འཕགས་པ་བྱམས་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 19

19

Should I give you food or drink? A riding-mount? Jewelry? Gold, gems, pearls, or various kinds of precious things? Tell me whatever you need.’

“The man replied, ‘I beg you, please give me your eye.’

“So, Ānanda, King Candraprabha plucked out his eye and gave it to the man. But, Ānanda, although King Candraprabha had plucked out his eye and given it to the man, he did not become regretful. Ānanda, if you wonder whether King Candraprabha was then, at that time , someone else, or you are of two minds about it, or doubtful, do not see him so. Why? Because I myself was then, at that time, King Candraprabha. Ānanda, Mount Meru, the king of mountains, can be measured, but the eyes that I have given to sentient beings as I sought supreme, completely perfect enlightenment are too great and cannot.

“Ānanda, when the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was formerly engaged in the conduct of a bodhisattva, because the vehicle is easy, the entry is easy, and the path is easy,¹⁸ he perfectly accomplished supreme, perfect enlightenment. Ānanda, when the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was formerly engaged in the conduct of a bodhisattva he did not let go of his arms, legs, or marrow. He did not renounce and let go of his spouse, or his child, village, town, city, royal palace, or retinue. But, Ānanda, when the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was formerly engaged in the conduct of a bodhisattva, because he fully embraced skillful means, through the easy vehicle, the easy entry, and the easy path