大乘本生心地觀經

Chapter 2: REPAYING KINDNESS

(Part 1)

At that time, the World-Honored One calmly arose from samadhi and addressed the great bodhisattva Maitreya:

“How excellent! How excellent! You great beings and good men have come before the Buddha to reverently make offerings because you wish to draw near the benevolent Father of the world, to hear the supramundane Dharma, to contemplate in accordance with the wondrous principle, and to cultivate the wisdom of true suchness.

I shall now expound the wondrous Dharma of the mind-ground in order to guide sentient beings and enable them to realize and enter the wisdom of the Buddha. Such a wondrous Dharma is proclaimed by the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, only after cultivating and teaching beings throughout immeasurable kalpas. Like the udumbara flower, the appearance in the world of a Tathagata, a World-Honored One, is exceedingly difficult to encounter; still more difficult to encounter is a Tathagata appearing in the world and teaching this wondrous Dharma!

Why is this so? All sentient beings forsake the practices and vows of Mahayana bodhisattvas and turn instead toward the bodhi of pratyekabuddhas and shravakas. Weary of birth and death, they seek to enter nirvana forever and take no delight in the eternally blissful, wondrous fruit of the Mahayana.

Nevertheless, when the Tathagatas turn the Dharma wheel, they remain free from four faults and teach the Dharma in appropriate ways. First, their teaching does not conflict with the place—that is, it accords with the circumstances. Second, their teaching is not untimely—that is, it accords with the proper time.

Third, their teaching does not conflict with beings’ capacities—that is, it accords with their levels of understanding. Fourth, their teaching does not conflict with the Dharma—that is, it accords with the true Dharma. Administering medicine according to the illness so that the illness is cured is an exclusive quality of the Tathagata.

Shravakas and pratyekabuddhas have not yet attained even the sovereign, exclusive realm of the assemblies of bodhisattvas; how much less could they attain the exclusive qualities of the Tathagata? For this reason, it is difficult for them to see or hear the mind-ground Dharma gate of the true path to bodhi! Yet if any good man or good woman hears this wondrous Dharma even once, for only the briefest instant, and is able to gather the mind and contemplate it, that person will nurture the seed of unsurpassed great bodhi.

Before long, that person will sit upon the precious vajra seat beneath the Bodhi tree and attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

At that time, in the great city of Rajagriha, there were five hundred elders named Elder Wondrous Virtue, Elder Valiant, Elder Good Dharma, Elder Recollection of the Buddha, Elder Wondrous Wisdom, Elder Bodhi, Elder Wondrous Eloquence, Elder Dharma Eye, Elder Radiance, Elder Fulfilled Vows, and others. These renowned and wealthy elders had attained right view and had come to make offerings to the Tathagata and the assembly of noble ones.

When these elders heard the World-Honored One praise the mind-ground Dharma gate of the Mahayana, they thought: “We have seen the Tathagata emit golden light and clearly reveal the difficult ascetic practices of bodhisattvas. We have no desire to undertake such ascetic practices! Who could remain amid birth and death for many kalpas and endure all manner of suffering for the sake of sentient beings?” Having thought thus, the elders rose from their seats, bared their right shoulders, knelt with their right knees upon the ground, respectfully joined their palms, and, though speaking with different mouths, addressed the Buddha in unison:

“World-Honored One, we take no delight in the practices of Mahayana bodhisattvas, nor do we wish to hear teachings about ascetic practices. Why is this so? Because none of the practices and vows cultivated by bodhisattvas constitute recognition and repayment of kindness.

Why? They leave their parents and resolutely renounce household life; they give their wives and children to those who desire them; and they even give away their heads, eyes, marrow, and brains according to what others seek, thereby subjecting themselves to torment. Throughout three incalculable kalpas, they fully cultivate all the paramitas and the eighty-four thousand practices of perfection, crossing the current of birth and death before finally reaching the realm of the great bliss of bodhi.

This cannot compare with resolving to pursue the fruits of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas: by cultivating the requisite provisions for merely three lifetimes or a hundred kalpas, one can sever the causes of birth and death, realize the fruit of nirvana, and swiftly reach peace and happiness. Only this may be called repaying kindness!”

The Buddha said to the five hundred elders:

“How excellent! How excellent! Upon hearing me praise the Mahayana Dharma, you immediately gave rise to a mind of retreat. Yet you have also raised a matter of profound significance that will bring benefit and happiness to all sentient beings in future ages who do not understand kindness. Listen carefully, listen carefully, and bear this well in mind. I shall now distinguish and explain for you those to whom gratitude is owed in the mundane and supramundane realms, so that you may understand.

“Good men, what you have said cannot yet be regarded as accordant with principle. Why is this so? There are four kinds of kindness in the mundane and supramundane realms: first, the kindness of parents; second, the kindness of sentient beings; third, the kindness of the sovereign; and fourth, the kindness of the Three Jewels. All sentient beings equally bear these four debts of kindness.

