法苑珠林 21

English (machine translation) 21

Language: English

21.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

21.2

Section 10: Fields of Merit
Section 11: Taking Refuge and Faith
Section 12: Men and Women of Good Family

21.3

Section on Fields of Merit (this contains three parts)

21.4

Part 1: Statement of Intent
Part 2: Superior and Inferior
Part 3: Equality

Ever since the Great Awakened One entered nirvāṇa, merit has reverted to the multitude of saints. Bodhisattvas and arhats propagate the teachings of the final era; they fly across and transform the numerous kṣetras, gathering and guiding beings according to conditions. When sympathy differs, those in the same room are separated as by heaven; when resonance harmonizes, those in different realms come face to face. Therefore, if one respects a single monk, the five eyes are opened and purified; if one bestows a single fine hair, the six pāramitās become inexhaustible.

21.7

Part 2: Superior and Inferior

21.8

As the Upāsakaśīla-sūtra says: The Buddha said, 'In the world there are generally three kinds of fields of merit: first, the field of repaying gratitude; second, the field of virtues; third, the field of poverty. The field of repaying gratitude refers to one's parents, teachers, and upādhyāyas. The field of virtues extends from the attainment of the stage of warmth up to anuttara-saṃbodhi. The field of poverty refers to all impoverished, suffering, and distressed people. The World-Honoured One is two kinds of fields: first, the field of repaying gratitude; second, the field of virtues. The Dharma is likewise. The saṃgha is three kinds of fields: first, the field of repaying gratitude; second, the field of virtues; third, the field of poverty. For this reason, those who have received the precepts should make offerings to the Three Jewels with their whole heart. If two persons give wealth and goods together, and the field of merit and the mind of giving are both equal, the merit of these two is equal without difference. If the wealth and mind are equal, but the field of merit is superior, one obtains a superior retributive fruit. If the field and mind are both inferior, but the wealth and goods are superior, the fruit obtained is superior. If the field and wealth are both inferior, but the mind of giving is superior, the fruit obtained is also superior. If the field and wealth are both superior, but the mind of giving is inferior, the fruit obtained is not as good. Good son, when the wise give, they do not do so for the sake of retributive fruit. Why? Because they know for certain that this cause will inevitably yield fruit.'

21.9

Also, the Saṅghāṭa-sūtra says: The Buddha addressed the Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, saying, 'If the trichiliocosm were filled with sesame seeds, and there were as many cakravartins as that number, if someone were to practice giving to such cakravartins, it would not equal giving to a single srotāpanna. The merit obtained from giving to all the srotāpannas in the trichiliocosm would not equal giving to a single sakṛdāgāmin. Giving to all the sakṛdāgāmins in the trichiliocosm would not equal giving to a single anāgāmin. Giving to all the anāgāmins in the trichiliocosm would not equal giving to a single arhat. Giving to all the arhats in the trichiliocosm would not equal giving to a single pratyekabuddha. Giving to all the pratyekabuddhas in the trichiliocosm would not equal giving to a single bodhisattva. Giving to all the bodhisattvas in the trichiliocosm would not equal giving with a pure mind aroused toward a single Tathāgata. The merit of giving with a pure mind aroused toward all the Tathāgatas in the trichiliocosm would not surpass the merit of an ordinary person hearing this Dharma-gate, let alone copying, reciting, and upholding it.' At that time, the entire great assembly addressed the Buddha, saying, 'World-Honoured One, what is the measure of the merit of a single Buddha?' The Buddha said, 'Even if all beings as numerous as the dust particles of the great earth and the sands of the Ganges were to become bodhisattvas of the tenth bhūmi, all the merit of such bodhisattvas of the tenth bhūmi would not equal the power of the merit of a single Buddha.'

21.10

Also, the Abhidharmāmṛtarasa-śāstra says: There are three kinds of good fields: first, the field of great virtue; second, the field of poverty and suffering; third, the field of both great virtue and poverty and suffering. What is the field of great virtue? It refers to Buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, the four fruits of the śramaṇa, and so forth. What is the field of poverty and suffering? It refers to animals, the elderly, the sick, and so forth. What is the field of both great virtue and poverty and suffering? It refers to the elderly, the sick, and so forth among holy persons. If one gives to a field of great virtue with a respectful mind, one obtains a great retribution. If one gives to a field of poverty and suffering with a compassionate mind, one obtains a great retribution. If one gives to a field of both great virtue and poverty and suffering with a mind of both respect and compassion, one obtains a great retribution. These are good fields of merit. What are good goods? Goods obtained without killing, stealing, robbing, or cheating; giving according to whatever pure goods one has, whether many or few—these are good goods. If one gives to the Buddha, one immediately obtains all merit. If one gives to the saṃgha, one obtains all merit upon their use of it; before it is used, one does not obtain all merit. If one makes offerings for the sake of the Dharma, one obtains a great retribution. If trainees who are intelligent and endowed with great wisdom make offerings for the sake of the Dharma, this is called making offerings to the Dharma. Giving brings wealth; once the gift is received, one obtains joy, strength, longevity, and the like. When the merit is extraordinary, one obtains a great retributive fruit. If one gives to an animal, one receives retribution for a hundred lifetimes. If one gives to an unwholesome person, one receives retribution for a thousand lifetimes. If one gives to a wholesome person, one receives retribution for ten million lifetimes. If one gives to an ordinary person free from desire, one receives retribution for a myriad kotis of lifetimes. If one gives to a person who has attained the Way, one obtains retribution for countless lifetimes. If one gives to the Buddha, one is enabled to reach nirvāṇa. Furthermore, there are six difficult forms of giving: first, giving out of arrogance; second, giving to seek fame; third, giving for the sake of power; fourth, giving by coercion; fifth, giving due to external conditions; sixth, giving to seek a reward.

