稱讚大乘功德經

Thus have I heard.

At one time, the Bhagavān, within a palace of merit, abided in the adorned treasury of the Dharma-realm, the very ground of practice of all the Buddhas, together with a host of great Śrāvakas and great Bodhisattvas beyond all reckoning gathered in assembly, along with gods, humans, asuras, and so forth—an immeasurably vast multitude—surrounding him in due order.

At that time, within the assembly there was a Bodhisattva, manifesting in the body of a woman, named Adorned-with-Flowers of Virtue (Guṇālaṃkāra), who, relying upon the awesome spiritual power of the Buddha, rose from her seat, bowed her head and paid homage, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "(World-Honored One,) for what reason is one called a Bodhisattva's evil companion, that the newly-learning Bodhisattvas might know and keep far away from such?"

At that time, the Buddha said to Adorned-with-Flowers of Virtue: "I observe that in the world there is no Heavenly Māra, Brahmā, Śakra, śramaṇa, brāhmaṇa, and so forth, together with the newly-learning Bodhisattvas oriented toward unsurpassed Bodhi, who would be an evil spiritual friend. Suppose there are such Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas—these are not yet Bodhisattvas, for a Bodhisattva must bring benefit and ease to sentient beings and earnestly seek Unsurpassed Perfect Bodhi.

People of the two vehicles, whose aspirations are inferior and lowly, seek only to enjoy nirvāṇa for themselves; for this reason, the newly-learning Bodhisattvas should not dwell with them in the same monastery, nor dwell with them in the same room, nor walk in meditation in the same place, nor wander and take their ease along the same path. If there are Bodhisattvas within the Great Vehicle who are fully accomplished in great learning and have attained unbreakable faith, I may permit them to dwell together with such people, since they have already aroused the mind oriented toward Bodhi.

But if those roots of goodness have not yet ripened, then one should not expound the Dharma of the Great Vehicle to teach and convert them, lest it give rise to slander and incur immeasurable fault.

"The newly-learning Bodhisattvas should first draw near to those greatly-learned Bodhisattvas who have long studied within the teaching of the Great Vehicle, who abide in Unsurpassed Perfect Bodhi, planting roots of goodness so that they ripen swiftly; they should not draw near to, nor wander and take their ease with, those of the two vehicles. Why is this so? Because it obstructs the Bodhi-mind of the Bodhisattva.

It causes one to cast away the Bodhi-mind. It causes the Bodhi-mind to diminish and decline. It causes one to violate and ruin the Bodhisattva's practice.

A Bodhisattva would rather cast away this body and life than cast away the great Bodhi-mind by arousing fondness and longing for the two vehicles. If a Bodhisattva encourages sentient beings to abandon the Bodhi-mind and take delight in the station of the two vehicles; if a Bodhisattva encourages sentient beings to abandon the Bodhi-mind and perform evil deeds—all such fall into the hells and receive the utmost extreme of suffering as their recompense.

A Bodhisattva would rather hold fast to the great Bodhi-mind and endure suffering in the Avīci hell of the five unintermittent torments, never to the end of life casting away the great Bodhi-mind. Were one to wish to seek and attain the fruit of Stream-Entry, a Bodhisattva would rather hold fast to the great Bodhi-mind and undergo suffering in the hells for a hundred thousand great kalpas, never to the end of life casting away the great Bodhi-mind.

Were one to wish to seek and attain the fruit of Once-Returning, a Bodhisattva would rather hold fast to the great Bodhi-mind and take on the body of an animal or become a hungry ghost, never to the end of life casting away the great Bodhi-mind. Were one to wish to seek and attain the fruit of Non-Returning, a Bodhisattva would rather hold fast to the great Bodhi-mind and commit the ten evil deeds, falling into the various evil destinies, never to the end of life casting away the great Bodhi-mind.

Were one to wish to seek and attain the fruit of the Unarisen, a Bodhisattva would rather hold fast to the great Bodhi-mind and enter into a great fire to rescue living beings, never to the end of life casting away the great Bodhi-mind. In all cases one should be fearful, and so turn back toward the realm of Nirvāṇa.