“Good men, regarding the kindness of parents, a father bestows loving-kindness and a mother bestows compassion. Even if I were to spend an entire kalpa speaking about a mother’s compassionate kindness, I could not exhaust it. I shall now explain a small portion of that kindness so that you may understand.

Suppose, for the sake of merit, a person were to reverently make offerings to one hundred great brahmins of pure conduct, one hundred great sages who had attained the five superknowledges, and one hundred spiritual friends. Suppose that person settled them peacefully in exceedingly beautiful houses built of the seven treasures and offered them hundreds of thousands of kinds of rare and delicious foods; garments made of every kind of precious material and adorned with hanging tassels; jeweled necklaces; chambers built of sandalwood and aloeswood; quilts, pillows, and beds adorned with a hundred treasures; and a hundred kinds of medicine capable of curing every illness.

Even if that person single-mindedly made such offerings throughout a hundred thousand kalpas, it would not equal a single thought of filial devotion in which one provides even a small thing to sustain the physical body of one’s loving mother. Compared with the merit described above, the merit of making offerings to and serving one’s mother cannot be fathomed even in hundreds of thousands of myriads of parts.

“Nothing in the world can compare with a loving mother’s care and concern for her child. Her kindness reaches the child even before it has taken form. From the beginning of pregnancy and throughout the ten months, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, the mother endures every kind of suffering, which cannot be fully expressed in words. Though she may have pleasures, food and drink, and clothing, she takes no delight in them; her mind remains constantly concerned for her child and never forgets it for even a moment.

“Consider this carefully: As the time of birth approaches, the mother silently endures every pain and grieves day and night. When labor begins, her suffering becomes so intense that it is as though hundreds of thousands of sharp blades were swarming upon her and cutting her apart. It is truly unbearable, and she may even die.

Once she has given birth, however, she no longer feels any suffering. At that time, her relatives rejoice without end, just as a poor woman would rejoice upon obtaining a wish-fulfilling jewel. When the newborn child cries out, the mother hears it as though she were hearing music.

She makes her breast a resting place for her child, her two knees a playground, and from her breasts flow streams of milk like the ambrosial waters of a spring to nourish the child’s growth. Her kindness in nurturing the child is greater than heaven and earth, and the vastness of her compassion is beyond compare. In this world, mountains are lofty, yet the kindness of a loving mother is loftier still—loftier even than Mount Sumeru.

In this world, the great earth is heavy, yet the kindness of a loving mother is heavier still!”

If there are sons or daughters who betray kindness, are unfilial toward their parents, and cause their parents to give rise to resentful thoughts, and if their mother, in anger, utters a single harsh word, those children will immediately fall in accordance with that word, whether into hell, among hungry ghosts, or among animals. In this world, what is swifter than a violent wind? Yet a single resentful thought of one’s parents is swifter still. Even all the Tathagatas, the devas, the vajra guardians, and the sages who have attained the five supernatural powers cannot save them.

If good men and good women listen to the instructions of their kind mother and respectfully obey without disobedience, they will be protected and kept in mind by the devas, and their blessings and happiness will be inexhaustible. Such men and women are of the noble lineage of devas and humans, or they are bodhisattvas who, in order to liberate sentient beings, manifest as sons and daughters and bring benefit to their parents.

If good men and good women, wishing to repay the kindness of their parents, were throughout an entire kalpa to cut flesh from their own bodies three times each day to nourish their parents, they still could not repay even one day of their parents’ kindness. Why is this so? While all sons and daughters are in their mother’s womb, their mouths are joined to the umbilical cord and they drink their mother’s blood.

After leaving the womb and during their early childhood, they drink as much as one hundred and eighty hu of their mother’s milk. Whenever the mother obtains even a little nourishing food, she gives it all to her child; the same is true even of precious and fine clothing. Even if she gives birth to a foolish and ugly child, a mother’s love for that child remains unequaled.

Consider how, in ancient times, a woman traveling far away in another country carried her child while crossing the Ganges River. Unexpectedly, the river rose and flowed violently. Being too weak to cross and loving her child so deeply that she could not bear to abandon it, both mother and child drowned.

Yet through the power of that loving-kindness and those wholesome roots, the mother was immediately reborn in the Akaniṣṭha Heaven of the form realm and became a Great Brahmā King.

For this reason, a mother possesses ten virtues:

-Like the great earth: because the mother’s womb is the place upon which the child relies.

-Able to give birth: the mother must undergo every kind of suffering and anguish before she can give birth to the child.

-Able to set right: the mother frequently uses her hands to caress and properly shape the child’s eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body.

-Nurturing and raising: the mother raises and nourishes the child in accordance with the four seasons until the child matures.

-Wise: the mother continually employs skillful means to enable the child to develop wisdom.

-Adorning: the mother adorns the child with beautiful jeweled necklaces.

-Bringing security: the mother embraces the child and enables the child to rest peacefully.

-Teaching and instructing: the mother uses skillful means to guide the child.

-Admonishing: the mother uses wholesome words to enable the child to distance themselves from evil deeds.

-Bestowing the family estate: the mother ultimately entrusts the family estate to the child.

Good man, what in this world is called the greatest wealth? What is called the greatest poverty? When one’s kind mother is still alive in the household, that is wealth; when one’s kind mother has passed away, that is poverty. When one’s kind mother is alive, she is like the sun at midday; when one’s kind mother has died, she is like the sun after it has set. When one’s kind mother is alive, she is like the bright moon; when one’s kind mother has died, it is like a dark night! Therefore, you must diligently increase your practice of filial care for your father and mother. This is like making offerings to the Buddha: the karmic reward of the former and that of the latter are equal and no different! In this way, you should repay the kindness of your parents!

Good man, the kindness of sentient beings means that, from beginningless time until now, all sentient beings have revolved through the five paths—devas, humans, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals—throughout hundreds of thousands of kalpas, and in their many lives have frequently been one another’s parents. Because they have been one another’s parents, every man has been a loving father and every woman a kind mother; throughout past lives and kalpas, they have shown us great kindness no different from the kindness of our present parents.

Yet these former kindnesses remain unrepaid. Then, perhaps because of deluded karma, favorable and adverse circumstances arise, and through attachment, beings consequently become hostile and harm one another. Why is this?

Though they formerly possessed clear and discerning wisdom, it has been obscured by ignorance, and they do not understand that in past lives they were once one another’s parents and therefore should repay one another’s kindness and bring benefit to one another. Failing to do so is unfilial! For this reason, all kinds of sentient beings at all times have shown us great kindness that is truly difficult to repay.

Such matters are called the kindness of sentient beings!

The kindness of the king: One who presides as the ruler of a nation is a person endowed with supremely excellent merit and virtue. Although born in the human realm, he possesses sovereignty, and the divine princes of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three constantly lend him their aid and protection. The kingdom, its rivers and mountains, its lands, and all territories extending to the seas are under the king’s authority.

He is one whose supremely excellent merit and virtue surpass the merit of all other sentient beings. He is a great sage-king who teaches and transforms through the true Dharma, enabling sentient beings to attain peace and happiness. It is like all the palaces and houses in the world, which have pillars as their foundation.

In the same way, the king is the foundation of the people’s prosperity, joy, and happiness, for these can exist only by relying upon the king’s righteous governance. Just as followers of non-Buddhist paths maintain that Brahmā created the myriad things, so too does this sage-king establish laws to govern the nation and benefit sentient beings. The sage-king is also able to observe all under heaven and bring peace and happiness to the people.

If the king fails in righteous governance, the people have no one upon whom to rely. If the king teaches and transforms through the true Dharma, eight great terrors cannot enter his country. These eight terrors are: invasion by foreign countries, rebellion within the realm, evil spirits spreading disease, famine in the land, untimely winds and rains, solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, and strange transformations among the stars and constellations.

If a human king teaches and transforms through the true Dharma and brings benefit to the people, these eight calamities cannot encroach upon the country. It is like an elder who has only one child, whom he cherishes above all. He constantly has compassion for the child, brings the child benefit, gives the child peace and happiness, and never leaves the child by day or night.

The great sage-king of a nation is likewise: he regards all living beings equally as his only child, and his protective concern for them never ceases by day or night. Such a human king is able to cause sentient beings to practice the ten wholesome deeds and is therefore called a Lord of Merit and Virtue. One who does not cause sentient beings to practice goodness is called a Lord Without Merit.

Why is this so? If one person within the kingdom practices goodness, the merit they create is divided into seven parts: the person who performs the wholesome deed receives five parts, and the king receives two parts. Conversely, when the king cultivates wholesome causes, the people likewise share in the resulting blessings and benefits.

The same principle applies if the ten evil karmas are committed; they are shared in the same way. All things produced from the fields, lands, gardens, and forests within the country are likewise divided into seven parts. If a human king perfects right view and teaches the world in accordance with the Dharma, he is called a Divine Lord.

Because he teaches the wholesome Dharma of the heavenly realm to the world, the devas, benevolent spirits, and guardian kings constantly come to assist him and protect the royal palace. Although the human king dwells in the human realm, he practices in accordance with the karma of the heavenly realm; therefore, his mind is impartial in bestowing rewards and punishments. Such is the true Dharma of all sage-kings!

Such a sage-king is called a King of the True Dharma. For this reason, a King of the True Dharma perfects ten virtues:

-Illuminating (able to illuminate): he illuminates the world with the eye of wisdom.

-Adorning: he adorns the country with merit, virtue, and wisdom.

