དམ་པའ་ཆས་པད་མ་དཀར་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 5.29

5.29

and thought, “Bhagavān, it is wonderful! Sugata, it is wonderful! The tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas accomplish that which is extremely difficult—they teach the Dharma to beings according to the different concerns of the world, through many wisdom insights into skillful methods, and they liberate³³⁰ beings attached to this and that.³³¹ Bhagavān, what are we able to do? The Tathāgata is the one who knows our aspirations and our past.”

He bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet and then sat to one side and with his hands placed together in homage gazed unblinking upon the Bhagavān.

Then the Bhagavān, seeing the thoughts in the mind of Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, said to the complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, look upon my śrāvaka Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra. He is the best teacher among those who teach the Dharma within my³³² saṅgha of bhikṣus, and he is praised for having many true qualities. He is dedicated to holding the Dharma in many ways within my teaching. He tirelessly teaches the Dharma, bringing joy to the four assemblies, encouraging them, and inspiring them. He is able to teach the Dharma. He is able to aid those who maintain celibacy.

“Bhikṣus, other than the Tathāgata, there is no one who can match Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra in meaning or in words.

“Bhikṣus, what do you think? If you think that he has been a holder solely of my Dharma, bhikṣus, you should not regard him in that way. Why is that? Bhikṣus, I remember that in the past, in a time gone by, he was a holder of the Dharma of nine hundred and ninety million buddhas. Just as he is now the supreme teacher of my Dharma,