དག་བ་དང་མ་དག་བའ་ལས་ཀྱ་རྣམ་པར་སྨན་པ་བསྟན་པའ་མད 13

13

Then, as those among the many followers who had practiced the paths of the ten nonvirtuous actions heard the Blessed One’s description of the suffering of hell beings, they cried out in unison,¹⁷⁶ “What kind of virtue will free us from this suffering?”¹⁷⁷

The Blessed One replied, “You must make all beings act in accordance with meritorious actions.¹⁷⁸ How is merit created? Those who construct stūpas and temples primarily for the sake of bringing great benefit to beings¹⁷⁹ will undoubtedly become kings in the future; as they accomplish the benefit of many beings, there will be no one with whom they are not in harmony.¹⁸⁰ Those who engage with the Dharma and develop faith in it in this life will become supreme among humans; they will undoubtedly become great ministers and rulers of territories in the future, they will possess garments and horses, and they will own everything they need. Those who bow to many people and create merit in this life¹⁸¹ will become masters of wealthy and mighty households; they will be venerated by all, they will meet no obstacles when they travel in any of the four directions, and all their activities will be successful.¹⁸² Those who offer lamps in front of the buddhas and are devoted to those lamps will be born among the gods of the sun and moon in the future, and they will be illuminated with light. Those who practice generosity with a compassionate attitude in this life¹⁸³ will be extremely wealthy in the future, and they will naturally attract food and clothing. Those who enjoy giving out food and drink in this life will naturally have food and drink everywhere they are born;¹⁸⁴ their faculties will be sharp, their eloquence will be great, and they will have long lives. Those who give food to animals will be reciprocated a hundredfold. Those who give to icchantikas will be reciprocated a thousandfold.