釋門歸敬儀 1.18

1.18

The Benqi Jing states: “When the Buddha first descended and was born, he walked around to the ten directions, raised his finger to point to heaven and earth, and said: ‘Above the heavens and beneath the heavens, I alone am the most honored. (Because the ninety-six non-Buddhist schools esteemed by the worldly were called great sages and Teachers of Gods and Humans; in order to sever heterodoxy and return to the correct, he manifested this sign: the Buddha alone is the most honored, and all the rest are heterodox paths. Since he is called venerable and solemn, taking refuge in him and propagating and protecting [his teaching] cannot be accomplished without faith and reverence.) The three realms are all suffering; there is nothing pleasurable.’” (Sentient beings of the three realms have the three sufferings converging upon them, yet they have no thought of wearying of or turning away from them, and their greedy attachment grows ever deeper; hence he uttered these words to cause them to give rise to revulsion. Having revulsion toward the body of suffering causes them to contemplate the root of suffering; observing and comprehending that karma and delusion are deeply the causes of suffering, by not drowning in various views they attain liberation; whereas others abandon suffering with suffering, long submerged in suffering.)