Practices and Vows of
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva

Chapter Forty, New Edition

 

Samantabhadra again said, “Good Man, of all offerings, the offering of the Dharma is supreme.” Of all offerings one can make, the offering of the Dharma is best. The greatest offering is lecturing the Sutras and explaining the Dharma for others. The Brahma Net Sutra says, “For every day you lecture the Sutras and speak the Dharma, you can eat three ounces of gold.” You will not feel that it’s excessive. Your offering of speaking the Dharma entitles you to eat food worth three ounces of gold. However, you do not want to think that because you can receive offerings worth three ounces of gold each day, that you can just eat that food without a mind of repentance. Even though the Sutra says this, you can’t be conceited and tell others, “Since I’m explaining the Sutras and speaking the Dharma, I am deserving of you buying food for me worth three ounces of gold every day.” You should not be so conceited.

In the Diamond (Vajra) Sutra it says that if you made an offering of the seven jewels to everyone in a three-thousand, great-thousand world-system, this offering is not equal to explaining a four-line verse from the Sutra. The merit from a single four-line verse is greater. Therefore, amongst all the kinds of offerings, the offering of the Dharma is supreme. The offering of the Dharma is the greatest.

Now every day I teach you the Dharma so that you can hear the Sutras. This is giving the Dharma. One can use the Dharma as an offering to the Buddha. Here we turn the wheel of the Dharma by lecturing the Sutras. This is making an offering of the Dharma.

That is to say, it is the offering of cultivating according to the teachings. For example, one teaches the paramita of giving, and then others practice giving. One teaches the paramita of upholding the moral precepts and some people practice this by eating only one meal a day. Someone might explain the paramita of patience. They say that one should cultivate patience and not get angry. People who truly understand the Buddha-dharma practice patience. They cultivate to the point that there are no people, no self, no living beings, and no life span.

When some hear of the paramita of vigor, they become constantly vigorous throughout the day and night. They constantly cultivate according to the Dharma. Some hear about the paramita of dhyana-samadhi. They learn how practicing the four dhyanas and the eight samadhis can produce measureless merit and attain all kinds of states of liberation. These people base their cultivations on the paramita of dhyana-samadhi. When some hear of the prajna paramita, they cultivate wisdom and do not give rise to foolish thoughts.

Others hear about the Four Noble Truths of Suffering, the Origination of Suffering, the Cessation of Suffering, and the Path to the Cessation of Suffering. They learn that one is to understand suffering, cut off origination, strive for cessation, and cultivate the path. Then, they rely on the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths to cultivate. When some hear about the Twelve Links of Conditioned Origination, they rely on this Dharma to cultivate. Others hear an explanation of the Four Measureless Minds of loving-kindness, compassion, rejoicing, and equanimity, and they cultivate in accordance with the Four Measureless Minds.

To sum it all up, you actually put into practice whatever Dharma you learn. This what is meant by the “offering of cultivating,” according to the teachings. In explaining how the offering of the Dharma is most supreme, Shakyamuni Buddha gave up his life for half a verse in a past life when he was on the stage of planting causes for Enlightenment. In his quest for the Dharma he sacrificed his life for two lines of verse. A verse or gāthā is a poem of four lines. He gave up his life for half a verse. One day he heard a rakshasa ghost say,

All activities are impermanent.
This is the Dharma of production and extinction.

When Shakyamuni Buddha heard this he said, “What you’ve spoken is the Buddha-dharma. However, you’ve only spoken half of it. Will you speak the second half for me?”

The rakshasa ghost replied, “That’s right. What I spoke was the Buddha-dharma. However, I’m famished. I’ve got to find a person to eat. After I’ve eaten a human, then I can explain this Dharma. I’m so hungry that I have no energy to speak this Dharma.”

Shakyamuni Buddha said, “How about if you speak first, and then eat me?”

The rakshasa ghost said, “You’ll let me eat you?”

Shakyamuni Buddha replied, “Yes, but you must give me this Dharma first. After I understand it, then I’ll gladly let you eat me.”

The rakshasa ghost said, “Okay.” Then he recited the rest of the verse. He said,
"After production and extinction are extinguished, Then this state of quiescent cessation is happiness."

Then he said, “Now I can eat you. I’ve already finished speaking this Dharma."

Shakyamuni Buddha said, “Wait a bit, and then I’ll let you eat me.”

The rakshasa said, “Are you having regrets about this? Now you don’t want to pay your debt? We made an agreement and now you feel that it doesn’t count?”

