[Here, repeat the refrain for each of the following different groups of gods in the realms of Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmitavaśavartin, Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, Brahmapārṣadya, Mahābrahma, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Asaṃjñisattva, Avṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha.]464
Those gods all joined their hands together in reverence and paid homage to the Blessed One as follows: “Blessed One, it is wonderful, this dedication of the root of virtue by those bodhisattva great beings who are supported by the transcendent state of wisdom and skill in means! It is wonderful how much it surpasses the amount of merit that those bodhisattvas adhering to a mental perception would accumulate over such a long time and collect over such a wide area!”
Then the Blessed One addressed all those gods, beginning with the assembly from the Śuddhāvāsa heaven, and so on: “O gods, never mind the accumulation of merit of all the sentient beings in as many billionfold, great order world systems as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening and who have given gifts in order to obtain unsurpassed, perfect awakening in this manner. Gods, suppose that all those sentient beings in each of the different billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, were to do the following. Suppose that they all first were to give rise to the proper mindset for awakening by making an aspiration to realize unsurpassed, perfect awakening. Then, while remaining for a period of as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, suppose each single bodhisattva were to give gifts—including robes, alms, seats, beds, preventive medicines, remedies, other requisites, every basis for happiness, and every condition pleasant to experience—to all other beings in as many billionfold, great order world systems as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges. And suppose that they all were to give these gifts while conceiving of a mental perception. Then, differentiate again all those sentient beings and all those bodhisattvas in the very same manner, and suppose that each and every single bodhisattva, for a period of as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, were to take care of all other beings until they all became bodhisattvas—offering them robes, alms, seats, beds, preventive medicines, remedies, other requisites, every basis for happiness, and every condition pleasant to experience. And suppose that they were to give these gifts while conceiving of a mental perception.465
“Now suppose that a different bodhisattva great being, supported by the transcendent state of wisdom and skill in means, were to contemplate the past, future, and present blessed buddhas’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation. Suppose that he or she also were to contemplate the roots of virtue that have been planted, will be planted, and are being planted by those persons on the bodhisattva path, the path of a solitary realizer, and the disciple path, and by others there too. And without leaving out any of these roots of virtue, suppose that he or she were to essentialize them, combine them all into one, consider them, and completely rejoice in them with the foremost joyousness. Suppose that he or she also were to rejoice in them with the best, the most distinguished joyousness—the most eminent, the preeminent, the most prominent, the excellent, the unexcelled, the most excellent, the unequaled, and the equal to the unequaled, unmatched, and inconceivable. After having rejoiced in this way, suppose that he or she would then recite the words, ‘I dedicate to unsurpassed, perfect awakening the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing. Let it bring forth unsurpassed, perfect awakening.’
“Supposing that those former bodhisattvas were to conceive of a mental perception of the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing and dedicating, their accumulation of merit would not come close in worth to even a fraction of the latter bodhisattva’s accumulation of merit. It would not even come close in worth to one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, one ten millionth, one billionth, one ten billionth, one trillionth, or even one ten trillionth of that accumulation of merit. Nor would any calculation, any fraction, any quantification, any metaphor, any analogy, any equivalence, or any comparison be adequate for comparing them. Why is that? Because all those bodhisattvas would be giving gifts with a conception of a mental perception.”
