At that time the bodhisattva mahasattva Great Adornment addressed the Buddha once more, saying: “World-Honored One, the world-honored one has preached this subtle, wonderful, profound, unsurpassed great vehicle Immeasurable Meanings Sutra. Truly it is profound, profound, profound! Why do I say so? Because in this assembly when the bodhisattvas mahasattva, the four kinds of believers, the heavenly beings, dragons, and spirits, the kings of states, ministers, and subjects, and other living beings hear this profound, unsurpassed great vehicle Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, there are none who fail to gain dharani teachings, the three doctrines, four stages, or the desire to attain enlightenment. So we know that this teaching is true and correct in word and principle, worthy of unsurpassed veneration. It is guarded and protected by all the buddhas of the three existences. There is no devil host, no congregation of non-Buddhist believers who can invade it, nor can it be destroyed by any erroneous views or accidents of birth and death. Why? Because once one hears it, one can uphold all the doctrines.
“If there are living beings who are able to hear this sutra, they will gain great profit. Why? Because if they can practice it, then without fail they will quickly gain unsurpassed enlightenment. As for those living beings who are unable to hear it, one should know that they will lose great profit, for though immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable asamkhya kalpas may pass, they will in 21the end fail to gain unsurpassed enlightenment. Why? Because they will not know about the great direct way to enlightenment, but will travel perilous byways beset by numerous hindrances and trials.
“World-Honored One, this sutra is beyond comprehension. We beg that the world-honored one, taking pity upon this great assembly, will broadly expound the profound and unfathomable matters contained in this sutra. World-Honored One, where does this sutra come from, where does it lead to, where does it abide, that it should possess such immeasurable benefits, such inconceivable powers, assuring to the multitude the quick attainment of supreme perfect enlightenment?”
At that time the world-honored one said to the bodhisattva mahasattva Great Adornment: “Excellent, excellent, good men. It is just so, just so, just as you have spoken. Good men, this sutra I preach is profound, profound, truly profound! Why do I say so? Because it assures that the multitude will quickly attain unsurpassed enlightenment. Because once one hears it, one can uphold all the doctrines. Because for living beings it brings great profit and enrichment. Because practicing it, one travels a great direct way free of hindrances and trials.
“Good men, you ask where this sutra comes from, where it leads, where it abides. Listen carefully and with attention. Good men, this sutra issues originally from the dwelling and abode of the buddhas. Its aim is to lead all living beings to conceive the desire for enlightenment. And it abides in the practices carried out by bodhisattvas. Good men, this is where this sutra comes from, where it leads, and where it abides. Therefore this sutra is able to possess such immeasurable benefits, such inconceivable powers, and to assure to the multitude the quick attainment of unsurpassed enlightenment.
“Now, good men, would you like to hear about the ten inconceivable benefits and powers that this sutra possesses?”
Bodhisattva Great Adornment said, “Please, we wish very much to hear!”
The Buddha said: “Good men, the first is that this sutra can cause bodhisattvas who have not yet conceived the desire for 22enlightenment to conceive such a desire. It can cause those who are without compassion or benevolence to nurture compassionate minds. It can cause those who delight in killing and slaughter to nurture minds of great pity. It can cause those filled with envy and jealousy to nurture minds of joyful acceptance. It can cause those who are begrudging and attached to things to nurture minds capable of relinquishing. It can cause those who are close-fisted and greedy to nurture minds of almsgiving. It can cause those of abundant arrogance and pride to nurture minds that uphold the precepts. It can cause those much given to wrath and anger to nurture forbearing minds. It can cause those who are indolent and lazy to nurture minds of diligence. It can cause those who are scatterbrained and disordered to nurture minds devoted to meditation. It can cause those with much ignorance and folly to nurture minds of wisdom. It can cause those who are not yet capable of saving others to nurture minds set upon saving others. It can cause those who practice the ten evil acts to nurture minds devoted to the ten good acts. It can cause those who delight too much in the conditioned to strive for minds fixed on the unconditioned. It can cause those whose minds are given to regression to cultivate minds of non-regression. It can cause those given to outflows to nurture minds free of outflows. It can cause those with many earthly desires to nurture minds that cleanse and extinguish such desires.