-Bringing happiness (bestowing happiness): he brings great peace and happiness to the people.

-Subduing enemies (subduing hostility): all hostile enemies naturally submit.

-Removing fear (freedom from fear): he drives back the eight calamities and frees the people from fear.

-Employing the worthy and talented in important positions: assembling worthy persons to deliberate on affairs of state.

-The Foundation of the Dharma (preserving the root of the true Dharma): the myriad families dwell in peace under the protection of the king.

-Preserver of the World: preserving the world by means of the Dharma of the heavenly kings.

-Lord of Karma: all good and evil karma falls under the authority of the king.

-Lord of the People: the king is the lord of all the people.

All kings, through the merit and virtue of previous lives, have accomplished these ten supreme virtues. Therefore, the Great Brahma Heavenly King and the devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three always assist human kings in enjoying sublime happiness; the rakshasa kings and various spirits, although they do not manifest themselves to offer assistance, secretly protect the human kings and their retinues.

If a human king sees the people committing evil karma but is unable to restrain them, all devas and spirits will distance themselves. If he sees the people cultivating goodness, the devas and spirits rejoice, praise them, and all proclaim: “Our holy king!” The nagas and devas rejoice and pour down the sweet dew of rain; the five kinds of grain and other crops flourish abundantly, and the people are joyful and prosperous.

If the human king does not associate with evil persons, diligently benefits the entire world, and always follows the proper path of governance and transformation, then the wish-fulfilling jewel will appear within his kingdom, the kings of neighboring lands will all submit to him, and humans and nonhumans alike will praise him. If an evil person within the kingdom gives rise to a rebellious mind, that person’s merit will swiftly decline and perish; after death, that person must fall into hell and then pass through the animal realm, enduring every kind of suffering.

Why is this so? Because that person does not recognize the benevolent virtue of the holy king, gives rise to evil karma, and acts treacherously; therefore, that person must undergo such retribution. If any of the people practice with a wholesome mind, wholeheartedly assist the human king, and honor and revere him as they would the Buddha, then in this very life they will always enjoy peace, prosperity, and happiness, and whatever they seek will be fulfilled according to their wishes.

Why is this so? All kings in the past once received the Tathagata’s pure precepts and always served as human kings, enjoying peace and happiness. For this reason, adverse or favorable karmic results respond as an echo answers a sound.

So vast is the benevolent virtue of a holy king!

Good man, the kindness of the Three Jewels is inconceivable, for the Three Jewels constantly bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings, never ceasing at any time or in any place.

The bodily marks of the Buddhas are truly wholesome and uncontaminated, attained through cultivating causes over innumerable great kalpas. The Buddhas have utterly ended all karmic results within the three realms. Their merit and virtue are like a radiant jeweled mountain, beyond all comparison, and no sentient being can ever fully comprehend them. The merit of the Buddhas is as profound as the great ocean; their unobstructed wisdom is like empty space; their miraculous powers and transformations fill the world; and their light illuminates the ten directions throughout the three periods of time.

Because all sentient beings are obscured by afflictions, karma, and hindrances and lack right understanding, they remain submerged in the boundless sea of suffering of birth and death. The Three Jewels appear in the world as great shipmasters, stemming the current of craving so that sentient beings may cross over to the shore of nirvana. All who possess wisdom look up to them in reverence.

Good man, the single Jewel of the Buddha fully comprises three bodies: first, the Svabhavakaya; second, the Sambhogakaya; and third, the Transformation Body.

The first Buddha-body possesses the great virtue of cessation, revealed through the twofold emptiness; in this, all Buddhas are equal.

The second Buddha-body possesses the great virtue of wisdom; it is true and eternally abiding and has utterly ended all outflows; in this, all Buddhas are of one mind.

The third Buddha-body possesses the great virtue of benevolence; it is serene, spiritually penetrating, universally responsive, and manifests transformations; in this, all Buddhas perform the same work.

Good man, the Buddha’s Svabhavakaya is without beginning or end, apart from all characteristics, and entirely free from every form of conceptual proliferation. It is perfect, all-pervasive, boundless, quiescent, and eternally abiding.

The Sambhogakaya has two aspects: first, the Body of Self-Enjoyment; second, the Body of Enjoyment for Others.

The Body of Self-Enjoyment arises from cultivating the myriad practices and bringing benefit, peace, and happiness to sentient beings throughout three incalculable kalpas. Having reached the fulfillment of the mind at the Tenth Bhumi, the bodhisattva exercises the power of the body and proceeds directly to the Heaven of Ultimate Form, transcending the three realms. There the bodhisattva adorns and purifies a wondrous land and sits upon an immense lotus composed of innumerable jewels.

