法苑珠林 87.24

87.24

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."