Inspiring Determination

[F.131.b] [B1]10 Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing at Vārāṇasī, in the Deer Park by the Hill of Fallen Sages, accompanied by a great congregation of one thousand monks and five hundred bodhisattvas, most of whom had ripened their roots of virtue and all of whom had cleared away their karmic obscurations.

At that time, some of the bodhisattvas there continued to like frivolous entertainment, liked to sleep, liked activity, liked to talk, and liked pointless speculation; they were soiled with stains, improper, indolent, and lazy. They had poor diligence and had stopped applying themselves. The bodhisattva great being Maitreya noticed those bodhisattvas conducting themselves in these unvirtuous ways.

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then thought to himself, “Alas, these bodhisattvas have slackened in their efforts to perfect the branches of awakening. Therefore, I must rouse these bodhisattvas; I must remind them—that is for certain!”

Accordingly, in the afternoon, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya arose from his inner absorption and proceeded to where those bodhisattvas were staying. When he arrived, the bodhisattva great being [F.132.a] exchanged greetings with them with sincere joy and delight, after which he said the following to those bodhisattvas: “Tell me, children of noble lineage, are you improving yourselves through virtuous qualities, or have you perhaps been negligent?”

They answered, “Venerable Maitreya, we have neglected virtuous qualities and have not increased them. Our minds are ensnared by doubt, as we wonder whether or not we can become thus-gone ones. Our minds are further ensnared by regret, as we wonder whether or not we will fall into lower realms; and so we have no enthusiasm left for virtuous qualities.”

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to those bodhisattvas, “Children of noble lineage, come this way.11 Let us proceed to where the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha Śākyamuni is residing. Why? Because the Blessed One is omniscient and all-seeing, possesses unobscured wisdom, and is wise in engaging with the conduct of all beings; and so he will teach you the Dharma in a way that is well-suited to your stage of conduct.”

Then those sixty bodhisattvas, together with the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, went to where the Blessed One was residing. They assembled before him and offered homage with their heads at his feet. They cried and offered homage to the Blessed One with their four limbs and heads, over and over again, with tears streaming down their faces, and without raising their heads. The bodhisattva great being Maitreya, too, prostrated with his head at the feet of the Blessed One, [F.132.b] circumambulated him three times, and then sat off to one side.

The Blessed One then told the bodhisattvas, “Children of noble lineage, stop crying and feeling regretful, and stand up! Without regard for the ripening of karma, you joyfully harmed and abused others, taking delight and pleasure in doing so. Through creating karmic obscurations in that way, you are now obscured and hampered. Being overcome and ensnared, you are unable to exert yourselves.”

Then those sixty bodhisattvas, hanging their shawls over one shoulder, knelt with their right knees on the ground, joined their palms together respectfully toward the Blessed One, and petitioned him with these words: “When we hear such things, our minds reverse course, and so we beg of the Blessed One to explain well to us our karmic obscurations, so that we can refrain from further compounding such karmic obscurations.”

To this request, the Blessed One said the following to those sixty individuals of the Bodhisattva Vehicle: “Children of noble lineage, long ago, in the distant past, following the teachings of the Thus-Gone One Krakucchanda, you took ordination. Thus established, you became intoxicated with conceit about your discipline, intoxicated with conceit about your learning, and strongly attached to your ascetic practices and your lack of possessions. Consequently, you became jealous and miserly toward two monks teaching the Dharma due to the gain and respect they received, the households12 of their friends and relatives, and the households of their patrons. You thus directed accusations of lewd conduct at them, creating schisms in the households of the friends and relatives and the households of the patrons of those two monks teaching the Dharma. This prompted doubts and a loss of faith, [F.133.a] and the leveling of many further insults at those two Dharma-teaching monks.

“You cut off the roots of virtue of those beings and obscured their virtues. Due to that nonvirtuous karmic obscuration, you were reborn in the major hell Incessant Torment for sixty thousand years. For forty thousand years, you were reborn in the major hell Reviving. For twenty thousand years, you were reborn in the major hell Black Lines. For eight thousand years, you were reborn in the major hell of Heat. Afterward, once you died and passed from that realm, you managed to obtain human rebirths, but for five hundred consecutive lifetimes, you had no eyes, and so were blind. Through the shrouding effect of your karmic obscurations, no matter where you were reborn, in all those lifetimes you were dimwitted and absent-minded. You were shrouded in these obscurations rooted in nonvirtue and were entirely hapless. You were oppressed due to ugly flaws, and frequently reviled, cursed, and ridiculed. You were reborn in bad lands, bad regions, and bad countries, into bad and impoverished families; you had meager means and little respect, and you were ostracized and unsupported.

“Having died and passed from this life, during the final half-millennium, at the time when the sacred Dharma is fading, you will be reborn solely in bad lands, in low-caste families, and in poverty. You will be reviled and absent-minded, and you will abandon the roots of virtue. Even when you apply yourselves, obstacles will arise; and although moments of clarity will dawn, subsequently they will fade away.

“During the final half-millennium, all your karmic obscurations will finally be exhausted. With their exhaustion, next you will be reborn in Sukhāvatī, the buddha realm of the Thus-Gone One Amitābha. The Thus-Gone One Amitābha also will prophesy your unsurpassed and perfect awakening.”

Then after those sixty children of noble lineage who belonged to the Bodhisattva Vehicle [F.133.b] wiped the tears from their faces, their sad and distraught minds became perfectly joyous, and with their bodily hairs standing on end, they petitioned the Blessed One as follows:

“Blessed One, we confess the fault of generating a faulty attitude of hostility toward individuals who belong to the Bodhisattva Vehicle, and we also confess any other karmic obscurations we have amassed.

