3. Three All-inclusive Aspirations

Then Queen Srimala in the presence of the Lord formed three great aspirations:

(a) "Lord, by this blessing of truth and by the virtuous root consisting of accumulated merit from bringing benefit to innumerable sentient beings, may I comprehend the Illustrious Doctrine in all my lives.

(b) "Lord, having obtained the comprehension of the Illustrious Doctrine, may I teach the Doctrine to the sentient beings without rest or weariness. This is my second great aspiration.

(c) "Lord, while teaching the Illustrious Doctrine, then, without regard to my body, life force, or possessions, may I seek to protect and to uphold the Illustrious Doctrine. This is my third great aspiration.

Then the Lord elucidated the great scope of Queen Srimala's three great aspirations: "Queen, for example, if all forms were to be collected together in the realm of space, it would hold them all and extend beyond. In the same way, when all Bodhisattva aspirations as numerous as the sands of the Ganges are taken together within the three great aspirations, those three great aspirations include them and extend beyond."

4. Embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine

Then Queen Srimala implored the Lord with these words: "Furthermore, when I am teaching the scope of the great aspirations, may the Tathagata's power make me eloquent." The Lord replied, "Queen, by permission of the Tathagata, you shall be eloquent!" Queen Srimala appealed to the Lord with these words: "Lord, the Bodhisattva aspirations as numerous as the sands of the Ganges are all collected and included in one great aspiration, namely the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine. Thus the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine is of great scope." The Lord replied, "Queen, very good, very good! Your insight and means are profound. Queen, whatever the sentient beings to whom you teach the Doctrine, they are rare who will comprehend the meaning: they are ones who for a long time generated the roots of virtue under many Budhas. Queen, just as you embrace, teach, and explain the Illustrious Doctrine, in the same way the Tathagatas of the past, present, and future embrace, teach, and explain the Illustrious Doctrine, have explained it and will explain it. Queen, I also, having now attained the supreme Revelation-Enlightenment, embrace and teach the Illustrious Doctrine and explain it in many ways. Queen, while I now embrace, teach, and explain the Illustrious Doctrine in many ways, there is no end or limit to the merits of embracing the Illustrious Doctrine. The insight and eloquence of the Tathagata are also without end or limit. Why so? Queen, because this embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine has far-ranging meaning and great benefit." Queen Srimala implored the Lord with these words: "Lord, may the Tathagata's power make me also eloquent to teach the far-ranging meaning!" The Lord replied: "Queen, as you know that the time for it has come, may you preach eloquently!"

[a. Teaching in the Scope of the Great Aspirations]

Thereupon, with the Lord's permission, Queen Srimala appealed to the Lord with these words:

"Lord, the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine will perfect all the innumerable Budha natures. The embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine includes the 84,000 doctrine gates. For example, at the time of new differentiation of the worlds there came a great cloud which poured down innumerable colors and poured down innumerable jewels. In the same way, this embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine pours down countless maturations of merit and pours down countless knowledge jewels. For example, at the time of new differentiation of the worlds, a great chiliocosm of worldly realms was the birthplace and from that arose myriad sets of four continents of various shapes and colors and tremendous numbers of lesser satellite continents. In the same way, the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine is the source yielding the Great Vehicle, and is the immeasurable womb giving rise to all the magical deeds of the Bodhisattva and the various entrances into the light of the Doctrine, as well as to all mundane perfection, all mundane mastery, and all supramundane bliss not previously experienced by gods and men.

