OF PIETY
He who, after my complete extinction, shall keep this Dharmaparyaya, read, promulgate, or write it, he, I repeat, Ajita, need not build Stupas of relics, nor worship the congregation; not necessary to tell, Ajita, that the young man or young lady of good family who, keeping this Dharmaparyaya, shall crown it by charity in alms, morality, forbearance, energy, meditation, or wisdom, will produce a much greater accumulation of merit; it is, in fact, immense, incalculable, infinite. Just as the element of ether, Ajita, is boundless, to the east, south, west, north, beneath, above, and in the intermediate quarters, so immense and incalculable an accumulation of merit, conducive to Buddha-knowledge, will be produced by a young man or young lady of good family who shall keep, read, write, or cause to be written, this Dharmaparyaya. He will be zealous in worshipping the Tathagata shrines; he will laud the disciples of the Tathagata, praise the hundred thousands of myriads of koṭis of virtues of the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas, and expound them to others; he will be accomplished in forbearance, be moral, of good character, agreeable to live with, and tolerant, modest, not jealous of others, not wrathful, not vicious in mind, of good memory, strenuous and always busy, devoted to meditation in striving after the state of a Buddha, attaching great value to abstract meditation, frequently engaging in abstract meditation, able in solving questions and in avoiding hundred thousands of myriads of koṭis of questions. Any Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Ajita, who, after the Tathagata's complete extinction, shall keep this Dharmaparyaya, will have the good qualities I have described. Such a young man or young lady of good family, Ajita, must be considered to make for the terrace of enlightenment; that young man or young lady of good family steps towards the foot of the tree of enlightenment in order to reach enlightenment. And where that young man or young lady of good family, Ajita, stands, sits, or walks, there one should make a shrine dedicated to the Tathagata, and the world, including the gods, should say: This is a Stupa of relics of the Tathagata.
He who, after my complete extinction, shall keep this Dharmaparyaya, read, promulgate, or write it, he, I repeat, Ajita, need not build Stupas of relics, nor worship the congregation; not necessary to tell, Ajita, that the young man or young lady of good family who, keeping this Dharmaparyaya, shall crown it by charity in alms, morality, forbearance, energy, meditation, or wisdom, will produce a much greater accumulation of merit; it is, in fact, immense, incalculable, infinite. Just as the element of ether, Ajita, is boundless, to the east, south, west, north, beneath, above, and in the intermediate quarters, so immense and incalculable an accumulation of merit, conducive to Buddha-knowledge, will be produced by a young man or young lady of good family who shall keep, read, write, or cause to be written, this Dharmaparyaya. He will be zealous in worshipping the Tathagata shrines; he will laud the disciples of the Tathagata, praise the hundred thousands of myriads of koṭis of virtues of the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas, and expound them to others; he will be accomplished in forbearance, be moral, of good character, agreeable to live with, and tolerant, modest, not jealous of others, not wrathful, not vicious in mind, of good memory, strenuous and always busy, devoted to meditation in striving after the state of a Buddha, attaching great value to abstract meditation, frequently engaging in abstract meditation, able in solving questions and in avoiding hundred thousands of myriads of koṭis of questions. Any Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Ajita, who, after the Tathagata's complete extinction, shall keep this Dharmaparyaya, will have the good qualities I have described. Such a young man or young lady of good family, Ajita, must be considered to make for the terrace of enlightenment; that young man or young lady of good family steps towards the foot of the tree of enlightenment in order to reach enlightenment. And where that young man or young lady of good family, Ajita, stands, sits, or walks, there one should make a shrine dedicated to the Tathagata, and the world, including the gods, should say: This is a Stupa of relics of the Tathagata.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
37. An immense mass of merit, as I have repeatedly mentioned, shall be his who, after the complete extinction of the Leader of men, shall keep this Sutra.
38. He will have paid worship to me, and built Stupas of relics, made of precious substances, variegated, beautiful, and splendid;
39. In height coming up to the Brahma-world, with rows of umbrellas, great in circumference, gorgeous, and decorated with triumphal streamers;
40. Resounding with the clear ring of bells, and decorated with silk bands, while jingles moved by the wind form another ornament at (the shrines of) Jina, relics.
41. He will have shown great honour to them by flowers, perfumes, and ointments; by music, clothes, and the repeated sound of tymbals.
42. He will have sweet musical instruments struck at those relics, and lamps with scented oil kept burning all around.
43. He who at the period of depravation shall keep and teach this Sutra, he will have paid me such an infinitely varied worship.
44. He has built many kotis of excellent monasteries of sandal-wood, with thirty-two pinnacles, and eight terraces high;
45. Provided with couches, with food hard and soft; furnished with excellent curtains, and having cells by thousands.
46. He has given hermitages and walks embellished by flower-gardens; many elegant objects of various forms and variegated.
37. An immense mass of merit, as I have repeatedly mentioned, shall be his who, after the complete extinction of the Leader of men, shall keep this Sutra.
38. He will have paid worship to me, and built Stupas of relics, made of precious substances, variegated, beautiful, and splendid;
39. In height coming up to the Brahma-world, with rows of umbrellas, great in circumference, gorgeous, and decorated with triumphal streamers;
40. Resounding with the clear ring of bells, and decorated with silk bands, while jingles moved by the wind form another ornament at (the shrines of) Jina, relics.
41. He will have shown great honour to them by flowers, perfumes, and ointments; by music, clothes, and the repeated sound of tymbals.
42. He will have sweet musical instruments struck at those relics, and lamps with scented oil kept burning all around.
43. He who at the period of depravation shall keep and teach this Sutra, he will have paid me such an infinitely varied worship.
44. He has built many kotis of excellent monasteries of sandal-wood, with thirty-two pinnacles, and eight terraces high;
45. Provided with couches, with food hard and soft; furnished with excellent curtains, and having cells by thousands.
46. He has given hermitages and walks embellished by flower-gardens; many elegant objects of various forms and variegated.
47. He has shown manifold worship to the host of disciples in my presence, he who, after my extinction, shall keep this Sutra.
48. Let one be ever so good in disposition, much greater merit will he obtain who shall keep or write this Sutra.
49. Let a man cause this to be written and have it well put together in a volume; let him always worship the volume with flowers, garlands, ointments.
50. Let him constantly place near it a lamp filled with scented oil, along with full-blown lotuses and suitable oblations of Michelia Champaka.
51. The man who pays such worship to the books will produce a mass of merit which is not to be measured.
52. Even as there is no measure of the element of ether, in none of the ten directions, so there is no measure of this mass of merit.
53. How much more will this be the case with one who is patient, meek, devoted, moral, studious, and addicted to meditation;
54. Who is not irascible, not treacherous, reverential towards the sanctuary, always humble towards monks, not conceited, nor neglectful;
55. Sensible and wise, not angry when he is asked a question; who, full of compassion for living beings, gives such instruction as suits them.
56. If there be such a man who at the same time keeps this Sutra, he will possess a mass of merit that cannot be measured.
48. Let one be ever so good in disposition, much greater merit will he obtain who shall keep or write this Sutra.
49. Let a man cause this to be written and have it well put together in a volume; let him always worship the volume with flowers, garlands, ointments.
50. Let him constantly place near it a lamp filled with scented oil, along with full-blown lotuses and suitable oblations of Michelia Champaka.
51. The man who pays such worship to the books will produce a mass of merit which is not to be measured.
52. Even as there is no measure of the element of ether, in none of the ten directions, so there is no measure of this mass of merit.
53. How much more will this be the case with one who is patient, meek, devoted, moral, studious, and addicted to meditation;
54. Who is not irascible, not treacherous, reverential towards the sanctuary, always humble towards monks, not conceited, nor neglectful;
55. Sensible and wise, not angry when he is asked a question; who, full of compassion for living beings, gives such instruction as suits them.
56. If there be such a man who at the same time keeps this Sutra, he will possess a mass of merit that cannot be measured.
57. If one meets such a man as here described, a keeper of this Sutra, one should do homage to him.
58. One should present him with divine flowers, cover him with divine clothes, and bow the head to salute his feet, in the conviction of his being a Tathagata.
59. And at the sight of such a man one may directly make the reflection that he is going towards the foot of the tree to arrive at superior, blessed enlightenment for the weal of all the world, including the gods.
60. And wherever such a sage is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down; wherever the hero pronounces were it but a single stanza from this Sutra;
61. There one should build a Stupa for the most high of men, a splendid, beautiful Stupa, dedicated to the Lord Buddha, the Chief, and then worship it in manifold ways.
62. That spot of the earth has been enjoyed by myself; there have I walked myself, and there have I been sitting; where that son of Buddha has stayed, there I am.
58. One should present him with divine flowers, cover him with divine clothes, and bow the head to salute his feet, in the conviction of his being a Tathagata.
59. And at the sight of such a man one may directly make the reflection that he is going towards the foot of the tree to arrive at superior, blessed enlightenment for the weal of all the world, including the gods.
60. And wherever such a sage is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down; wherever the hero pronounces were it but a single stanza from this Sutra;
61. There one should build a Stupa for the most high of men, a splendid, beautiful Stupa, dedicated to the Lord Buddha, the Chief, and then worship it in manifold ways.
62. That spot of the earth has been enjoyed by myself; there have I walked myself, and there have I been sitting; where that son of Buddha has stayed, there I am.