Shakyamuni Buddha replied, “No, that’s not the case. Since you have spoken these four verses of Buddha-dharma, and most people have not heard the Buddhadharma, I want to use a knife to carve these lines into a tree. Afterwards, you may eat me. Would this be okay with you?”

The rakshasa ghost thought a while and said, “Okay. Go ahead and carve it into a tree.” Then Shakyamuni Buddha used a knife to carve the four- line verse into the base of a tree.

Then he thought, “Trees are not that durable.” Now the rakshasa ghost was eager to eat him. Then the Buddha made a new request, “Wait a bit more! Since I want everyone to know about the Buddha-dharma, I want to chisel this four-line verse into a rock. After I do that, you can eat me. I’m not doing this for myself, but I wish all living beings will understand the Buddha-dharma.”

The rakshasa ghost thought it over and said, “Okay. Get to work and don’t dilly dally and waste time.” At that time Shakyamuni Buddha carved this four-line verse into a rock. When he had finished, he invited the rakshasa ghost to eat him.

Then the rakshasa said, “Oh, you are really going to let me eat you!”

Shakyamuni Buddha replied, “Of course. I don’t lie. What do you mean, ‘Really let me eat you?’ Please go ahead.”

The rakshasa ghost then said, “You really are a cultivator of the path. You are a true cultivator. Now that I know you are truly cultivating, I’ll see you later.” After saying this, the rakshasa ghost flew up into space, appearing in the body of the Bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin (Avalokiteshvara or the Bodhisattva Who Observes the Sounds of the World), who had manifested to test him.

Therefore, in cultivating the path, you must have a sincere mind. Do not do things just for yourself. If a ghost wants to eat you, forget yourself for the sake of the Dharma. You should be able to give up your life for the sake of the Dharma. Therefore, the sutra text above says, “Of all offerings, the offering of Dharma is supreme.”

The offering of benefiting living beings. Those who cultivate the path of the Bodhisattva speak the Dharma for others in order to benefit living beings. This is “the offering of benefiting living beings.”

The offering that gathers in living beings. “To gather in” means that you look upon all living beings as being the same as your own sons and daughters. You compassionately gather in all living beings without discrimination. This is the offering that gathers in living beings.

The offering of undergoing suffering on behalf of living beings. Those who cultivate the path of the Bodhisattva make vows to undergo suffering on behalf of living beings. They constantly make vows before the Buddha, saying, “May all living beings avoid the many different kinds of disasters including those of knives, sickness, floods, fire, epidemics and so forth. I wish that I myself might undergo the suffering that all living beings should undergo. And furthermore, no living being should undergo the suffering that I should undergo.” This is the resolve made in the mind of a Bodhisattva.

The offering of diligently cultivating the roots of goodness. The Bodhisattva diligently cultivates his own roots of goodness and he exhorts and influences all living beings to diligently cultivate roots of goodness as well. This is also a kind of offering.

The offering of never forsaking the karma of the Bodhisattvas. What is “the karma of a Bodhisattva?” It is the Six Perfections and myriad practices. To constantly cultivate the Six Perfections and myriad practices, which means to practice the path of the Bodhisattva, is called “the offering of not forsaking the karma of the Bodhisattva.”

And the offering of never being apart from the Bodhi-mind. One always brings forth the Bodhi-mind. One never ever separates from the Bodhi-mind. One only does those things that benefit living beings. Not only is one never apart from the Bodhi-mind, one also exhorts and influences all living beings to never separate from the Bodhi-mind. One exhorts them to always bring forth the Bodhi-mind and to always give rise to the true enlightened mind.

SUTRA: 

Good Man, the measureless merit and virtue created from making the previous offerings, when compared to the merit and virtue from a single thought of the offering of the Dharma, does not equal one one-hundredth, one one-thousandth, one part in a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas, one part in a kala, one part by reckoning, one part by calculation, one part that can be demonstrated by comparison, or one part in an Upanishad. Why is this? Because all Tathagatas venerate the Dharma. Because cultivating according to the teachings gives birth to all Buddhas. If a Bodhisattva makes the offering of Dharma, he will have made an offering to the Tathagatas. Cultivating in this way is a true offering. It is a vast and most supreme offering.

In this way, when the reaches of space, the realm of living beings, the karma of living beings, and the afflictions of living beings come to an end, my making offerings will also end. However, because the reaches of space up to and including the afflictions of living beings can never end, therefore my making offerings is also without end. It continues in thought after thought without cease. I never tire of this karma in body, speech, and thought.

