དམ་པའ་ཆས་པད་མ་དཀར་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 2.7

2.7

it would alarm this world with its devas.”

Then Brother Śāriputra for a second time made his request to the Bhagavān, saying, “Bhagavān, I request that you teach this meaning. I request that the Sugata teach it. Why is that? Bhagavān, in this assembly there are many hundreds of beings, many thousands of beings, many hundred thousands of beings, many hundred thousand quintillions of beings, who have seen past buddhas and are endowed with wisdom, and they will have faith in the teaching of the Bhagavān, will have conviction in it, and will uphold it.”

Then at that time Brother Śāriputra recited this verse:

“There are thousands of beings in this assembly
Who have faith in, delight in, and venerate the Sugata,
And they will understand the Dharma that you teach.
Therefore, king and lord of humans,¹⁰⁶ I request that you clearly teach.” {33}

Then the Bhagavān said a second time to Brother Śāriputra. “Śāriputra,¹⁰⁷ if I were to teach the meaning of this it would alarm this world with its devas, and it would cause bhikṣus who have great pride to fall into a great abyss.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke this verse:

“I have taught enough of this Dharma.
This wisdom is subtle and cannot be analyzed.
There are many present who are foolish and proud.
They will not understand and will reject my teaching.” {34}

Then Brother Śāriputra made a third request to the Bhagavān, saying, “I request that the Bhagavān teach. I request that the Sugata teach. Bhagavān, in this assembly there are many hundreds who are like me. Bhagavān, there are many hundreds of such beings, many thousands of such beings, many hundred thousands of such beings, many hundred thousand quintillions of such beings, and there are others who were ripened by the Bhagavān in their previous existences.