淨名經集解關中疏 1.25

1.25

“Succeeding to and exalting the Three Jewels, able to make them never cease”: Second, praising the perfection of their merit. Zhao says: “By continuing the lineage of the Buddha, the Three Jewels are exalted. This does not merely mean clarifying the Three Jewels and propagating the sūtras and teachings. It means that they can accumulate good deeds and build up merit to achieve Buddhahood themselves. When there is Buddhahood, there is the Dharma; when there is the Dharma, there is the Saṅgha. The merit of never ceasing lies in future kalpas; now stating that they ‘never cease’ means they are certainly capable of it. Furthermore, during the interim, they cultivate themselves and transform others; those people also transform beings. Both self and others are perfected, and the Three Jewels flourish all the more. Because sentient beings are endless, the Jewels also never cease.”