Then the venerable Subhūti said to the Blessed One, “The Blessed One has said, ‘Without leaving out any roots of virtue possessed by the past, future, and present blessed buddhas, the community of bodhisattvas, solitary realizers, disciples, or all sentient beings, a bodhisattva great being essentializes these roots of virtue, combines them into one, considers them, and completely rejoices in them with the foremost joyousness. He or she rejoices in them with the best, the most distinguished, the most eminent, the preeminent, the most prominent, the excellent, the unexcelled, the most excellent, the unequaled, and the equal to the unequaled, the unmatched, and the most inconceivable joyousness.’ In that statement, Blessed One, to what extent do you mean that joyousness is the foremost?”466
At this, the Blessed One said to the venerable Subhūti, “Subhūti, suppose that a person on the bodhisattva path does not grasp, does not develop conceits about, does not mentally perceive, does not imagine, does not conceptualize, does not see, and does not identify these things as past, future, or present.467 Suppose that he or she instead reflects on them in this way: ‘All things are manifested by the imagination. They have neither been born nor produced. They have neither come nor gone.468 In this, no thing has come to exist, no thing is coming to exist, and no thing will come to exist. Furthermore, no thing has ceased, no thing is ceasing, and no thing will cease.’469 After reflecting on those things in such a way, suppose he or she rejoices in the true nature of things that those things possess. After rejoicing, suppose he or she dedicates to unsurpassed, perfect awakening in that very same way.470 Subhūti, it is to this extent that a bodhisattva great being’s joyousness is the foremost. Subhūti, that thing that produces the merit—derived from generosity by the former of the two bodhisattvas who conceives of a mental perception and believes in a mental perception—does not come close in worth to even a fraction of this accumulation of merit. It does not come close in worth to one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, one ten millionth, one billionth, one ten billionth, one trillionth, or even one ten trillionth of it. Nor is any calculation, any fraction, any quantification, any metaphor, any analogy, any equivalence, or any comparison adequate for comparing them.
“Moreover, Subhūti, any person on the bodhisattva path who wishes to rejoice in the generosity, who wishes to rejoice in the ethical discipline, who wishes to rejoice in the tolerant acceptance, who wishes to rejoice in the heroic perseverance, who wishes to rejoice in the meditative concentration, or who wishes to rejoice in the wisdom of all the past, future, and present blessed buddhas should rejoice with the following knowledge.
“ ‘Generosity is the same as liberation.471 Ethical discipline is the same as liberation. Tolerant acceptance is the same as liberation. Heroic perseverance is the same as liberation. Meditative concentration is the same as liberation. Wisdom is the same as liberation. The seeing of liberation and knowing is the same as liberation. Joyousness is the same as liberation. That which is producing the merit associated with joyousness is the same as liberation. Dedication is the same as liberation. The blessed buddhas and the solitary realizers are the same as liberation. Their disciples who have passed into nirvāṇa are the same as liberation. Those past things that have ceased are the same as liberation. Those future things that have not come to exist are the same as liberation. Those present things that are occurring right now are the same as liberation. The past blessed buddhas and their disciples are the same as liberation. The future blessed buddhas and their disciples are the same as liberation. The present blessed buddhas—who are residing, staying, and spending time in immeasurable and innumerable world systems—and their disciples are the same as liberation. The past, present, and future blessed buddhas are the same as liberation. Thus, I rejoice with unsurpassed joyousness in that true nature of unfettered, unliberated, and unentangled things. After rejoicing, I dedicate the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing to unsurpassed, perfect awakening by means of not dedicating it, because nothing is transferred and nothing is destroyed.’472
“So, Subhūti, never mind those sentient beings in each of the other billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, setting out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening. Never mind their giving rise to the proper mindset for the awakening of all sentient beings and setting out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in each of the other billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges. Never mind each and every single bodhisattva, for a period of as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, taking care of all those beings until they all were bodhisattvas—offering them robes, alms, seats, beds, preventive medicines, remedies, other requisites, every basis for happiness, and every condition pleasant to experience—and giving them these gifts while conceiving of a mental perception. Never mind all those bodhisattvas also taking care of all others in the same manner and giving them such gifts while conceiving of a mental perception.
“Instead, Subhūti, suppose that in the very same manner, all these sentient beings—who had already set out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in each of the other billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges—were, in addition, to proceed for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges to practice the ethical discipline consisting in virtuous physical deeds, virtuous verbal deeds, and virtuous mental deeds for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges while conceiving of a mental perception.473 In the same manner, suppose that each and every single bodhisattva, remaining for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, were to proceed in addition to practice the ethical discipline consisting in virtuous physical deeds, virtuous verbal deeds, and virtuous mental deeds for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges while conceiving of a mental perception. And suppose that, in this same manner, all bodhisattvas also were to proceed to practice ethical discipline while conceiving of a mental perception.