"Lord, for example, the great earth supports the four great burdens. What are the four? They are: the great ocean; all the mountains; all grass, herbs, shrubs, trees, and harvest; all the host of sentient beings. In the same way, a good son of the family or good daughter of the family who embraces the Illustrious Doctrine supports four great burdens even greater than those of the great earth. What are the four? As follows: 1. The good son of the family or good daughter of the family who for the sentient beings without spiritual guides, not hearing the Illustrious Doctrine, and lacking the Doctrine, turns them to virtuously apply themselves to the root of virtue of achieving the perfections of gods and men, supports a great burden greater than the earth's. 2. The good son of the family or good daughter of the family who acts to add certain sentient beings to the Vehicle of Disciples supports a great burden greater than the earth's. 3. The good son of the family or good daughter of the family who acts to add certain sentient beings to the Vehicle of the Self-Enlightened supports a great burden greater than the earth's. 4. The good son of the family or good daughter of the family who acts to add certain sentient beings to the Great Vehicle supports a great burden greater than the earth's. Those four are the four great burdens. The good son of the family or good daughter of the family who embraces the Illustrious Doctrine, and carries those four great burdens greater than the earth's, carries an infinite burden, becomes for all sentient beings spontaneously friendly, compassionate, giver of solace, merciful, and is called 'world mother of the Dharma.'

"Lord, for example, this great earth is a source for the four kinds of jewels. Of what four kinds? A source for priceless jewels, for superior jewels, for medium-quality jewels, for inferior jewels. Just as the great earth is a source of the four kinds of jewels, so also the sentient beings who depend on the good son of the family or good daughter of the family who has embraced the Illustrious Doctrine gain four precious things superior to all jewels. What are the four? The sentient beings who depend on that good son of the family or good daughter of the family as a spiritual guide gain the treasure of merit that achieves the perfections of gods and men. They gain the acquirement of virtuous root for approaching the Vehicle of Disciples. They gain the acquirement of virtuous root for approaching the Vehicle of the Self-Enlightened. They gain the lofty collection of merit for approaching the Perfect Budha (SamyaksamBudha). Thus, the sentient beings who depend on the good son of the family or good daughter of the family with embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine gain four great precious things superior to all jewels. The expression 'infinite source of jewel treasure' refers to embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine.

[b. Teaching the Far-ranging Meaning]

"Lord, the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine is called 'embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine.' The Illustrious Doctrine is not one thing and the embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine something else. That embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine is himself the Illustrious Doctrine. Neither is he different from the Perfections, nor are those different from the embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine. Lord, that embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine himself is the Perfections. For what reason?

"When the good son of the family or the good daughter of the family who embraces the Illustrious Doctrine matures any sentient beings by giving (dana) -- if they are ones who can be matured by giving -- then by the donation of his major or minor limbs, they become matured. In that way, the matured ones are placed in the Illustrious Doctrine. This is his Perfection of Giving.

"When he matures any sentient beings by morality (sila) -- if these sentient beings can be matured through his guarding the six senses and purifying the actions of body, speech, and mind -- then by his dignified bearing he protects and matures their minds. They having been thus matured are installed in the Illustrious Doctrine. This is his Perfection of Morality.

"When he matures any sentient being by forbearance (ksanti) -- if these beings scold, insult, or threaten him -- he shows no ill will but seeks to heal and thus to mature by the illustrious power of forbearance. By his maintaining facial composure, he protects and matures their minds. Being so matured they are installed in the Illustrious Doctrine. This is his Perfection of Forbearance.

"When he matures any sentient beings by striving (virya), he matures these beings by his not having a torpid mind, not being lazy, having great aspiration, and possessing great enterprise of striving. By his control of dignified bearing he protects and matures their minds. They having thus matured are installed in the Illustrious Doctrine. This is the Perfection of Striving.

"When he matures any sentient beings by meditation (dhyana), he matures them by having an undisturbed mind, his mind not straying outside and having no mistake of mindfulness. By not being sidetracked though he act for a long time or speak for a long time, he protects and matures their minds. They having been so matured stay in the Illustrious Doctrine. This is the Perfection of Meditation.

"When he matures any sentient beings by insight (prajna), he matures them by responding confidently to their questions about meaning, and by explaining all technical treatises, sciences, and arts. He protects and matures their minds by mastering problems of the sciences and the arts. They being thus matured abide in the Illustrious Doctrine. This is his Perfection of Insight.

"Lord, that being the case, the Perfections are not one thing, and the embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine something else. The embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine is himself the Perfections.

