Chapter IV - Acceptance of the True Dharma

At that time Queen Śrīmālā said to the Buddha, “Having received the Buddha’s power, I will now explain the great vow which is controlled [by the principle of the True Dharma], being the truth without error.”

The Buddha said to Śrīmālā, “I permit you to explain as you wish.” Śrīmālā said to the Buddha, “The bodhisattva vows, which are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, are all contained in the one great vow that is called ‘acceptance of the True Dharma.’ Acceptance of the True Dharma truly is the great vow.”

The Buddha praised Śrīmālā: “Excellent! Excellent! Your wisdom (prajñā) and skillful means (upāya) are most profound and subtle! You have already, for a long time, increased in virtue. In the future, living beings who develop such virtue will be able to understand you. Your explanation of the acceptance of the True Dharma is that which the buddhas of the past, present, and future have explained, now explain, and will explain. Having realized supreme, complete enlightenment (anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi), I also speak of this acceptance of the True Dharma. I explain that acceptance of the True Dharma has merits that cannot be limited. The Tathāgata’s wisdom and eloquence also are without limits. Why? Because in this acceptance of the True Dharma there are great merits and great benefits.”

Queen Śrīmālā said to the Buddha, “Again, having received the Buddha’s power, I shall further explain the extension of the acceptance of the True Dharma.”

The Buddha said, “Then please explain.”

 

1. Immeasurable

A. Like a Great Cloud

Śrīmālā said to the Buddha, “The meaning of the extension of the acceptance of the True Dharma is immeasurable. It includes all teachings of the Buddha, consisting of eighty-four thousand discourses.

“Like a great cloud that appeared at the time of creation, showering down multicolored rain and many kinds of jewels, acceptance of the True Dharma rains forth innumerable rewards and innumerable virtues.”

B. Like the Great Waters

“O Lord, at the time of creation, the three thousand great worlds and the forty billion kinds of continents emerged from the great waters. Similarly, the innumerable worlds of the Mahayana, the supernatural powers of all the bodhi-sattvas, the peace and happiness of all worlds, the magical omnipotence of all worlds, and the peace of the transcendental worlds that has not been experienced by gods and humans from the time of creation—all these emerge from acceptance of the True Dharma.”

C. Like the Great Earth, the “Supporter”

“Moreover, acceptance of the True Dharma is like the great earth that supports four weights. What are the four? The great seas, the mountains, vegetation, and living beings. Similarly, like that great earth, good sons and daughters who accept the True Dharma build the great earth and carry four responsibilities. Who are the four? 1) Living beings who have parted from good friends either have not heard [the Dharma] or are without the Dharma. By advising them to cultivate the good deeds of humans and gods, [good sons and daughters] prepare them [for entering the path]. 2) For those who want to be disciples (śrāvakas) they present the disciple vehicle. 3) For those who want to be pratyeka-buddhas (solitary enlightened ones) they present the pratyekabuddha vehicle. And 4) for those who want to be [followers of the Great Vehicle], they present the Mahayana. These are the good sons and good daughters who accept the True Dharma, build the great earth, and carry the four responsibilities.

“Therefore, Lord, good sons and daughters who accept the True Dharma, build the great earth, and carry the four responsibilities become

friends without being asked for the sake of all living beings. In their great compassion, they comfort and sympathize with living beings and become the Dharma mother of the world.”

 

2. Like the Great Earth, Which Has Four Jewel Storehouses

“Again, acceptance of the True Dharma is like the great earth that has four kinds of jewel storehouses. What are the four? They are: 1) the priceless, 2) the supremely valuable, 3) the moderately valuable, and 4) the slightly valuable. These are the great earth’s four kinds of jewel storehouses.

“Similarly, good sons and daughters who accept the True Dharma and build the great earth obtain the four kinds of most precious jewels, namely, living beings. Who are the four? 1) Those who have not heard [the Dharma] or are without the Dharma to whom the good sons and daughters who have accepted the True Dharma present the [cultivation of] merits and virtuous deeds of humans and gods. 2) Those who want to be disciples are presented with the disciple vehicle. 3) Those who want to bepratyekabuddhas are presented with the pratyekabuddha vehicle. And 4) those who want to [follow the Great Vehicle] are presented with the Mahayana.

“Therefore, all the good sons and daughters who obtain the great jewels, namely living beings, realize extraordinarily rare merits because of acceptance of the Dharma. Lord, the great jewel storehouse is the acceptance of the True Dharma.”

 

3. Identical with the True Dharma Itself

“Lord, ‘acceptance of the True Dharma’ means the True Dharma [itself] is not different from acceptance of the True Dharma. The True Dharma [itself] is identical with acceptance of the True Dharma.”

 

4. Identical with the Perfections

“Lord, the perfections are not different from the one who accepts the True 218c Dharma. The one who accepts the True Dharma is identical with the perfections. Why?

1) “Good sons and daughters who accept the True Dharma give even their body and limbs for those who respond to giving. By protecting these [living beings’] intentions, they teach them. When they are thus taught and caused to abide in the True Dharma, this is called the perfection of giving (dāna).

