be reduced.
| No. | Difference type | Dharmakṣema original graph | Dharmakṣema anchor | Composite original graph | Composite anchor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0341a27 | 「嘆」 | 0382b17 |
| 2 | Graph differs | 「已」 | 0341a28 | 「以」 | 0382b18 |
| 3 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0341a28 | 「嘆」 | 0382b18 |
| 4 | Present in composite | None | 0341b07 | 「典」 | 0382b26 |
| 5 | Graph differs | 「脩」 | 0341b09 | 「修」 | 0382b27 |
| 6 | Graph differs | 「此」 | 0341b10 | 「是」 | 0382b29 |
| 7 | Graph differs | 「饑」 | 0341b11 | 「飢」 | 0382b29 |
| 8 | Graph differs | 「其」 | 0341b20 | 「是」 | 0382c10 |
| 9 | Graph differs | 「懅」 | 0341c02 | 「懼」 | 0382c19 |
| 10 | Graph differs | 「集」 | 0341c14 | 「習」 | 0383a03 |
| 11 | Graph differs | 「土」 | 0341c17 | 「上」 | 0383a06 |
| 12 | Graph differs | 「愛」 | 0341c17 | 「歡」 | 0383a06 |
| 13 | Graph differs | 「睦」 | 0341c18 | 「穆」 | 0383a06 |
| 14 | Graph differs | 「實」 | 0341c21 | 「溢」 | 0383a10 |
| 15 | Graph differs | 「吝」 | 0341c22 | 「悋」 | 0383a10 |
| 16 | Graph differs | 「經」 | 0342a01 | 「典」 | 0383a18 |
| 17 | Graph differs | 「校」 | 0342a18 | 「絞」 | 0383b06 |
| 18 | Graph differs | 「纓絡」 | 0342a20 | 「瓔珞」 | 0383b08 |
| 19 | Present in composite | None | 0342a20 | 「小」 | 0383b08 |
| 20 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「小」 | 0342a20 | None | 0383b08 |
| 21 | Graph differs | 「驕」 | 0342a22 | 「憍」 | 0383b09 |
| 22 | Graph differs | 「倦」 | 0342a27 | 「惓」 | 0383b14 |
| 23 | Graph differs | 「纓絡」 | 0342a29 | 「瓔珞」 | 0383b16 |
| 24 | Graph differs | 「白」 | 0342a29 | 「帛」 | 0383b16 |
| 25 | Present in composite | None | 0342b18 | 「為」 | 0383c04 |
| 26 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「為」 | 0342b18 | None | 0383c04 |
| 27 | Graph differs | 「已」 | 0342b23 | 「以」 | 0383c09 |
| 28 | Graph differs | 「陵」 | 0342b24 | 「凌」 | 0383c10 |
| 29 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0342b26 | 「嘆」 | 0383c12 |
| 30 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0342c04 | 「嘆」 | 0383c19 |
| 31 | Present in composite | None | 0342c12 | 「神」 | 0383c26 |
| 32 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「神」 | 0342c12 | None | 0383c26 |
| 33 | Present in composite | None | 0342c12 | 「神」 | 0383c27 |
| 34 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「神」 | 0342c12 | None | 0383c27 |
| 35 | Graph differs | 「繞」 | 0342c15 | 「遶」 | 0383c29 |
| 36 | Graph differs | 「爐」 | 0342c20 | 「鑪」 | 0384a05 |
| 37 | Graph differs | 「脩」 | 0342c25 | 「修」 | 0384a11 |
| 38 | Graph differs | 「爐」 | 0342c29 | 「鑪」 | 0384a14 |
| 39 | Graph differs | 「光」 | 0343a04 | 「色」 | 0384a18 |
| 40 | Graph differs | 「界」 | 0343a06 | 「尊」 | 0384a20 |
| 41 | Present in composite | None | 0343a13 | 「轉」 | 0384a27 |
| 42 | Graph differs | 「必」 | 0343a16 | 「畢」 | 0384a29 |
| 43 | Graph differs | 「螺」 | 0343a24 | 「䗍」 | 0384b08 |
| 44 | Graph differs | 「解」 | 0343a27 | 「能」 | 0384b11 |
| 45 | Graph differs | 「值」 | 0343a27 | 「復」 | 0384b11 |
| 46 | Graph differs | 「至」 | 0343b07 | 「止」 | 0384b20 |
| 47 | Graph differs | 「兒」 | 0343b11 | 「鬼」 | 0384b24 |
| 48 | Graph differs | 「繞」 | 0343b11 | 「遶」 | 0384b24 |
| 49 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0343b21 | 「嘆」 | 0384c04 |
| 50 | Graph differs | 「講」 | 0343b22 | 「讚」 | 0384c05 |
| 51 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0343b23 | 「嘆」 | 0384c06 |
| 52 | Graph differs | 「王」 | 0343b28 | 「天」 | 0384c11 |
| 53 | Graph differs | 「暴」 | 0343c04 | 「惡」 | 0384c16 |
| 54 | Graph differs | 「饑」 | 0343c04 | 「飢」 | 0384c16 |
| 55 | Graph differs | 「必」 | 0343c13 | 「畢」 | 0384c24 |
| 56 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「得」 | 0344a04 | None | 0385a15 |
| 57 | Graph differs | 「必」 | 0344a13 | 「畢」 | 0385a23 |
| 58 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0344a13 | 「嘆」 | 0385a24 |
| 59 | Graph differs | 「歎」 | 0344a16 | 「嘆」 | 0385a27 |
| 60 | Graph differs | 「恬」 | 0344a20 | 「澹」 | 0385b02 |
| 61 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「天」 | 0344a21 | None | 0385b03 |
| 62 | Graph differs | 「座」 | 0344a22 | 「坐」 | 0385b03 |
| 63 | Graph differs | 「耀」 | 0344b01 | 「曜」 | 0385b12 |
| 64 | Graph differs | 「經」 | 0344b20 | 「典」 | 0385c02 |
| 65 | Graph differs | 「經」 | 0344c10 | 「法」 | 0385c21 |
| 66 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「天」 | 0344c12 | None | 0385c23 |
| 67 | Graph differs | 「交」 | 0344c14 | 「橫」 | 0385c25 |
| 68 | Graph differs | 「肢節」 | 0344c15 | 「支體嬉」 | 0385c25 |
| 69 | Present in Dharmakṣema | 「解」 | 0344c15 | None | 0385c25 |
Among them, the adjacent additions and omissions in items nineteen through twenty, twenty-five through twenty-six, thirty-one through thirty-four, and sixty-eight through sixty-nine respectively display 『坐卑小座／坐小卑座』—“sit on a low small seat / sit on a small low seat,” 『已為供養／為已供養』—“already made an offering / made an offering already,” 『大辯天神／大辯神天』—“deity Great Eloquence / Great Eloquence deity,” 『功德天神／功德神天』—“goddess of merit / merit goddess,” and 『肢節怡解／支體嬉怡』—“limbs relaxed with ease / body delighted and at ease” as differences in graph order. The table nevertheless retains sixty-nine distinct differences and does not silently merge adjacent items.
