འཕགས་པ་གནས་འཇག་པའ་མད་ཞས་བྱ་བ 4

4

until sunrise tomorrow, also abandon eating at the improper time and abstain from eating at the improper time. Through this eighth factor, I emulate, act in accordance with, and imitate the course of conduct of those noble ones, the worthy ones.’

“Recite thus a second and a third time. Vasiṣṭha, this is the eightfold observance of the noble ones, and thus, by maintaining the eightfold observance of the noble ones, one will experience all one wishes for among gods and humans. Vasiṣṭha, you should maintain the eightfold observance of the noble ones, practice diligently on special days, and experience all you wish for among gods and humans!

“Regarding the merit of those faithful sons or daughters of good families who maintain the eightfold observance of the noble ones, Vasiṣṭha, one cannot fathom the extent of the merit, nor the fruits of the merit, nor the ripening of the fruits of the merit by saying, ‘It is this much.’ And yet, it is described as ‘many heaps of merit.’

“As an analogy, Vasiṣṭha, it is like how the five great rivers—the Ganges, the Yamunā, the One With the Lake, the One With Houses, and the Saté¹²—flow down into one, and thus, one cannot fathom their volume, saying, ‘There is this much water, or these many hundred jugs of water, or these many thousand jugs of water, or these many hundred thousand jugs of water.’ And yet, it is described as ‘a lot of water’ and ‘a huge river.’

“Similarly, Vasiṣṭha, regarding the merit of those sons or daughters of good families who maintain the eightfold observance of the noble ones, one cannot fathom the extent of the merit, nor the fruits of the merit, nor the ripening of the fruits of the merit by saying, ‘It is this much.’ And yet, it is described as ‘a lot of merit.’