大方便佛報恩經 2.53

2.53

佛告喜王菩薩：「善男子！諦聽！諦聽！菩薩摩訶薩知恩者，當發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心；報恩者，亦當教一切眾生，令發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。若發菩提心，云何而發？菩薩因何事故，所以能發？善男子！菩薩摩訶薩初發三菩提心時，立大誓願，作如是言：『若我得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，當大利益一切眾生，要當安置一切眾生大涅槃中，復當教化一切眾生，悉令具足般若波羅蜜，是則名為自利，亦名利他。』是故初發菩提心者，則得名為菩提因緣、眾生因緣、正義因緣、三十七助道法因緣，攝取一切善法根本。是故菩薩名為大善，亦名一切眾生善根，能破一切眾生身口意等三業諸惡。一切世間所有誓願，及出世間所有誓願，無有能勝阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，如是誓願無勝無上。菩薩摩訶薩初發三菩提心時，有五事：一者，性；二者，行；三者，境界；四者，功德；五者，增長。菩薩若能發菩提心，則得名為菩薩摩訶薩，定得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，修大乘行。是故初發菩提心，即能攝取一切善法。菩薩摩訶薩發菩提心，修行漸得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；若不發心，終不能得；是故發心即得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提根本。菩薩摩訶薩見苦眾生，心生憐愍，是故菩薩因慈悲心故，能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心；因阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，即能習三十七品；因三十七品故，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，是故發心名為根本。發菩提心故，行菩薩尸羅，是故發心名根、名因，名枝、名葉，亦名華、名果，亦名為子。菩薩發心畢竟不畢竟，畢竟者乃至得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，終不退失；不畢竟者，有退有失。退有二種：畢竟退、不畢竟退。畢竟退者，終不能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，不能推求修習其法；不畢竟退者，求菩提心，修習其法。是菩提心有四種：一者，若善男子、若善女人，若見若聞諸佛菩薩不可思議事，爾時即生信敬之心，作是念言：『佛菩薩事不可思議。若佛菩薩不可思議事是可得者，我亦當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。』是故至心念於菩提，發菩提心。復有不見諸佛菩薩不思議事，以聞諸佛菩薩祕密之藏；聞已，即生信敬之心；得生信心故，為阿耨多羅三藐三菩提及摩訶般若，是故發菩提心。復有不見諸佛菩薩不思議事，亦不聞法，見法滅時，復作是念：『無上佛法能滅眾生無量苦惱，作大利益。惟諸佛菩薩能令佛法久住不滅。我今亦當發菩提心，令諸眾生遠離煩惱。願我此身受大苦事，護持佛法久住於世故，發菩提心。』復有不見諸佛菩薩法滅時，唯見惡世諸眾生等，具重煩惱、貪欲、瞋恚、愚癡等；無慙、無愧、慳悋等；嫉妬、恚癡、苦惱等；不信、邪疑、懶惰等。見是事已，即作此念：『大惡世時，眾生不能修善。如是惡時，尚不能發二乘之心，何況阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？我今當發菩提心，發菩提心已，乃當教一切眾生令發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。』」

The Buddha told the bodhisattva Prītirāja: "Good man, listen attentively! Listen attentively! When bodhisattva-mahāsattvas know kindness, they should generate the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi; when they repay kindness, they should also instruct all sentient beings to generate the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. If one generates the bodhimind, how is it generated? By what cause can a bodhisattva generate it? Good man, when a bodhisattva-mahāsattva first generates the mind of [samyak]saṃbodhi, they make a great vow, speaking thus: 'When I attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, I will greatly benefit all sentient beings. I must certainly establish all sentient beings in great nirvāṇa, and I will also teach and transform all sentient beings, causing them all to become fully endowed with the prajñāpāramitā. This is called benefiting oneself, and it is also called benefiting others.' For this reason, one who first generates the bodhimind can be called the cause and condition of bodhi, the cause and condition of sentient beings, the cause and condition of the true meaning, the cause and condition of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, gathering in the root of all wholesome qualities. Therefore, a bodhisattva is called 'great good', and also called the 'wholesome root of all sentient beings', able to destroy the various evils of the three karmas of body, speech, and mind of all sentient beings. Of all vows in the mundane world and all vows beyond the world, none can surpass anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi; such a vow is unsurpassed and supreme. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva first generates the mind of [samyak]saṃbodhi, there are five matters: first, nature; second, practice; third, sphere; fourth, merit; fifth, increase. If a bodhisattva can generate the bodhimind, they are then called a bodhisattva-mahāsattva, are certain to attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, and cultivate the practices of the Mahāyāna. For this reason, first generating the bodhimind can gather in all wholesome qualities. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas generate the bodhimind, and through gradual cultivation attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi; if they do not generate the mind, they will never be able to attain it. Therefore, generating the mind is attaining the root of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. When bodhisattva-mahāsattvas see suffering sentient beings, pity arises in their hearts. Therefore, by cause of the mind of loving-kindness and compassion, bodhisattvas are able to generate the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi; by cause of the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, they are able to train in the thirty-seven factors [of enlightenment]; by cause of the thirty-seven factors, they attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Therefore, generating the mind is called the root. Because of generating the bodhimind, they practice the bodhisattva śīla. Therefore, generating the mind is called the root, called the cause, called the branches, called the leaves, also called the flowers, called the fruit, and also called the seed. Bodhisattvas' generation of the mind is either definitive or not definitive. The definitive persists even unto attaining anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi and never regresses or is lost; the non-definitive has regression and loss. There are two kinds of regression: definitive regression and non-definitive regression. As for definitive regression, they can never generate the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, and cannot seek and cultivate its teachings; as for non-definitive regression, they seek the bodhimind and cultivate its teachings. There are four kinds of this bodhimind: First, when a good man or good woman sees or hears of the inconceivable matters of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, faith and reverence arise in their heart at that time, and they think: 'The matters of buddhas and bodhisattvas are inconceivable. If these inconceivable matters of buddhas and bodhisattvas can be attained, I too should attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi.' Therefore, with an utmost mind they keep bodhi in mind and generate the bodhimind. Again, there are those who do not see the inconceivable matters of buddhas and bodhisattvas, but having heard the secret store of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, faith and reverence arise in their hearts; having attained faith, for the sake of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi and mahāprajñā, they therefore generate the bodhimind. Again, there are those who do not see the inconceivable matters of buddhas and bodhisattvas and also do not hear the Dharma, but seeing the extinction of the Dharma, they think: 'The unsurpassed Buddha-Dharma can extinguish the immeasurable afflictions and distress of sentient beings and bring about great benefit. Only the buddhas and bodhisattvas can cause the Buddha-Dharma to abide long without perishing. I too should now generate the bodhimind, so that sentient beings may be distant from afflictions. May this body of mine undergo great suffering so that I may protect and uphold the Buddha-Dharma to abide long in the world,' and therefore they generate the bodhimind. Again, there are those who do not see the extinction of the Dharma of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, but only see sentient beings in an evil age, endowed with heavy afflictions, greed and desire, anger, delusion, and the like; shamelessness, lack of conscience, stinginess, and the like; jealousy, wrath, suffering and distress, and the like; lack of faith, false doubt, indolence, and the like. Having seen these things, they think: 'In the time of a great evil age, sentient beings cannot cultivate good. In such an evil age, they cannot even generate the mind of the two vehicles, let alone the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi! I must now generate the bodhimind; having generated the bodhimind, I will then teach all sentient beings to generate the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi.'"