Position of the Three Line-by-Line Commentaries at the Point of Division
Huizhao comments line by line on Yijing’s independent Chapter 12, while Zhiyi and Jizang comment line by line on the older recension’s single “Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings.” All three reach the present material. The latter two therefore cannot be reduced to collateral evidence found only in works of profound meaning; nor can the older recension’s stanza counts be transferred into Yijing’s text.
| Master | Textual level | Opening of this material | Complete line-by-line nodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huizhao T1788 | Principal commentary on Yijing’s Chapter 12 | 0287c21 | Six major divisions; the second is finely divided into vowing bodily protection of persons, the protocol for propagating the Dharma, protection obtained in reliance upon Dharma, and bodily and Dharma protection; it ends at 0296b22 |
| Zhiyi T1785 | Line-by-line commentary on one chapter in the Dharmakṣema recension | 0074b09 | 0074b09, the Buddha confirms the first cycle; 0074c01, the second cycle, protection of the realm; 0074c21, the third cycle, the model for a human ruler; 0075a08, the Buddha confirms six methods and six vows; 0075b02, the fourth cycle, bestowing goodness and fragrant signs; 0075b09, the Buddha confirms that fragrance pervades the ten directions; 0075b14, the fifth cycle, flourishing and decline; 0075c04, the Buddha confirms; 0075c08, the sixth cycle, praise in verse, the Buddha’s response, and the vow |
| Jizang T1787 | Line-by-line commentary on one chapter in the Dharmakṣema recension | 0166c05 | 0166c05, the Buddha confirms the ruler’s vow and four cycles of exhortation to propagate; 0167a13, two cycles concerning methods of propagating the sūtra, fragrant signs, and the buddhas’ praise; 0167b07, gain and loss, the Four Kings’ praise of the Buddha, the Buddha’s praise of the sūtra, and the vow |
Zhiyi’s opening sentence for this material is 「次佛述成，文為二：初合述歎經、二述其能護國。」—“Next, the Buddha confirms and establishes. The text has two parts: first, he jointly confirms the praise of the sūtra; second, he confirms their ability to protect the realm” 〔T39n1785 0074b09〕. Jizang marks the transition with 「就第二佛述中有二：第一讚」—“Within the second, the Buddha’s confirmation, there are two parts: first, praise” 〔T39n1787 0166c05〕. In the older text, Zhiyi counts the Four Kings’ verses as eight and a half lines and the Buddha’s response as twenty-four and a half lines; Jizang makes another division according to the older text’s verse form; Huizhao, following Yijing, explicitly establishes five stanzas and fifteen stanzas. Each of the three counts remains with its textual basis.
Zhiyi’s Profound Meaning of the Sūtra of Golden Light T1783 and Zhili’s Supplementary Record on the Profound Meaning T1784 provide a further level of testimony in works of profound meaning, not line-by-line commentary on this material. Zhiyi comprehensively treats the older chapter through 「〈四王品〉六番問答，問問之中重說其名」—“the six cycles of question and answer in the ‘Chapter on the Four Kings,’ with its name repeated within every question” 〔T39n1783 0006a17〕. Zhili records how the deities use spiritual power to protect speakers, listeners, rulers, and their territories; the relevant sentence begins 「諸天覆之等者，〈四天王品〉、〈散脂〉及〈鬼神品〉皆廣說」—“As for the deities’ covering and protecting them and so forth, the ‘Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings,’ ‘Saṃjñāya,’ and the ‘Chapter on Spirits’ all explain this extensively” 〔T39n1784 0014b16〕. When these two are included as collateral illumination, their level must be expressly recorded. Zhili also has the line-by-line Record of the Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light T39n1786, whose record of the older “Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings” begins at 「釋〈四天王品〉題」—“Explaining the title of the ‘Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings’” 〔T39n1786 0138a13〕; it is written separately from the profound-meaning level of the Supplementary Record.
III. Scriptural Grounds for the Consciousness-Only Meaning (the Point of the Eye)
This topic uses only Huizhao’s principal commentary as a mirror illuminating the sūtra. Every explanation of a name, doctrinal outline, resolution of a difficulty, and reconciliation with a treatise remains attributed to Huizhao and is not rewritten as a direct statement of Yijing’s scripture.
