འཕགས་པ་གང་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 1.13

1.13

The true nature of phenomena
Is beyond increase and decrease.

“Even if, through the powers of insight,
I were to explain the Dharma
For countless eons,
No one could say that it was fully explained.

“Imagine that all sentient beings
Obtained a human body,
Went forth as monks,
And became as erudite as Ānanda;

“Even if the bodhisattvas
Who have the attainment of perfect recall
Explained the Dharma to them for ten million eons,
Their wisdom would not be exhausted.

“The wisdom of the buddhas is incomparable:
It is limitless, like space.
Just like space, this wisdom
Transcends origination.

“The nāgas cause great rainfalls
Without drawing any water.
Although they do not dwell in that water,
The rainfall is endless.

“Similarly, when bodhisattvas
Have the attainment of perfect recall,
Although they do not dwell on the teachings,
Through that circumstance what they teach is inexhaustible.

“Therefore, one should pursue erudition
And then contemplate thoroughly.
When one focuses on the Dharma and recollects the Buddha,
Erudition is born from that.¹⁰

“The bodhisattvas’ love pervades all beings.
It pacifies the marks of sentient beings,
And also the marks of phenomena;
Erudition is born from that.”

Chapter Three

Irreversible Progress

“Pūrṇa,” said the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible. What are the four?

“(1) If bodhisattvas hear a Dharma teaching they have not heard before, rather than saying, ‘This is not the Dharma’ they should reflect on it in terms of its meaning. If bodhisattvas possess this first quality, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible.”

At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:

“When bodhisattvas hear a Dharma teaching they have not heard before
That does not contradict my intent,
They reflect upon its meaning,