Eleven

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, what do you think? If there were as many rivers as there are grains of sand in the great river of the Ganges, would the number of grains be great?"

Subhuti replied, "The number of rivers would be great, Bhagavan, how much more so their grains of sand."

The Buddha said, "I shall tell you, Subhuti, so you shall know. If a man or woman filled as many worlds as there are grains of sand in all those rivers with the seven jewels and gave them as a gift to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, what do you think, Subhuti, would the body of merit produced as a result by that man or woman be great?"

Subhuti replied, "It would be great, Bhagavan, great, indeed, Sugata. The body of merit produced as a result by that man or woman would be immeasurable and infinite."

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, if, then, a man or woman filled as many worlds as that with the seven jewels and gave them as a gift to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, and a noble son or daughter grasped but one four-line gatha of theis dharma teaching and made it known and explained it to others, the body of merit produced as a result would be immeasurably, infinitely greater." [Translation: Red Pine]

[This section is missing from Pritikin's translation]

"Subhuti, suppose there were as many Ganges Rivers as there are grains of sand in the bed of the Ganges River: would the grains of sand in all those Ganges Rivers be many?"

Subhuti said, "Very many, World Honored One. The rivers themselves would be countless, let alone their sands."

"Subhuti, I am telling you the truth. If a good man or good woman filled as many billion-wolrd universes as grains of sand in that many Ganges Rivers with precious substances, and used all that to give in charity, would there be much blessing gained?"

Subhuti said, "Very much, World Honored One."

The Buddha said to Subhuti, "If a good man or a good woman accepts and holds even the equivalent of a four-line verse of this sutra, and tells it to others, the blessing in this exceeds the aforementioned blessing." [Translation: Thomas Cleary]