法苑珠林 85.9

85.9

Furthermore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: For the sake of the Dharma, a bodhisattva gouged out [flesh from] his body to make lamps, wrapping his skin and flesh in fine cloth, pouring oil over them, and burning them as wicks. The bodhisattva at that time underwent this great suffering, rebuking his own mind with these words: 'Such suffering does not amount to even one part in a hundred thousand myriad of the suffering in the hells. Over immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you have undergone great afflictions without any benefit whatsoever. If you cannot endure this light suffering, how will you be able to rescue suffering sentient beings in the hells?' When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva made this contemplation, his body did not perceive suffering, and his mind was non-retrogressing, unmoving, and unswerving. At that time the bodhisattva should deeply know within himself: 'I will surely attain anuttarasambodhi.' At that time, the bodhisattva was fully possessed of defilements that had not yet been severed, yet for the sake of the Dharma he was able to bestow his head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, blood, and flesh upon sentient beings, drive iron nails into his body, and throw himself off cliffs into fire. Although the bodhisattva at that time underwent such immeasurable myriad sufferings, his mind was non-retrogressing, unmoving, and unswerving. The bodhisattva should know: 'I now definitely possess an unretrogressing mind, and shall attain anuttarasambodhi.'