21.11

Also, the Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of the Cluster of Flowers Preached by the Buddha says: The Buddha said, 'If a person were to take the seven treasures in an amount equal to Mount Sumeru and give them to śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas for the duration of a kalpa, it would not equal the great merit obtained by a renunciant or layperson who can take a single coin and give it to someone who has first aroused the bodhicitta. Compared to the former merit, it does not match a hundredth part, a thousandth part, a ten-thousandth part, nor can it be reached by reckoning or metaphor.' The Baoliang jing says: The Buddha said, 'Good son, I now declare that there are two kinds of people in the world who ought to receive gifts of faith. What are the two? First, those who diligently practice energetic progress; second, those who have attained liberation. There are three kinds of giving that cause such donors to gain great benefit: first, constantly giving food; second, giving monastic dwellings; third, practicing a mind of loving-kindness. Among these three kinds of merit, the mind of loving-kindness is supreme.'

21.12

Also, the Bodhisattva-pūrvacaryā-sūtra says: Sudatta was impoverished at home, possessing no wealth or property, yet had utmost faith in morality and virtue. The Buddha taught him giving. Sudatta addressed the Buddha, 'Should I give much or give little?' The Buddha told Sudatta, 'Though what is given is much, the retribution obtained may be little; though what is given is little, the retribution obtained may be great. If one gives much but lacks a sincere mind, is haughty and conceited, and believes in wrong views and perverse doctrines without encountering worthy gentlemen, then though what is given is much, the retribution obtained is little. It is like poor soil where, though much seed is sown, the harvest gathered is very small. What is giving little yet obtaining great merit? If, though the gift is small, one gives with joy and reverence, expecting no reward, to Buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, the four fruits of the śramaṇa, and so forth, then though what is given is small, the retribution obtained is vast and great. It is like fertile soil where, though little is sown, the harvest gathered is very plentiful.'

21.13

Furthermore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* states: Although given with a mind of great compassion, even if the material goods are identical, the amount of puṇya accords with the excellence or inferiority of the mind. For instance, Śāriputra offered a bowl of rice to the Buddha, and the Buddha immediately turned around and gave it to a dog, asking Śāriputra, 'You gave the rice to me, and I gave the rice to the dog; who obtains more puṇya?' Śāriputra said, 'According to how I understand the Buddha's meaning, the Buddha obtains more puṇya by giving it to the dog. Even the supreme puṇyakṣetra of the Buddha is not equal to [the Buddha's mind in] giving to a dog.' From this it is known that great puṇya comes from the mind and does not reside in the [merit] field. Śāriputra was thousands of ten thousands of kotis of times inferior to the Buddha's mind. Why is this? Because the mind is the internal master, while the field is an external circumstance. Sometimes, however, the puṇya of dāna lies in the puṇyakṣetra. For instance, the arhat Śroṇa Koṭīkarṇa formerly offered a single flower to a stūpa of the Buddha; for ninety-one kalpas he experienced pleasure among humans and devas, and through the residual power of that puṇya he attained arhatship. Furthermore, when King Aśoka was a young child, he offered earth to the Buddha; he became king over Jambudvīpa, erected eighty thousand stūpas, and in the end attained the Way. The item given was of the utmost lowliness and the young child's mind was slight, yet solely because the puṇyakṣetra was exquisite, he obtained a great retribution. One should know that great puṇya arises from a fertile field. If within the great the supreme three things are all complete—the mind, the goods, and the puṇyakṣetra are all exquisite—[puṇya is vast], just as when the Buddha scattered fine flowers over the Buddhas of the ten directions. Question: How does this puṇya of dāna increase? Answer: Because it is given in accord with the right time, the puṇya increases. As a sūtra says: Giving when someone is starved yields increased puṇya; or when coming from afar; or giving along an open, perilous road; or giving constantly without interruption; or because one constantly remembers giving, the dāna is broadened and increased. Furthermore, the *Ekottarika-āgama* states: Giving food to a beast yields a hundredfold puṇya; giving food to a person who has broken the precepts yields a thousandfold puṇya; giving food to a precept-keeper yields ten-thousandfold puṇya; giving food to an ascetic free of desire yields a thousand-ten-thousandfold puṇya; giving food to one heading toward srotāpanna yields immeasurable puṇya, not to mention one who has become a srotāpanna! How much more so one heading toward sakṛdāgāmin, one who has attained the path of a sakṛdāgāmin, up to an anāgāmin, arhat, pratyekabuddha, or Tathāgata: the puṇya and merit are beyond reckoning! Furthermore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* states: In Puṣkalāvatī of the Great Yuezhi, there was a painter named Qianna. He went as a guest-worker to Takṣaśilā in the east; after twelve years of painting he earned thirty ounces of gold. Holding it, he returned to his home country. In the city of Puṣkalāvatī, he heard the beating of drums making the sound of a great assembly. Going and seeing the saṃgha, his faithful mind was pure, and he immediately asked the karmadāna, 'How much material is needed among this assembly to prepare one day of meals?' The karmadāna replied, 'Thirty ounces of gold is enough to prepare one day of meals.' He then handed all the thirty ounces of gold he had to the karmadāna, saying, 'Prepare one day of meals for me; tomorrow I shall come.' He returned home empty-handed. His wife asked, 'What did you get from twelve years of work?' He replied, 'I obtained thirty ounces of gold.' She then asked, 'Where is the gold?' He said, 'It has already been made into seeds in a puṇyakṣetra.' The wife asked, 'What kind of puṇyakṣetra?' He answered, 'I gave it to the saṃgha.' The wife then bound her husband and sent him to the officials for punishment. The chief judicial officer asked, 'For what reason?' The wife said, 'My husband is mad and foolish. After twelve years of work he earned thirty ounces of gold; with no pity for his wife and child, he gave it all to others. In accordance with official regulations, I have bound and brought him.' The chief officer asked her husband, 'Why did you not provide for your wife and child, but instead gave it to others?' He replied, 'In my previous lives I did not practice merit, so in this life I am impoverished and suffer various hardships. In this life I encountered a puṇyakṣetra; if I do not plant blessings, in future lives I will again be poor. Poverty succeeding poverty, there would be no time of escape. I now wish to cast off poverty all at once; for this reason I gave all the gold to the saṃgha.' The chief officer was an upāsaka who faithfully believed in the Buddha with purity. Having heard these words, he praised him, saying, 'This is exceedingly difficult! Having acquired this small amount through diligent suffering, you gave it all to the saṃgha. You are a good man!' He immediately took off his own necklaces, his riding horse, and a village, and bestowed them upon the poor man, saying to him, 'You have just given to the saṃgha, and the saṃgha has not yet eaten. This is a case where the grain seed has not yet been planted, yet the sprout has already grown! The great fruit will only come later.' For this reason it is said: When things difficult to obtain are entirely used for dāna, the puṇya is greatest.