1. Protection of the realm has both defensive and nurturing aspects. Explaining the title, Huizhao says: 「護謂防禦攝養，防禦為彼除災，攝養增其福慧。四天為能護，國者是所護，能所合稱。」—“Protection means defense and nurturing. Defense removes calamity for them; nurturing increases their merit and wisdom. The Four Heavenly Kings are those who protect, while the realm is what is protected; the name combines agent and object” 〔T39n1788 0288a01〕. He also says: 「人為國本，如說有情名為佛土，故雖護人則名護國。」—“People are the foundation of a realm. As it is said, sentient beings are called a buddha-land; therefore, although persons are protected, it is called protecting the realm” 〔T39n1788 0288a07〕. In his commentary, removing calamity is therefore only one aspect of protection; increasing merit and wisdom and protecting sentient beings and those who propagate the Dharma are also protection of the realm. This helps illuminate why the chapter repeatedly lists rulers, queens, retinues, the fourfold community, the people, Dharma teachers, and divine hosts, but 『人為國本』—“people are the foundation of a realm”—remains Huizhao’s explanation of the title.
2. Past goodness is located in the three forms of action. The sūtra lists reverence, offering, honoring, praise, cultivation of Dharma, and teaching Dharma. Huizhao correlates them as 「供養恭敬身業、尊重意業、讚歎語業。」—“Offering and reverence are bodily action, honoring is mental action, and praise is verbal action” 〔T39n1788 0288a28〕. This correlation locates the past causes of protecting the Dharma in body, speech, and mind rather than emptying 『善根』—“roots of goodness”—into a term without modes of activity; the distribution among the three forms of action itself belongs to the commentary.
3. Descending from the seat to hear the Dharma first remedies self-exaltation and pride. The sūtra proceeds through sitting on a small low seat, not becoming self-exalted, relinquishing the station of sovereign freedom, leaving pride behind, centering the mind in right mindfulness, regarding the Dharma teacher as a great teacher, pitying one’s retinue, and speaking gently with a pleasant expression. Huizhao enumerates eight items: 「示嚴心中，一令除掉舉、二令捨憍慢、三端心聽法、四恭敬法師、五等起慈心、六喜悅相視、七和顏軟語、八身心遍喜。」—“Within displaying a solemn mind: first, causing the removal of restlessness and self-exaltation; second, causing pride to be relinquished; third, centering the mind to hear the Dharma; fourth, revering the Dharma teacher; fifth, equally arousing a mind of loving-kindness; sixth, looking upon one another with joy; seventh, speaking gently with a pleasant expression; eighth, joy pervading body and mind” 〔T39n1788 0290a14〕. The consciousness-only eye first sees here a turning of mental factors: self-exaltation and pride no longer obstruct hearing, and right mindfulness, reverence, loving-kindness, and joy are then made to continue in active manifestation.
4. Welcoming the teacher and returning to the palace involves seven contemplations. Following the sūtra, Huizhao lists seven contemplations: seeing one’s original teacher, obtaining great awakening, seeing the buddhas, making offerings to the buddhas, forever leaving the evil destinies, attaining the stations of rulers, and enabling others to obtain benefit 〔T39n1788 0290c28–0291a07〕. He explains Yama’s realm by distinguishing the three evil destinies and principally including the ghost destiny, while citing an ancient treatise to resolve a difficulty concerning the suffering experienced there. Both the seven contemplations and the treatise-based resolution supplement the text inside the mirror. The sūtra’s direct statement remains the ruler’s own contemplation of hearing the Dharma, nonretrogression, offering to buddhas, leaving suffering, planting roots of goodness, and enabling sentient beings to obtain benefit.
5. The golden light in the fragrance is manifested by the incense smoke. Concerning the relation between fragrance and golden light in the scriptural sentence, Huizhao says: 「約香所依烟，說有金色光。不爾，香塵鼻根所得，如何言見？」—“It is with reference to the smoke on which the fragrance depends that golden-colored light is said to exist. Otherwise, since the scent-object is obtained by the faculty of smell, how could the text speak of seeing it?” 〔T39n1788 0291b15〕. The commentary resolves the difficulty through faculty and object: fragrance is obtained through the faculty of smell, so the golden light seen by the eye should be attached to the smoke supporting the fragrance. This prevents a contemporary rendering from describing odor itself as visible colored light, but it must be expressly recorded as Huizhao’s resolution.
6. The harms of abandoning Dharma unfold from within to without. Huizhao first divides the scripture’s decline into the departure of deities and spirits and the decline of the realm; he then enumerates eleven evil signs: 「有十一：一彗星橫數流、二兩日竝現、三日月薄蝕、四虹表不祥、五星流失常、六大地振動、七井出異聲、八風雨乖度、九苗稼不實、十他方賊侵、十一自國不樂。」—“There are eleven: first, comets stream erratically and repeatedly; second, two suns appear together; third, the sun and moon are obscured or eclipsed; fourth, rainbows signify inauspiciousness; fifth, the five planets wander and lose their regular courses; sixth, the great earth quakes; seventh, wells emit strange sounds; eighth, winds and rains depart from proper measure; ninth, crops fail to bear; tenth, bandits invade from other regions; eleventh, one’s own realm is not at peace” 〔T39n1788 0292c18〕. This is only a numbered outline of the items in the scripture. It cannot be used in reverse to swallow the earlier material on losing the royal station, people committing evil, epidemic disease, and the rest into the single expression 『十一災相』—“eleven signs of calamity.”