“Blessed One, from today onward, we make the following promises in the presence of the Thus-Gone One:

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we should speak of the failings, no matter whether they are many or few,13 of individuals belonging to the Bodhisattva Vehicle, then we will have betrayed the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we should insult14 individuals who belong to the Bodhisattva Vehicle or speak rudely to them, then we will have betrayed the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we see individuals who belong to the Bodhisattva Vehicle, whether they are lay or ordained, amusing themselves with and enjoying the five sense pleasures, and this makes us lose faith, such that we become disrespectful or unable to perceive them as teachers, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we physically or mentally harm individuals belonging to the Bodhisattva Vehicle on account of the households of their friends and relatives or the households of their patrons, [F.134.a] then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if even a single unpleasant word slips from our mouths upon seeing an individual belonging to the Bodhisattva Vehicle, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we fail to pay homage to individuals belonging to the Bodhisattva Vehicle three times during the day and three times at night, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we are unwilling to sacrifice a kingdom or a fortune, or to risk life and limb, for the sake of this disciplined conduct to which we have committed, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we insult individuals belonging to the vehicles of the hearers or solitary buddhas, thinking, ‘We most assuredly are not like them!,’ then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we do not maintain an attitude of humility, living as if we were outcasts or dogs, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we praise ourselves or criticize others, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, as soon as we are provoked by malicious thoughts and the fear of conflict, if we do not turn back and go15 a mile or a hundred miles away, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One.

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we claim to have good discipline, or refer to ourselves as well-educated or well-trained, or as having any good qualities at all, then we will have betrayed the Thus-Gone One. [F.134.b]

“Blessed One, from today onward, if we do not refrain from boasting of our virtues and concealing our faults, then we will have betrayed the thus-gone, worthy, and perfect Buddha.”

Then the Blessed One congratulated those individuals belonging to the Bodhisattva Vehicle, saying, “Well said! Well said, children of noble lineage! Well said! You have spoken well! This commitment is well made. If you abide by this commitment, your karmic obscurations will be purified, and you likewise will acquire pure roots of virtue.”

At that point the Blessed One addressed the bodhisattva great being Maitreya: “Maitreya, since sons or daughters of noble lineage wish to purify their karmic obscurations, they should make just the type of commitment these children of noble lineage have made.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, will these children of noble lineage fulfill this commitment, or will they abandon it? Please tell me.”

“Maitreya, these children of noble lineage will never abandon their commitment, even at the cost of life and limb.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, during the final half-millennium, when the sacred Dharma is perishing, if an individual who belongs to the Bodhisattva Vehicle possesses certain qualities, will that person then be spared harm and injury,16 and readily attain liberation?”

The Blessed One responded to the question posed by the bodhisattva great being Maitreya in this way: “Maitreya, if an individual belonging to the Bodhisattva [F.135.a] Vehicle possesses four qualities, then during the final half-millennium, when the sacred Dharma is perishing, that person will be spared harm and injury, and will be liberated without difficulty. What are the four? (1) Recognizing one’s own mistakes, (2) not discussing the faults of others who belong to the Bodhisattva Vehicle, (3) not paying attention to the households of friends and relatives and the households of patrons, and (4) abandoning unpleasant speech. Maitreya,17 if an individual who belongs to the Bodhisattva Vehicle possesses those four qualities, then during the final half-millennium, when the sacred Dharma is perishing, that person will be spared harm and injury, and will be liberated without difficulty.

“Moreover, Maitreya, if someone who belongs to the Bodhisattva Vehicle possesses another four qualities, then during the final half-millennium, when the sacred Dharma is perishing, that person will be spared harm and injury, and they will be liberated without difficulty. What are these other four? (1) Avoiding beings who are of little learning, (2) not collecting followers, (3) taking shelter in sparsely inhabited places, and (4) diligently training oneself in the practice of discipline, peace, and tranquility.

“Maitreya, if someone who belongs to the Bodhisattva Vehicle possesses these other four qualities, then during the final half-millennium, when the sacred Dharma is perishing, that person will be spared harm and injury, and will be liberated without difficulty.

“Maitreya, since sons or daughters of noble lineage who belong to the Bodhisattva Vehicle wish to be spared harm and injury, wish to be liberated without difficulty, and wish to exhaust their karmic obscurations in their entirety during the final half-millennium when the sacred Dharma is perishing, they should dislike frivolous entertainment; stay in the wilderness, in forests, and in sparsely inhabited places; avoid beings who lack noble lineage and are not diligent; recognize their own confusion and not look for confusion in others; like to remain silent; and like to rest within the perfection of insight. [F.135.b]

“If they should ever be moved by the wish to communicate with other beings, then they should offer them the gift of Dharma, while remaining free of materialistic interest.

“Maitreya, the following twenty are the benefits of offering the gift of Dharma without materialistic interest and without any wish for respect. What are the twenty? They are as follows:

“One will (1) have mindfulness, (2) have intelligence, (3) be judicious, (4) gain stability, (5) possess insight, (6) realize supermundane insight, (7) decrease desire, (8) decrease anger, (9) decrease delusion, (10) become invulnerable to māras, (11) come to the attention of the blessed buddhas, (12) be guarded by nonhuman spirits, (13) be favored with splendor by the gods, (14) become invincible to enemies, and (15) not be separated from friends and relatives; (16) one’s word will be agreeable, (17) one will obtain fearlessness, (18) one’s mind will grow happier, (19) one will be honored by the wise, and (20) one’s offerings of the Dharma will become worthy of commemoration as well.

“And so, Maitreya, these twenty are the benefits that accrue when one offers the Dharma free of materialistic interest, having rejected all interest in gain or respect, and without hoping to get food or clothing, simply motivated by an altruistic intent to offer the gift of Dharma continually and repeatedly.

“Maitreya, there are another twenty benefits to offering the Dharma with an attitude free of materialistic interest. What are the twenty?

“(1) Strength not yet arisen [F.136.a] will be born within oneself, (2) one’s strength that has already arisen will be inexhaustible, (3) one will have the integrity necessary for the sake of gaining the power of retention, (4) one will accomplish the aims of many beings with little difficulty, (5) one will become respectfully venerated by beings with little difficulty, (6) one will achieve physical restraint, (7) one will achieve verbal restraint, (8) one will achieve mental restraint, (9) one will go beyond fear of inferior rebirths, (10) one will make death an occasion for great joy, (11) one will vanquish all opponents in keeping with the Dharma, (12) even beings of high status will be overwhelmed by one’s majesty, let alone common folk, (13) one’s faculties will become unassailable, (14) one will hold excellent determination, (15) one will gain tranquility and special insight, (16) one will bring rigorous training to perfection, (17) one’s diligence will become unrelenting, (18) one will protect the sacred Dharma at all times, (19) one will quickly arrive at the level of nonregression, and (20) one will be in harmony with all the conduct of bodhisattvas.