"When a Bodhisattva first arouses the mind of Unsurpassed Bodhi, the Bodhisattva has compassion for all sentient beings revolving within the round of birth and death with none to rescue or aid them; then all gods, humans, asuras, and so forth should make offerings to him; he has the power to draw in and transform all the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas so that they reach the very highest fruit; he has the power to subdue and overcome all the armies of Māra, so that the various evil Māra-kings are all greatly terrified."

At that time, Adorned-with-Flowers of Virtue, having heard the Buddha speak thus, again entreated the Buddha, saying: "What is meant by the armies of Māra? I bow and pray that the World-Honored One, out of compassion, may instruct me concerning this."

The Buddha said to Adorned-with-Flowers of Virtue: "When they hear the teaching of the Great Vehicle expounded, they do not give rise to sympathetic joy, do not delight in listening, do not aspire to awaken and enter into it, are unable to believe and accept it; on the contrary, they laugh in mockery, defame and slander, hold it in contempt, sow division and disparage it, beat and drive away those who teach it—know that all such ones are the armies of Māra.

These are called those who are infatuated with what is contrary to the Dharma, those whose mind and nature are base and mean, those who seek after heterodox paths, those who practice wrong conduct, those who destroy right view—know that all such ones slander the Great Vehicle, and must fall into the hells, undergoing the utmost extreme of suffering. After such a one is born again, he will be born among the hungry ghosts, passing through a hundred thousand kalpas constantly eating filth; after being born into the human realm, he will be blind, deaf, mute, and stammering, his body incomplete, his nostrils flat and crushed, dull-witted and without wisdom, his form ugly and base.

In just this sequence, as the obstructions of his offenses are worn away, drifting through the ten directions, he may by good fortune meet the Buddhas, draw near and make offerings to them, and hear once more the Great Vehicle he heard before, and now with sympathetic joy believe and accept it. By this causal condition the great Bodhi-mind at once arises; with diligent effort and heroic vigor he cultivates the Bodhisattva's practice, and gradually advances in learning up to the fruit of Bodhi.

"All the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, arouse a mind free of discrimination and, for the sake of the various kinds of sentient beings, expound the Dharma of the five vehicles; by the power of their original vows, from the Dharma-realm body, throughout all the times of the Dharma, from each of their pores there revolve and pour forth measureless rays of the light of Dharma; with a single kind of subtle and wondrous sound they rain down the Dharma upon measureless sentient beings within one and the same assembly.

Those of the Śrāvaka Vehicle, with faith and joy, hear the Buddha expound the Dharma of the Śrāvaka Vehicle. Those of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, with faith and joy, hear the Buddha expound the Dharma of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. Those of the Unsurpassed Vehicle, with faith and joy, hear the Buddha expound the Dharma of the Unsurpassed Vehicle.

Those of the manifold vehicles, with faith and joy, hear the Buddha expound the Dharma of the manifold vehicles. Those of the Vehicle of Gods and Humans, with faith and joy, hear the Buddha expound the Dharma of the Vehicle of Gods and Humans. The animals, the hungry ghosts, and so forth also hear the Tathāgata, using the sound of each kind of being, expound the Dharma.

If there are those who from of old have not yet heard the Dharma, they see the Buddha sitting silently within the assembly. Those who once heard the Great Vehicle and then slandered it all pass through measureless kalpas, falling into the great hells; from the animals and hungry ghosts up to those among the gods and humans, they undergo suffering in this way. When they hear the Dharma of the Great Vehicle and give rise to profound and deep rejoicing, faith pure and unmixed at once arises, and they bring forth the mind of Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi."

At that time, Adorned-with-Flowers of Virtue, having heard the Buddha expound thus, again entreated the Buddha, saying: "What is meant by the Great Vehicle? How many divisions of meaning does this name 'Great Vehicle' hold?"

The World-Honored One said: "Excellent! Excellent! You should listen well to the merits of the Great Vehicle; listen carefully, listen carefully, and skillfully contemplate and bear it in mind.

