[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [念佛鏡](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966) › 2.43 # 念佛鏡 2.43 念佛鏡 2.43 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.43](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.43) 答：「講經功德，亦少於念佛功德百千萬倍。何以故？講經猶如數寶，念佛猶如用寶，數寶雖多，不除貧苦，不言滅罪，不言得功德；用寶雖不多，能濟身命，得功德無量，明知少於念佛功德百千萬倍。又講經如磨石，雖獲少分利益，盡與他人，自損無量，為受禮拜供養，大損果報。所以論云：『譬如貧窮人，晝夜數他寶，自無半錢分，多聞亦如是。』故知講經功德，亦少於念佛功德百千萬倍。何以得知？如《唯識論》多破計我，講論之者口雖說法，心多計我，不起我者萬中無一。所以《法華經》云：『我慢自矜高，諂曲心不實，於千萬億劫，不聞佛名字，亦不聞正法，如是人難度。』由是事故，講論不如念佛百千萬倍。所以上世有惠感法師、智仁法師、蘊法師，皆捨講論，同歸念佛。」 > Answer: "The merit of expounding sūtras is also hundreds of thousands of myriads of times less than the merit of buddhānusmṛti. Why is that? Expounding sūtras is like counting treasures, while buddhānusmṛti is like using treasures. Even if counting treasures is done often, it does not dispel poverty and suffering, nor is it said to eradicate sins or obtain merit. Although using treasures is not done often, it can sustain life and obtain immeasurable merit; clearly we know it is hundreds of thousands of myriads of times less than the merit of buddhānusmṛti. Furthermore, expounding sūtras is like a grindstone: though it brings a small portion of benefit, all of it is given to others while bringing immeasurable harm to oneself; because of receiving prostrations and offerings, one greatly harms one's retribution. Therefore a treatise says: 'Like a poor man who day and night counts the treasures of others, without a single half-penny of his own—so too is extensive learning.' Thus we know that the merit of expounding sūtras is also hundreds of thousands of myriads of times less than the merit of buddhānusmṛti. How is this known? For instance, the Vijñaptimātratā-śāstra mostly refutes the grasping of a self; though those who expound the treatises speak the Dharma with their mouths, their minds mostly grasp at a self, and not one in ten thousand does not produce a self. Therefore the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra says: 'Full of arrogance and self-conceit, flattering, crooked, and insincere in mind, for thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas they do not hear the name of the Buddha, nor do they hear the correct Dharma; such persons are difficult to deliver.' For this reason, expounding treatises is hundreds of thousands of myriads of times inferior to buddhānusmṛti. Therefore in former generations, Dharma Master Huigan, Dharma Master Zhiren, and Dharma Master Yun all abandoned expounding treatises and together took refuge in buddhānusmṛti." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.42) - [Next: 2.44](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.44) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966~en-mt.2.43) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.43](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1966.2.43) · Pramāṇa