“Maitreya, these twenty are additional benefits that derive from offering the Dharma with an attitude free of materialistic interest.

“Maitreya, in the future, the Dharma offerings mixed with materialistic interest of those who belong to the Bodhisattva Vehicle will be highly appreciated, whereas those free of materialistic interest will not. Regard those attitudes as foolish!

“Accordingly, those who belong to the Bodhisattva Vehicle will depend on the households of friends and relatives and the households of patrons, and when they offer the gift of Dharma to them, they will wonder how to elicit faith and respect for themselves. Having rejected making offerings of the Dharma free of materialistic interest, they will teach the Dharma to others for the sake of clothing, food, bedding, cushions, curative medicines, [F.136.b] and other useful items.

“Maitreya, it is like this. If, for instance, some person had hunks of putrid, rotting flesh hung around his neck, whether from the corpse of a dog, a human, or a monkey, he would wish to clean himself. And so, with embarrassment and revulsion, he would reject such things. In the same way, those future teachers will be embarrassed and appalled by offerings of the Dharma that are free of materialistic interest. After realizing that there is no profit to be made,18 they will be disappointed, refuse to teach, and leave.

“Wondering, ‘Why are they not giving us any food or clothing?’ and saying, ‘There is no reason for us to offer the Dharma; we really would rather not be stuck here for no reason,’ they will proceed to gather students for the sake of further adorning themselves, and not for the sake of attracting more and more beings to the Dharma. They will claim, ‘We gather followers only out of love, and so we have no need at all for them to serve and respect us. Because of our altruistic principles, in order to bring beings to maturity, we spend all our time visiting villages, towns, cities, states, and royal palaces;’ and so they will promote themselves to many people. What they have in mind, however, is to go searching for food and clothing.

“Maitreya, I cannot speak of bringing beings to maturity with materialistic interest. Why is that? If one has not yet even matured oneself, then there is no need to speak of bringing other beings to maturity, because this is not an easy thing to develop.

“Maitreya, when one is preoccupied with being served and respected, and is contaminated by the pleasures of being physically served and coddled, I cannot call such preoccupation the state of altruism. And why not? Because, when one gathers followers in order to be made physically comfortable by their attentions and services, one’s concern is not whether they are practicing vigorously.

“Maitreya, I would not call a hypocrite a hermit. [F.137.a] I would not call having little merit having few needs. I would not call wanting fine food accepting alms.

“I would not call wanting beautiful clothes wearing robes made of discarded rags. I would not call laypeople mixing with renunciants not having become entangled. I would not say of a charlatan, ‘I have met one who has become a buddha.’ I would not call looking for fault in others being diligent in one’s practice.

“I would not call having a bad temper purely following the components of discipline. I would not call a prideful person learned. I would not call someone who holds a philosophical position a holder of monastic discipline. I would not call someone who is agitated a Dharma teacher. I would not call associating with laypeople pure administrative duties.

“I would not call selecting patrons letting go of materialistic interest. I would not call hoping for reciprocal benefits a method of attraction. I would not call desire for gain and respect pure determination.

“I would not call an increased lack of faith taking ordination. I would not call making oneself well-known to others a desire for training.

“I would not call having no humility offering the Dharma. I would not call effort in worldly secret mantra practices a love of the Dharma. I would not call applying no effort toward realizing emptiness renunciation.

“I would not call the avoidance of practice causing the accumulation of karma. I would not say that one who does not practice is perfecting the branches of awakening.

“I would not call a conceptual point of reference true realization. I would not call powerlessness the perfection of patience. I would not call those who have not been tested those with the armor of the power of patience.

“I would not call having naturally low desire the asceticism of maintaining pure conduct. I would not call failing to continue with one’s endeavors doing whatever one has said. [F.137.b]

“I would not call having pure determination falling into lower realms. I would not call acting with insight reckless conduct. I would not call someone who possesses skill a fraud.

“I would not call lacking desire for gain or respect telling lies. I would not call maintaining neutrality rejecting the Dharma. I would not call wanting to protect the sacred Dharma at all times attachment to life and limb. I would not call feeling disheartened having no pride.

“Maitreya, such deceitful expressions, in the final half-millennium, will turn bodhisattvas barbarous; and so they must properly comprehend them,19 and having comprehended them, they must reject them.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One,20 will these sixty bodhisattvas be obscured by short-lived karmic obscurations, or will they be obscured in some other fashion?”

The Blessed One responded to the bodhisattva Maitreya, “Maitreya, in the final half-millennium, most bodhisattvas will be obscured by karmic obscurations. Some of those bodhisattvas will exhaust their karmic obscurations. Some will increase them.

“Maitreya, furthermore, among these particular sixty bodhisattvas, there are twenty bodhisattvas who have only minor karmic obscurations, slight karmic obscurations, and who will take rebirth during the final half-millennium; they will be reborn in different villages and towns and in a variety of castes, where they will be learned, circumspect, upright, wise, and skillful. They will be broad-minded, richly beneficial to others, [F.138.a] very compassionate, and handsome and lovely to behold. They will not put their virtues on display, will hide their qualities, and will be stable in their conduct. Taking ordination out of these various castes, they will train toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening over uncountable eons, and they will preserve and uphold this ordination, even risking life and limb, as they dwell in wildernesses, jungles, and sparsely populated places, without interest in gain or respect. They will always be diligent, superbly diligent, wise in engaging with the conduct of beings, expert in secret mantra and scholarly treatises, very quick learners, and expert in special insight, and they will have unbounded eloquence.

“Obtaining inexhaustible retention, through the power of the buddhas and the blessings of the buddhas, they will teach the Dharma to the four retinues, and they will be well-versed in the classes of discourses spoken by the Thus-Gone One, namely, verse narrations, prophecies, poetic verses, aphorisms, ethical narrations, narrative discourses, parables, past-life stories, extensive sayings, marvels, and resolutions.

“At that time, those twenty highly skilled bodhisattvas will be authorized masters and authorized scholars of the Dharma, such that when they assert, ‘I have absorbed this Dharma discourse from the master ‘So and So’ and from the scholar ‘Such and Such,’ those holy persons will never have cause to be troubled.

