At that time, the Lord said this to the bodhisatva Gaganagañja:
“Even if, son of good family, every thirty thousand world-system in the east is broken into the atomic-sized raindrops or the atomic-sized particles, and in the same way every thirty thousand world-system in the south, west, north, above, below and ten directions is also broken into the atomic-sized particles, and even if the buddha-fields in east, as numerous as all the particles, are put into one single atomic-sized particle, and in the same way, even if one calculates every single particle in the east until it is exhausted, it would not be enough to equal with the number of the buddha-fields,
and just like in the east, the buddha-fields in each of the ten directions are immeasurable.
What do you think, son of good family (tat kiṃ manyase kulaputra), can you calculate the particles in the ten directions, each of them contains the buddha-fields of the ten directions in such a way? Can you understand its limit?”
Gaganagañja replied: “O Lord, nobody can do that. But the tathāgata is an exception, who knows it by means of the unattached knowledge of the buddha (buddhāsaṅgajñāna).”
The Lord said: “If, son of good family, in all such buddha-fields there is a place in which the particles are posited, if all the buddha-fields become a town after having been encircled by a wall, and if the town, from its subterranean mass of water up to its highest point, is filled with only mustard seeds without roughness, then, what do you think, son of good family, how many mustard seeds would be there?”
Gaganagañja said: “O Lord, it is marvelous that such analogy was sought out by the tathāgata. Having heard this analogy, O Lord, those living beings with faith will come to be endowed with a most marvelous thing (āścaryādbhutadharma).”
The Lord said: “Son of good family, how many hundreds of, how many thousands of, how many hundred thousands of, how many vivāhas of, or how many akṣobhyas of mustard seeds there are, or how many buddha-fields there are, how many hundreds of buddha-fields there are, how many thousands of buddha-fields there are, or how many hundred thousands of buddha-fields there are, all of them the tathāgata knows.
Even though, son of good family, one who want to reach awakening fills so many buddha-fields with seven kinds of precious jewels (saptaratna) giving them as a gift for the sake of awakening, if anybody grasps the true dharma and is established in such dharma of good qualities, then he who grasps the true dharma of one tathāgata will generate a lot more merit.
Even though one honours, reveres, worships, adores and respects the buddhas as numerous as mustards seeds, if anybody accepts the profound dharma (gambhīradharma), then he will generate a lot more merit.
Even though one makes endless offerings as numerous as mustard seeds, if anybody makes the seven steps (saptapada), taking pleasure in and enduring the dharma without any hostility towards all beings (sarvasatvāpratihatacitta), he will generate a lot more merit.
Even though one [accomplishes the works of] Indras, Brahmās, universal kings and bodhisatvas (śakrabrahmacakravartirājabodhisatva) as numerous as mustard seeds, if anybody, who knows that all conditioned things are impermanent and suffering (sarvaṃ saṃskṛtam anityaduḥkham), who understands that extinction is calm (śāntaṃ nirvāṇam), engenders the great compassion for all beings (satveṣu mahākaruṇotpadyate) and produces the thought of incomparable complete awakening for the sake of keeping the succession of the three jewels unbroken (triratnavaṃśasyānupacchedanārthaṃ), then he will generate a lot more merit.
爾時世尊告大虚空藏菩薩及諸菩薩摩訶薩言。
善男子譬如東方一世界析爲十三千大千世界。如是南西北方四維上下。各各析爲十三千大千世界。如是世界盡末爲塵。復以一塵爲一世界。若復有人於東方過爾所塵世界下於一塵。復更東行過爾所塵世界又下一塵。如是展轉盡爾所塵。於東方諸佛世界無有邊際。
南西北方四維上下亦復如是。
善男子於汝意云何。如是十方世界。所下微塵知其數不。
不也世尊。如是微塵世界唯有如來以無礙智之所究了。非餘能知。
佛言善男子是諸世界。若下微塵及不下處。盡諸世界以爲大城圍遶牆壁。上至有頂下窮水際。 滿此城中著淨芥子。以一芥子爲一佛世界。善男子於意云何。是諸芥子世界寧爲多不。
甚多世尊。
佛言善男子。如是芥子及諸世界。我知其數知百知千。乃至知緊迦羅彌未羅阿閦婆等。
若有善男子善女人求菩提故。以七寶滿爾所世界。施於爾所芥子數住功徳法。
菩薩諸佛及恭敬供養若復有人聞此甚深微妙經典。能淨信忍所得福徳勝前福徳。
若復有人以爾所芥子數行無遮施。或復有人得聞此經。於諸有情生無礙心住調柔忍。如七歩頃繋念思惟。所得福徳勝前福徳。
