法苑珠林 87.24

87.24

爾時世尊告阿難言。諦聽善思念之。吾當為汝分別解說。假使滿閻浮提須陀洹人。其有善男子善女人滿一百年。持於世間一切所有娛樂之具盡給施與。復以四事具足供養。乃至滅度之後。收其舍利起七寶塔。同前供養。於意云何。得福多不。阿難白佛。甚多世尊。佛言。不如善男子善女人以淳淨心作如是言。我今歸依佛法僧所得功德。於彼福德百分不及一。千分萬分乃至算數譬喻所不能及。佛告阿難。假使滿西瞿陀尼斯陀含人。滿二百年如前供養。亦不可及。假使滿東弗婆提阿那含人。滿三百年如前供養。亦所不及。假使滿北方欝單越滿中阿羅漢。滿四百年如前供養。亦所不及。假使滿四天下辟支佛。滿十千年如前供養。亦所不及。假使滿三千大千世界諸佛如來。若有善男子善女人。二萬歲中如前供養。雖得無量無邊不可算數福德。猶不如有人以淳淨心作如是言。我今歸依佛歸依法歸依僧所得功德。勝前百倍千倍萬倍不可算數。言辭譬類所能知及。

At that time, the World-Honoured One said to Ānanda: "Listen attentively and contemplate it well; I shall analyze and explain it for you. Suppose Jambudvīpa were filled with stream-enterers (srotāpanna), and there were a good man or a good woman who, for a full hundred years, provided and gave to them all the implements of entertainment in the world, and further made offerings to them fully with the four requisites, and even, after their parinirvāṇa, collected their relics to erect stūpas of the seven jewels and made offerings to them as before. What do you think: would they obtain much merit?" Ānanda said to the Buddha: "Very much, World-Honoured One." The Buddha said: "It would not equal the merit obtained by a good man or a good woman who, with a pure and sincere heart, speaks thus: 'I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṃgha.' It does not match one-hundredth of that merit, nor one-thousandth, nor one-ten-thousandth, down to being beyond the reach of calculation or analogy. The Buddha told Ānanda: "Suppose Western Godānīya were filled with once-returners (sakṛdāgāmin), and one made offerings as before for a full two hundred years, it still could not equal it. Suppose Eastern Pūrvavideha were filled with non-returners (anāgāmin), and one made offerings as before for a full three hundred years, it still could not equal it. Suppose Northern Uttarakuru were filled with arhats, and one made offerings as before for a full four hundred years, it still could not equal it. Suppose the four continents were filled with pratyekabuddhas, and one made offerings as before for a full ten thousand years, it still could not equal it. Suppose a trichiliocosm were filled with Buddhas, Tathāgatas, and if there were a good man or a good woman who made offerings as before for twenty thousand years: although they would obtain limitless, boundless, incalculable merit, it would still not equal the merit obtained by a person who, with a pure and sincere heart, speaks thus: 'I now take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Saṃgha.' It surpasses the former by a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, incalculably, beyond what words and analogies can comprehend."