“In comparison, suppose a single bodhisattva great being, supported by the transcendent state of wisdom and skill in means, were to rejoice in the past, present, and future blessed buddhas’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future blessed solitary realizers’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future disciples’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; and in all past, present, and future sentient beings’ accumulation of the roots of virtue.
“Also, suppose that, without leaving out any of these roots of virtue, he or she were to essentialize them, combine them into one, consider them, and completely rejoice in them with the foremost joyousness. And suppose that he or she were to rejoice in them with the best, the most distinguished, the most eminent, the preeminent, the most prominent, the excellent, the unexcelled, the most excellent, the unequaled, and the equal to the unequaled, the unmatched, and the most inconceivable joyousness. And after rejoicing in this way, suppose that he or she were to dedicate to unsurpassed, perfect awakening the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing.
“Subhūti, insofar as those former bodhisattvas adhere to a mental perception, their accumulation of merit derived from ethical discipline would not come close in worth to even a fraction of the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing possessed by this latter bodhisattva. It would not come close in worth to one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, one ten millionth, one billionth, one ten billionth, one trillionth, or even one ten trillionth of that accumulation of merit of that thing that produces the merit associated with rejoicing. Nor would any calculation, any fraction, any quantification, any metaphor, any analogy, any equivalence, or any comparison even be adequate for comparing them. Why is that? Because those former bodhisattvas would proceed to practice ethical discipline while conceiving of a mental perception.
“Subhūti, now never mind those sentient beings setting out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in each of the other billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges—and, after doing so, proceeding to practice ethical discipline consisting in virtuous physical deeds, virtuous verbal deeds, and virtuous mental deeds for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, while conceiving of a mental perception.
“Instead, Subhūti, suppose that all these sentient beings had already set out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in as many billionfold, great order world systems as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges. And, after doing so, suppose that each and every single bodhisattva—up to the point where they all did the same—were, in addition, to proceed to practice tolerant acceptance in the face of being insulted, beaten, and verbally abused by everyone, remaining for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, while conceiving of a mental perception. Also, in this same manner, suppose that all bodhisattvas—in each of the other billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges—also were to proceed to practice tolerant acceptance in the face of being insulted, beaten, and verbally abused by everyone, while conceiving of a mental perception. Thus, suppose also that they all were to proceed to practice tolerant acceptance in the face of being insulted, beaten, and verbally abused by everyone, remaining for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, while conceiving of a mental perception.
“In comparison, suppose that a single bodhisattva great being, supported by the transcendent state of wisdom and skill in means, were to rejoice in the past, present, and future blessed buddhas’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future blessed solitary realizers’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future disciples’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; and in all past, present, and future sentient beings’ accumulation of the roots of virtue.
“Also, suppose he or she, without leaving out any of these roots of virtue, were to essentialize them, combine them into one, consider them, and completely rejoice in them with the foremost joyousness. And suppose he or she were to rejoice in them with the best, the most distinguished, the most eminent, the preeminent, the most prominent, the excellent, the unexcelled, the most excellent, the unequaled, and the equal to the unequaled, the unmatched, and the most inconceivable joyousness. Also, after rejoicing in this way, suppose he or she were to dedicate to unsurpassed, perfect awakening the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing.
“Subhūti, insofar as those former bodhisattvas adhere to a mental perception, their accumulation of merit associated with tolerant acceptance would not come close in worth to even a fraction of the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing possessed by this latter bodhisattva. It would not come close in worth to one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, one ten millionth, one billionth, one ten billionth, one trillionth, or even one ten trillionth of that accumulation of merit of that thing that produces the merit associated with rejoicing. Nor would any calculation, any fraction, any quantification, any metaphor, any analogy, any equivalence, or any comparison even be adequate for comparing them. Why is that? Because those former bodhisattvas would proceed to practice tolerant acceptance while conceiving of a mental perception.
“Subhūti, now never mind those sentient beings setting out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in as many billionfold, great order world systems as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, and proceeding to practice tolerant acceptance in the face of being insulted, beaten, and verbally abused by everyone in each of the other billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, while conceiving of a mental perception.
