分別功德論 1.8

1.8

"All dharmas are extremely profound" refers to the twelvefold conditioned origination. The Buddha explained the twelvefold conditioned origination to Ānanda as extremely profound and subtle. Ānanda said: "What is profound or subtle about these causes and conditions?" The Buddha said to Ānanda: "Do not say it is not profound and subtle. In a past life you also said it was not profound. Long ago there was an asura king whose body was eight thousand yojanas tall, and the distance between his upper and lower lips was one thousand yojanas. The king had a young son. He was always fond of this son and held him on his lap. The ocean was three million three hundred and sixty thousand li deep, and when the asura stood in it, it reached exactly to his navel. The son, seeing his father, thought the ocean was shallow and wanted to enter the water. The father said: 'You must not. The ocean is deep and will drown you.' Still wanting to enter, the father then let him go; he sank to the bottom of the ocean, terrified and crying out. The father immediately extended his hand, brought him back out of the water, and said to him: 'I told you not to, but you did not believe me. How is it now?' The king at that time was myself. The son was you. In the past you did not believe it was profound, and today you still do not believe it. When you cannot even fully understand that ignorance conditions formations, how much less could you understand the thirty-seven factors of awakening?"