金剛般若波羅蜜經略疏 2.19

2.19

The Buddha said, "Subhūti, what do you think? Regarding the sand in the Ganges River, did the Buddha speak of it as sand?" Subhūti said, "So it is, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata spoke of it as sand." The Buddha said, "Subhūti, what do you think? If there were as many Ganges Rivers as there are sands in one Ganges River, and there were Buddha worlds numbering as many as the sands in all those Ganges Rivers, would those worlds be many?" Subhūti said, "Those worlds would be very many, World-Honored One." The Buddha said, "Subhūti, all the various abidings of mind of the sentient beings in that many worlds, the Tathāgata fully knows. Why is this? The Tathāgata speaks of all abidings of mind as non-abidings of mind; therefore they are called abidings of mind. Why is this? Subhūti, past mind cannot be apprehended, present mind cannot be apprehended, and future mind cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, what do you think? If someone filled the great trichiliocosm with the seven treasures and gave them in charity, would that good man or good woman obtain much merit on account of this?" Subhūti said, "So it is, World-Honored One. This person would obtain very much merit on account of this." The Buddha said, "So it is, so it is. Subhūti, that good man or good woman would obtain a great heap of merit on account of this. Subhūti, if the heap of merit had real existence, the Tathāgata would not speak of a heap of merit, a heap of merit."