法苑珠林 60.59

60.59

At that time, the Foremost Deva King again addressed the Buddha, saying: "When the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas practice the prajñāpāramitā, what kind of practices do they cultivate to protect and uphold the True Dharma?" The Buddha told the Foremost: "Deva King, you should know that if a bodhisattva-mahāsattva practices the deep prajñāpāramitā, their actions do not contradict their words; they respect their teachers and elders and comply with the True Dharma; their temper and nature are gentle and compliant, their sense faculties pure and serene; and they keep far away from all evil and unwholesome actions, cultivating wholesome roots—this is called protecting the True Dharma. Deva King, you should know that if bodhisattva-mahāsattvas practice the deep prajñāpāramitā, cultivating compassion in the three karmas of body, speech, and mind, not being bound by gain or praise, keeping the precepts purely, and staying far away from all false views—this is called protecting the True Dharma. Deva King, you should know that if a bodhisattva-mahāsattva practices the deep prajñāpāramitā, their mind not acting under the sway of craving, anger, fear, or delusion—this is called protecting right practice; cultivating shame and remorse is called protecting the True Dharma; and preaching the Dharma and practicing entirely as one has heard it is called protecting the True Dharma. Deva King, you should know that all buddhas of the three periods of time spoke dhāraṇīs to protect the True Dharma, safeguarding deva kings, human kings, and the like, causing them to protect the True Dharma so that it abides long in the world and brings great benefit to sentient beings. The dhāraṇī says:"