7. The wish-fulfilling jewel method connects benefit for beings with propagation of the sūtra. Huizhao calls the preceding protection of those who propagate the Dharma and of their realm bodily protection; he then calls Vaiśravaṇa’s breaking of poverty and giving of wealth, through which recipients obtain merit and happiness and can propagate the sūtra, Dharma protection 〔T39n1788 0293b21〕. For duojieluo, he follows an ancient phonetic explanation: 「言多揭羅者，此云零凌香。」—“As for duojieluo, here it is called lingling incense” 〔T39n1788 0294a04〕. He explains 薜室羅末拏, 莫訶, and 曷羅闍 respectively as “Vaiśravaṇa,” “great,” and “king” 〔T39n1788 0294a03〕; he explains 曷喇怛那 and 怛喇夜也 as “jewel” and “three,” hence homage to the Three Jewels 〔T39n1788 0294b02〕; and he gives 檀那, 馱也, and the remaining forms ancient glosses such as “wealth” and “giving” in sequence 〔T39n1788 0294b03〕. These passages transmit only the ancient commentary’s phonetic forms and explanations and do not reconstruct them from a modern critical edition.
8. The mental and ethical conditions for upholding the method cannot be deleted from a narrative of efficacy. The sūtra requires that whatever objects are obtained be offered that same day to the Three Jewels and also given to the poor, with nothing retained. It requires loving-kindness and compassion toward sentient beings, without anger, deceit, flattery, or harm; it further causes the upholder to support the divine hosts through the ten wholesome actions. Following the text, Huizhao preserves these conditions and divides Vaiśravaṇa’s final vow into five items: easy accomplishment of the method, benefit from the spell, bodily protection, increase of radiance, and attendance by his retinue 〔T39n1788 0295b02〕. Goods, protection, and circulation are not independent promises severed from discipline and wholesome conduct.
9. Both the five stanzas and the fifteen stanzas have explicit objects. In the Four Kings’ five stanzas, Huizhao first distinguishes face, eyes, teeth, concentration and wisdom, wheel marks, webbing, bodily radiance, and total homage according to marks and excellent characteristics; he also preserves a reading through the three bodies, detailed in the next topic. In the Buddha’s fifteen-stanza response, he divides the first five as praise of the sūtra, the next five as exhorting humans to protect, the next two as exhorting deities to protect, and the final three as a general conclusion 〔T39n1788 0295c16〕. Within them, the three similes respectively concern obtaining happiness in the jewel-tree simile, freedom from frustration in the cool-water simile, and accordance with one’s mind in the jewel-casket simile 〔T39n1788 0296a10〕. The objects of the three similes cannot be exchanged at will.
10. The assembly’s attainments are enumerated as nine items in the commentary. The sūtra successively speaks of great wisdom, acuity, and eloquence; merit; leaving sorrow; joy and happiness; understanding the treatises; release; nonretrogression; and awakening. Huizhao divides these into attaining wisdom, attaining eloquence, attaining merit, leaving suffering, attaining happiness, attaining the five fields of learning, attaining the path to nirvāṇa, attaining nonretrogression, and swiftly realizing awakening, nine items 〔T39n1788 0296b19〕. Nine items is the commentator’s enumeration; it does not silently rewrite the scriptural phrase 『大智聰叡辯才』—“great wisdom, acuity, and eloquence”—as a different list.
IV. Explanations of Various Masters
Coexisting Readings within Huizhao’s Commentary
The following table records the multiple readings, supplementary readings, and variant witnesses actually preserved in the principal commentary on this chapter. Both sides of every row are retained; the reading that seems smoother does not erase the other.
| Node | First reading or main-text reading | Another reading preserved in the same commentary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two utterances of “Excellent” | First, protecting the Dharma; second, protecting persons | First, exhorting others; second, protecting it themselves. Again: first, wholesome causes from past lives; second, presently protecting persons and Dharma | 0288a16 |
| The Four Kings’ long vow of protection | First they vow bodily protection of persons, then bodily protection of Dharma; the commentator provisionally follows this explanation | The initial vow protects persons and Dharma together, after which comparison and a renewed exhortation to protect the Dharma follow | 0288b21 |
| Punitive expedition | Since troops have already been raised, it can mean a punitive campaign according to the sense of 『征敗』—“campaign and defeat” | The enemy has only evil intentions and has not yet assembled troops; this ruler raises an army to subdue him, and therefore it can be called a punitive expedition | 0289a07 |
| Dharma teacher praised by the buddhas | It can apply generally to the preacher and also to the ruler who makes offerings and supports circulation; following the immediate wording, only the ruler may be praised | The auspicious response arises from the sūtra’s majestic power, so it can also be said to praise the Dharma teacher; the commentary concludes that both locations admit both readings | 0291c11 |
| Crossing the sea and liberation from birth and death | Leaving the truth of suffering and severing the truth of origination; affliction is bondage and the root of birth and death | Karma can also be included under the truth of origination | 0292a20 |
| Amount obtained each day | One hundred kārṣāpaṇas, whose material value varies by place | Some witnesses read one hundred dīnāras each day, that is, gold coins | 0294b07–0294b12 |
| The Four Kings’ five stanzas | The first four stanzas separately praise marks and excellent characteristics, and the final stanza gives general praise and homage; it is further divided into face, eyes, teeth, concentration and wisdom, wheel marks, webbing, and bodily radiance | The first stanza praises the emanation body, the second the reward body, the next two jointly praise reward and emanation bodies, and the last praises the dharma-body | 0295b21 |
The textual levels concerning punitive expedition must be distinguished still more carefully. Yijing’s scripture has 「發向彼國欲為討罰。」—“[He] sets out toward that realm, intending to conduct a punitive expedition” 〔T16n0665 0427c24〕. Huizhao’s quotation of the scripture has 「時王見已，即嚴四兵發向彼國欲為討伐。」—“When that ruler sees this, he immediately marshals the fourfold army and sets out toward that realm, intending to conduct a punitive expedition” 〔T39n1788 0289a06〕. Only afterward does the commentator state the two meanings together. The scripture’s graph, the graph in the commentarial quotation, and the commentary’s explanations each remain in their proper level.