“Good men, this is called the first benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the second inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If living beings are able to hear this sutra, though they hear only one recitation, one verse, or just one line, they will be able to comprehend and master hundreds, thousands, millions of meanings, so many that although immeasurable numbers of kalpas should pass, they would never be able to finish expounding the teaching they have received and uphold. Why? Because the meanings of this teaching are immeasurable.
“Good men, this sutra may be likened to a single seed from which grow hundreds, thousands, ten thousands of other seeds, 23and from each of these seeds in turn grow more seeds numbering in the hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, so that they keep on increasing in this way until they become immeasurable. This sutra is like this. From a single Law grow hundreds and thousands of meanings, and from each of those hundreds and thousands in turn grow more, numbering in the hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, so that they keep on increasing in this way until there are an immeasurable, boundless number of meanings. That is why this sutra is called Immeasurable Meanings.
“Good men, this is called the second benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the third inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If living beings are able to hear this sutra, though they hear only one recitation, one verse, or just one line, and are thereby able to comprehend and master hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of meanings, then although they have earthly desires, it will be as though they were free of earthly desires, and they will go in and out of the realm of birth and death without thoughts of fear or dread. Toward living beings they will acquire minds of pity and tenderness, and they will confront all phenomena with brave and stalwart thoughts.
“They will be like a young man of great strength who can lift and hold aloft various heavy objects. The person who upholds this sutra will in like manner be able to shoulder the weighty treasure of unsurpassed enlightenment and bear living beings on his back, carrying them out of the path of birth and death.
“Even before he is capable of saving himself he will be capable of saving others. He will be like a ship’s captain whose body is afflicted with grave illness, whose four limbs fail to function properly, and who remains on this shore. But he has a sound and durable ship and can always explain to others the articles needed to get them over the water, so that by providing these he can insure their crossing. The person who upholds this sutra will be like this. Though he is afflicted with the body of one who dwells in the five realms, constantly beset by one hundred and eight illnesses, and though he remains on this shore, the shore of 24ignorance, aging, and death, yet he will possess this durable great vehicle sutra, Immeasurable Meanings, which explains how living beings can be saved and how, if one practices it as it directs, one can escape from birth and death.
“Good men, this is called the third benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the fourth inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If living beings are able to hear this sutra, though they hear only one recitation, one verse, or just one line, they will be filled with brave and stalwart thoughts. Though they have not yet saved themselves, they will be able to save others. They will become companions of the bodhisattvas, and the buddhas, the thus come ones, will at all times turn toward such persons when they expound the Law. And once these persons have heard it, they will be able to accept and uphold all of it, abide by it without violation, propagate it for the sake of others, and preach it widely in accordance with what is appropriate.
“Good men, such persons will be like a prince newly born to the king of a country and his queen. When he is one day, two days, or seven days old; one month, two months, or seven months old; one year, two years, or seven years old, though he is not yet able to manage the affairs of state, already he is respected and looked up to by the ministers and the people. He is a companion to the sons of other great kings, and the king and queen love and dote on him and are forever talking of him. Why? Because he is still just a child.
“Good men, the person who upholds this sutra will be like this. The buddhas, who are the king, and the sutra, which is the queen, join together in harmony to give birth to this bodhisattva son. If the bodhisattva is able to hear this sutra, whether it is one line or one verse, one repetition, two repetitions, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, or immeasurable, countless repetitions equal to the sands of a million ten thousand Ganges Rivers, though he cannot fully grasp the extent of its truth, and though he cannot make the lands of the major world system quake and tremble or with brahma sounds like the roll of thunder turn the great wheel of the Law, already he will be revered and looked up 25to by all the four kinds of believers and eight kinds of guardians, and he will have the great bodhisattvas for his companions. He will enter deeply into the secret Law of the buddhas and will be able to expound it without error or omission. He will be constantly guarded and kept in mind by the buddhas, who will pity and love him, favor and shelter him, because he is new in these studies.
“Good men, this is called the fourth benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the fifth inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If there are good men or good women who, while the Buddha is in the world or after he has passed into extinction, accept, uphold, read, recite, or copy this profound, unsurpassed great vehicle Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, then although such persons are still bound and encumbered by earthly desires, unable to remove themselves from the concerns of the ordinary individual, yet they will be able to manifest and show to others the way of the great bodhisattva. They will be able to expand a single day so that it covers a hundred kalpas, or compress a hundred kalpas into a single day, causing other living beings to rejoice and give wholehearted assent [to their words].
“Good men, these good men and good women will be like little dragons who, only seven days after they are born, are already able to make clouds rise up and rain to fall.
“Good men, this is called the fifth benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the sixth inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If good men or good women, while the Buddha is in the world or after he has passed into extinction, accept, uphold, read, or recite this sutra, then although they are still encumbered by earthly desires, they will be able to preach the Law for living beings and enable them to break away from earthly desires, from the realm of birth and death, and to cut off all suffering. Once living beings have heard them, they will carry out religious practice, gaining the doctrines, gaining various stages, and gaining the ways, just the same as if they had been taught by the Buddha, the thus come one.
26“Suppose, for example, there is a prince who, although still just a boy, is entrusted with the management of affairs of state because the king is abroad on a journey or has been seized by illness. If at that time the prince follows the king’s orders and abides by the law in issuing directives to the various clerks and government officials, guiding the flow of affairs in a proper manner, then each of the people of the state will comply with the spirit of his instructions, and the order that prevails will be like that when the king himself is in charge.
“The good men and good women who uphold this sutra will be the same as this. Whether the Buddha is in the world or has passed into extinction, if these good men, though they have not yet been able to reach the stage of immobility, follow the Buddha’s methods of preaching and giving instruction when they expound the Law, then once living beings have heard them and single-mindedly applied themselves to practice, they will be able to cut off earthly desires, gain the doctrines, gain various stages, and gain the ways.
“Good men, this is called the sixth benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the seventh inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If good men or good women, while the Buddha is in the world or after he has passed into extinction, are able to hear this sutra and rejoice and put faith and hope in it, greeting it as something rare; if they accept, uphold, read, recite, copy, explain, preach, and practice it as it directs, conceiving a desire for enlightenment, cultivating good roots, nurturing minds of great compassion, and desiring to save all living beings from their sufferings, then although they have not yet been able to practice the six paramitas, the six paramitas will of themselves appear before them. In their present bodies they will be able to gain the truth of birthlessness, their earthly desires and their sufferings of birth and death will in one moment be cast off and destroyed, and they will ascend to the seventh stage of the bodhisattva.
“Suppose, for example, there is a stalwart hero who wipes out the king’s enemies. Once these enemies have been destroyed, the 27king rejoices greatly and takes half of his kingdom and presents it all to the hero as a fief. The good men and good women who uphold this sutra will be similar to this. They will be the bravest and most heroic of all practitioners. And though they do not seek for them, the six paramitas, those treasures of the Law, will come to them naturally. Their enemies, birth and death, will of themselves be scattered and destroyed, and they will be enlightened to the truth of birthlessness, which is like receiving half the buddha land in fief and its treasures as a gift to enjoy in tranquillity.
“Good men, this is called the seventh benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the eighth inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If there are good men or good women who, while the Buddha is in the world or after he has passed into extinction, are able to obtain this sutra, they will revere and put faith in it as though they were gazing upon the Buddha’s body, and will not let themselves treat it any differently. They will love and delight in this sutra, accept, uphold, read, recite, copy, and do obeisance to it, putting it into practice as the Law directs, strictly observing the precepts, firmly persevering, carrying out the paramita of almsgiving, cultivating profound pity and compassion, and preaching this unsurpassed great vehicle Immeasurable Meanings Sutra far and wide for the sake of others.
“If there are persons who have never believed in the existence of sinfulness or blessing, then they will show them this sutra and, employing various kinds of expedient means, will convert them and prevail upon them to believe. Through the authority and power of the sutra, such persons will be able to develop minds of faith, abruptly changing their direction. And once having developed minds of faith, because they proceed with courage and diligence, they will be able to acquire the dignity, virtue, authority, and power of this sutra, to gain the ways, and to gain various stages.
“Therefore these good men and women, because of the benefits they gain through being converted, will in their present forms as men and women be able to gain the truth of birthlessness, to 28gain the upper level, and to become companions of the bodhisattvas. Quickly they will be able to lead living beings to success, to purify the buddha land, and before long to gain unsurpassed enlightenment.
“Good men, this is called the eighth benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the ninth inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: If there are good men or good women who, while the Buddha is in the world or after he has passed into extinction, are able to obtain this sutra, who leap with joy on having gained what they never had before, who accept, uphold, read, recite, copy, and offer alms to it and for the sake of the multitude, observing distinctions, expound and preach the message of this sutra far and wide, then in one instant they will be able to wipe out the lingering guilt and heavy obstacle of their deeds in former existences and to attain a state of purity. Thereafter they will acquire great eloquence, step by step adorn themselves with the paramitas, acquire various samadhis including the shuramgama samadhi, enter the great gate of the dharani teachings, gain the power of diligent effort, and quickly attain the highest levels. They will be skilled at dividing their bodies and producing emanations of themselves, dispatching them to the lands in the ten directions to rescue and save all living beings in the twenty-five realms of existence from their dire sufferings, enabling them all to gain emancipation. This is because the sutra possesses this power.
“Good men, this is called the ninth benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, the tenth inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: Suppose there are good men or good women who, while the Buddha is in the world or after he has passed into extinction, are able to obtain this sutra, and are filled with great joy, greeting it as something rare. After they themselves have accepted, upheld, read, recited, copied, offered alms, and put it into practice as it directs, they will also be able far and wide to encourage those in household life and those who have left such life to accept, uphold, read, recite, copy, offer alms, explain, and 29preach the sutra and practice it as the Law directs. Because they have the power to cause others to practice this sutra, others will gain the ways and gain various stages. All this will come from the fact that these good men and good women are moved to compassion and have the power to convert others diligently. As a result, these good men and good women in their present bodies will be able to gain immeasurable dharani teachings.
“While they are still at the stage of ordinary persons, while they are just beginning, they will find themselves naturally capable of committing themselves to countless asamkhyas of broad resolutions and great vows, demonstrating profound determination to save all living beings, exercising great compassion, rescuing multitudes far and wide from their sufferings, gathering to themselves a mass of good roots, and bringing enrichment and benefit to all. They will expound the moisture of the Law, pouring it everywhere to water the dry and barren places. They will show themselves able to dispense the medicine of the Law to living beings, bringing peace and happiness to all. Gradually they will come forth and ascend until they reside at the stage of the clouds of the Law. The moisture of their favor will water all places; nothing will be outside their compassion. They will encompass all living beings who suffer, causing them to enter upon the buddha path. And because of all this, these people will before long gain supreme perfect enlightenment.
“Good men, this is called the tenth benefit and inconceivable power of this sutra.
“Good men, this unsurpassed great vehicle Immeasurable Meanings Sutra fully possesses great and marvelous supernatural powers such as these. It is worthy of unsurpassed veneration, for it can enable ordinary persons all to attain the stage of sage; leaving forever the realm of birth and death, they will all gain freedom. Therefore this sutra is called Immeasurable Meanings. It can cause all living beings who are still at the level of ordinary persons to put forth immeasurable shoots that will grow into the way of the bodhisattva, to plant trees of benefits that will flourish, put out branches, and spread. Therefore this sutra is dubbed the possessor of inconceivable benefits and power.”
30At that time the bodhisattva mahasattva Great Adornment and the others of the eighty thousand bodhisattvas mahasattva, speaking in a single voice addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, as the Buddha has preached, this profound, subtle, wonderful, unsurpassed great vehicle Immeasurable Meanings Sutra is true and correct in word and principle, worthy of unsurpassed veneration. It is guarded and protected by all the buddhas of the three existences. There is no devil host, no congregation of non-Buddhist believers who can invade it, nor can it be destroyed by any erroneous views or accidents of birth and death.
“Thus it is that this sutra possesses ten benefits and inconceivable powers such as have been described. It brings great enrichment and benefit to all living beings immeasurable in number. It causes all bodhisattvas mahasattva each one to gain the samadhi of immeasurable meanings. Or perhaps they will gain hundreds and thousands of dharani teachings, or they will be able to gain the various levels and various types of cognition of the bodhisattva, or they will gain the four-way and four-stage enlightenment of the cause-awakened one and the arhat. The world-honored one in his compassion and mercy has been pleased to preach the Law for us in this way, enabling us to gain the great profits of the Law. This is most wonderful, something never known before. The compassion and favor of the world-honored one is indeed difficult to repay!”
When they had finished speaking these words, the major world system quaked and trembled in six different ways. From the sky there rained down various kinds of heavenly flowers, heavenly utpala flowers, padma flowers, kumuda flowers, pundarika flowers. There also rained down countless varieties of heavenly incense, heavenly robes, heavenly necklaces, and priceless heavenly jewels that came tumbling and turning through the air and descended as offerings to the Buddha and the great assembly of bodhisattvas and voice-hearers. Heavenly vessels from heavenly kitchens were heaped and overflowing with a hundred heavenly flavors; merely observing their forms and smelling their aromas was enough to make one feel satisfied. Heavenly streamers, heavenly banners, heavenly canopies, and wonderful 31heavenly playthings were ranged here and there, heavenly musical instruments played, and songs were sung to praise the Buddha.
Then in the eastern region the buddha worlds numerous as Ganges sands also quaked and trembled in six different ways, raining down heavenly flowers, heavenly incense, heavenly robes, heavenly necklaces, priceless heavenly jewels, heavenly vessels from heavenly kitchens with a hundred heavenly flavors, so that observing their forms and smelling their aromas was enough to make one feel satisfied. Heavenly streamers, heavenly banners, heavenly canopies, and wonderful heavenly playthings were ranged here and there, heavenly musical instruments played, and songs were sung in praise of the buddhas and the great assemblies of bodhisattvas and voice-hearers there, and the same occurred in the southern, western, and northern regions, in the four intermediate directions, and in the upper and lower regions.
At that time the Buddha addressed the bodhisattva mahasattva Great Adornment and the others of the eighty thousand bodhisattvas mahasattva, saying: “You should approach this sutra with profound feelings of respect, practice it as the Law directs, convert all beings far and wide, and propagate it with a diligent mind. At all times be industrious in its cause, guard it day and night, and enable living beings, each one of them, to enjoy the profits of the Law. You will then in truth be showing great compassion and great pity. Use the transcendental power of your vows to guard and protect this sutra, and do not let it be impeded by doubt. In the time given you, you must without fail cause it to spread throughout Jambudvipa, making certain that all living beings are able to see and hear it, to read, recite, copy, and offer alms to it. Then as a result you yourselves will be able quickly to gain supreme perfect enlightenment.”
At that time the bodhisattva mahasattva Great Adornment and the others of the eighty thousand bodhisattvas mahasattva rose from their seats and proceeded to where the Buddha was. They bowed their heads to the ground in obeisance before the Buddha’s feet and circled around him a hundred thousand times. Then they advanced, knelt on one knee, and all blending their voices in unison, spoke to the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored 32One, we have been fortunate enough to receive the compassion and mercy of the world-honored one, who for our sake has preached this profound, subtle, wonderful, unsurpassed great vehicle Immeasurable Meanings Sutra. Respectfully we accept the Buddha’s charge. After the thus come one has passed into extinction, we will propagate this sutra far and wide, causing all beings everywhere to accept, uphold, read, recite, copy, and offer alms to it. We beg you to have no concern or fret on that account. We will employ the power of our vows to enable all living beings everywhere to see, hear, read, recite, copy, and offer alms to this sutra, and to gain the sutra’s marvelous supernatural blessings.”
At that time the Buddha praised them, saying, “Excellent, excellent, good men. Now you are true sons of the Buddha. With the vastness of your great compassion and great pity, you can rescue those sunk in profound suffering, save those in peril. You are fields of good fortune for all living beings. You will act as great and good guides and teachers for all beings far and wide. You are great supports and resting places for all living beings. You are great almsgivers for all living beings. At all times you will take the profits of the Law and distribute them abroad to all beings.”
At that time all the members of the great assembly were filled with great joy. Bowing in obeisance to the Buddha, they accepted and upheld his teaching and then departed.