I shall now, for your sake, distinguish and explain this name 'Great Vehicle' together with its various divisions and meanings. This Vehicle gathers in and encompasses, is profound and far-reaching, and has no place of fault or error—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle has merit most profound, subtle, and wondrous, surpassing all counting and measuring—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is firm and solid, and the false and the divisive cannot shake it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is true and real unto the utmost reaches of the future, having no shore or final limit—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is vast and boundless, encompassing the Dharma-realm, far without any border—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is like the ocean, taking in and storing up, gathering together all merit—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is like a mountain, guarding the region, so that the evil cannot harm it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is like empty space, gathering in all the sentient and the insentient—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is like the earth, bringing forth and nurturing all things, whether worldly or world-transcending—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is like water, moistening all things so that none wither and dry—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is like fire, burning away obstructions so that the latent residues are exhausted—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is like the wind, sweeping away every mass of the clouds of birth and death—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is like the sun, shining forth everywhere, ripening all—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is like the moon, clearing away suffering and sorrow, dispelling all heterodox darkness—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is honored and noble, and the dragons and the eightfold host of devas all revere and serve it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is for the sake of all, and the strong and accomplished, having penetrated it, chant and praise it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is for the sake of all, and the Four Kings, Brahmā, and Śakra reverently honor and esteem it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is for the sake of all, and the various nāga-spirits and so forth reverently guard and uphold it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is for the sake of all, and all the Bodhisattvas diligently cultivate and study it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle preserves the seed of the Buddhas and Sages, passing it on and causing it to flourish and increase—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is perfect and complete, fully endowed with awesome virtue, illuminating all—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle provides for all sentient beings, so that they suffer no want—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle has awesome power, like a precious medicinal herb, healing all illnesses—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is able to destroy all the bandits that are the afflictions of sentient beings—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is able to turn the unsurpassed wheel of Dharma, benefiting all—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is subtle and wondrous, profound and secret, beyond all telling—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle, by its wondrous functioning, carries on the lineage of the Three Jewels, so that it is never cut off and destroyed—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle reveals the true meaning of life and the ultimate principle—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle makes manifest all the practices of the Bodhisattva, fully and without lack—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle makes manifest the merit of the Buddha-lands, fully and without lack—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle benefits and brings ease to all sentient beings, without any shore or limit—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle, in its efficacy, establishes the great meaning, its wondrous functioning inexhaustible—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is profound and mysterious, and those of feeble mind and intent cannot believe and accept it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is impartial and equal, and those of lofty mind and intent are able to believe and accept it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is vast and great, and the foolish, failing to fathom it, give rise to mockery—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle.

This Vehicle is honored and noble, and the wise, having obtained it, hold it as one guards a precious treasure—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle. This Vehicle is lofty and supreme, and those of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the rest are utterly beyond all comparison with it—therefore it is called the Great Vehicle."

When the Buddha had spoken thus of the surpassing merits of the name, meaning, essence, and function of the Great Vehicle, the great-thousandfold world of three thousand worlds quaked in six ways. In the open sky a million kinds of heavenly music resounded, the drums of space sounded of themselves, and heavenly flowers of surpassing beauty fell down in radiant splendor. Measureless devaputras and countless Śrāvakas, hearing this sound of the Dharma and seeing these auspicious signs, all aroused the mind of Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. A hundred thousand newly-learning Bodhisattvas in that same moment attained the Forbearance of the Non-Arising of Dharmas.

At that time, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, joined his palms in reverence, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "There is now this profound and rare Dharma-gate, which can bring benefit and ease to all sentient beings. By what name shall it be taken up and upheld and circulated abroad?"

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "This sūtra is named 'Praising the Merit of the Great Vehicle,' and it is also called 'The Manifest Teaching on the Karmic Obstructions of Slandering the Dharma.' By these names of the sūtra you should take it up and uphold it."

At that time, when the Bhagavān had finished expounding this sūtra, Ānanda, the measureless Śrāvakas, Adorned-with-Flowers of Virtue and the rest, the countless Bodhisattvas, together with the gods, humans, asuras, and so forth—all the great assembly, having heard the Buddha's exposition, rejoiced, believed and accepted it, and reverently put it into practice.

The Sūtra of Praising the Merit of the Great Vehicle