坐禪三昧經 2.52

2.52

When a bodhisattva attains this samādhi, heavy sins of immeasurable kalpas are made light, and light ones are eliminated. Having attained this samādhi, he should recollect the Buddha's various immeasurable virtues: omniscience, complete understanding, complete vision, complete excellence, obtaining the sovereignty of great friendliness and great compassion, having originally broken through the eggshell of ignorance, the four fearlessnesses, the five eyes, the ten powers, and the eighteen unshared dharmas—able to eliminate immeasurable suffering, save from the fear of aging and death, and bestow the eternal bliss of nirvāṇa. The Buddha has such various immeasurable virtues. Having reflected thus, he makes this vow: 'When shall I attain the Buddha's body and the Buddha's virtues, so magnificent as these?' Again he makes a great vow: 'All past merits and all present merits, I dedicate them entirely to seeking the Buddha path, desiring no other reward.' Again he reflects: 'All sentient beings are truly pitiable! The virtues of the Buddhas' bodies are magnificent like this; why do sentient beings seek other karmic rewards instead of seeking the Buddha?' It is like the blind son of an aristocratic family who falls into a great deep pit, destitute with hunger and distress, eating dung and mud. His father takes great pity on him, seeks an expedient means, rescues him from the deep pit, and feeds him superior delicacies. The practitioner reflects: 'The virtues and amṛta of the Buddha's two kinds of bodies are like this, yet sentient beings fall into the deep pit of saṃsāra and eat all impurities. With a heart of great compassion, I shall rescue all sentient beings, cause them to attain the Buddha path and cross the shore of saṃsāra, and satisfy them fully with the Dharma flavor of the Buddha's various virtues. I vow to attain all the Buddha dharmas! Hearing, reciting, retaining, and questioning; contemplating and practicing to attain the fruits—acting as a stairway for them, I establish a great solemn vow, put on the armor of the three vows, defeat the host of Māra outwardly, strike down the thieves of defilement inwardly, and go straight forward without turning back. In this way, compared with immeasurable vows, may all abide in these three vows, for the sake of delivering sentient beings to attain the Buddha path.' Such recollection and such vows are the bodhisattva's recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi.