法苑珠林 24.31

24.31

Furthermore, the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra says: If a person is merely able to preach the Dharma for others, this is called benefiting others. Although this person may not practice in accord with the Dharma themselves, because they preach it for others, they also obtain benefit themselves. In this gateway of charitable giving, there are briefly three grades: the inferior giving of the Dharma is speaking the teaching of giving without speaking of wisdom; the middling giving of the Dharma is speaking of upholding the precepts; the superior giving of the Dharma is speaking of wisdom. Because by speaking of wisdom, one teaches people to contemplate the principle, attain the severing of the two hindrances of afflictions and knowables, escape saṃsāra, and ultimately achieve the blissful fruits of bodhi and nirvāṇa. Even if one is only able to preach the Hīnayāna, transforming a single person and causing them to contemplate the emptiness of the individual, so that having faithful understanding and relying upon it in practice, although they have not yet attained the Way, this still surpasses transforming all sentient beings in the entire Jambudvīpa and causing them to practice the ten wholesome deeds. Because once a person of faithful understanding understands how to cultivate the noble path, they possess the cause of deliverance and will inevitably attain nirvāṇa.