勸發菩提心集 1.36

1.36

Next, explaining the practice that accords with benefiting self and others (it has six great aspects): Great Reliance: because one arouses the mind in reliance upon great bodhi. Great Practice: because one initiates practice to benefit oneself and others. Great Fruit: because one presently attains unsurpassed great bodhi. Great Adoption: because at the time of initial arousal of the mind, one gathers all sentient beings. Great Endurance: because at the time of initiating practice, one endures all great sufferings. Great Purpose: because at the time of attaining the fruit, one's activities of widely benefiting all sentient beings are accomplished. Furthermore, there are four great things: first, Great Transzendence, because one transcends the three realms of existence and five destinies; second, Great Quiescence, because one accords with and turns toward non-abiding nirvāṇa; third, Great Merit, because the two accumulations of merit and wisdom increase; fourth, Great Benefiting of Beings, because one constantly relies on great compassion and does not abandon sentient beings. Relying on the initial intention of the *Bodhidharmacitta-śāstra*, it praises and encourages the arousal of the mind, expounding that the various merits and superior practices cultivated are able to provide antidotes and benefits, and praising the various virtues of the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, Dharma, and Saṅgha to cause them to arouse the mind. It says: If sons of the Buddha or disciples of the Buddha uphold the Buddha's words and can expound the Dharma for sentient beings, they should first praise the Buddha's virtues; when sentient beings hear this, they can then arouse the mind to seek the Buddha's wisdom, and because of this arousal of the mind, the lineage of the Buddhas is not cut off. If bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās are mindful of the Buddha and the Dharma, and also mindful of when the Tathāgata was practicing the bodhisattva path, undergoing various hardships for asaṃkhyeya kalpas for the sake of seeking the Dharma, with this intention they should be mindful of the Buddha's benevolence, [knowing that] his arduous search for the Dharma was for our sake. Now, in order to repay the Buddha's benevolence in this way, one should appropriately speak to others to cause them to arouse the mind and cultivate bodhisattva practices. With such mindfulness, one expounds the Dharma to a bodhisattva, even down to a single verse. When the bodhisattva hears this Dharma, being instructed, encouraged, and gladdened, he will plant wholesome roots, cultivate the Buddha-dharma, and attain unsurpassed bodhi. In order to sever the various sufferings of limitless sentient beings in beginningless saṃsāra, wishing to accomplish limitless physical and mental vigor, he deeply arouses great vows, practices great expedients, gives rise to great loving-kindness and compassion, seeks great wisdom, up to the Tathāgata's mark of the invisible uṣṇīṣa, seeking such great dharmas of all Buddhas. One should know that because the Dharma is limitless, the retribution of merit and virtue is also limitless.