The merits of generating Bodhicitta: THEN INDRA, king of gods, said to the enlightening being Truth Wisdom, Son of Buddha, what is the extent of the merit attained when the enlightening being first determines to become enlightened? Truth Wisdom said, The truth of this is extremely deep, difficult to explain, difficult to know, difficult to discern, difficult to believe, difficult to experience, difficult to practice, difficult to master, difficult to think of, difficult to assess, difficult to approach and enter. Even so, by the power of the Buddha I will explain for you. O Child of Buddha, suppose someone were to provide all comforts for all the beings of incalculable worlds in the eastern direction for a whole eon, and after that teach them to keep the five precepts with purity, and were to do the same thing in the southern, western, and northern directions, the four intermediate directions, and the zenith and nadir as well—do you think this persons merit would be much? Indra said, Only a Buddha could know this persons merit—no one else could be able to assess it. Truth Wisdom said, This persons merit, compared to the merit of an enlightening being who has just determined to realize enlightenment, does not amount even to a hundredth, not even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a millionth, a hundred millionth, a billionth, a hundred billionth, a trillionth, a hundred trillionth, a quadrillionth, a quintillionth—that merit does not amount to the smallest imaginable fraction of the merit of determination for enlightenment. - Avatamsaka sutra
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 03:02:02 +0000
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