21.14

Section 3: Impartiality

21.15

According to the *Mahālaṃkāra-śāstra*: When selecting a puṇyakṣetra, one should select its virtue; one should not discriminate between young, prime, old, and decrepit. The Buddha said: Formerly I heard that a dānapati sent an acquaintance who was a religious follower to the saṃghārāma to invite the monks, seeking only the old and venerable, not wanting the youthful. Later, when the acquaintance came to invite the monks, he reached the novice monks (śrāmaṇera) in the order, but he did not accept them. A novice said, 'Why do you not take us?' He replied, 'The dānapati will not use you; it is not my doing.' The monk acting as the canvasser then spoke a verse:

21.16

Those of venerable years have longstanding virtue: / their hair is white and their faces wrinkled, / their eyebrows luxuriant, their teeth fallen out, / their backs bent and joints slackened. / The dānapati delights in such as these, / and takes no joy in seeing the young and small.

21.17

At that time, there were novices in the monastery who were all arhats. They all said, 'That dānapati is foolish and lacks wisdom; he takes no delight in those with virtue, but covets only the aged.' Then they spoke a verse:

21.18

What is called an 'elder' / does not necessarily consist in white hair, / a wrinkled face, and fallen teeth, / if one is foolish and lacks wisdom. / What is prized is the ability to cultivate blessings, / eradicating all evils; / one who purely cultivates the holy life (brahmacarya) / is called an elder. / We have shattered praise and blame, / not generating a mind of increase or decrease; / it is only that it will cause that dānapati / to incur sin and fault, / and moreover toward the puṇyakṣetra of the saṃgha / generate slander and discrimination. / We ought to go swiftly / to awaken and inspire that dānapati, / lest he fall into the evil destinies. / Those novices then / quickly used their supernatural powers / to manifest the appearance of old men: / hair white and faces wrinkled, / eyebrows luxuriant and teeth fallen out, / backs stooped and leaning on canes, / they went to that dānapati's house. / Once the dānapati saw them, / his mind produced great rejoicing; / burning incense and scattering famous flowers, / he swiftly invited them to take their seats. / Having arrived, in a short while / they returned to the forms of novices. / The dānapati felt astonishment: / 'How could their transformation be like this? / Have they drunk the heavenly nectar (amṛta), / that their appearances suddenly transformed?'

21.19

At that time the novices then said: 'We are neither yakṣas nor rākṣasas. Earlier we saw that you, dānapati, chose the aged, and regarding the puṇyakṣetra of the saṃgha conceived notions of high and low, destroying your good roots. Therefore we made this transformation to lead you to repent.' Then they spoke a verse:

21.20

Just like a mosquito's snout / attempting to reach the bottom of the great ocean, / in this world none is capable of measuring / the virtues of the saṃgha. / None among all is capable / of calculating the merits of the saṃgha; / how much less could you, alone as a single person, / wish to measure them?

21.21

Have you not heard of the four that cannot be belittled spoken by the Tathāgata: a prince, a snake, fire, and a novice monk? Just like an āmra fruit, raw inside and ripe outside, or raw outside and ripe inside, do not wrongly weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the person before you. In a single thought-moment one may also attain the Way. Do not generate discrimination toward the puṇyakṣetra of the saṃgha! Then they spoke a verse:

21.22

The ocean of virtues of the saṃgha / is such that none is capable of measuring it. / Even the Buddha felt rejoicing and reverence, / personally praising it with a hundred verses; / how much more so all other people: / should they not praise it? / The vast, fertile puṇyakṣetra: / planting little yields great benefit. / Therefore, toward the saṃgha, / both the aged and the youthful, / with an equal mind make offerings; / you should not generate discrimination.

21.23

At that time, when the dānapati heard these words, his body hairs stood on end; throwing his five limbs to the ground, he begged for mercy and repented.

21.24

The eulogy says:

21.25

Thoroughly realizing the four fruits, / they skillfully harmonize the six senses. / Probing the profound to awaken understanding, / verifying the principle and harboring auspiciousness. / Old and young in harmonious concord, / universally revered with sincere piety. / Responding to invitations as conditions arise, / they guide and attract the unseen realms.

