金光明最勝王經疏 3.623

3.623

Sūtra: "Good son! Setting aside the giving of the seven jewels filling a trichiliocosm, if someone were to make an offering to all Buddhas of the seven jewels filling great chiliocosms as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, the merit of entreaty would still surpass that. This is because the gift of the Dharma has five superior benefits. What are the five? First, the gift of the Dharma benefits both oneself and others (svārtha and parārtha), whereas the gift of material wealth does not. Second, the gift of the Dharma can cause sentient beings to transcend the three realms, whereas the blessings of the gift of material wealth do not transcend the desire realm. Third, the gift of the Dharma can purify the dharmakāya, whereas the gift of material wealth only increases physical form. Fourth, the gift of the Dharma is inexhaustible, whereas the gift of material wealth is finite. Fifth, the gift of the Dharma can sever ignorance, whereas the gift of material wealth only suppresses greed and attachment. For this reason, good son, the merit of entreaty is measureless, boundless, and difficult to illustrate with analogies."