འཕགས་པ་དཀན་མཆག་སྤྲན་ཅས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 1.9

1.9

“In that case, why have they not yet attained the level of irreversible progress?”

“Noble son,” replied the Blessed One, “the progress beings there make is irreversible, yet it is also reversible.”

“How, Blessed One, can it be both irreversible as well as reversible?”

“Noble son, I perceive that once they have heard the name of that thus-gone one the seed of irreversible progess is present within them. Thus, they are definitively destined to make irreversible progress. Yet their progress does not, because of that alone, immediately become irreversible. Noble son, to demonstrate this point I shall give you an analogy. Noble son, think of the seeds of a tree. If those seeds are flawless, and if all the conditions for growth, from sprouting through to completion, are present, then what would you call such seeds?”

“Blessed One, because they are entirely flawless, I would then call them ‘perfect.’ ”

“Noble son, similarly, once they have heard the name of that thus-gone one, those sentient beings possess the seed of irreversible progress. And in that sense their progress to unexcelled and complete awakening has become irreversible.”

The bodhisattva great being Sarva­nīvaraṇa­viṣkam­bhin then said to the blessed thus-gone Padma­netra, “Blessed One, I would like to go to that world called Endurance so that I can prostrate before the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Śākyamuni. I wish to venerate, honor, and revere him. I wish to praise him and offer him worship.”

In reply, the blessed thus-gone Padma­netra said to the bodhisattva great being Sarva­nīvaraṇa­viṣkam­bhin,