21.26

Chapter 11: Taking Refuge and Faith (This has three sections)

21.27

Section on Expressing the Intent
Section on Lesser Sincerity
Section on Greater Sincerity

21.28

Section 1: Expressing the Intent

21.29

Now, faith is the source of the Way and the mother of meritorious virtues; wisdom is the foundation for leaving the world and attaining liberation. Without faith, one cannot board the light skiff; without wisdom, one cannot sever subtle delusions. This Way is manifest: ascending and sinking are witnessed by the eye. Yet we repeatedly see foolish men who do not believe that karmic causes can generate retributive fruits. They say that poverty and wealth are natural, suffering and joy are heavenly endowments; beauty and ugliness do not stem from forbearance and anger, high and low station are unrelated to reverence and negligence. Sentient beings affect themselves [they say], just as plants and trees are naturally fine or crude: how could they be obtained from causes? Now, relying on the Buddhist sūtras, this differs from non-Buddhist teachings. In discussing poverty and wealth, all arise from karmic conditions; noble and base station are unrelated to mere fate. Fools and the wise cannot simply exchange their minds; the shapely and ugly cannot swap their bodies. Therefore a sūtra says: 'Good and bad karmic retributions are determined by karma.' The books say: 'The good and bad fortune of destiny and physiognomy are suspended from Heaven.' Speaking from this: if the karma of commoners is to be poor, giving to them will still leave them without; if their physiognomy is destined for wealth, leaving them be will still find them ever prosperous. Thus Emperor Wen of the Han favored Deng Tong because of a dream, yet a physiognomist divined that Tong was poor and would starve to death. The emperor said, 'Enriching him rests with me; why speak of poverty?' and bestowed upon him a copper mountain, leaving him free to smelt and cast coin. Later, having encountered trouble, he fled into hiding and starved to death in another's house. Furthermore, the king of Ningbingli's attendant maid became pregnant; a physiognomist divined it, saying that he would be noble and become king. The king said, 'He is not my offspring,' and wanted to kill him. The maid said, 'A qi came from heaven, and therefore I became pregnant.' When the child was born, the king considered it inauspicious; abandoned in the pigpen, the pigs breathed warm air on him; cast into the stable, the horses nursed him with milk; and so he did not die, ultimately becoming the king of Buyeo. Hence we know that karmic conditions and fate are determined by unseen omens; in the end they do not change, and cannot be given or taken away. Thus we know that performing good brings blessings, while doing evil incurs calamity; karmic fruit is unerring, and this principle is radiant. How can one remain confined in folly, harboring confusion without awakening? Furthermore, formerly in the time of Wu Ding, a mulberry and a paper mulberry grew together at court in Bo. The Grand Astrologer divined: 'Wild weeds growing at court means the court will perish.' Wu Ding was terrified, humbled himself, and cultivated good; the mulberry and paper mulberry withered and died, and the Shang Way flourished midway. Is this not having blessings from doing good? Furthermore, in the time of Di Xin, a sparrow gave birth to a crow in the corner of the city wall. The Grand Astrologer divined: 'A small bearing a large means the state will surely prosper.' Di Xin became arrogant and violent, failing to cultivate good governance; the Shang state consequently perished. Is this not having calamity from doing evil? Historical records such as these are cited comprehensively in more than one instance. How can one be so stubborn as to completely contravene both sūtras and histories? The people of the world all witness that sowing seeds in spring brings harvest in winter; just as giving has a coming retribution, evoking [the rebirth with] fine white cloth and coins in hand, so virtue must receive present recompense, bringing about the holding of a pearl in the mouth and carrying a deer on the back. Moreover, when a man of old used a single gourd of food to rescue a starving traveler, he still received recompense with the supporting of wheels; now, in offering a single vegetarian meal to the great assembly, how could there not be puṇya and emolument to repay it?

21.30

Section 2: Lesser Sincerity

21.31

As the Buddha said in the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*: Sentient beings are of two kinds: one is those with faith, and the other is those without faith. A person with faith is called treatable, and is certain to attain nirvāṇa, because they are free of sores and warts. A person without faith is called an icchantika, and is called untreatable. Furthermore, in the *Saṃyukta-āgama*, the World-Honoured One spoke the verse on plowing the field for a brāhmaṇa:

21.32

Faith is the seed; / austere practice is the seasonal rain. / Wisdom is the timely yoke; / a sense of shame (hrī and apatrāpya) is the pole. / Right mindfulness guards itself: / this is the skillful driver. / Guarding and storing the bodily and verbal actions, / knowing food and storing it within, / truthfulness is the straight mount, / delight in dwelling is resting, / vigor is [eradicating] the fallow and overgrown, / tranquility is speedy advance. / Going straight forward without turning back, / one reaches the place of sorrowlessness. / A cultivator who plows like this / attains the fruit of nectar (amṛta); / a cultivator who plows like this / does not return to undergo the states of existence.

21.33

Thereupon the brāhmaṇa, having heard this, aroused the mind [for awakening], left the household life, and attained the path of an arhat. Furthermore, the Ratnagotravibhāga states: 'For the sake of six kinds of persons the Three Jewels are spoken of: first, the Tamer; second, the Dharma of the Tamer; third, the disciples of the Tamer. What are the six kinds of persons? First, those of the Mahāyāna; second, those of the Middle Vehicle; third, those of the Hīnayāna; fourth, those who believe in the Buddha; fifth, those who believe in the Dharma; sixth, those who believe in the Saṃgha.' Furthermore, the Saṅghāṭa-sūtra says: 'At that time the bodhisattva Sarvaśūra addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, through what causes and conditions did the sentient beings of this assembly come to arouse bodhi?" The Buddha said: "Sarvaśūra, in the past, countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha, a World-Honoured One, named Ratnaguṇa. At that time I was a young brāhmaṇa (māṇava). The sentient beings of this assembly who abide in the Buddha's wisdom were in that former time all among the deer. At that time I made a vow: 'May I cause all such deer to abide in the Buddha's wisdom.' When the deer heard this, they immediately all made the vow to attain likewise. Sarvaśūra, through those roots of good, the great assembly of this gathering shall attain anuttarā [samyak-saṃbodhi]."'