Vast assemblies of bodhisattvas, too numerous to describe, surround the bodhisattva before and behind in the ocean-like assembly, fastening immaculate silk upon the crown of the bodhisattva’s head and making offerings with reverence, honor, and praise. This is called “the benefit of the ultimate karmic reward.” At that time, the bodhisattva enters the vajra samadhi, casts off all subtle hindrances of the knowable and afflictive hindrances, and realizes unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Such a wondrous fruition is called “the benefit of the manifest karmic reward.” This true Reward Body is said to have a beginning but no end; its lifespan accords with its wishes, and the number of its kalpas is immeasurable. Moreover, from the first attainment of perfect enlightenment until the end of the future, its faculties and excellent marks adorn and pervade the Dharma realm.

The four perfect wisdoms constitute the true Reward Body’s enjoyment of the bliss of the Dharma:

First is the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. This wisdom is attained by transforming the storehouse consciousness, the eighth consciousness, just as a great round mirror fully reflects all colors, forms, and images. Likewise, within the wisdom-mirror of the Tathagata appear the good and evil karma of sentient beings; for this reason, this wisdom is called the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. Relying upon great compassion, it constantly takes sentient beings as its objects; relying upon great wisdom, it constantly accords with the Dharma-nature. It simultaneously contemplates ultimate truth and conventional truth without interruption, always sustains the uncontaminated body and faculties, and serves as the basis of all merit and virtue.

Second is the Wisdom of the Nature of Equality. This wisdom is attained by transforming the consciousness of self-view, the seventh consciousness. Because it realizes the equality of self and others and the selflessness of both their intrinsic natures, it is called the Wisdom of the Nature of Equality.

Third is the Wisdom of Wondrous Observation. This wisdom is attained by transforming the discriminating consciousness, the sixth consciousness. It skillfully observes the particular and universal characteristics of all dharmas and expounds the wondrous Dharma before the assembly, enabling sentient beings to attain non-retrogression; therefore, it is called the Wisdom of Wondrous Observation.

Fourth is the Wisdom of Accomplishing Activities. This wisdom is attained by transforming the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body consciousnesses. It can manifest all Transformation Bodies and enable sentient beings to bring all wholesome karma to complete fulfillment; for this reason, it is called the Wisdom of Accomplishing Activities.

These four wisdoms are the supreme wisdom, complete with eighty-four thousand gateways into wisdom. All such dharmas of merit and virtue are called the Tathagata’s Body of Self-Enjoyment.

Good men, the second is the Tathagata’s Other-Enjoyment Body, endowed with eighty-four thousand excellent marks. Dwelling in a true pure land, it expounds the Dharma of the One Vehicle, enabling the bodhisattvas to enjoy the wondrous Dharma-bliss of the Mahayana. In order to guide and transform the assemblies of bodhisattvas on the Ten Grounds, all Tathagatas manifest ten kinds of Other-Enjoyment Body.

The first Buddha-body sits upon a hundred-petaled lotus and expounds the hundred Dharma illumination-gates for bodhisattvas on the First Ground. After awakening to them, the bodhisattvas manifest great spiritual powers and transformations throughout one hundred Buddha-worlds, bringing benefit and happiness to countless sentient beings. The second Buddha-body sits upon a thousand-petaled lotus and expounds the thousand Dharma illumination-gates for bodhisattvas on the Second Ground.

After awakening to them, the bodhisattvas manifest great spiritual powers and transformations throughout one thousand Buddha-worlds, bringing benefit and happiness to immeasurable sentient beings. The third Buddha-body sits upon a ten-thousand-petaled lotus and expounds the ten thousand Dharma illumination-gates for bodhisattvas on the Third Ground. After awakening to them, the bodhisattvas manifest great spiritual powers and transformations throughout ten thousand Buddha-lands, bringing benefit and happiness to countless sentient beings.

In this manner, the Tathagata progressively increases them, until reaching the Other-Enjoyment Body of the Tenth Ground, which sits upon an ineffably wondrous jeweled lotus and expounds innumerable, inexpressible Dharma illumination-gates for bodhisattvas on the Tenth Ground. After awakening to them, the bodhisattvas manifest great spiritual powers and transformations throughout innumerable, ineffably wondrous Buddha-lands, bringing benefit and happiness to immeasurable and boundless kinds of sentient beings, whose number is ineffable and yet again ineffable.

These ten bodies each sit beneath a bodhi tree made of the seven precious substances and realize the fruit of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

Good men, each lotus petal is a trichiliocosm. Within each are fully present ten billion Mount Sumerus, kings of mountains, together with the four great continents, the sun, moon, stars, and the devas of the three realms. Upon Jambudvipa on each and every lotus petal are a Vajra Seat and a bodhi tree.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, up to ineffably many great and small transformation Buddhas all abide beneath the bodhi trees. Having vanquished the armies of Mara, they simultaneously realize the fruit of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. The bodies of all these great and small transformation Buddhas are each endowed with the thirty-two excellent marks and eighty accompanying characteristics.

