73rd Imperishable, Memory

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

What then is the imperishability of memory?

It is to keep [the letters (vyañjana) ], retain [the meaning (artha) ] in mind, never again to forget [the letters (vyañjana) ], and truly to retain [for the future the meaning (artha) of] the eighty-four thousand aggregates of religion by means of remembrance derived from the earlier piling up of roots of good. This is called memory. Further, memory is that by means of which one retains [the words and meaning (arthaśabda) of] the sayings of all Buddhas, retains the sayings of all bodhisattvas, isolated buddhas, disciples, of all beings, that by means of which one retains all good sayings without remainder. This is called memory. Even when he leaves for another world-age or another birth, the knowledge which consists in the recollection of memory of that bodhisattva is not lost or forgotten [so that there is pure remembrance, not so that one remembers some, but not all]. With the eye of holy insight he sees all moments of existence as if they were an Āmalaka fruit in the palm of his hand. This is called imperishable memory.