21.34

Furthermore, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: 'If there are sentient beings who cultivate good and with a pure mind take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, not giving rise to other thoughts for even the space of ten hand-claps, after death they will be born in the Śuklamaṇi Heaven. Giving free rein to the five desires, their minds will be delighted and joyful. By the merit of the three refuges, even after their retribution is exhausted, in future lifetimes they will attain nirvāṇa.' Furthermore, the Anuttarāśraya-sūtra says: 'The Buddha told the bhikṣus: "There are three unsurpassable grounds: first, the unsurpassable ground of the Buddha; second, the unsurpassable ground of the Dharma; third, the unsurpassable ground of the Saṃgha. Among all sentient beings—whether two-footed, four-footed, footless, or many-footed; whether with form or formless; whether with perception, without perception, or neither with perception nor without perception—the Tathāgata declares these unsurpassable grounds. If there are sentient beings who generate faith and devotion toward these unsurpassable grounds, they will attain unsurpassable retribution among devas and humans."'

21.35

Section 3: Great Sincerity

21.36

As the Bodhicittotpāda-sūtra says: 'At that time the brāhmaṇa Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, how much accumulation of merit should be gathered by one who arouses the bodhicitta?" At that time the World-Honoured One spoke in verse, saying:

21.37

'If all the sentient beings of this Buddha-field
were established in faithful mind and observance of the precepts,
the supreme, great accumulation of their merit
would not equal a sixteenth part of the mind set on the Way.
If all the sentient beings of this Buddha-field
were established in faithful mind regarding the practice of the Dharma,
the supreme, great accumulation of their merit
would not equal a sixteenth part of the mind set on the Way.
If as many Buddha-fields as the sands of the Ganges
were all filled with monasteries built for the sake of seeking merit,
and stūpas like Mount Sumeru were further erected,
they would not equal a sixteenth part of the mind set on the Way.
If throughout Buddha-fields as many as the sands of the Ganges
one were to make gifts of the seven treasures everywhere,
the supreme, great accumulation of such merit
would not equal a sixteenth part of the mind set on the Way.
If, as high, vast, and great as the Iron Ring Mountains,
countless stūpas were built for all the Buddhas,
such beings seeking merit
would not equal a sixteenth part of the mind set on the Way.
If sentient beings for a full kalpa
were constantly to carry them on their heads and shoulders,
the supreme accumulation of such merits
would not equal a sixteenth part of the mind set on the Way.
Such persons attain the supreme Dharma;
if they seek bodhi to benefit sentient beings,
those sentient beings are the most supreme;
this is without equal, how much less could there be anything higher!
Therefore, having heard these teachings,
the wise always give rise to a mind delighting in the Dharma;
they will attain a boundless, great accumulation of merit,
and quickly realize the Unsurpassable Way.'

21.38

Furthermore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states that the Buddha praised Kāśyapa: 'Only if there are sentient beings who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Hiraṇyavatī River will they be able to uphold such a sūtra in an evil age without slandering it. Good son, only if there are those who have been able to arouse the bodhicitta before Buddhas, World-Honoured Ones, as numerous as the sands of one Ganges River will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this sūtra and to cherish this scripture; yet they cannot analyze and explain it extensively for others. Only if there are sentient beings who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of two Ganges Rivers will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this Dharma, but to correctly understand it, have faith and joy in it, and uphold, read, and recite it; yet they cannot explain it extensively for others. Only if there are sentient beings who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of three Ganges Rivers will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this Dharma, but to uphold, read, recite, and copy the scrolls of the scripture; though they explain it to others, they have not yet understood its profound meaning. Only if there are sentient beings who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of four Ganges Rivers will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this Dharma, but to uphold, read, recite, and copy the scrolls of the scripture, and explain extensively to others one sixteenth part of its meaning; though they proclaim it, they do not do so completely. Only if there are sentient beings who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of five Ganges Rivers will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this sūtra, but to uphold, read, and recite it, and explain extensively to others eight parts out of sixteen. Only if there are those who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of six Ganges Rivers will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this sūtra, but to uphold, read, and recite it, and explain extensively to others twelve parts out of sixteen. Only if there are those who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of seven Ganges Rivers will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this Dharma, but to uphold, read, and recite it, and explain extensively to others fourteen parts out of sixteen. Only if there are those who have aroused the bodhicitta before Buddhas as numerous as the sands of eight Ganges Rivers will they afterwards be able, in an evil age, not to slander this Dharma, but to uphold, read, and recite it, and also encourage others to copy it, listen to and receive it themselves, and further encourage others to listen to and receive it.' Furthermore, the Mahākaruṇā-sūtra says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda: "If there are sentient beings who arouse even once a faithful mind toward the Buddhas, such roots of good will never be destroyed or perish; how much less other roots of good! For example, suppose a person split a single hair into a hundred parts, dipped one part of the hair to pick up a drop of water, and brought it to me, saying: 'I entrust this water to Gautama; do not allow this water to increase or decrease, nor allow the wind and sun to blow upon it or scorch it dry, nor allow birds or beasts to drink it up, nor let other waters mix with it; keep it in a vessel and do not place it on the ground.' If the Tathāgata then accepted that entrustment, placed it in the Ganges River, preventing it from entering whirlpools, and also preventing other things from crashing into it, that drop of water in the great river would go along with the current, prevented from entering whirlpools and free from obstructions; nor would birds or beasts drink it up. In this way, that drop of water would neither increase nor decrease, remaining entirely as before, and together with the great mass of water gradually enter the great ocean. If, when the vairaṃbhaka winds arise to destroy the world, that person were to abide in the world for an entire kalpa, I too would likewise be able to abide for a kalpa. When that person came to me at the end of the kalpa, saying: 'Gautama, the water I originally entrusted, does it exist now or not?' the Tathāgata would at that time know that the drop of water was in the great ocean, seeing and knowing its location, unmixed with other waters, neither increased nor decreased, equal and unchanged as before, and return it to that person. Ānanda, thus the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Samyaksambuddha, possesses great spiritual powers and boundless knowledge and vision, lucid and unobstructed. Among trustees, he is the most exalted and supreme. If such a minute drop of water entrusted to the Buddha does not diminish even over a long period, this principle should be known: Ānanda, the tip of that fine hair is an analogy for the mind, intellect, and consciousness; the Ganges River is an analogy for the flow of saṃsāra; the single drop of water is an analogy for the minute root of good from a single arousal of the mind; the great ocean is an analogy for the Buddha, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Samyaksambuddha; the person entrusting it is an analogy for those pure-faith brāhmaṇas, elders, householders, and the like; and abiding for a kalpa is an analogy for the Tathāgata's receiving that entrusted water without it ever diminishing, just as that person entrusting that drop of water suffered not a hair's diminution over a long time. In this way, Ānanda, if one arouses a faithful mind toward the Buddha even once, the root of good is not lost; how much less other superior and wondrous roots of good! I say that all such persons are headed toward the fruit of nirvāṇa. Even if, due to remaining unwholesome deeds, they fall into the three evil destinies, the Buddha, knowing their original roots of good, will pull them out from there and place them on the shore of fearlessness, causing them to remember the roots of good they planted, putting an end to all suffering and attaining all bliss."'