COMMENTARY: 

Therefore, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva again said, Good man, the measureless merit and virtue created from making the previous offerings is so great that it is measureless and boundless, but when compared to the merit and virtue from a single thought of the offering of the Dharma it does not equal one one-hundredth. The Sutra spoke previously of a vast amount of merit and virtue, yet when using the Dharma as an offering, one merely needs the merit and virtue of a single thought. An ordinary offering does not equal one one-hundredth part of the merit derived from giving the Dharma, nor does it equal one one-thousandth, up to the point that it does not equal one part in a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of the merit and virtue derived from the giving of Dharma. Koti is a Sanskrit word which means “10,000,000.” It means “hundreds of thousands of millions of Nayutas.” Nayuta is also a large number.

One part in a kala...A Kala is an inconceivable number. One part by reckoning, or one part by calculation. You may use any means of reckoning or calculation, or one part that can be demonstrated by comparison. Also, it does not equal one part in an Upanishad. Upanishad is the name of one who is mentioned in the Shurangama Sutra where it says, “With Upanishad as their leader.” Translated, the word means “the essence of a particle” and “atomic particle,” and so it is a number as great as the number of atomic particles. They cannot equal one part of the merit and virtue derived from the offering of the Dharma.

Why is this? Why is it that the merit and virtue from the offering of the Dharma is so great? Because all Tathagatas, because all Buddhas, the Tathagatas, venerate the Dharma. Not only should all common ordinary people venerate the Dharma, but even the Buddhas themselves honor and venerate the Buddha-dharma. This is because if there were no Buddha-dharma, no one could become a Buddha.

If you wish to become a Buddha, you must learn the Buddha-dharma. If you wish to learn the Buddha-dharma, the Dharma must be transmitted by the Sangha. Monastics are entrusted with the Buddha-dharma. Therefore, you should learn the Buddha-dharma from monastics. The merit and virtue derived from giving the Dharma as an offering to all Buddhas, Tathagatas, and to all living beings, is inconceivable. There is no way one can say just how much it is. This is because all Buddhas, the Tathagatas, venerate the Buddha-dharma.

Because cultivating according to the teachings gives birth to all Buddhas. Because one relies on what the Buddha-dharma teaches to cultivate, one can become a Buddha. If you proclaim the Buddha-dharma and people cultivate according to it, they can become Buddhas. This is what is mean by “gives birth to all Buddhas.”

If a Bodhisattva makes the offering of Dharma, if a Bodhisattva practices the giving of the Dharma, he will have made an offering to the Tathagatas. On the one hand, the Bodhisattva makes offerings to the Tathagatas, and on the other hand, they themselves can become Tathagatas. Cultivating in this way is a true offering. This is truly making offerings. The offering of the Dharma is a true offering. It is a vast and most supreme offering. The offering of the Dharma is the most extensive and supreme offering.

In this way, when the reaches of space, when there is no more space, the realm of living beings, when there are no more living beings, when the karma of living beings, when the karmic obstructions of living beings are no more, and the afflictions of living beings come to an end, my making offerings will also end. When these four things, the reaches of space, living beings, the karma of living beings, and the afflictions of living beings no longer exist, then my giving of offerings will also not exist. I need give no more. However, because the reaches of space, the realms of living beings, the karma of living beings, and the afflictions of living beings can never end—there is no way they can ever be exhausted and no way they can ever be finished—therefore, my making offerings is also without end. Therefore, my resolve to extensively make offerings is also inexhaustible and never-ending.

It continues in thought after thought without cease. The power of this vow to make offerings continues in thought after thought and is never cut off. I never tire of this karma in body, speech, and thought. When I make offerings with my body, I never grow weary. When I make offerings with my mind, I never grow weary. And even when I make offerings with my mouth, I never become tired.

There is a saying about the karma of body, mouth, and mind:

When no anger appears on one’s face, that itself is a complete offering.
When the mouth is without anger, one emits a wonderful fragrance.
When the mind is without anger, that itself is a precious treasure.
To be without confusion and greed is the offering of incense.

When one is without a hateful or angry facial expression, then one has made a complete offering. When you do not engage in harsh speech, your breath is fragrant. When you have no thoughts of anger in your mind, it is like making an offering of a precious treasure. And the perfect offering is to be without confusion and greed. This is a true offering.

previous   next   Contents

Chapter 40 pages:  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17    18    19    20    21    22

return to top