Thirty-two

"Subhuti, suppose someone filled infinite incalculable numbers of worlds with precious substances and used these to give in charity. Now suppose a good man or a good woman who has awakened the inspiration for enlightenment holds this sutra, even so much as the equivalent of a four-line verse, accepts and holds it, reads and recites it, and expounds it for others, the blessing in this will exceed the former.

"How does one expound it for others? Not grasping forms, not budging from thusness as such. Why? All created things are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; like dew, and like lightning. They should be viewed in this way."

After Buddha had spoken this sutra, the elder Subhuti, as well as monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, angels, humans, and titans from all worlds, having heard what the Buddha said, all rejoiced greatly; they believed it, accepted it, worked at it, and put it into practice. [Thomas Cleary: from The Sutra of Hui-Neng Shambhala Publications 1998]

"If even a Bodhisattva of Great Courage filled innumerable galaxies with the seven precious treasures, and offered them as a gift to the supremely enlightened ones, his merit would not compare with the immeasurable merit of a good man or woman who took just one stanza from this Prajnaparamita discourse on dharma and remembered, recited, studied and illuminated it for others. How is this done? In a way which is free from appearances. thus one illuminates it for others."

Like a meteor, like darkness, as a flickering lamp, An illusion, like hoarfrost or a bubble, Like clouds, a flash of lightning, or a dream: So is all conditioned existence to be seen.

Thus spoke Buddha. [Joshua Priitkin: from Scott Newton's Zen Pages]

"Furthermore, Subhuti, if a fearless bodhisattva filled measureless, infinite worlds with the seven jewels and gave them as an offering to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, and a noble son or daughter grasped but a single four-line gatha of this teaching of the perfection of wisdom and meomorized, discussed, recited, mastered, and explained it in detail to others, the body of merit produced by that noble son or daughter as a result would be immeasurably, infinitely greater. And how should they explain it? By not explaining. Thus is it called `explaining.'

"As a lamp, a cataract, a star in space
an illusion, a dewdrop, a bubble
a dream a cloud, a flash of lightning
view all created things like this."

All this was spoken by the Buddha to the joy of the elder Subhuti, the monks and nuns, the laymen and laywomen, the bodhisattvas, the devas, humans, asuras and gandharvas of the world all of whom were greatly pleased with what the Buddha said. [Red Pine: from The Diamond Sutra Counterpoint 2001]