According to what is appropriate, they expound the wondrous Dharma of the Three Vehicles for bodhisattvas at the stages of the accumulations and the Four Wholesome Roots, as well as for followers of the Two Vehicles and ordinary beings. For the bodhisattvas, they expound the appropriate six paramitas, enabling them to attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment and the ultimate wisdom of a Buddha. For those seeking the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood, they expound the twelve links of dependent origination.

For those seeking the fruit of the path of the shravakas, they expound the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths, enabling them to transcend birth, aging, sickness, and death and attain ultimate nirvana. For other sentient beings, they expound the teachings for devas and humans, enabling them to attain the wondrous fruits of peace and happiness among devas and humans. All such great and small transformation Buddhas are called the “Transformation Bodies of the Buddha.” Good man, although these two kinds of Buddha-body—the responsive body and the transformation body—manifest passing into extinction, those Buddha-bodies nevertheless continue and permanently abide.

Good men, because the single Buddha-Jewel possesses such immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable, and vast beneficent virtues that bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings, it is also for this reason that he is called the Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Universally Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, and Blessed One.

Good man, the single Buddha-Jewel fully encompasses six kinds of wondrous merit. First, he is the unsurpassed one, the supreme and great field of merit. Second, he is the unsurpassed one possessed of great beneficent virtue. Third, he is the most honored among beings without feet, with two feet, and even with many feet. Fourth, he is exceedingly difficult to encounter, like the udumbara flower. Fifth, he is the sole one to appear within a trichiliocosm. Sixth, he fully encompasses every meaning of worldly and supramundane merit. Because he possesses these six kinds of merit and constantly brings benefit and happiness to all sentient beings, it is said: “The benevolence of the Buddha-Jewel is truly inconceivable!”

At that time, the five hundred elders addressed the Buddha, saying:

“Blessed One, as the Buddha has said, within the single Buddha-Jewel are immeasurable transformation Buddhas who manifest throughout the worlds and bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings. For what reason, then, do the many sentient beings in this world not see the Buddha but instead undergo all manner of suffering and affliction?”

The Buddha told the five hundred elders:

“Suppose the sun radiated hundreds of thousands of rays, illuminating the entire world, yet among its inhabitants were blind people unable to see the sunlight. What do you think, good men? Would the sun be at fault?”

The elders replied:

“Blessed One, the sun would not be at fault!”

The Buddha taught:

“Good men, the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, constantly proclaim the true Dharma and bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings. Yet these sentient beings constantly create evil karma, lack right understanding, have no sense of shame or moral dread, and do not delight in drawing near to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The roots of such beings’ transgressions are extremely deep and grave.

Throughout immeasurable kalpas, they neither see nor hear the names of the Three Jewels, just as those blind people do not see the sunlight. If sentient beings revere the Tathagata, delight in the Dharma of the Mahayana, and honor the Three Jewels, know that their karmic hindrances are eliminated, their merit and wisdom increase, and their wholesome roots are perfected. They will swiftly see the Buddha, forever leave birth and death behind, and realize the fruit of bodhi.

“Good men, just as the single Buddha-Jewel contains immeasurable Buddhas, so too does the Tathagata’s teaching concerning the Dharma-Jewel: within the single Dharma-Jewel are immeasurable meanings.

“Good man, the Dharma-Jewel is of four kinds: first, the Dharma of the teachings; second, the Dharma of principle; third, the Dharma of practice; and fourth, the Dharma of fruition. All undefiled sounds, terms, phrases, and texts that serve to destroy ignorance, afflictions, and karmic hindrances are called the Dharma of the teachings. Conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are called the Dharma of principle. The practices of moral discipline, concentration, and wisdom are called the Dharma of practice. The attainment of the wondrous unconditioned fruit is called the Dharma of fruition. These four kinds of Dharma constitute the Dharma-Jewel, which guides sentient beings out of the ocean of birth and death and brings them to the shore of nirvana.

“Good man, the teacher of all Buddhas is precisely the Dharma-Jewel. Why is this so? The Buddhas of the past, present, and future rely upon the Dharma in their cultivation, thereby eliminating all hindrances and attaining bodhi; and until the end of future time, they continually bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings. For this reason, the Tathagatas of the three times constantly make offerings to the wondrous Dharma-Jewel of the paramitas. How much more, then, should all sentient beings in the three realms who have not yet attained liberation revere the wondrous Dharma-Jewel!”

Good men, in a past kalpa, when I was a human king seeking the Dharma, I had to cast myself into a great pit of fire in quest of the true Dharma. Only then did I completely end birth and death and attain great bodhi. Therefore, the treasure of the Dharma breaks open every prison of birth and death, just as vajra can destroy all other things.

The treasure of the Dharma illuminates beings in darkness, just as the sun illuminates the world. The treasure of the Dharma aids impoverished and destitute beings, just as the mani jewel manifests every kind of treasure. The treasure of the Dharma brings joy to beings, just as the sound of celestial drums delights the devas.

