English
English version What is feared is that the wealthy, though possessing abundant riches and treasures, Can obtain victorious garlands (a type of ornament) and beautiful gardens, all because of offering lamps to Dipamkara Buddha (Ran Deng Fo, one of the past Buddhas). In the future, they will be able to see the World Honored One (a respectful title for the Buddha) with their own eyes, and upon seeing him, reverence and faith will arise in their hearts, Offering to the Buddha with joyful hearts, they may even renounce their royal positions and leave home to practice. The Buddha possesses immeasurable wisdom and ultimate wisdom, endowed with admirable virtues, capable of transforming people, If someone offers lamps at this stupa (a monument containing Buddhist relics), their body's light will shine like the light of the lamp. Muni (one of Shakyamuni's titles), the King of Bulls (a title of respect for the Buddha), with pure eyes, illuminates the stupa with beautiful light, They will attain the unconditioned (free from defilements) supreme path (truth), and their body's light will illuminate the ten directions. They will be able to see the Four Noble Truths (the fundamental teachings of Buddhism), possess the Ten Powers (the ten powers of a Buddha), and achieve ultimate mastery of the unique qualities of a Buddha, They will attain the All-Seeing Eye (Buddha's eye) and become a Well-Gone One (Tathagata, one of the Buddha's titles), all these results are due to the offering of lamps. Suppose all sentient beings, in the past, have offered to immeasurable Buddhas, Possessing great power and virtue, able to see the true meaning, they will achieve the path of a Pratyekabuddha (a solitary Buddha who attains enlightenment without a teacher) over countless eons. All the worlds in the ten directions are filled with garlands of lamps, without omission, With these garlands of lamps from these worlds, if someone offers them with faith. This person, practicing offerings in this way, will continue without interruption for immeasurable eons, If someone offers just one lamp to the Buddha, the merit gained will exceed the immeasurable amount mentioned earlier. The lamp oil is as abundant as the water of the great ocean, and the wick is as large as Mount Sumeru (the sacred mountain in Buddhism), If someone can light such a lamp, it will illuminate all the worlds. This person harbors deep reverence and faith in their heart, their aspiration is solely to pursue the path of a Pratyekabuddha, They place such lamps throughout the ten directions, offering them with utmost respect. If someone generates the Bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment), holding a grass torch (a torch made of grass) and temporarily offering it to the Buddha, The merit gained by this person exceeds that mentioned earlier, I say this after seeing the true meaning. All sentient beings in the ten directions, each offering implements as described above, Even after immeasurable kalpas (eons) as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, their minds are only seeking the path of a Pratyekabuddha. If someone in a stupa or temple, lights a lamp or simply makes one prostration, Doing so in order to seek the unsurpassed path
Chinese
众生， 此福过前无有量。 难见难思佛境界， 智者闻即生欣喜， 无信心者闻不乐， 彼愚痴魔坏正法。 证净法界甚为难， 一切世间独善逝， 是故汝等应欣喜， 于佛功德当愿求。” 尔时世尊说此法已，慧命舍利弗等，无量天、人、阿修罗、乾闼婆、紧那罗、摩睺罗伽，人非人等，闻佛所说，皆发无上菩提之心，欣喜无量，作礼而去。 佛说施灯功德经 现代汉语译本： ‘众生啊，这种福报超越以往，无法衡量。 佛的境界难以见到，难以思议，有智慧的人听闻后会心生欢喜， 没有信心的人听闻后不会快乐，那些愚痴的人会被魔所迷惑，从而破坏正法。 证悟清净的法界非常困难，一切世间唯有佛陀是善逝（Sugata，如来十号之一，意为善于逝去，到达涅槃的圣者）， 所以你们应当心生欢喜，对于佛陀的功德应当发愿追求。’ 当时，世尊说完这部经后，慧命舍利弗（Sariputra，佛陀十大弟子之一，以智慧著称）等，以及无量的天（Deva，天神）、人（Manushya，人类）、阿修罗（Asura，非天，一种具有神力但性格暴躁的神）、乾闼婆（Gandharva，香神，天界的乐神）、紧那罗（Kinnara，歌神，一种半人半鸟的神）、摩睺罗伽（Mahoraga，大蟒神，一种蛇神），以及人非人等，听闻佛陀所说，都发起了无上的菩提之心，心中充满欢喜，向佛作礼后离去。 《佛说施灯功德经》
English
English version: ‘Sentient beings, this merit surpasses all that has been before, it is immeasurable. The realm of the Buddha is difficult to see and difficult to conceive. The wise, upon hearing it, will rejoice. Those without faith will not be pleased upon hearing it. Those foolish ones, deluded by Mara (魔，the demon who obstructs enlightenment), will destroy the true Dharma (正法，the teachings of Buddhism). Realizing the pure Dharma-realm is extremely difficult. In all the world, only the Sugata (善逝，one of the ten titles of the Tathagata, meaning 'Well-Gone,' the one who has gone to Nirvana) is the truly virtuous one. Therefore, you should rejoice and aspire to the merits of the Buddha.’ At that time, after the World Honored One (世尊，another name for the Buddha) spoke this Dharma (法，teachings), the wise Sariputra (舍利弗，one of the Buddha's chief disciples, known for his wisdom), along with immeasurable Devas (天，gods), Manushyas (人，humans), Asuras (阿修罗，demi-gods), Gandharvas (乾闼婆，celestial musicians), Kinnaras (紧那罗，celestial musicians, part human, part bird), Mahoragas (摩睺罗伽，great serpent deities), and humans and non-humans, upon hearing what the Buddha said, all aroused the supreme Bodhi-mind (菩提之心，the mind of enlightenment), filled with immeasurable joy, paid homage to the Buddha, and departed. The Sutra on the Merit of Offering Lamps (佛说施灯功德经) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------