宗鏡錄 100.19

100.19

Answer: "Explaining the extremely deep everywhere brings much benefit. Ordinary people do not understand and call it repeated explanation. For instance, a great king had no legitimate son, and prayed to the spirits for many years without response. When the king was out traveling, his lady gave birth to a male child. A messenger was sent to inform the king: 'The chief consort has given birth to a boy.' The king heard it with joy but did not reply, up to ten times. The messenger said to the king: 'Did the king not hear what was just reported?' The king said: 'I heard it at once. Because my long-held wish has been fulfilled, I am joyous and delighted in my mind, and I never tire of hearing it.' He immediately ordered the officers to bestow one million ounces of gold upon this person—a hundred thousand ounces for each phrase. The king heard the messenger's words: within every phrase there was benefit; it was not a repeated explanation. Those who do not understand call it repetition. Explaining the extremely deep everywhere is also like this. The Buddha and the bodhisattva Subhūti knew there was great benefit. When Subhūti heard the Buddha explain deep prajñā, he could not reach the bottom and felt it to be ever deeper. When listeners hear the extremely deep everywhere, they obtain benefits such as meditative concentration and wisdom. Ordinary people call it repeated explanation. Now, if a king hearing a single phrase had much benefit and bestowed a hundred thousand ounces of gold, this was merely increasing the root of saṃsāra and accomplishing sensory pleasure. Now, hearing the Mirror of the Source, volume by volume, text by text, repeatedly proclaiming the path and individually indicating the source, increases the root of bodhi and accomplishes the joy of the Dharma. Even if the entire great earth were turned into yellow gold, it could not repay a single word. Please do not give rise to indolence and weariness toward frequent hearing, so that those who have already attained it may re-strengthen their faithful mind, and those who have not yet entered may swiftly give rise to the wisdom gained from hearing."