Nine Line-by-Line Nodes in Zhiyi’s Textual Commentary
Zhiyi follows the older recension’s single “Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings.” The present material has nine continuous nodes, each anchored in Topic II. Its principal alternate interpretations are as follows:
- At 0074b09, he divides the Buddha’s confirmation into jointly confirming praise of the sūtra and confirming the Kings’ ability to protect the realm; he further contemplates protection of the realm through protection by Dharma, the eye of wisdom, divine allies, and wisdom within and merit without.
- At 0074c01, he says that the evil neighboring ruler’s retreat and dispersal do not arise because the Four Kings favor a good realm and hate an enemy realm. The Buddha exhorts impartial loving-kindness: every realm should maintain its proper occupation, dwell happily within its own borders, and not give rise to covetous seeking.
- At 0074c21, he reads the six vows—bringing security to one’s own body, wife and children, palace, royal domain, and merit, and leaving the realm without sorrow and suffering—against six methods: disciplining the mind, adorning the hall, removing pride, right mindfulness, a pleasant expression, and joyful celebration.
- At 0075a08, the Buddha’s teaching on personally welcoming the teacher and benefits over many lives redoubles the six vows and six methods shown by the Four Kings; he also includes dedication to the deities among the conditions for accomplishment.
- At 0075b02, he separately opens a contemplation-of-mind reading of the incense smoke’s golden light: wisdom is fire, the real characteristic is fragrance, and discipline, concentration, and wisdom are smoke in making the offering. This is a Tiantai contemplative interpretation, not a literal rewriting of the base text’s fragrant sign.
- At 0075b09, he says that the fragrant light proceeds from the divine palaces through one hundred koṭis of palaces and then above Ganges-sand numbers of buddhas, while also comprehensively including the ten dharma-realms.
- At 0075b14, he joins flourishing and decline as cause and effect: if the ruler does not propagate the sūtra, the deities lose their Dharma nourishment; when the deities and spirits depart, evil ghosts act in disorder; disasters and poisons then arise. Benefits from propagating the sūtra are urged from six aspects: present benefit, deities obtaining Dharma nourishment, surpassing the three teachings, ultimately attaining awakening, the excellence of the teacher who taught it, and its being the foundation of all dharmas.
- At 0075c04, he first reads the Buddha as confirming only flourishing and exhorting it. He also preserves one explanation in which 『與安樂』—“giving happiness”—confirms flourishing and 『滅衰患』—“extinguishing decline and trouble”—confirms decline, so both exhortations receive confirmation.
- At 0075c08, following the older text’s verse form, he uses emptiness, the sun, the moon, and a reflection in water to discuss the three bodies in general and in particular, and unfolds questions and answers concerning the moon’s reflection, moving water, and sentient beings’ capacities and responses. This is Zhiyi’s three-body contemplative interpretation of the older recension, not the sole doctrinal division of Yijing’s five stanzas.
Three Line-by-Line Nodes in Jizang’s Commentary
Jizang likewise follows one chapter in the older recension; each of his three major nodes also maintains the perspective of his school:
- At 0166c05, he first reads the Buddha as confirming protection of persons and the realm, then gives four cycles of exhorting others to propagate it. Addressing the difficulty that the enemy realm suffers, he answers that neither the sūtra nor the Four Kings have any intention to harm; an evil intention violates the virtuous and brings the event upon itself.
- At 0167a13, he divides methods of propagating the sūtra into honoring the Dharma and revering persons, and further divides the mental activity of hearing Dharma from that of making offerings. The fragrant signs proceed from this land through the trichiliocosm and the buddha-lands of the ten directions, followed by the buddhas’ praise of propagating the sūtra and the resulting fruit.
- At 0167b07, he takes failure to propagate the sūtra as the loss by which a realm is defeated and propagating it as the gain through which the land becomes abundant. Following the older text, he divides the verse section into the Four Kings’ praise of the Buddha and the Tathāgata’s praise of the sūtra, and uses three similes—a jewel tree, cool water, and precious treasure—to explain the benefit obtained.
Collateral Illumination at the Level of Profound Meaning
Zhiyi’s T1783 incorporates the six cycles of question and answer in the “Chapter on the Four Kings,” the fragrant canopy and golden light pervading the ten directions, protection and circulation of the sūtra, and warding off calamity and extinguishing evil into his overall doctrinal classification 〔0006a17; 0011c12〕. Zhili’s T1784 records and explains protection of speakers, listeners, rulers, and their territories and also records the fragrant canopy and golden light as the scripture’s majestic spiritual power 〔0014b16; 0027a16〕. Neither work comments sentence by sentence on the present material, so they are listed only as collateral illumination at the level of profound meaning. Zhili’s line-by-line Record of the Textual Commentary T39n1786 begins at 0138a13 and is written as a separate level. The line-by-line readings of Huizhao, Zhiyi, and Jizang and Zhili’s record and explanation are placed side by side, neither harmonized into one account nor used to adjudicate superiority among schools.
