Fifteen

I am posting the translations in a different order today.

"Subhuti, suppose there are good men and good women who in the morning give in charity as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, then in the afternoon again give charity as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, and then in the evening also give in charity as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, and go on giving bodies in charity this way for countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of eons. Now suppose there are people who hear this sutra, believe in it, and do not oppose it. The blessings of the latter people surpass those of the former; how much the more so if they copy the sutra, accept and hold it, read and recite it, and explain it to others!

"In sum, Subhuti, this sutra has inconceivable, immeasurable, boundless virtues: the Realized One expounds it for those who set out on the Great Vehicle; he expounds it for those who set out on the Supreme Vehicle.

"If there are people who can accept and hold, read and recite, and explain extensively to people, the Realized One knows all these people and sees all these people; every one of them achieves immeasurable, incalculable, boundless, inconceivable virtues. Such people are in effect bearing the unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment of the Realized One.

"Why? Subhuti, those who take pleasure in lesser teachings are attached to the idea of self, the idea of person, the idea of being, and the idea of liver of life; so they cannot listen receptively to this sutra, read or recite it, or explain it to others.

"Subhuti, wherever this sutra may be, in whatever place it may be, it should be provided support by all beings, celestial, human, and titanic. You should know that this place is a stupa, which all should honor, bow to, and circumambulate, and strew with flowers and scents." [Translation: Thomas Cleary]

[This section omitted from Pritikin's translation]

"Furthermore, Subhuti, if a man or woman renounced their self-existence during the morning as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and likewise renounced their self-existence during midday as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and renounced their self-existence during the afternoon as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and renounced their self-existence in this manner for many hundreds and thousands of millions of trillions of kalpas, and someone heard this dharma teaching and did not reject it, the body of merit produced as a result would be immeasurable, infinitely greater. How much more so if they not only wrote it down but grasped it, memorized it, recited it, mastered it, and explained it in detail to others.

"Furthermore, Subhuti, inconceivable and incomparable is this dharma teaching, this dharma teaching spoken by the Tathagata, Subhuti, for the benefit of those beings who set forth on the foremost of paths, for the benefit of those beings who who set forth on the best of paths. For if someone grasps, memorizes, recites, and masters this dharma teaching and explains it in detail to others, the Tathagata will know them, Subhuti, by means of his Buddha knowledge. And the Tathagata will see them, Subhuti, by means of his Buddha vision. The Tathagata will be aware of them, Subhuti, for all such beings produce a body of merit that has no limits, a body of merit that is inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable, and boundless. For all such beings as these, Subhuti, likewise wear enlightenment upon their shoulders. And how so? Subhuti, this dharma teaching cannot be heard by beings of lesser aspiration: not by those who mistakenly perceive a self, nor by those who mistakenly perceive a being, a life, or a soul. For beings who lack the bodhisattva's aspiration cannot hear, grasp, memorize, recite, or master this dharma teaching.

"Moreover, Subhuti, wherever this sutra is explained, that place shall be honored. Whether in the realm of devas, humans, or asuras, that place shall be honored with prostrations and circumambulations. That place shall be like a stupa." [Translation by Red Pine]