2) “Good sons and daughters teach the protection of the six senses, the purification of body, speech, and mind, and the cultivation of the four correct postures [in walking, standing, sitting, and reclining] to those who respond to discipline. By protecting these [living beings’] intentions, they teach them. When they are thus taught and caused to abide in the True Dharma, this is called the perfection of discipline (śīla).

3) “Good sons and daughters teach nonhatred, supreme patience, and neutrality in outer expression to those who respond to patience. By protecting these [living beings’] intentions, they teach them. When they are thus taught and caused to abide in the True Dharma, this is called the perfection of patience (kṣānti).

4) “Good sons and daughters do not teach indolence but the desire [to practice], supreme perseverance, and cultivation of the four correct postures to those who respond to perseverance. By protecting these [living beings’] intentions, they teach them. When they are thus taught and caused to abide in the True Dharma, this is called the perfection of perseverance (vfrya).

5) “Good sons and daughters teach tranquility, constant mindfulness not conditioned by external objects, and recollection of all actions and speech over long periods of time to those who respond to meditation. By protecting these [living beings’] intentions, they teach them. When they are thus taught and caused to abide in the True Dharma, this is called the perfection of meditation (dhyāna).

6) “Good sons and daughters, when questioned concerning the meaning of all things, extensively teach all treatises and all arts, without trepidation, causing those who respond to wisdom to reach the ultimate in science and art. By protecting these [living beings’] intentions, they teach them. When they are thus taught and caused to abide in the True Dharma, this is the perfection of wisdom (prajñā).

“Therefore, O Lord, the perfections are not different from the one who accepts the True Dharma. The one who accepts the True Dharma is identical with the perfections.

“O Lord, now receiving your power, I will further explain the greatness [of the True Dharma].”

The Buddha said, “Please do so.”

 

[Identical with the One Who Accepts the True Dharma]

Śrīmālā said to the Buddha, “‘Acceptance of the True Dharma’ means acceptance of the True Dharma is not different from the one who accepts the True Dharma. Good sons and daughters who accept the True Dharma are identical with acceptance of the True Dharma. Why? Because good sons and daughters who accept the True Dharma abandon three things for the sake of acceptance of the True Dharma. What are the three? They are body, life, and wealth.

 

“When good sons and daughters abandon the body, they become equal to the last limit of the cycle of birth and death (samsara). Having parted from old age, illness, and death, they realize the indestructible, eternal, unchanging, and inconceivable merits of the Tathāgata’s Dharma body (dharmakāya).

“When they abandon life, they become equal to the last limit of the cycle of birth and death. Ultimately, having parted from death, they realize the limitless, eternal, and inconceivable merits, penetrating all the profound Buddha-Dharmas.

“When they abandon property, they become equal to the last limit of the cycle of birth and death. Having realized the inexhaustible, indestructible, ultimately eternal, inconceivable, and complete merits that are not common to all other living beings, they obtain the excellent offerings of all living beings.

“Lord, good sons and daughters who have abandoned these three (body, life, and wealth) and have accepted the True Dharma will always obtain the predictions of all the buddhas [concerning their buddhahood], and will be honored by all living beings.

“Furthermore, O Lord, good sons and daughters who accept the True Dharma without distortion, and without deception or misrepresentation, will love the True Dharma and accept the True Dharma, entering into Dharma friendship when the [four groups of followers] (monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen) are forming rival factions that cause the destruction and dispersion [of the sangha]. Those who enter into Dharma friendship will certainly receive the prediction [of their future buddhahood] by all the buddhas.

“O Lord, I see that acceptance of the True Dharma has such great powers. Because you are the eye of truth, the wisdom of truth, the source of the Dharma, and you penetrate all things, you are the basis for the True Dharma and know all things.”

At that time, the Lord was joyous over Śrīmālā’s explanation concerning the great powers of acceptance of the True Dharma. [The Buddha said,] “Śrīmālā, what you have said is true. The great powers of acceptance of the True Dharma are like a very strong man who only briefly touches a [vulnerable] part of one’s body yet causes great pain. Similarly, Śrīmālā, barely accepting the True Dharma causes suffering to Māra, the Evil One. I do not see even one remaining good act that can cause suffering to Māra in the manner that only barely accepting the True Dharma does.

“Moreover, the bull king has a form without equal, surpassing all other bulls. Similarly, even just barely accepting the True Dharma in the Mahayana is superior to all the virtuous deeds of the two vehicles, because it is so extensive.

“The majestic bearing and uniqueness of great Mount Sumeru surpasses all other mountains. Similarly, the [merit of] abandonment of body, life, and wealth in the Mahayana, acceptance of the True Dharma with a benevolent heart, surpasses [the merit of] those who have engaged only in the virtuous deeds of the Mahayana but do not abandon body, life, and wealth. Because of its extensiveness, of course it is superior to the two vehicles.

“Thus, Śrīmālā, through acceptance of the True Dharma, explain [this teaching] to living beings, teach and convert living beings, and confirm living beings [in the Dharma].

“Therefore, Śrīmālā, acceptance of the True Dharma has these great benefits, these great blessings, and these great fruits. Śrīmālā, even if I explain the merits and benefits of acceptance of the True Dharma for countless periods of time, I shall not reach the end [of explaining it]. Therefore, acceptance of the True Dharma has immeasurable and unlimited merits.”