V. Terminology
Protecting the realm. The 『國』—“realm”—in the chapter title includes the ruler, retinue, people, cities, palaces, and territory. The scripture further treats circulation, hearing, offerings, the ten wholesome actions, nonaggression and nonplunder, compassion, and humility as causes of security. Huizhao additionally explains protection as defense that removes calamity and nurturing that increases merit and wisdom, and he takes protection of persons as extending to protection of the realm; the latter must remain attributed to the ancient commentary.
The current of right Dharma. The Four Kings say that when a ruler abandons the sūtra, the deities 『背甘露味，失正法流』—“turn away from the flavor of ambrosia and lose the current of right Dharma”; when the ruler propagates it, the divine hosts obtain the flavor of the ambrosia of Dharma. 『流』—“current”—corresponds to the scripture’s circulation, broad proclamation, continuity without interruption, and not quickly disappearing; it does not mean merely preserving a static scroll.
The fourfold community. The present chapter lists bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās. Neither the vernacular nor the exposition may replace them only with a vague 『大眾』—“assembly”—nor may they add beneficiaries not listed by the scripture.
Dharma teacher. The scripture has the human ruler 『於法師所起大師想』—“regard the Dharma teacher as a great teacher”—and go outside the city to welcome that teacher; it also has the buddhas of the ten directions praise the Dharma teacher. At the latter location Huizhao preserves readings referring to the preacher, the ruler who makes offerings and supports circulation, and both locations as mutually inclusive. One reading cannot be used to erase the others.
Yama’s realm. The scripture lists it together with hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. Huizhao explains it by distinguishing the three evil destinies and principally including the ghost destiny, while separately citing an ancient treatise to resolve a difficulty. A contemporary rendering may use this supplement only when attributing it to the ancient commentary and may not expand it into direct scriptural speech.
Fragrant canopy and golden light. The scripture says that incense smoke rises into empty space, transforms into canopies, emits golden light, and pervades divine palaces, the trichiliocosm, and buddha-lands in the ten directions. Huizhao uses faculty and object to explain 『香有金光』—“fragrance having golden light”—as golden-colored light manifested by the smoke supporting the fragrance; Zhiyi separately gives a contemplation-of-mind explanation. The literal level, the consciousness-only resolution, and the Tiantai contemplative interpretation are not mixed.
Dhāraṇī and spell. The chapter’s wish-fulfilling jewel method preserves several passages of ancient phonetic transcription, the sequence of recitation, and rules for offerings. The transcription is not translated, regularized, or reconstructed from a modern critical edition. Huizhao gives glosses such as Vaiśravaṇa, great, king, the Three Jewels, wealth, and giving only within the range witnessed by the ancient commentary; the phonetic graphs of the different texts are not altered by one another.
Kārṣāpaṇa. Yijing’s base text and Huizhao’s quotation each contain an interlinear annotation whose graphs and punctuation are not wholly identical. They must be preserved separately. The annotation in Yijing’s text reads:
〔T16n0665 0431a23〕
一百迦利沙波拏〔此是根本梵音，惟目貝齒而隨方不定，或是貝齒，或是金銀銅鐵等錢，然摩揭陀現今通用一迦利沙波拏有一千六百貝齒，總數可以准知，若准物直隨處不定。若人持呪得成就者，獲物之時自知其數。有本云：每日與一百陳那羅，即金錢也。乃至盡形日日常得，西方求者多有神驗，除不至心也〕 — “One hundred kārṣāpaṇas [This is the original Sanskrit sound. It designates cowrie shells, but varies according to region: it may be cowrie shells, or coins of gold, silver, copper, iron, and so forth. In Magadha at present, one kārṣāpaṇa in common use consists of one thousand six hundred cowrie shells, from which the total can be calculated. If measured by the value of goods, it varies by place. When a person who upholds the spell attains accomplishment, upon obtaining the objects that person knows their number. Some witnesses say: each day he gives one hundred dīnāras, that is, gold coins. This continues every day to the end of one’s life. In the Western Regions, many who seek it obtain spiritual responses, except those who are not utterly sincere.]”
Huizhao’s quoted annotation reads:
〔T39n1788 0294b12〕
一百迦利沙波拏〔此是根本梵音，唯見貝齒。而隨方不定，或是貝齒，或是金銀銅鐵等錢。然摩揭陀現今通用一迦利沙波拏有一千六百貝齒，總數可以準知。若準物直，隨處不定。若人持呪得成就者，獲物之時自知其數。有本云「每日與一百陳那羅」，即金錢也，乃至盡形日日常得。西方求者多有神驗，除不志心也〕 — “One hundred kārṣāpaṇas [This is the original Sanskrit sound. Only cowrie shells are seen. Yet it varies according to region: it may be cowrie shells, or coins of gold, silver, copper, iron, and so forth. In Magadha at present, one kārṣāpaṇa in common use consists of one thousand six hundred cowrie shells, from which the total can be calculated. If measured by the value of goods, it varies by place. When a person who upholds the spell attains accomplishment, upon obtaining the objects that person knows their number. Some witnesses say that each day he gives one hundred dīnāras; these are gold coins. This continues every day to the end of one’s life. In the Western Regions, many who seek it obtain spiritual responses, except those who are not utterly sincere.]”