21.39

Furthermore, the Abhayavatī-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: 'At that time King Ajātaśatru had a daughter named Abhayā (Fearless Virtue), of peerless beauty and endowed with the most supreme, wondrous merit. At the age of twelve, she was sitting upon the upper story of her father the king's palace, wearing golden jewelled clogs. At that time the girl Abhayā saw the śrāvakas, but did not rise or welcome them; she remained silent, not exchanging greetings with them, neither welcoming them nor bowing, nor offering her seat. King Ajātaśatru, seeing Abhayā remain silent, told her: "Do you not know that these are all chief disciples of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, endowed with the Great Dharma, the fields of merit for the world? Out of pity for sentient beings, they go about begging for food. Now that you have seen them, why do you not rise, do you not hurry to bow, do you not exchange greetings, and do you not offer your seat? Seeing them now, for what reason do you not rise to welcome them?" At that time Abhayā addressed her father the king, saying: "May I inquire of the Great King: have you ever seen or heard of a wheel-turning sage king (cakravartin) rising to welcome petty kings?" The king said: "No." She said again: "Have you ever seen or heard of the lion, king of beasts, rising to welcome a jackal?" The king said: "No." She said again: "Have you ever seen or heard of Indra, king of devas, welcoming other devas?" The king said: "No." "Have you ever seen or heard of the deity of the great ocean paying homage to the deities of rivers and pools?" The king said: "No." The girl said: "Great King, just so is the bodhisattva who has aroused the mind to head toward anuttarā samyak-saṃbodhi—a wheel-turning sage king. Having initially aroused the mind with great compassion, how could he pay homage to petty kings, the śrāvakas who are devoid of great compassion? Great King, has there ever been a lion, king of beasts, who has already sought the way of unsurpassable correct awakening, paying homage to the jackal-like persons of the Hīnayāna? Has there ever been one who wishes to reach the ocean of great wisdom and seek to know well the mass of the Great Dharma, seeking the ox-hoofprint-like śrāvakas? Great King, if someone associates with śrāvakas, that person will arouse the mind of a śrāvaka. If someone associates with pratyekabuddhas, that person will arouse the mind of a pratyekabuddha. If someone associates with those of correct and true awakening, that person will arouse the anuttarā-bodhicitta." At that time King Ajātaśatru again spoke to the girl Abhayā, saying: "You have great conceit! Why do you act like this, seeing the śrāvakas and not welcoming them?" The girl said: "Great King, do not say this. The Great King also has conceit; why do you not welcome the poor people within Rājagṛha?" The king told the girl: "They are not of my kind; why should I welcome them?" The girl said: "Great King, the newly-aroused bodhisattva is also like this: all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are likewise not of my kind." The king told the girl: "Do you not see that all bodhisattvas pay respect to all sentient beings?" The girl said: "Great King, in order to deliver sentient beings who are arrogant, angry, and afflicted, and to cause them to arouse a mind of dedication (pariṇāmanā), bodhisattvas pay respect to all sentient beings. In order to nurture the roots of all goodness in sentient beings, they pay respect."'

21.40

At that time, the mother of the bodhisattva Abhayā was named Candraprabhā (Moonlight). After discarding this body, this woman Candraprabhā was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, named the deva son Prabhāviśeṣa. When Maitreya attains bodhi, he will immediately leave the household life, see in succession all the Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa, and make offerings to them all. Thereafter, before the Tathāgata Vimala, he will become a great king endowed with the seven treasures, named Dharanīdhara. Having made offerings to that Buddha, he will attain anuttarā samyak-saṃbodhi, named the Tathāgata Prabhāprabha.

