འཕགས་པ་བད་མད་འགྱར་བ་ལང་བསྟན་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 1.25

1.25

Honorable Subhūti, there are beings who are keen for the pleasures of a universal monarch’s realm, while others are keen for the pleasures of ministers, townsfolk, countrymen, priests, and the members of the warrior, aristocratic, and commoner castes. There are beings keen for the pleasures of forms, sounds, odors, tastes, and touch. There are beings keen for the pleasures of flowers, fragrant substances, incense, flower garlands, lotions, powders, parasols, victory banners, pennants, and fans. There are beings keen for the pleasures of gold, silver, gems, pearls, beryl, conches, crystal, red pearls, coral, emerald, cat’s eye, and many sorts of precious substances. There are beings keen for the pleasures of the various sounds of instruments, such as the large drum, clay drum, conch, gong, lute, and flute. To those beings, honorable Subhūti, I grant all wishes, pleasures, and amusements. After granting them these, I cause them to enter into unsurpassed and perfect awakening.”

“Elder sister,” said Subhūti, “the five sense pleasures are to be avoided up until the path of the noble ones. Yet you guide others by giving them such pleasures? This seems to be a contradiction in terms. However, elder sister, although it is indeed difficult to guide others by means of those very things that one should avoid until one is on the path of the noble ones, bodhisattva great beings nevertheless do so. How amazing!”

At this point, two sons of merchants had gathered by the gate to listen to the Dharma. Through her skillful ways of bringing pleasure to others, the lady had already matured both of them for unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Now they said to Venerable Subhūti,