“At that time there will also appear bodhisattvas who will be lacking in skill; and due to complacency and haughtiness stemming from conceit21 about their virtues, they will have no regard for those twenty. They will seek to promote themselves, and so will not uphold the sacred [F.138.b] Dharma.

“They will castigate those skilled bodhisattvas, saying things like, ‘You have taught the Dharma based on your own pride; however, those are not the teachings of the Thus-Gone One. This Dharma is just your own spurious creation. Since the Dharma that you teach is merely fabricated on your own authority, your teaching should be neither respected nor revered.’ This will cause many beings to reject their Dharma discourses, such that many people will lose motivation as a result of those scathing remarks.

“They will go even further, saying, ‘Those monks are engaged in the material pursuit of donations, rather than in teaching the Dharma found in the sūtras and the vinaya. This is not the proper Dharma, so do not show reverence toward it!’

“Those fools simply will not understand that everything qualifying as a well-spoken statement—no matter what it is—is the word of the Buddha.22 Because they are under the spell of Māra, they will reject the Dharma of those Dharma-holding monks, and so will accumulate the karma of abandoning the Dharma. Through accumulating the karma of abandoning the Dharma, they will fall into lower realms.

“Maitreya, in light of that, bodhisattvas who wish to safeguard the sacred Dharma must become skilled in method. No matter what, they must be very careful not to provoke feelings of hostility in those who have differing dispositions.”

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, in that way, during the final half-millennium, when the sacred Dharma is perishing, such foolish bodhisattvas will come to the fore. Though purportedly seeking courage, at the same time they will take no interest in those who actually have courage; and while they search, too, for the power of retention, they will nonetheless denigrate the Dharma of monks who do hold the Dharma. Incredible, isn’t it? [F.139.a]

“Blessed One, to offer an analogy, it is as though a person goes out searching for water from a spring, a well, or a lake; and when he gets there, he defecates in it, after which he thinks to draw the water out.

“When the foul odor of the water reaches his nose, it doesn’t occur to him that the smell is his own fault, as he exclaims, ‘Oh my, this water stinks!’ Instead, he blames the water for being bad.

“Blessed One, in this analogy, where, through the power of the Buddha, there are Dharma-teaching monks who have confident command over the system of Dharma teachings, they are like the spring, the well, or the lake. Blessed One, those bodhisattvas who will come to the fore in the final half-millennium are just like people of childish nature who defecate into the springs, wells, or lakes, and then when they seek to draw water out, find fault with that water; similarly, being foolish, they will discredit those who teach the Dharma and discredit even the Dharma itself. And although they are the ones who have discredited it, they will still believe that they are seeking the taste of the Dharma. And without comprehending their own error, with a faulty sense of hearing, they will criticize and show contempt for those Dharma-holding monks, saying, ‘Look at how these monks teaching the Dharma are betrayed by their many faults!’ They will revile the taste of the Dharma conveyed by those Dharma-teaching monks and look for its mistakes, dismiss it with distaste, and turn their backs on it.”

The Blessed One then commended the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, saying, “Splendid! Wonderful, Maitreya! This example you have explained expresses very well how not to search for mistakes, and how to be free of any faults.

“Maitreya, in addition, where four conditions are satisfied, one will know all such discourse to be what the Buddha has spoken.23 [F.139.b] What are the four? Maitreya, they are (1) when the discourse is meaningful instead of being meaningless, (2) when it contains the Dharma as opposed to not containing the Dharma, (3) when it makes defilements decrease and does not make defilements increase, and (4) when it teaches the qualities and benefits of nirvāṇa and does not increase the defects of saṃsāra. Maitreya, when all four of these factors are present, all discourse should be recognized as what the Buddha has spoken.

“Maitreya, whether it is a monk or nun, or a male or female lay precept-holder, so long as the discourse he or she gives, or will give, contains these four factors, then faithful sons or daughters of noble lineage should perceive them to be the Buddha. And perceiving them to be the Teacher, they should listen to the sacred Dharma. If you wonder why that is so, Maitreya, it is because everything that is well-spoken—no matter what it is—is what the Buddha has spoken.

“Maitreya, when, out of hostility toward a specific individual, someone says, ‘This is not what the Buddha has spoken,’ then that person has rejected those four conditions and caused them to be disrespected. That person has thereby rejected all discourse that the Buddha has spoken. Having rejected the Dharma, that person accumulates the karma of abandoning the Dharma, and so is destined for the lower realms. Maitreya, since this is the case, faithful sons or daughters of noble family who want to avoid the karma of rejecting the Dharma should never feel hostility toward the Dharma out of hostility for an individual.

“Maitreya, the following four types of discourse are rejected by the buddhas. Maitreya, what are the four? They are (1) when a discourse is meaningless rather than meaningful, (2) when it does not contain the Dharma as opposed to containing the Dharma, [F.140.a] (3) when it makes defilements increase rather than decrease, and (4) when it increases the defects of saṃsāra rather than teaching the qualities and benefits of nirvāṇa. Maitreya, these four types of discourse have been rejected and disapproved by the buddhas.”

Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, if it is the case that the buddhas have not approved of discourse that causes saṃsāra to increase, how is it that the Blessed One taught that defilements are good for bodhisattvas, in order for them to perfect the branches of awakening? And how is it that he recommended that they embrace saṃsāra as well? Or else, Blessed One, is this discourse not the discourse of the Buddha after all?”

In response, the Blessed One asked, “Maitreya, what do you think about this? Is there meaning, or is there no meaning, in my teaching that defilements are helpful for bodhisattvas, to aid them in perfecting the branches of awakening, and in my teaching that recommends that they embrace saṃsāra?”

He answered, “Since the Blessed One speaks perfectly, if he says that bodhisattvas should appreciate defilements, in order for them to perfect the branches of awakening, then it certainly is meaningful, and it certainly contains the Dharma. If this is understood, then it is undoubtedly the speech of one who speaks perfectly.”