若復有人修諸福業。成就爾所芥子數天主帝釋大梵天王轉輪聖王。或復有人受持此經。能知無常苦空無我涅槃寂靜。如是知已於諸有情生於大悲。爲不斷三寶種故。發無上正等菩提之心。如是福徳勝前福徳
(4) de’i tshe bcom ldan ’das kyis byaṅ chub sems dpa’ nam mkha’ mdzod la bka’ stsal pa |
rigs kyi bu ’di lta ste dper na | śar phyogs kyi stoṅ sum cu’i ’jig rten gyi khams re re yaṅ rdul phra rab kyi char rdul phra rab kyi rdul du bśig la | de bźin du lho daṅ | nub daṅ | (5) byaṅ daṅ | steg daṅ | ’og daṅ | phyogs bcu kun du stoṅ sum cu’i ’jig rten gyi khams re re yaṅ rdul phra rab kyi rdul du bśig ste | de nas rdul phra rab de dag thams cad ji sñed par śar phyogs su saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ de sñed ’das śiṅ rdul phra rab kyi rdul gcig bźag la | (6) tshul de lta bur śar phyogs su rdul phra rab de thams cad zad zad du bźag kyaṅ | śar phyogs kyi saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ gi mthar thug pa gaṅ yaṅ med do ||
śar phyogs su ji lta ba de bźin du phyogs bcu kun gyi phyogs re rer yaṅ saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ de sñed do ||
rigs kyi bu ’di ji (7) sñam du sems | phyogs bcu’i saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ de dag gi rdul phra rab rnams tshul de lta bus phyogs bcur bźag pa las tshad dam mtha’ rtogs par nus sam |
gsol pa | bcom ldan ’das de ni mi nus so || gźan du na de bźin gśegs pas saṅs rgyas kyi (324b1) ye śes chags pa mi mṅa’ bas mkhyen pa ni ma gtogs so ||
bcom ldan ’das kyis bka’ stsal pa | rigs kyi bu de ltar saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ ji sñed pa de dag la sa gaṅ du rdul phra rab de dag bźag par gyur pa’i saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ de dag thams cad groṅ khyer gcig tu gyur te (2) brtcig pas bskor nas ’og gi chu’i phuṅ po nas bzuṅ ste | srid pa’i rtse mo’i bar gyi groṅ khyer de dag yuṅs ’bru mi rtsub pa ’ba’ źig gis yoṅs su gaṅ bar gyur na | rigs kyi bu ’di ji sñam du sems | yuṅs ’bru de dag maṅ ṅam |
gsol pa | bcom ldan ’das (3) de bźin gśegs pas ji ltar dpe ’di btsal ba ṅo mtshar to || bcom ldan ’das gaṅ dpe ’di thos nas dad par ’gyur ba’i sems can de dag kyaṅ ṅo mtshar rmad du byuṅ ba’i chos daṅ ldan par ’gyur ro ||
bcom ldan ’das kyis bka’ stsal pa | rigs kyi bu de bźin gśegs (4) pa ni yuṅs ’bru de dag brgya phrag ’di sñed cig ce’am | stoṅ phrag ’di sñed cig ce’am | brgya stoṅ phrag ’di sñed cig ce’am | dkrigs pa daṅ | gtams pa daṅ | khyad phyin daṅ | mi ’khrugs pa phrag ’di sñed cig ce’am | saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ ’di sñed cig ce (5) ’am | saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ brgya phrag ’di sñed cig ce’am | saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ stoṅ phrag ’di sñed cig ce’am | saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ brgya stoṅ phrag ’di sñed cig yod do ||
rigs kyi bu byaṅ chub ’dod pa la la źig gis saṅs rgyas kyi źiṅ de sñed (6) rin po che sna bdun gyis rab tu bkaṅ ste | sbyin pa byin pa bas ji ltar skyes bu dam pa dam pa’i chos yoṅs su ’dzin pa gaṅ yon tan gyi chos ’di lta bu la gnas pa de dag gis de bźin gśegs pa gcig gis dam pa’i chos yoṅs su bzuṅ na ’di de bas bsod nams ches (7) maṅ du skyed do ||
yuṅs ’bru ji sñed pa de sñed kyi saṅs rgyas bcom ldan ’das rnams la gaṅ la la źig gis bsti staṅ du byas | bla mar byas | ri mor byas te mchod pa byas gaṅ zab mo’i chos la bzod pa de ni de bas bsod nams ches maṅ du skyed do ||
yuṅs ’bru ji sñed pa (325a1) de sñed kyi gtan pa med pa’i mchod sbyin byin pa bas | gaṅ gźan źig sems can thams cad la khoṅ khro ba med pa’i sems kyis chos la rab tu dga’ źiṅ bzod pas gom pa bdun por na de bas de bsod nams ches maṅ du skyed do ||
yuṅs ’bru de dag ji sñed (2) ba de sñed du brgya byin daṅ | tshaṅs pa daṅ | ’khor los sgyur ba’i rgyal po daṅ | byaṅ chub sems dpa’ sñed pa bas gźan gaṅ gis ’dus byas thams cad mi rtag pa daṅ | sdug bsṅal bar rig ciṅ chos thams cad la bdag med par rig la | mya ṅan las ’das (3) pa źi bar rig nas | sems can rnams la sñiṅ rje chen po bskyed de | dkon mchog gsum gyi rigs rgyun mi ’chad pa’i phyir bla na med pa yaṅ dag par rdzogs pa’i byaṅ chub tu sems bskyed na | de ni de bas ches bsod nams maṅ du skyed do ||
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I. The Occasion