The treasure of the Dharma serves as precious steps leading to the celestial realms, for by hearing the true Dharma, beings are born in the heavens. The treasure of the Dharma is a great and sturdy vessel that crosses the sea of birth and death and reaches the shore of nirvana. The Dharma is also like a holy wheel-turning king who vanquishes the bandits of affliction—the three poisons.

The treasure of the Dharma is a beautiful and precious garment that covers beings’ lack of shame. The treasure of the Dharma is also like vajra armor: it defeats the four kinds of mara and enables one to realize the path of bodhi. The treasure of the Dharma is also like a keen sword of wisdom that severs birth and death and frees one from every bond.

The treasure of the Dharma is precisely the precious vehicle of the Three Vehicles, conveying beings out of the burning house. The treasure of the Dharma is also like every kind of bright lamp, illuminating the darkness of the three evil paths. The treasure of the Dharma is also like bows, arrows, spears, and lances that defend the realm and rout its enemies.

The treasure of the Dharma is also like a guide upon a perilous road, skillfully leading beings to a place filled with precious jewels.

Good men, the wondrous Dharma taught by the Tathagatas of the three times possesses such inconceivable qualities. Therefore, it is called the kindness of “the inconceivable treasure of the Dharma.”

Good men, in the mundane and supramundane worlds there are three classes of Sangha: first, the bodhisattva Sangha; second, the shravaka Sangha; and third, the Sangha of ordinary beings.

Those such as Manjushri and Maitreya constitute the bodhisattva Sangha.

Those such as Shariputra and Maudgalyayana constitute the shravaka Sangha.

There are also genuinely virtuous ordinary beings who have perfected the pratimoksha precepts, including those who possess every right view and constantly expound and reveal to beings all the teachings of the noble path, bringing them benefit and well-being. They are called the Sangha of ordinary beings. Although they have not yet attained the undefiled discipline, concentration, wisdom, and liberation, making offerings to them nevertheless yields immeasurable merit. These three classes of Sangha are called the true Sangha that is a field of merit.

There is yet another class called the Sangha that is a field of merit. Those belonging to this class give rise to profound reverence and faith toward the Buddha’s relics, images of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the precepts established by the noble ones. They themselves hold no wrong views and cause others likewise to be free of them.

They are also able to proclaim the true Dharma, praise the One Vehicle, deeply believe in cause and effect, and constantly vow to perform wholesome deeds. Whenever they commit offenses, they repent and earnestly strive to eliminate their karmic hindrances. Know that the power of such persons’ faith in the Three Treasures surpasses that of followers of other paths by hundreds of thousands of myriads of times, and even surpasses that of the four kinds of holy wheel-turning kings, to say nothing of all other classes of beings.

Although an utpala flower may have withered, it still surpasses all other miscellaneous flowers. A bhikshu who possesses right view is likewise superior to other beings by hundreds of thousands of myriads of times. Although he may have violated the prohibitory precepts, he has not destroyed his right view; for this reason, he is called a member of the Sangha that is a field of merit.

If any good men or good women make offerings to such members of the Sangha that is a field of merit, they will obtain inexhaustible merit. Whatever merit is gained by making offerings to the preceding three classes of the true treasure of the Sangha, the merit gained here is equal to it and no different. These four classes of Sangha, noble and ordinary, continually bring benefit and well-being to beings without interruption.

Therefore, this is called the kindness of “the inconceivable treasure of the Sangha.”

At that time, the five hundred elders addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, today, having heard the Dharma voice of the Buddha, we have understood the benefits that the Three Treasures bring to the world. Yet we do not now understand on what grounds the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are called treasures. We respectfully beseech the Buddha to explain this and reveal it to the assembly, so that all beings in future ages may reverently place their faith in the Three Treasures, forever sever every doubt, acquire steadfast faith, and enter the inconceivable ocean of the gateway of the Three Treasures!”

The Buddha told the elders:

“Excellent! Excellent! Good men, you have been able to ask the Tathagata about such extremely profound and wondrous teachings. All beings in future ages will thereby receive great benefit, peace, and happiness! Just as the foremost jewel in the world possesses ten qualities, adorns the realm, and benefits beings, so too do the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha:

“Indestructibility: Just as no one can break a mani jewel, so too are the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: followers of other paths and celestial maras cannot destroy them.

“Stainlessness: Just as the most excellent jewel in the world is always pure and radiant, without the slightest admixture of dust or defilement, so too are the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: they are all far removed from the dust and defilement of afflictions.

“Bestowing happiness: Just as the celestial vessel of virtue constantly bestows peace and happiness upon beings, so too do the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: they can bring beings mundane and supramundane peace and happiness.

“Rarity: Just as an auspicious jewel is rare and difficult to obtain, so too are the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: beings burdened by many karmic hindrances may find them difficult to encounter even after hundreds of millions of kalpas.