The Blessed One replied, “Maitreya, since that is so, as is the case with the teaching that defilements facilitate bodhisattvas perfecting their branches of awakening, and the express injunction to embrace saṃsāra, [F.140.b] one must recognize that everything that is well-spoken is what the Buddha has spoken. Why is that? Maitreya, those matters that are the exclusive province of bodhisattvas with masterful command over the Dharma do not apply to hearers and solitary buddhas. As such bodhisattvas will not experience them as defilements, they will not cause them the harm of defilements.

“Maitreya, although that is so, nevertheless, defilements are not beneficial to others, do not serve the purpose of perfecting the branches of awakening for them, and have no valid purpose. Defilements do not produce even the slightest trace of virtue, for which bodhisattvas will even risk life and limb, and so they must not fall under their power. And why is that so? Because, Maitreya, the teaching on defilements for bodhisattvas who have attained the power of wisdom is one thing, while for those who operate at levels where the powers of bodhisattvas have not yet developed, it is a different matter.”

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the Blessed One, “As I understand the meaning of what has been stated by the Blessed One, a bodhisattva in the final half-millennium who seeks not to accumulate karmic obscurations, who strives to purify karmic obscurations, and who seeks to be liberated easily, without harm or injury, must therefore take interest in all bodhisattva conduct. He must practice it more and more, without any doubts. He must not look for faults in others, must embrace all that is beneficial, and must focus on what is most essential.”

The Blessed One replied, “Maitreya, it is just so. Bodhisattvas will have to increase the scope of their bodhisattva conduct, without any doubts. [F.141.a] Why is that? Maitreya, it is because the conduct of bodhisattvas who employ insight does not accord with the world in its entirety.

“As an analogy, Maitreya, while the conduct of a stream enterer24 may resemble that of an ordinary being, it does not stain him with faults as it would an ordinary being who is immature. While desire, anger, and delusion cause childish ordinary beings to fall into lower realms, the very same desire, anger, and delusion do not cause stream enterers to fall into lower realms in the same way, since they have realized the nature of the transitory assemblage.

“Similarly, Maitreya, even though bodhisattvas who employ insight, since they have not yet eliminated habitual tendencies, at times are seized by attraction and aversion, this works differently for them than it does for childish ordinary beings. Why is that? Because latent tendencies do not occupy and envelop their minds in the same way they do the minds of childish ordinary beings and bodhisattvas who have dim faculties and are not astute in their renunciation.

“Maitreya, even though, among all the faults of bodhisattva great beings who exercise insight, some may be quite serious, through the power of insight they pulverize them, and so those faults never cause them to fall into lower realms.

“Maitreya, as an analogy, if you add a large bundle of sticks to a raging bonfire, however many you add, that is how much longer and greater the blaze will grow; but they will never extinguish the fire. In just that way, Maitreya, however much fuel of defilements you add to the blazing insight of bodhisattvas who exercise insight, that is how much more the fire of insight will blaze, without ever being extinguished or exhausted.

“Maitreya, since that is the case, from this description it should also be clear to you how the conduct of bodhisattvas who employ insight does not accord with the world in its entirety.” [F.141.b]

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, since they leave their homes behind seeking to develop their power of insight, which qualities should beginner bodhisattvas reject? Upon which qualities should they depend? If they reject and depend upon those qualities, respectively, won’t they generate new power of insight, and where they have generated it, won’t they increase the power of insight further and prevent it from weakening?”

The Blessed One replied to this question posed by the bodhisattva great being Maitreya in this way: “Maitreya, beginner bodhisattvas who leave their homes behind and who are developing the power of insight should reject gain and respect and see the faults of gain and respect. They should give up liking frivolous entertainment and see the faults of liking frivolous entertainment.

“They should give up liking to talk and see the fault in liking to talk. They should no longer like to sleep and see the fault in liking to sleep. They should stop liking activity and see the fault in liking activity. They should no longer like pointless speculation and see the faults of liking pointless speculation.

“Giving up gain, respect, and poetic pronouncements, they should meditate on having fewer needs. Through giving up frivolous entertainment, they should rely on liking solitude. By giving up their like of talking, they should devote themselves to understanding the meaning.

“By giving up their like of sleep, they should count on not lying down to rest in either the earlier or the later part of the night. [F.142.a] Giving up their desire for activity, they should devote themselves to loving all beings.

“Maitreya, beginner bodhisattvas who leave their homes behind and who wish to acquire the power of insight should therefore abandon those qualities that are to be abandoned. They should devote themselves to those qualities upon which they must rely. Why is this so? Maitreya, just as ignorance depends upon conditions, so wisdom depends upon conditions, too. And so, without gathering those conditions, wisdom is not at all easy to acquire.” [B2]

Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya posed the following question to the Blessed One: “Blessed One, how are bodhisattvas to observe the drawbacks of gain and respect? What are the notable faults of gain and respect? What are the things bodhisattvas should examine so that they will happily have fewer needs and not feel any yearning?”

He answered, “Maitreya, bodhisattva great beings should examine how gain and respect produce desire. They should examine how gain and respect destroy recollection. They should examine gain and respect to see how one feels arrogant or humiliated because of gaining or failing to gain. They should examine how gain and respect produce delusion.

“They should examine how they make one miserly and attached to one’s own household, since gain and respect are the pursuit of selfish aims. They should examine how gain and respect produce deceit. They should examine how gain and respect make one shameless and brazen, since one has turned away from the four noble traditions.

“They should examine how all the buddhas have not endorsed gain and respect. [F.142.b] They should examine how gain and respect generate pride, arrogance, and vanity. They should examine how gain and respect cause one to disregard one’s gurus. They should examine how gain and respect are on the side of Māra. They should examine how gain and respect are the very roots of carelessness. They should examine how gain and respect rob one of the roots of virtue.

“They should examine how gain and respect are like flashes of lightning, weapon wheels, and lightning strikes. They should examine how gain and respect contaminate oneself. They should examine how, for the sake of gain and respect, one pays attention to the households of friends and relatives and the households of patrons. They should examine how gain and respect fill one’s mind with discontent. They should examine how gain and respect make one’s thoughts confused.

“They should examine gain and respect to see that, to produce something attractive, one ends up creating misery. They should examine how gain and respect cause one to forget the four applications of mindfulness.25 They should examine how gain and respect weaken positive qualities. They should examine how gain and respect cause the four correct exertions to deteriorate.

