The Sutra on Limitless Meanings

The Sutra on Limitless Meanings
Chapter Three - The Ten Merits & Virtues (Continued)

5. The Fifth Virtue:
Whether it is during the Buddha’s lifetime or after His extinction, these Bodhisattvas will accept, embrace, read, recite and copy the Sutra. They will be able to reveal the path of enlightenment to living beings even though they are not yet able to free themselves from the fetters of the emotional distress of ordinary people. They can extend a single day into a hundred eons and reduce a hundred eons into a single day and fill living beings with joy and faith. They are like the son of the Dragon King who even seven days after his birth can cause the rain to start or stop.

6. The Sixth Virtue:
Whether it is during the Buddha’s lifetime or after His extinction, these Bodhisattvas will accept, embrace, read, recite and copy the Sutra. Although they are not free from emotional distress, they will teach the Dharma to living beings, free them from all the sufferings of mortality (Life & Death) and emotional distress, cultivate the practice and attain the path and fruits of enlightenment. They will be the peers of the Buddhas. It is like a young prince that manages the royal affairs when the King travels or suddenly becomes ill, performing all the duties properly and efficiently. Like this, the Bodhisattvas will do the work of the Buddha even if they cannot yet abide in the beginning stages of steadfastness. If living beings hear them and cultivate their practice with a single mind, they will extinguish emotional distress and attain the path and fruit enlightenment.

7. The Seventh Virtue:
Whether it is during the Buddha’s lifetime or after His extinction, these Bodhisattvas will hear, rejoice and believe in this Sutra, and they will accept, embrace, read, recite, understand and teach it, and practice it as they teach it. They will inspire the Bodhi mind and arouse good spiritual roots. With greatness of compassion they will have the will to save all living beings that are suffering and distressed. Although they do not cultivate the practice of the six paramitas, the six paramitas will spontaneously appear before them. In this very life they will attain the endurance in the Dharma that is without birth. Life & Death and emotional distress will instantly be destroyed and they will rise up to the seventh stage of the Bodhisattvas. It is like the strong and persevering man that went out and slayed the enemy of the King. The King rejoiced and gave him half of his kingdom. Those that keep this Sutra are like this. The most strong and persevering practitioners will attain the treasure of the six paramitas without seeking to attain it for themselves. The enemy that is mortality (Life & Death - Samsara) will be destroyed naturally, endurance in that which is without birth will be realized, and half of the Buddha’s treasure will be secured.

8. The Eighth Virtue:
Whether it is during the Buddha’s lifetime or after His extinction, these Bodhisattvas will see others who have received the Sutra, make them reverently believe in it as if it were the very life of the Buddha, and make them wish to accept, embrace, read, recite, copy and worship it. Firmly keeping the precepts with endurance and practicing with generosity, they will deeply inspire great kindness and compassion. They will spread the teaching of this supreme great vehicle that is The Sutra of Limitless Meanings. With various ways and means they will show this Sutra to those that have never recognized the existence of sin and blessedness and compel them to believe in it. The spiritual power of Sutra will stir them to believe and will turn them around. Already having faith, with valor and diligence they will attain the spiritual powers that are the virtues of the Sutra, and so they will attain the path and fruits of enlightenment. They will attain the endurance in the Dharma that is without birth, they will attain the highest stages of the Bodhisattvas, they will become the followers of the Buddha and they will quickly bring living beings to the Pure Land of the Buddha. They will surely attain enlightenment before long.

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