[c. Teaching the Great Meaning]

"Lord, may the Tathagata's power make me also eloquent to teach the great meaning!" The Lord spoke: "Queen, by permission of the Tathagata, you shall be eloquent!" Thereupon, Queen Srimala appealed to the Lord with these words:

"Lord, the embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine is called 'embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine.' The embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine is not one thing and the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine something else. The embracer of the Illustrious Doctrine is himself the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine. For what reason? The good son of the family of good daughter of the family who embraces the Illustrious Doctrine renounces three accessories for the sake of making [persons] embrace the Illustrious Doctrine. The three are body, life force, and possessions. Lord, the good son of the family or good daughter of the family by renouncing his body, thus obtaining the body of the Budha, is equal to the uttermost limit of samsara; thus obtaining freedom from old age, sickness, and death, is indestructible; thus being permanent, steadfast, calm, and eternal, is free from [ordinary] passing away and is endowed with boundless inconceivable merits; reaching the Dharmakaya of the Tathagata. Lord, the good son of the family or good daughter of the family by renouncing his life force, thus being stationed in the wondrous activity of the Budha's Doctrine, is equal to the uttermost limit of samsara; is free from [ordinary] passing away and is endowed with all the boundless, permanent, and inconceivable merits; achieving all the profound Budha Dharma. Lord, the good son of the family or good daughter of the family by renouncing possessions, thus being honored by all sentient beings, is equal to the uttermost limit of samsara; is indestructible, devoid of discursive thought; and endowed with boundless, permanent, and inconceivable merits that are unshared with other sentient beings; being honored by all sentient beings. Lord, in that way the good son of the family or good daughter of the family who embraces the Illustrious Doctrine and renounces these three accessories acquires those extraordinary three [sets of] merits; and [besides] is given a prophecy by all the Budhas.

"Lord, at the time of decline of the Doctrine, when monks, nuns, male and female laymen quarrel with each other to break up into many sects, whatever good son of the family or good daughter of the family delighting in the Doctrine which is without deceit or falsehood, for the sake of maintaining the Illustrious Doctrine, creates a Bodhisattva group of those who have the Doctrine would certainly be the good son of the family or good daughter of the family to obtain a prophecy from all the Budhas because of that activity.

"Lord, I suppose the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine is thus the great striving (mahavirya). In this case, the Lord himself is the Eye, is the Knowledge (jnana), is the root of all the Doctrines. The Lord is omnipotent, is the resort."

Then the Lord, rejoicing at Queen Srimala's explanation that the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine is the great striving, said, "Queen, exactly so! Queen, the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine is the great striving.

"Queen, for example, a small blow that pierces a sensitive spot of a strong man gives him a pain. In the same way, even a little embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine that pierces the sinful Maras, makes them suffer and groan. Queen, I do not notice any other virtuous doctrine so piercing the sinful Maras and making them suffer and groan as this little embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine.

"Queen, for example, the chief bull in height and breadth is superior to all the heard of cows and, shining, outshines. In the same way, even a little embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine of the Great Vehicle, because of its expanse, is superior to all the virtuous doctrines of the Vehicles of the Disciples and the Self-Enlightened.

"Queen, for example, Sumeru, king of mountains, in loftiness and breadth is superior to and towers above all mountain chains. In the same way, when the person of the Great Vehicle with no care for his body and life force, and with a generous mind, has embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine, this, because of its expanse, is superior to all the virtuous natures of those newly entered in the Great Vehicle who still care for body and life force. How much more superior to the [virtuous natures of the] other two [vehicles]!

"Queen, that being the case, you should install the sentient beings into the holding and embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine. You should make them rely upon it, extol it, rejoice in it, hold it aloft, and display it. Queen, the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine is of great purpose, of great fruit, of great benefit. Queen, although I have already explained for incalculable eóns the merit and benefit of embracing the Illustrious Doctrine, I still have not come to the end of explaining the merit and benefit of embracing the Illustrious Doctrine. Queen, the embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine thus possesses infinite merit.

Subir