“They should examine how gain and respect create obstacles for the faith of others. They should examine how gain and respect impair miraculous powers and super-sensory cognition. They should examine gain and respect to see that, while there is respect early on, there is no respect later on. They should examine how gain and respect make one keep disagreeable company. They should examine how gain and respect make one abandon friends.

“They should examine how, for gain and respect, one lures others, just like a prostitute. They should examine how one abandons the concentrations and the immeasurables for gain and respect. They should examine how gain and respect catapult beings down into the animal and hell [F.143.a] realms, and into the clutches of the Lord of Death. They should examine how gain and respect are suited to the rituals of Devadatta and Rudraka.

“Maitreya, these are the ways in which bodhisattvas should examine the shortcomings of gain and respect. Having so examined them, moreover, they will find it no great deprivation to reduce their needs. Why is that? Maitreya, it is because bodhisattvas with few needs lack these kinds of faults, which therefore pose no obstacles to their buddha qualities and cause no disgrace to laypeople or renunciants.

“For the sake of pleasing both gods and humans, it is fitting that bodhisattvas protect them while continuing in that state. They lack any fear of falling into lower realms. Because they are not intimidated, they cannot be bested. Because they have been freed from the region of Māra, they are indomitable. They are not subject to any suffering. They are highly appealing to gods and humans.

“Since they sustain deep familiarization with concentration, they are lucid. Since they have rid themselves of deceit and pretense and regard the five sense pleasures as faulty, they are conscientious. Since they belong to the class of noble ones, they do as they say. They are accepted by the wise and those of pure conduct.

“Maitreya, having understood the value of qualities like these, wise bodhisattva great beings will reject gain and respect. In order to rid themselves of all gain and respect, with determination they live with few desires and always adhere to having few desires.”

Thus spoke the Blessed One; and in response, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya asked him, “Blessed One, how should bodhisattvas identify the faults of liking frivolous entertainment? [F.143.b] What are the faults of liking frivolous entertainment? What are the things that bodhisattvas should examine, so that they will enjoy the pleasures of solitude, and not become despondent?”

The Blessed One answered, “Maitreya, there are twenty shortcomings of frivolous entertainment. What are the twenty? (1) You are physically out of control, (2) you are verbally out of control, (3) you are mentally out of control, (4) desires get stronger, (5) anger gets stronger, (6) delusion gets stronger, (7) you are soiled by the talk of this world, (8) you no longer talk about matters beyond this world, (9) you rely on those who disrespect the Dharma, (10) you abandon the Dharma, (11) this puts you at the mercy of Māra, (12) you rely on those who are careless, (13) you possess carelessness, (14) you become suspicious and cynical, (15) your studies go to waste, (16) you do not achieve tranquility or special insight, (17) your pure conduct is promptly lost, (18) you lose appreciation for the Buddha, (19) you lose appreciation for the Dharma, and (20) you lose appreciation for the Saṅgha.

“Maitreya, you should know these twenty to be the shortcomings of liking frivolous entertainment. If bodhisattvas have examined them, they will enjoy the pleasures of solitude and not become despondent.”

The Blessed One, at that point, spoke the following verses:

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, as it leads, in this way, to the abandonment of positive qualities, frivolous entertainment generates many deplorable faults, has no redeeming qualities, and is very harmful. In fact, it is rather astounding how frivolous entertainment increases defilements and is in no way good conduct. Blessed One, what wise bodhisattva in search of virtue would not like the joy of solitude?

“Blessed One, how should bodhisattvas examine the fault of liking to talk? What is it that bodhisattvas must realize so that by happily ascertaining their purpose and understanding their purpose, they do not become despondent?”

The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva great being Maitreya in the following way: “To address your question, Maitreya, there are twenty faults of liking to talk, which bodhisattvas should examine. What are the twenty?

“Maitreya, concerning monks who like to talk, (1) because they become conceited and arrogant about their learning, they become disrespectful; (2) because of their dedication to debate, [F.145.a] they become strongly prejudiced to one point of view; (3) because they lack correct attention internally, they become forgetful; (4) because their minds and bodies have not been purified, they conduct themselves inattentively; (5) because of their weakened patience for the Dharma, they become arrogant or humiliated; (6) because they have abandoned tranquility and special insight, their mindstreams become volatile; (7) because their speech is contaminated, they speak out of turn; (8) because they have not obtained nobility of mind, they become uncontrolled; (9) they are not served by gods and nāgas; (10) they are criticized by those who have obtained correct understanding; (11) they are reviled by those who have physically actualized their realization; (12) because they do not continue their practice, they come to miss it, (13) because they have not abandoned their doubts, they become unstable, (14) because of their fascination with terminology, their learning and discrimination deteriorate, (15) because their experience is confined to the domain of ordinary consciousness, they become attached to sense pleasures, (16) because they do not direct their attention to reality as it truly is, they quickly abandon the Dharma, (17) because they begin one task and then another, they are unstable and unreliable, (18) because they have not tamed their minds, they have obtained no respect at all, (19) because they have not comprehended the realm of phenomena, they depend on others, and (20) because they have not fully understood their faculties, they are subject to defilements.

“Maitreya, those twenty are the shortcomings of bodhisattvas who like to talk and dwell on terminology, and so fail to understand the meaning.”

At that point, the Blessed One spoke the following verses:

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then remarked to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, the way in which the Thus-Gone One has expressed the faults of liking to talk and the qualities of reflecting on the meaning is truly extraordinary! Blessed One, bodhisattvas searching for the crucial point will reflect upon the meaning, and they will be utterly incapable of taking delight in talking about things that are not essential.

“Blessed One, how should bodhisattva great beings examine the faults of enjoying the pleasures of sleep? What kind of examination is required for bodhisattvas to observe the drawbacks of lethargy and sleep, [F.146.b] exercise diligence, and never become despondent?”

The Blessed One replied, “Maitreya, to answer you, there are twenty distinct shortcomings of liking to sleep that must be examined. If bodhisattvas were to examine these, they would happily begin to exercise diligence and never become despondent. What are the twenty?

“Maitreya, to answer this, bodhisattvas who sleep a great deal (1) are overcome with lethargy and sleep, and so become extremely lazy, (2) become corpulent and develop pallid complexions, (3) their four major elements are overcome by the four types of disease, (4) their heat constituent is reduced, (5) they do not digest food well, (6) lesions and ulcers break out on their bodies, (7) they become lazy, (8) the web of their delusion increases, (9) their insight becomes feeble, (10) they feel repulsed by the foods they like, (11) they are held in the dark clutches of ignorance, (12) nonhuman creatures do not respect them, (13) their minds become dull, (14) they find it harder and harder to get up, (15) their latent tendencies besiege and occupy their minds, (16) they lose any interest in virtuous qualities, (17) all their virtuous qualities deteriorate, (18) their own conduct becomes feeble, (19) they disparage the efforts of those who exercise diligence, and (20) they are greeted with contempt when out among their peers.

“Maitreya, those twenty are the shortcomings of bodhisattvas who like to sleep, are indolent, and are lethargic. And so, if bodhisattvas consider them, they will delight in exercising diligence and never become discouraged.”

At that point, the Blessed One uttered these verses:

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, [F.148.a] any bodhisattvas who have learned of these kinds of faults of indolence and sleep, and yet do not abandon them or feel saddened by them, or for that matter do not arouse and exert diligence—for them to be that dense is astonishing!

“Blessed One, bodhisattvas who seek to learn, and who strive with determination to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood—who among them, having heard counsel as perfect as this, would be lazy and not cultivate virtuous qualities? And who among them, having learned about these types of qualities and advantages of diligence, would not exert diligent effort to perfect the branches of awakening? Indeed, the Thus-Gone One has explained well these failings of liking to sleep and the advantages of exerting diligence!

“Blessed One, how should bodhisattvas observe the drawbacks of liking activity and being contaminated by worldly things? What are the things bodhisattvas must examine if they are to minimize their needs and reduce their activities, and so be consistently diligent and assiduous in their pursuit of sacred Dharma?”

The Blessed One responded, “Maitreya, to answer you, bodhisattva great beings should investigate twenty shortcomings of liking activity. If bodhisattvas reflect on these, they minimize their desire and reduce their activities, and for the sake of pursuing the sacred Dharma, they are consistently diligent and assiduous. What are the twenty?

“Maitreya, on this topic, bodhisattvas who like activity (1) exert themselves in worldly occupations, (2) stay involved in every manner of negative action, (3) are criticized by those who exert themselves in study and recitation, (4) are blamed by those who like to practice inner absorption, [F.148.b] (5) engage in actions that perpetuate saṃsāra without beginning or end, (6) do not enjoy the alms of faithful brahmins and householders, and their minds increasingly fixate on objects, (7) multiply their attachments, (8) continually engage in ways of making a living, (9) do not take control, (10) are continually preoccupied with their many wishes for a character that is contrary to the Dharma, (11) exert themselves in domestic affairs, and their persistent longing for, and attachment to, the savoring of them only grows, (12) do not like being rejected, (13) constantly cause the formation of karmic obscurations that intensify hostile mental states, (14) depend upon male and female lay precept-holders, (15) spend their days and nights ruminating about food, (16) are constantly curious about worldly affairs, (17) like irrational talk, (18) because of their conceited meddling in administrative duties, bring the wrath of the powerful down upon those who conduct themselves with sanctity, (19) think about others’ mistakes while never considering their own, and (20) abruptly discount every significant and definitive discourse.

“Maitreya, those twenty are the shortcomings of bodhisattvas who are contaminated by activity and administrative duties. If bodhisattvas consider them, they minimize their desires and limit their activities; and, abandoning worldly affairs, they dedicate themselves to pursuits that transcend the mundane.”

At that point, the Blessed One spoke the following verses:

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, those bodhisattvas who have rejected the supreme Dharma and engage in negative actions surely have incredibly weak insight, and their insight is lacking.”

The Blessed One answered the bodhisattva great being Maitreya this way: “Maitreya, that is so, [F.150.a] that is so. Just as you say, those bodhisattvas who reject the supreme Dharma and engage in negative actions have incredibly weak insight, and their insight is lacking.

“Maitreya, there is something else you ought to know, something else you should take to heart. Those bodhisattvas who do not apply themselves, who lack concentration, who do not renounce, who do not abstain, and who do not strive to become learned are not ordained within the teachings of the thus-gone ones.

“Maitreya, what distinguishes the teachings of the thus-gone ones is concentration and renunciation, gathering wisdom, steadily abiding in wisdom, and diligence, rather than doing the work of householders and performing administrative duties. Administrative duties corrupt you through association with unsavory characters, with those who like impulsive thinking, and with mundane affairs, and so bodhisattvas must develop no fondness for them. Maitreya, if bodhisattvas busy themselves with administrative duties—even if they were to fill this billionfold world system with stūpas constructed from the seven types of precious substances—it would not please me, nor would it honor or respect me. On the other hand, Maitreya, if bodhisattvas were to do nothing more than retain, carry, read, understand, or bear in mind a single stanza of four lines of verse conveying the perfections, then that would be respectful to me, a service, an act of honor, and an act of worship.

“Why is that? Maitreya, it is because the awakening of the thus-gone ones springs from great learning, and not from holding on to material things. Maitreya, if bodhisattvas devote themselves to administrative duties, and by performing those duties, damage the efforts of other bodhisattvas to teach and recite scripture, their desire for merit will result in the generation of an enormous heap of nonvirtue, [F.150.b] and they will be gripped by karmic obscurations. Why is that the case? Well, the three things that are the bases for producing merit all arise from insight. Therefore, Maitreya, bodhisattvas who are engaged in administrative duties must not create an obstacle to those bodhisattvas who are diligent in teaching and reciting scripture.

“All those administrators who are engaged in administrative work here in Jambudvīpa must honor and serve a single bodhisattva dedicated to the teaching and recitation of scripture. And all bodhisattvas dedicated to the teaching and recitation of scripture here in Jambudvīpa must honor and serve a single bodhisattva dedicated to inner absorption. If they do so, the thus-gone ones will rejoice and approve, and their veneration will have been properly performed. Those who trust in those who possess insight will generate an infinite amount of merit by honoring and respecting them. If you ask why that is so, well, it is because the work of insight is the most challenging, it is paramount, it is the highest, and it is more exceptional and exalted than anything else in the threefold world.

“Maitreya, that being so, bodhisattvas who wish to apply themselves with dedicated effort and to exercise diligence must vigorously train in insight and pursue their training in insight.”

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, now that you have explained how to observe the drawbacks of bodhisattvas liking frivolous entertainment and activity, would the Blessed One next explain how to observe the drawbacks of bodhisattvas liking pointless speculation? [F.151.a] What are the things that bodhisattvas should examine, if they are to remain peaceful and not engage in disputes?”

The Blessed One said, “Maitreya, to summarize, there are twenty shortcomings of bodhisattvas liking pointless speculation that must be examined. Expanding on them, the Thus-Gone One has taught that they are limitless, and so there is no end to them at all. What are the twenty? Maitreya, bodhisattvas who like pointless speculation (1) experience a great deal of suffering and unhappiness in this very life, (2) their patience deteriorates, (3) their opponents rejoice in that, (4) Māra, too, takes great satisfaction in that, (5) Māra’s company delights in that as well, (6) virtuous qualities that have not yet arisen in them do not arise, (7) those that have arisen disappear, (8) disputes, grudges, arguments, and conflicts increase, (9) those disputes, arguments, and conflicts actively create the karma that leads to rebirth in the lower realms, (10) they are bound to a course of sheer recklessness, (11) their tongue faculties will be crude, (12) they do not properly retain Dharma transmissions they have previously received, (13) their ears never hear the transmitted discourses they have not previously received, (14) they abandon all their virtuous friends, (15) they quickly make bad friends, (16) the hardships they undergo evoke revulsion, (17) they hear an uninterrupted flow of unpleasant words, (18) no matter where they are reborn, they become doubtful, (19) in those lives, they draw nearer to the eight states lacking leisure, and (20) when they dedicate themselves in a positive direction, they always encounter obstacles. Maitreya, those twenty are a summary of the shortcomings of liking pointless speculation. [F.151.b] They should be avoided.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the Blessed One, [F.152.b] “Blessed One, what the Thus-Gone One has conveyed thus far about defilements has been expressed very well—it is wonderful! Blessed One, will it be the case, during the final half-millennium, that having heard sublime words like these, bodhisattvas will become despondent and abandon afflictive conduct as well?”

The Blessed One answered, “Maitreya, if individuals of the Bodhisattva Vehicle in the final half-millennium hear these types of sublime words, those who become despondent and abandon afflictive conduct will be very few.

“Maitreya, those whose temperaments are marked by arrogance, disrespect, lasting pride, and perpetual, shared doubt will be in the majority. They will neither receive scriptural transmission of the profound discourses spoken by the Thus-Gone One, which are rich in benefits and qualities, nor will they recite them, hold them, or comprehend them. The magnitude of their karmic obscurations will prevent them from realizing those qualities and those benefits.

“They will have no faith, and so they will come to doubt those discourses; and later they will neither receive transmission of them, nor retain them, nor comprehend them.27

“Before them will appear evil māras in the guise of monks who will tell them, ‘These discourses are spurious and are not, in fact, what the Thus-Gone One said.’ And if they ask why that is the case, they will answer, ‘Because you have not produced the qualities and benefits that are explained in these discourses by studying them, and indeed, you entirely lack them.’ And this will subvert their motivation.

“As a result of this subversion, they will not be interested in the profound discourses and will be doubtful, and so they will not receive their scriptural transmissions, and will not recite them. If these fools hear about the qualities and benefits of these teachings, it will never enter their minds that they will be unable to purify the ripening of karma that results from their abandonment of the Dharma.”

The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then asked the Blessed One, [F.153.a] “Blessed One, among the many qualities of the Thus-Gone One Amitāyus that the Thus-Gone One has explained, it was mentioned that if one applies one’s mind to the cultivation of certain positive attitudes, and brings to mind the Thus-Gone One Amitāyus himself, one will take rebirth in his buddha realm. Blessed One, since that is so, what are those positive attitudes?”

The Blessed One answered the bodhisattva great being Maitreya in the following way: “Maitreya, the positive attitudes that result in rebirth in Sukhāvatī, the buddha realm of the Thus-Gone One Amitāyus, are not attitudes generated by childish beings. They are not attitudes generated by anyone other than holy beings. They are not attitudes generated by a defiled mind.

“Maitreya, there are ten of these positive attitudes to be generated. What are they? Maitreya, I shall put it this way: (1) By harboring resentment toward the conduct of any sentient being, one will be incapable of taking rebirth in the buddha realm of the Thus-Gone One Amitāyus, and so one needs to generate the positive attitude of loving kindness toward all beings. (2) One must rid oneself of all enmity and generate the positive attitude of compassion for all beings. (3) Without concern for life and limb, one must generate the determination to preserve the sacred Dharma. (4) Through certainty in profound patience, one must develop the attitude of strong dedication to the sacred Dharma. (5) Through not being stained by gain and respect, one must generate the attitude of pure intention. (6) Through perfect recall, one generates the attitude of regarding omniscience as extremely precious. (7) By being dauntless, one generates the attitude of respecting all beings just like gurus. [F.153.b] (8) Through confidence in the branches of awakening, one develops the attitude of not being satisfied with the taste of mere short-lived meditative concentration. (9) Through non-adulteration, one generates the attitude of a great assortment of virtuous roots. (10) Abandoning characterizations, one develops the attitude of meditating upon recollection of the Buddha.

“Maitreya, these are the ten positive attitudes. If one develops any of these ten attitudes, no matter which ones they may be, once one has generated and thus possesses those positive attitudes, there is no chance that one will not be reborn in that buddha realm.”

The venerable Ānanda then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, this account of the Dharma, which arouses determination, is truly incredible—how wonderful it is indeed!”

The Blessed One voiced his approval to venerable Ānanda, saying, “Ānanda, excellent, excellent! For that reason, Ānanda, may you retain this account of the Dharma called ‘Inspiring Determination.’ ”

After the Blessed One made this pronouncement, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, the other bodhisattvas who were present, the venerable Ānanda, and the devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced in and extolled what the Blessed One had said.