21.41

The verse says:

21.42

Enclosed in delusion and dark ignorance for so long, / Wandering and concealed within a dream. / With the dusts of mind not yet cleansed, / Fearful of receiving the sweet dew elixir. / The compassionate countenance radiates brightness, / Illuminating me to behold the morning sun. / Suddenly meeting a good spiritual friend, / Guidance enhances the spiritual light. / Gradually awakening, the mind becomes tranquil and clear; / Only then does one tire of worldly vastness. / The black-robed monks are indeed solemn and austere; / The Dharma companions are also resplendent. / Those who see them rejoice in their hearts, / Turning with sincere devotion toward the bodhimaṇḍa. / If one retains faith in perverse falsities, / What endless tribulations will future suffering bring?

21.43

Resonance and retribution cases (briefly citing three verifications):

21.44

Dharma Master Zhu, śramaṇa of the Jin;
Yuan Bing, lay Buddhist of the Song;
Shi Daoxian, śramaṇa of the Sui.

21.45

Dharma Master Zhu, a śramaṇa of the Jin, lived in Kuaiji. He was on very intimate terms with Wang Xuan, Administrator of the Northern Central Corps. Together they discussed matters of life, death, transgression, merit, and retribution. Finding the obscure truth hard to comprehend and unsure whether there was really a basis, they made an agreement that whoever died first should report back to the other. After parting, Wang Xuan was in the capital. While in a shrine, he suddenly saw the Dharma Master arrive. Startled, Wang said, "From where has the upādhyāya come?" He replied, "I passed away on such-and-such a month and day. Transgression and merit are entirely real, answering just like shadows and echoes. The dānapati should merely cultivate the Path diligently to elevate and deliver his spirit. Having made an agreement with you before, I have come to tell you." Having spoken, he was seen no more. (This one verification comes from the Xu soushen ji.)

21.46

Yuan Bing of the Song, styled Shuhuan, was a man of Chen Commandery. Toward the end of the Taishe era he served as Magistrate of Linxiang. Years after his death, around dawn, his friend Sima Xun seemed to see Bing arrive in a dream, recounting their long separation and inquiring about his wellbeing. Bing then said to Xun, "In life we established ideas and set up arguments, constantly saying that life is toiling and death is resting. Only today do I realize that it is definitely not so. One always worries in the world that people pursue gold and silk to give to one another; on the nether paths it is also just the same." Xun asked, "What are the karmic retributions of transgression and merit really like?" Bing said, "According to my former view, they did not entirely tally with what the scriptural teachings say; that was probably just the sages' speech to restrain and guide. According to what I see now, the broad categories of good and evil are practically no different. Yet killing living beings is still the gravest prohibition; take care never to transgress it." Xun said, "This evidence you show me is truly beyond words. I shall inform the Minister of this." Bing said, "Very good. Please also convey my regards to the Minister." At that time Duke Wang, Sikong Jianmu, was Minister of Personnel; both Bing and Xun were his guests, which is why he mentioned him. After exchanging several hundred words, he took his leave. Xun said, "We have been separated so long and I always think of our gatherings. It is very hard to meet; why not stay a while?" Bing said, "I have only come briefly; I cannot stay long. Furthermore, words of this sort do not permit going into details." Thereupon he departed. When Bing first arrived, it was dark night, and Xun had not realized why, but was able to see clearly. After Bing left, Xun got out of bed to see him off. Just as he stepped into his clogs, darkness returned. He saw light of about a foot between Bing's feet, which also illuminated both of his feet, while the rest of the ground was still completely dark. (This one verification comes from the Mingxiang ji.)

21.47

Shi Daoxian of the Zhulin Temple on Mount Guankou in the Shu region under the Sui was originally a native of Kangju. He worked as an itinerant merchant, traveling between Wu and Shu, accumulating jewels and treasures worth nearly one hundred thousand strings of cash. Later he arrived at Mount Niutou in Zizhou, where he met a monk preaching the Dharma. Deeply awakening to the encumbrance of wealth, he sank it into the river and abandoned it all at once. Thereupon he went to Zhulin Temple on Mount Guankou to enter the monastic order. On the day his hair was first shorn, he swore before the assembly: "If I do not attain the Path, I vow never to leave the mountain." Keeping his resolve aloof from the multitude, he dwelt in the wild like beasts and birds. When entering samādhi, one sitting lasted five days as his term. When guests arrived at the gate, their secret approach was immediately sensed; he would rise to receive and converse with them. When there were no people, he sat upright in his quiet room, tranquil as empty space. At times he foretold: "Tomorrow guests will arrive, their number so-and-so, their appearances and clothing colours such-and-such." Right on time the next day they would arrive, their number and clothing matching exactly. At that time there was a severe drought. The common people were terrified, turning pale with worry over their crops; all came to request him to pray for rain. Daoxian went to the dragon cave and knocked on the door with his staff, shouting, "Sentient beings, why indulge in sleep?" As he spoke, it immediately woke. Thereupon dark clouds gathered from all four quarters, and torrential rain fell everywhere. The people relied on this beneficence; noble and base alike offered thanks and revered him as a heavenly deity. Prince Xiu of Shu under the Sui was stationed at Minluo. Having heard of him, the Prince soon dispatched a summons, but Daoxian did not obey the order at all. The Prince's countenance flushed with rage, and he personally led armed soldiers to go and seize him, intending to put him to the sword if he persistently disobeyed. Hearing that the soldiers had arrived, Daoxian acted as if no one were there; donning his saṃghāṭī, he sat upright in meditation and chanted. When the Prince reached the foot of the mountain, rain suddenly poured down mingled with hail, snow, thunder, and lightning, and floods welled up, filling the valley in an instant. The army had no recourse and all feared losing their lives. In this desperate extremity, they repented and took refuge, bowing from afar to Daoxian's virtue. The overhanging clouds suddenly dispersed, the mountain path became clear and smooth, and they reached Daoxian's place. The Prince personally paid the utmost respect, single-mindedly taking refuge and repenting. Daoxian preached the Dharma for him, renewing his faith. The Prince then earnestly requested and invited him back to Chengdu. When he arrived at Jingzhong Temple, he was treated with ever more generous etiquette. The whole city revered him, calling him Master Daoxian. In the Renshou era, he returned to the mountain temple and died, being buried there. (This one verification comes from the Tang Gaoseng zhuan.)

