Excerpted from The Joy of Generating Resolve
The Twenty-Fifth (Part One) Chapter of Sutra of Greatest Treasure
Advised by Bennie Spirit, the Advisor of Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated
Translated from Chinese into English by Gemini,
Edited by Enid (HE, YUPING)
Thus have I heard:
At one time, the Buddha was in the Deer Park at the dwelling place of the immortals in Varanasi, together with a great assembly of fully ordained monks, numbering one thousand. There were also five hundred bodhisattvas in the assembly, of whom many had deep karmic obstructions. Their faculties were dull and obscured, their wholesome deeds few; they like to surround themselves with chaos, talking about worldly affairs and indulging in sleep; they engaged in much frivolous talk and busied themselves with various affairs. They were attached to various inappropriate things but lost right mindfulness so that they cultivated wrong wisdom; their inferior diligence led to deluded conduct.
At that time, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya was in the assembly. Seeing these bodhisattvas possessing such unwholesome conduct, he thought to himself: “These bodhisattvas have all regressed from the path to the complete attainment of unsurpassed Bodhi. Now I will cause these bodhisattvas to awaken, to understand, and to generate joyful minds.” Having thought this, he arose from his meditation in the late afternoon, went to where they were, and together they exchanged greetings. Then, with various gentle words, he taught them the essential Dharma, causing them to rejoice. He then addressed them, saying: “Noble ones! How can you grow and not regress on the path to the complete attainment of unsurpassed Bodhi?”
Those bodhisattvas replied in unison: “Venerable one! We are now no longer growing but only regressing on the path to the complete attainment of unsurpassed Bodhi. Why is that? Our minds are constantly covered by doubt, and we cannot understand unsurpassed Bodhi. How can we become Buddhas? Shall we not become Buddhas? We also cannot understand the laws of going downfall. Shall we go downfall? Shall we not go downfall? Because of this, when wholesome dharmas are about to arise, they are constantly entangled and covered by doubt.”
At that time, Bodhisattva Maitreya said to them: “Noble ones! Let us go together to the Tathagata, the Arhat, Perfect in Knowledge. For that Tathagata, the one who knows everything, who is fully endowed with unobstructed wisdom, liberation, and knowledge, through skilful means well knows the conduct of all beings. He will preach the Dharma to you according to your respective capacities.”
At that time, sixty bodhisattvas from the five hundred in the assembly went with Bodhisattva Maitreya to where the Buddha was. They prostrated themselves with whole body touching the ground, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and were so overcome with sorrow that they could not rise. Bodhisattva Maitreya, having paid his respects, withdrew and sat to one side.
At that time, the Buddha said to those bodhisattvas: “Wholesome men! You should rise, do not grieve and generate great distress any longer. In the past, you created evil karma. With joyful hearts, you scolded, reviled, obstructed, and harmed living beings. Following your own discriminations, you could not understand the differences in karmic retribution. Therefore, you are now entangled and covered by karmic obstructions, and you cannot cultivate Wholesome Deeds.”
When those bodhisattvas heard these words, they rose from the ground, bared their right shoulders, knelt on their right knees, joined their palms respectfully, and said to the Buddha: “Excellent, World-Honoured One! We beg that you will explain these karmic obstructions to us. Knowing our offenses, we will discipline ourselves. From this day onward, we dare not act in such ways again.”
At that time, the Buddha said to those bodhisattvas: “Wholesome men! In the past, you were ordained and practiced the Way in the Dharma of the Tathagata Krakucchanda. Relying on your extensive learning and upholding pure precepts, you constantly harboured pride and arrogance. Furthermore, you practiced asceticism and were content with little, but you became attached to these merits. At that time, there were two Dharma-preaching monks who had many followers, were renowned and had many offerings. With miserly and jealous minds, you falsely slandered these two, accusing them of engaging in sexual misconduct. The followers and devotees of those two Dharma teachers, being alienated by you and hearing your serious accusations, all became doubtful and did not believe them. Those beings lost their inclination towards those Dharma monks and severed their roots of goodness.
Therefore, due to these evil deeds, you have already been born in the Avici Hell for sixty hundred thousand years. Your remaining karma has caused you to be born in the Samghata Hell for another forty hundred thousand years. Your remaining karma has caused you to be born in the Kalasutra Hell for another twenty hundred thousand years. Your remaining karma has caused you to be born in the Tapana Hell for another sixty hundred thousand years. Having died from there, you were reborn as humans, and for five hundred lifetimes you were born blind and without sight. Due to the remaining karma, in every life you were often dull and foolish; you forgot right mindfulness; your roots of goodness were obstructed and covered, your blessings few, and your appearance ugly and deficient. People did not like to see you; they slandered, belittled, mocked, and despised you. You were constantly born in the regions without Buddha Teachings, poor and inferior, you lost your wealth and had difficulty in sustaining your lives, and you were not respected or loved by the multitude. Having died from there, in the last five hundred years of the future age when the Dharma is about to perish, you will again be born in the regions without Buddha Teachings, in inferior families, suffering from poverty and hunger, being slandered by others, forgetting right mindfulness, and not cultivating Wholesome Deeds. Once desiring for cultivating Wholesome Deeds, your desire will be blocked by various difficulties. Even if you temporarily generate the light of wisdom, it will immediately vanish again due to your karmic obstructions. After those five hundred years, these karmic obstructions of yours will then be extinguished, and afterwards you will be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitabha Buddha. At that time, that Buddha will bestow upon you the prediction of Highest Complete Enlightenment.”
References:
節選發勝志樂會
大寶積經第二十五之一
如是我聞：
一時佛在波[A1]羅㮈城仙人住處施鹿苑中，與大比丘眾滿足千人，復有五百諸菩薩眾。是時眾中多有菩薩，業障深重諸根闇鈍，善法微少好於憒閙，談說世事耽樂睡眠，多諸戲論廣營眾務，種種貪著為所不應，[A2]忘失正念修習邪慧，下劣精勤行迷惑行。
爾時彌勒菩薩摩訶薩在於會中，見諸菩薩具足如是不善諸行，作是念言：「此諸菩薩於無上菩提圓滿道分皆已退轉，我今當令是諸菩薩覺悟開曉生歡喜心。」作是念已，即於晡時從禪定起，往[7]到其所共相慰問，復以種種柔軟言詞為說法要令其歡喜。因告之曰：「諸仁者！云何汝等於無上菩提圓滿道分而得增長不退轉耶？」
是諸菩薩同聲白言：「尊者！我等今於無上菩提圓滿道分，無復增長唯有退轉。何以故？我心常為疑惑所覆，於無上菩提不能解了。云何我等當作佛耶？不作佛耶？於墮落法亦不能了。云何我等當墮落耶？不墮落耶。以是因緣善法欲生，[8]常為疑惑之所纏覆。」
爾時彌勒菩薩而告之曰：「諸仁者！可共往詣如來、應供、正遍知所。而彼如來，一切知者、一切見者，具足成就無障礙智解脫知見，以方便力善知一切眾生所行。當為汝等[9]隨其根性種種說法。」
是時五百眾中有六十菩薩，與彌勒菩薩[10]往詣佛所，五體投地頂禮佛足，悲感流淚不能自起。彌勒菩薩修敬已畢退坐一面。
爾時佛告諸菩薩言：「善男子！汝等應起，勿復悲號生大熱惱。汝於往昔造作惡業，於諸眾生以暢悅心瞋罵毀辱障惱損害，隨自分別，不能了知業報差別。是故汝等今為業障之所纏覆，於諸善法不能修行。」
時諸菩薩聞是語已從地而起，偏袒右肩右膝著地，合掌恭敬而白佛言：「善哉世尊！願為我等說此業障。我等知罪當自調伏，我從今日更不敢作。」
爾時佛告諸菩薩言：「善男子！汝曾往昔於俱留孫如來法中出家為道，自恃多聞修持淨戒，常懷憍慢傲逸之心。又行頭陀少欲知足，於是功德復生執著。爾時有二說法比丘，多諸親友名聞利養。汝於是人以慳嫉心，妄言誹謗行[1]婬欲事。是時法師親友眷屬，由汝離間說其重過，皆令疑惑不生信受，彼諸眾生於是法師無隨順心斷諸善根。
是故汝等由斯惡業，已於六十百千歲中生阿鼻地獄。餘業未盡，復於四十百千歲中生等活地獄。餘業未盡，復於二十百千歲中生黑繩地獄。餘業未盡，復於六十百千歲中生燒熱地獄。從彼歿已還得為人，五百世中生盲無目。以殘業故，在在所生常多[2]蒙鈍，忘失正念障覆善根，福德微少形容醜缺。人不憙見，誹謗輕賤戲弄欺嫌。常生邊地貧窮下劣，喪失財寶資生艱難，不為眾人尊重敬愛。從此歿已，於後末世五百歲中法欲滅時，還於邊地下劣家生，匱乏飢凍為人誹謗，忘失正念不修善法，設欲修行多諸留難。雖暫發起智慧光明，以業障故尋復還沒。汝等從彼五百歲後，是諸業障爾乃消滅，於後得生阿彌陀佛極樂世界，是時彼佛當為汝等授阿耨多羅三藐三菩提記。」