“The power to destroy: Just as a wish-fulfilling jewel can destroy human poverty, so too do the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: they destroy the poverty and suffering of beings in the world.

“Majestic virtue: Just as a wheel-turning king possesses a precious chariot capable of subduing his enemies, so too do the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: endowed with the six superknowledges, they constantly subdue the four kinds of mara.

“Fulfilling aspirations: Just as a mani jewel, in accord with whatever the mind seeks, abundantly manifests all kinds of treasures, so too do the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: they can fulfill the aspirations of beings who wish to cultivate and follow wholesome paths.

“Adornment: Just as worldly jewels adorn a royal palace, so too do the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: they adorn the precious palace of bodhi belonging to the Dharma King.

“Supreme wondrousness: Just as the wondrous treasures of the celestial realms are exceedingly sublime, so too are the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: they surpass the most excellent and wondrous treasures of the world.

“Immutability: Just as genuine gold does not change when placed in fire, so too are the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha: the eight worldly winds cannot move them.

“The treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha possess immeasurable supernormal powers and transformations. They bring benefit to beings and never cease or rest. For these reasons, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are called ‘Treasures.’ Good men, for your understanding, I have now briefly explained these four sources of kindness in the mundane and supramundane worlds. You should know: ‘Those who cultivate the bodhisattva practice must repay these four kinds of kindness!’”

At that time, the five hundred elders addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, these four kinds of kindness are exceedingly difficult to repay. What practices, then, should we cultivate in order to repay them?”

The Buddha told the elders:

“Good men, those who seek the path of bodhi must cultivate the three levels of the ten paramitas: first, the ten practices of the dana-paramita; second, the ten practices of the Approaching Paramita; and third, the ten practices of the True Paramita. If any good man or good woman who has generated the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment were constantly to give seven kinds of precious jewels filling the trichiliocosm to immeasurable poor and destitute beings, such giving would be called only the dana-paramita; it could not be called the True Paramita.

“If any good man or good woman, having generated the mind of great compassion and seeking unsurpassed, complete bodhi, were to give their spouse and children to others without any thought of regret or miserliness, and were to give their body, flesh, hands, feet, head, eyes, marrow, brain, and even their very life to those who came asking for them, such giving would be called only the Approaching Paramita; it could not yet be called the True Paramita.

“If any good man or good woman generates the aspiration for unsurpassed great bodhi, abides in non-attainment, and exhorts all sentient beings to generate that same aspiration, then bestows the true Dharma in a single four-line verse upon one sentient being, causing that being to turn toward the path of unsurpassed, complete bodhi, this alone is called the True Paramita. The first two levels of giving cannot yet be called the repayment of kindness.

Only when a good man or good woman cultivates the third level, the True Paramita, can it be called the true repayment of the four kindnesses. Why is this so? The first two levels of giving still involve a mind of attainment, whereas at the third level of giving the mind rests in non-attainment.

By bestowing the true Dharma upon one sentient being and causing that being to generate the aspiration for unsurpassed great bodhi, when that person later realizes the fruit of bodhi, they will extensively liberate sentient beings without end and ensure that the seed of the Three Jewels continues without interruption. For this reason, it is called the repayment of kindness.”

At that time, the five hundred elders heard from the Buddha this Dharma concerning the repayment of kindness, which they had never heard before. Their hearts filled with joy, and they regarded it as an unprecedented attainment. They immediately generated the aspiration to seek the fruit of unsurpassed bodhi, attained the samadhi of patience, entered inconceivable wisdom, and forever became non-retrogressive.

Then eighty-four thousand sentient beings in the Dharma assembly generated the aspiration for bodhi, attained steadfast faith, and also attained that samadhi. All those in the ocean-like assembly attained the vajra patience samadhi and awakened to the patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas and the patience of gentle accord. Some realized the First Bhumi and attained the patience of non-arising. Immeasurable sentient beings all generated the aspiration for bodhi and abided on the stage of non-retrogression.

The Buddha addressed the five hundred elders:

“All sentient beings in future ages who hear this chapter, ‘Contemplation of the Mind-Ground: Repaying the Four Kindnesses,’ and accept, uphold, read, recite, cultivate, expound, explain, copy, and widely disseminate it shall increase in merit, virtue, and wisdom. The devas will protect them; in their present bodies they will be free from illness and enjoy long lives. When their lives end, they will be reborn in the inner palace of Maitreya.

Upon beholding the white urna between his brows, they will immediately transcend the paths of birth and death. During the three assemblies beneath the Dragon-Flower Tree, they will attain liberation and, according to their wishes, be reborn in the Pure Lands of the ten directions, where they will see Buddhas and hear the Dharma. Entering the assembly of those established in right concentration, they will swiftly attain the Tathagata’s wisdom of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”