21.48

Chapter Twelve: Gentlemen and Ladies (This contains two sections)

21.49

Section on Lay Men
Section on Lay Women

21.50

Section on Lay Men, Part One (This has three sub-sections)

21.51

Sub-section on Stating the Purpose
Sub-section on Admonishing Layfolk
Sub-section on Exhortation and Guidance

21.52

Sub-section on Stating the Purpose, Part One

21.53

Now, among lay men, status has two kinds: the noble and the base; the wealthy and the poor. Those of wealth and nobility are mostly heedless: arrogant and conceited, they despise, humiliate, and oppress their inferiors. Some rely on authority and status to honor themselves and mistreat others; some rely on broad knowledge and intelligence to flaunt their talents and mistreat others; some rely on eloquence and sharp tongue to speak smoothly and mistreat others; some boast of luxury and extravagance to despise and mistreat others; some rely on handsome looks and charming manners to flaunt their beauty and mistreat others; some ride plump horses and race mounts to flaunt their riding and mistreat others; some possess wealth and slaves to flaunt their riches and mistreat others. So many are they that they cannot be recounted in full. Sentient beings in their folly are truly pitiable. Unaware that impermanence is approaching, they wrongly give rise to haughty thoughts. In future retribution, boiling water and burning coals await them; hell-wardens holding pitchforks have long been waiting on them. Without worrying over these matters, they openly rejoice. How is this different from pigs and sheep unaware of approaching death? How is this different from flies covetously delighting in dead corpses? Reflecting on the past and contemplating the present, wealth and noble status have appeared repeatedly. As birth and death pass before one's eyes, noble and base alike turn to dust. Of the wealthy and noble, one sees only desolate graves; the poor and base have already become ash and soil. Since one knows that noble and base alike become ash, one must humble oneself and respect superiors. Thus, intimacy and estrangement are never fixed; nobility and baseness are not permanent; suffering and joy exchange places, and rising and sinking alternate.

21.54

Sub-section on Admonishing Layfolk, Part Two

21.55

As stated in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, there are ten kinds of haughty karmic acts that one ought to avoid. First, toward respected fields of merit—upādhyāyas, ācāryas, parents, śramaṇas, and brāhmaṇas—not showing respect, reverence, or making offerings; this is a haughty karmic act. Second, when there are Dharma masters who have attained the supreme and wondrous Dharma, who know the path to escape birth and death in the profound Mahāyāna, who have attained dhāraṇīs, are accomplished in much learning, possess a treasury of wisdom, and are skilled at preaching the Dharma, yet one does not faithfully accept, respect, or make offerings to them; this is a haughty karmic act. Third, when listening to and receiving the Dharma, if hearing the profound Dharma one ought to give rise to a mind detached from desires and boundlessly rejoice, yet one does not praise the Dharma master to cause the assembly to rejoice; this is a haughty karmic act. Fourth, giving rise to haughtiness, elevating oneself and oppressing others, not examining one's own reality and not taming one's own mind; this is a haughty karmic act. Fifth, giving rise to the notion of self: seeing those with merit and wisdom, one does not praise their excellence; seeing those without virtue, one conversely speaks of their goodness; if hearing others praised, one gives rise to jealousy toward that person; this is a haughty karmic act. Sixth, if there is a Dharma master who knows what is Dharma, what is vinaya, what is true, and what is the Buddha's word, yet out of hatred and envy one says it is not Dharma, not vinaya, not true, and not the Buddha's word, desiring to destroy others' faith; this is a haughty karmic act. Seventh, preparing a high seat for oneself and thinking, "As a Dharma master, I should not undertake physical service, nor should I respect or make offerings to other practitioners of pure conduct; all elders of virtue should respect and make offerings to me"; this is a haughty karmic act. Eighth, one should stay far away from frowning and glaring with evil eyes at others, always view sentient beings with a harmonious countenance and equanimity, speak softly without roughness, and be free of anger and resentment, yet one seeks out faults in that Dharma master; this is a haughty karmic act. Ninth, through arrogance, not going with respect to those of much learning to listen to the Dharma, nor asking when faced with difficulties: "What is wholesome? What is unwholesome? What should be done? What should not be done? What karmic acts will benefit all sentient beings throughout the long night? What conduct does not benefit sentient beings? What conduct leads from light into light? What conduct leads from darkness into darkness?" Persons such as these are drowned by their pride and cannot behold the true path of emancipation; this is a haughty karmic act. Tenth, through giving rise to haughtiness, one does not encounter the Buddhas' hard-to-encounter Dharma, exhausts the wholesome roots planted in past lives, speaks what should not be spoken, gives rise to censure, and ridicules others; abiding in such practices, one should fall into evil paths. Yet due to the power of the bodhicitta, one never permanently abandons the practices of a bodhisattva. Although not abandoning the bodhisattva path, for immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas one still does not encounter a Buddha, let alone hear the Dharma; this is a haughty karmic act. Moreover, a verse in the Chuyao jing says:

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法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese