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The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra
THE DHARMA REALM PENETRATED AND TRANSFORMED
CHAPTER 19
Sutra:
“Subhuti, what do you think? If someone filled the three thousand great thousand worlds with the seven precious gems and gave them as a gift, would that person for that reason obtain many blessings?”
“So it is, World Honored One. That person would for that reason obtain very many blessings.”
“Subhuti, if blessings and virtue were real, the Tathagata would not have spoken of obtaining many blessings. It is because blessings and virtue do not exist that the Tathagata has spoken of obtaining many blessings.
Commentary:
In the previous section of text Shakyamuni Buddha said that past, present, and future thought could not be got at. Then he asked Subhuti, “Suppose there were a man who took as many of the seven precious gems as would fill three thousand great thousand worlds and gave them as a gift. From such causes and conditions would the reward of blessings be great or not?”
Subhuti replied that the man would have many blessings. But the Buddha pointed out that if blessings had an actual substance, if there were something tangible which existed, then the Tathagata would not have spoken of the person’s obtaining many blessings. Since there is no actual substance nor anything to which one can point, the Tathagata says the person obtains many blessings.
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