“Instead, Subhūti, suppose that all these sentient beings had already set out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in as many billionfold, great order world systems as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges. And, after doing so, suppose that each and every single bodhisattva were to proceed in addition to practice heroic perseverance, moving forward and making progress without being either dejected or overcome by drowsiness or sleepiness for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, while conceiving of a mental perception.
“In comparison, suppose that a single bodhisattva great being, supported by the transcendent state of wisdom and skill in means, rejoices in the past, present, and future blessed buddhas’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future blessed solitary realizers’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future disciples’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; and in all past, present, and future sentient beings’ accumulation of the roots of virtue.
“Also, suppose he or she, without leaving out any of these roots of virtue, were to essentialize them, combine them into one, consider them, and completely rejoice in them with the foremost joyousness. And suppose he or she were to rejoice in them with the best, the most distinguished, the most eminent, the preeminent, the most prominent, the excellent, the unexcelled, the most excellent, the unequaled, and the equal to the unequaled, the unmatched, and the most inconceivable joyousness. Also, after rejoicing in this way, suppose he or she were to dedicate to unsurpassed, perfect awakening the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing.
“Subhūti, insofar as those former bodhisattvas adhere to a mental perception, their accumulation of merit derived from heroic perseverance would not come close in worth to even a fraction of the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing possessed by this latter bodhisattva. It would not come close in worth to one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, one ten millionth, one billionth, one ten billionth, one trillionth, or even one ten trillionth of that accumulation of merit of that thing that produces the merit associated with rejoicing. Nor would any calculation, any fraction, any quantification, any metaphor, any analogy, any equivalence, or any comparison even be adequate for comparing them. Why is that? Because those former bodhisattvas would proceed to practice heroic perseverance while conceiving of a mental perception.
“Subhūti, now never mind those sentient beings setting out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in as many billionfold, great order world systems as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, and, after doing so, proceeding to practice heroic perseverance, moving forward and making progress without being either dejected or overcome by drowsiness or sleepiness in each of the other billionfold, great order world systems, as many as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, while conceiving of a mental perception.
“Instead, Subhūti, suppose that all these sentient beings had already set out for unsurpassed, perfect awakening in as many billionfold, great order world systems as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges. And, after doing so, suppose that they all were to proceed to attain the four meditative states for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the River Ganges, while conceiving of a mental perception.
“In comparison, suppose that a single bodhisattva great being, supported by the transcendent state of wisdom and skill in means, were to rejoice in the past, present, and future blessed buddhas’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future blessed solitary realizers’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; in the past, present, and future disciples’ masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, masses of wisdom, masses of liberation, and masses of seeing the knowing of liberation; and in all past, present, and future sentient beings’ accumulation of the roots of virtue.
“Also, suppose he or she, without leaving out any of these roots of virtue, were to essentialize them, combine them into one, consider them, and completely rejoice in them with the foremost joyousness. And suppose that he or she were to rejoice in them with the best, the most distinguished, the most eminent, the preeminent, the most prominent, the excellent, the unexcelled, the most excellent, the unequaled, and the equal to the unequaled, the unmatched, and the most inconceivable joyousness. Also, after rejoicing in this way, suppose that he or she were to dedicate to unsurpassed, perfect awakening the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing.
“Subhūti, insofar as those former bodhisattvas adhere to a mental perception, their accumulation of merit derived from the four meditative states would not come close in worth to even a fraction of the thing that is producing the merit associated with rejoicing possessed by this latter bodhisattva. It would not come close in worth to one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred thousandth, one ten millionth, one billionth, one ten billionth, one trillionth, or even one ten trillionth of that accumulation of merit of that thing that produces the merit associated with rejoicing. Nor would any calculation, any fraction, any quantification, any metaphor, any analogy, any equivalence, or any comparison even be adequate for comparing them. Why is that? Because those former bodhisattvas would be attaining the four meditative states while conceiving of a mental perception.”
This ends the chapter “Rejoicing and Dedicating,” the sixth chapter in “The Noble Transcendent State of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.”