The scripture and Huizhao’s quotation of the scripture. The wording below belongs respectively to each text; the abbreviated form in the commentary cannot be written back into the base text:
| Node | Yijing’s scripture | Huizhao’s quotation of the scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Security: anyin / anwen | 「汝等應當勤加守護，令得安隱。」—“You should diligently increase your protection and cause him to obtain security” 〔T16n0665 0427b27〕 | 「汝等應當勤加守護，令得安穩。」—“You should diligently increase your protection and cause him to obtain stability” 〔T39n1788 0288b05〕 |
| Famine, two graph forms | 「能除眾苦、怨賊、飢饉及諸疾疫。」—“It can remove every suffering, hostile bandits, famine, and all illnesses and epidemics” 〔T16n0665 0427c03〕 | 「能除眾苦、怨賊饑饉及諸疾疫。」—“It can remove every suffering, hostile bandits, famine, and all illnesses and epidemics” 〔T39n1788 0288b10〕 |
| Punitive expedition, two graph forms | 「發向彼國欲為討罰。」—“[He] sets out toward that realm, intending to conduct a punitive expedition” 〔T16n0665 0427c24〕 | 「時王見已，即嚴四兵發向彼國欲為討伐。」—“When that ruler sees this, he immediately marshals the fourfold army and sets out toward that realm, intending to conduct a punitive expedition” 〔T39n1788 0289a06〕 |
| Binding, two graph forms | 「無有鬪戰繫縛等苦。」—“There is no suffering from battle, binding, and the like” 〔T16n0665 0428a10〕 | 「無有鬪戰擊縛等苦。」—“There is no suffering from battle, striking and binding, and the like” 〔T39n1788 0289b12〕 |
| Arise of themselves / naturally | 「其土人民自生愛樂，上下和穆，猶如水乳」—“The people of that land themselves give rise to affection and happiness; those above and below are harmonious, like water and milk” 〔T16n0665 0428a11〕 | 「其土人民自然受樂，上下和穆猶如水乳」—“The people of that land naturally experience happiness; those above and below are harmonious, like water and milk” 〔T39n1788 0289b16〕 |
VI. Similes · Rhetoric
Water and milk. The passage on happiness in Jambudvīpa uses 「上下和穆，猶如水乳」—“those above and below are harmonious, like water and milk” 〔T16n0665 0428a11〕 to describe the people’s harmony and mutual affection. The simile clarifies concord and cannot be supplemented with a judgment about forms of government absent from the scripture.
Ambrosia and the Dharma torch. The Four Kings use the flavor of the ambrosia of Dharma for what is gained through hearing, and exhort rulers to light the Dharma torch within their realms. The former displays how the Dharma sustains the divine hosts; the latter, how circulation illuminates without boundary. Both return to hearing, receiving, and propagating the sūtra: ambrosia is not materialized, and the Dharma torch is not transformed into a symbol of military force.
Dharma drum, Dharma conch, Dharma banner, Dharma torch, Dharma rain, and the great ocean. The buddhas of the ten directions praise the future turning of the Dharma wheel by one who circulates the sūtra. In sequence they speak of beating the drum, blowing the conch, raising the banner, lighting the torch, sending down rain, severing afflictions, and enabling sentient beings to cross the great ocean of birth and death. This is a rhetorical chain of teaching Dharma, breaking delusion, and ferrying beings across; no one symbol can be detached from the causes and effects surrounding it.
The similes in the Four Kings’ praise of the Buddha. A full moon, a thousand suns, a blue lotus, conch and snow, the great ocean, wondrous jewels, a golden mountain, Mount Sumeru, empty space, flame, and illusion all actually occur in the five stanzas. The first four stanzas chiefly praise the virtues of the face, eyes, and teeth, concentration and wisdom, marks of the hands and feet, and bodily radiance; the fifth generally praises the marks and excellent characteristics as immeasurable and like flame and illusion. The object must be determined according to each stanza.
The Buddha’s three responding similes. The three similes, stanza by stanza, are:
- 「如寶樹王在宅內，能生一切諸樂具；最勝經王亦復然，能與人王勝功德。」—“As the king of jewel trees within a dwelling can produce every instrument of happiness, so too can the supreme king of sūtras give a human ruler excellent qualities” 〔T16n0665 0432b08〕.
- 「譬如澄潔清冷水，能除飢渴諸熱惱；最勝經王亦復然，令樂福者心滿足。」—“As clear, pure, cool water can remove hunger, thirst, heat, and distress, so too does the supreme king of sūtras satisfy the mind of one who delights in merit” 〔T16n0665 0432b10〕.
- 「如人室有妙寶篋，隨所受用悉從心；最勝經王亦復然，福德隨心無所乏。」—“As a person with a wondrous jewel casket in the house can enjoy whatever is wished, so too does the supreme king of sūtras provide merit in accord with the mind, without deficiency” 〔T16n0665 0432b12〕.
Huizhao distinguishes the three similes as obtaining happiness, freedom from frustration, and accordance with the mind; Jizang likewise explains them through jewel tree, cool water, and precious treasure. Placed side by side, the three show that each simile has its own function within its sentence and should not be blended into a generic simile of 『滿願』—“fulfilling wishes.”
VII. Cross-Reading · Carrying Forward
From Chapter 11 to Chapter 12. Yijing’s Chapter 11 closes with the Four Kings exhorting human rulers and the assembly to circulate the scripture; the present chapter begins with the Buddha praising the Four Kings and exhorting them to protect it themselves. Huizhao therefore judges 『前品四王勸他，此品願自守護』—“in the preceding chapter the Four Kings exhort others; in this chapter they vow to protect it themselves”—and further explains the connection through benefiting others, their own practice of the two benefits, and the Buddha’s exhortation to protect broadly. This is the ancient commentary’s judgment, not a historical assertion concerning Yijing’s motive for dividing the chapters.
From this chapter to Chapters 13 and 14. Huizhao says that the following three chapters clarify the sūtra’s worthiness of reverence and the protection obtained by practitioners, with this chapter concerning protection by deities and the latter two protection by spells. In the order on disk, the latter two are “The Dhāraṇī without Defilement,” Chapter 13, beginning at 0432c16, and “The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel,” Chapter 14, beginning at 0433b05. This carrying forward records only Huizhao’s doctrinal outline; it does not pass 『後二呪護』—“the latter two concern protection by spells”—off as a sentence of the present chapter.
Protecting persons and protecting Dharma. The scripture proceeds from protecting rulers, the fourfold community, and Dharma teachers to protecting the sūtra from interruption; it further proceeds from the ruler’s gift of Dharma enabling the divine hosts to obtain ambrosia to the divine hosts protecting the ruler’s realm. Huizhao explains the sequence by saying that Dharma relies upon persons for propagation and persons accomplish virtue through Dharma, while also preserving a reading in which persons and Dharma are protected together. Cross-reading should retain both observations and not reduce either persons or Dharma to a mere instrument.
Flourishing and decline. When the ruler propagates the sūtra, the divine hosts hear the flavor of Dharma and protect the realm; when the ruler abandons it, they lose that flavor and depart, whereupon signs of calamity arise. Zhiyi and Jizang both exhort protection through flourishing and decline, but each has his own account of causality and sectional division. Their shared recognition of this axis does not mean that their finer doctrinal outlines are identical.
From five stanzas to fifteen stanzas. The Four Kings look upward and praise the virtues of the Buddha’s body; the Buddha’s response immediately turns to protecting the sūtra, bringing security to sentient beings, driving back hostile bandits, making offerings to the king of sūtras, and increasing benefit among humans and gods. Following Yijing, Huizhao divides the response into five stanzas praising the sūtra, five exhorting humans, two exhorting deities, and three concluding; the older commentaries follow different verse counts and three-body divisions in the older recensions. Cross-reading displays only how each recension concludes and does not revise the twenty stanzas of the base text.
The assembly’s attainments. The original sentence at the end of the scripture is: 「無量眾生皆得大智聰叡辯才，攝受無量福德之聚，離諸憂惱，發喜樂心，善明眾論，登出離道，不復退轉，速證菩提。」—“Measureless sentient beings all attained great wisdom, acuity, and eloquence; gathered measureless accumulations of merit; left every sorrow and distress; aroused minds of joy and happiness; became skilled in understanding the treatises; ascended the path of release; no longer retreated; and swiftly realized awakening” 〔T16n0665 0432c06〕. It gathers the benefit of protecting a realm back into the wisdom, merit, freedom from suffering, joy, understanding of treatises, release, nonretrogression, and awakening of the sentient beings who hear the Dharma. Every attainment is retained and not compressed into the phrase 『大眾皆得利益』—“the entire assembly obtained benefit.”
VIII. Placement of the Editions
- This translation and annotation takes Yijing’s T16n0665 as its base text: chapter title 0427b19 and chapter body 0427b20–0432c09. The lines at 0432c10, 0432c13, and 0432c15 are fascicle-seam matter; 0432c16 is the title of the following chapter.
- The latter half of “The Four Heavenly Kings,” Chapter 6, in Dharmakṣema’s T16n0663 at 0341a27–0344c19 and the latter half of “The Four Heavenly Kings,” Chapter 10, in the composite T16n0664 at 0382b17–0385c29 serve as aligned witnesses to the present chapter. Both recensions contain the material; no narrative of an absent or supplementary chapter is separately established.
- Yijing’s recension divides one chapter in the older recensions into two successive chapters. This layer records only the fixed alignments and the division and combination and does not speculate about the reason for the division.
- The sixty-nine nonpunctuation Han-graph differences between Dharmakṣema and the composite recension are listed individually. Punctuation, title marks, and variant graphs remain with each transmitted text. The composite recension’s punctuation is not used to regularize Dharmakṣema, nor is Yijing used to emend the older recensions.
- Outside the corresponding position in the older recensions, T665 additionally contains Vaiśravaṇa’s wish-fulfilling jewel dhāraṇī method and the assembly’s benefit. The presence or absence of text alone is recorded; no state of genesis, doctrine, or source-language witness is inferred from it.
- The dhāraṇī transcriptions in this chapter are preserved in the original graphs of T665. Full-width spaces, repeated syllables, variant graphs, and CJK extension characters are not regularized. When an original transmitted interlinear annotation is cited, it is reproduced character for character within 〔〕; Huizhao’s quoted phonetic graphs remain separate from Yijing’s base text.
- T665 has two verse groups and forty verse lines. Pairing each two adjacent lines gives the Four Kings’ five stanzas and the Buddha’s fifteen-stanza response. The vernacular must translate all twenty stanzas one by one; the older recensions’ counts of eight and a half and twenty-four and a half lines are not transferred into it.
- Huizhao’s principal commentary on the chapter is in fascicle five, with the chapter title at 0287c21 and the attribution at 0286b13 as its fifth occurrence in the complete commentary; the actual anchor for 『言來意者』—“concerning the reason for its coming”—is 0287c23. Zhiyi’s and Jizang’s line-by-line commentaries follow the older recensions; Zhili’s Supplementary Record is a record and explanation of the profound meaning, while his Record of the Textual Commentary T39n1786 is a line-by-line record beginning at 0138a13. Their levels remain distinct.
The three translations of this chapter, the three line-by-line commentaries, the collateral illumination from works of profound meaning, and the multiple readings within Huizhao’s commentary are all recorded without adjudicating. Protecting the realm extends literally from protecting persons and Dharma, hearing and circulation, and security of the territory to Dharma teachers not forgetting, the scripture not disappearing, and sentient beings proceeding toward awakening. Collation that smooths away the differences would instead obscure how this chain of transmission unfolds in distinct texts.