The Bodhisattva Who Vowed to Suffer Every Fate

Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, as taught within scripture, if vipaśyanā alone is able to destroy affliction, why, then, must śamatha also be cultivated?" The Buddha said: "Good son, to say that vipaśyanā destroys affliction is, I think, not correct. Why is this? When wisdom is present, affliction is absent; when affliction is present, wisdom is absent — how, then, can it be said that vipaśyanā is able to destroy affliction at all? Good son, it is like light and darkness: when light is present, darkness is absent, and when darkness is present, light is absent — should anyone say that light destroys darkness, this could never be so. Good son, who, exactly, possesses wisdom, and who, exactly, possesses affliction, such that one could say wisdom destroys affliction? Were there truly no such possessor at all, there would be nothing at all for it to destroy. Good son, should you say that wisdom is able to destroy affliction, does it destroy it by reaching it, or by not reaching it? If it destroys it without reaching it, then every ordinary being ought already to be able to destroy it. If it destroys it by reaching it, then this destruction ought to occur in the very first moment of thought — and, if it does not occur in the first moment, it will not occur in any later moment either. And, if it is destroyed the very instant it is reached, this is then no longer a case of 'reaching' at all — how, then, can one say that wisdom destroys it by reaching it? To say that it destroys affliction either by reaching it or by not reaching it is, I think, not correct either way. Furthermore, does vipaśyanā destroy affliction alone, by itself, or only with the aid of a companion? If it is able to destroy affliction alone, why, then, does the bodhisattva also cultivate the eightfold noble path? And, if it requires the aid of a companion, one should know that it is unable to destroy affliction alone. And, if it is unable to do so either alone or with a companion, this is exactly like a single blind man who is unable to see form — even joined by a great many other blind men, he would still be unable to see. Vipaśyanā is exactly the same."

"Good son, it is like earth's own nature to be solid, fire's own nature to be hot, water's own nature to be moist, and wind's own nature to be in motion — and this solidity, heat, moisture, and motion are not produced by any cause or condition at all, but are simply the very nature of these elements themselves. Affliction is exactly the same: its own extinction is simply its own nature. And, if this is so, how, then, can it be said that wisdom is what extinguishes it? It is for this very reason that vipaśyanā, most certainly, is not what destroys affliction at all. Good son, salt's own nature is to be salty, and it makes other things salty; honey's own nature is to be sweet, and it makes other things sweet; water's own nature is to be moist, and it makes other things moist — should you say that wisdom's own nature is to extinguish, and it thereby makes other dharmas become extinguished, this, I think, is not correct. Why is this? If a dharma has no capacity for extinction at all, how could wisdom possibly force it into extinction? And, should you say that, just as salt's saltiness makes other things salty, wisdom's own extinction likewise makes other dharmas become extinguished, this, too, is not correct. Why is this? Because wisdom's own nature perishes moment by moment — and, if it perishes moment by moment, how could it possibly extinguish any other dharma at all? It is for this very reason that wisdom's own nature does not destroy affliction. "Good son, every dharma, without exception, has two kinds of cessation: cessation by its own nature, and ultimate cessation. If it is cessation by its own nature, how, then, can it be said that wisdom brings about this cessation? Should you say that wisdom burns away affliction, exactly as fire burns an object, this, I think, is not correct. Why is this? When fire burns an object, ash and cinders remain — were wisdom truly like this, some remainder ought likewise to be left behind. When an axe fells a tree, the very mark of its cutting can be seen — were wisdom truly like this, what mark at all could possibly be seen? Should wisdom truly be able to cause affliction to depart, this very affliction ought then to reappear somewhere else — exactly as the six teachers, departing the six great cities, reappeared at Kuśinagara — and, since this affliction never reappears anywhere else at all, one should know that wisdom is not what causes it to depart. Good son, if every dharma, by its own nature, is already empty, who, then, could possibly cause anything to arise, and who could possibly cause anything to cease? Arising and ceasing are each, in their own way, without any agent who produces them at all. Good son, should one cultivate concentration, one thereby attains right knowledge and right view of exactly this kind — it is for this very reason that I teach, within my own scriptures: 'Should a monk cultivate concentration, he is thereby able to see the very mark of the five aggregates' own arising and ceasing.' Good son, without cultivating concentration, one cannot even fully grasp the affairs of the ordinary world — how much less, then, anything transcendent? Without concentration, one stumbles even on level ground; one's mind dwells on one thing while one's mouth speaks of another; one's ear hears one thing while one's mind grasps a different meaning entirely; one intends to write one character yet writes another with one's own hand; one intends to walk one road yet finds one's own body wandering down another path entirely. Should one cultivate the concentration of samādhi, one thereby gains great benefit, all the way up to unsurpassed, complete awakening."

"Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva who is fully endowed with these two dharmas — concentration, and wisdom — is able to gain great benefit. Good son, it is like cutting reed-grass: gripped tightly, it is easily severed — a bodhisattva mahāsattva's cultivation of these two dharmas is exactly the same. Good son, it is like uprooting a firmly planted tree: one first loosens it by hand, and only then is it easily drawn out — a bodhisattva's concentration and wisdom are exactly the same, first loosening through concentration, and then drawing out through wisdom. Good son, it is like washing a soiled garment: one first applies lye, and only then clean water, and the garment becomes fresh and clean — a bodhisattva's concentration and wisdom are exactly the same. Good son, it is like first reciting a text, and only afterward coming to understand its meaning — a bodhisattva's concentration and wisdom are exactly the same. Good son, it is like a brave warrior who first arms himself securely with armor and weapons, and only then goes forth to battle, able to defeat the enemy — a bodhisattva's concentration and wisdom are exactly the same. Good son, it is like a skilled craftsman who holds gold with tongs over a crucible, freely stirring and melting it at will — a bodhisattva's concentration and wisdom are exactly the same. Good son, it is like a bright mirror that clearly reflects a face — a bodhisattva's concentration and wisdom are exactly the same. Good son, it is like leveling the ground before planting a seed, or first receiving instruction from a teacher before reflecting on its meaning — a bodhisattva's concentration and wisdom are exactly the same. It is for this very reason that a bodhisattva mahāsattva's cultivation of these two dharmas is able to yield great benefit. "Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva who cultivates these two dharmas thereby tames and governs his own five sense-faculties, able to endure every kind of suffering — hunger, thirst, cold, heat, beating, abuse, the bites of fierce beasts, the stings of mosquitoes and gadflies — forever governing his own mind so that it never grows heedless, never acting against the Dharma for the sake of personal gain, never stained by any adventitious affliction, never deceived by any wrong or heterodox view, forever able to depart from every evil thought and reflection, and, before long, accomplishing unsurpassed, complete awakening, for the sake of benefiting every being. Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva who cultivates these two dharmas cannot be shaken by the raging wind of the four inversions, exactly as Mount Sumeru, though buffeted by the four winds, cannot be made to move at all; he cannot be uprooted by any heterodox teacher, exactly as Indra's own banner cannot be dislodged; he cannot be deceived by any wrong or heterodox art; he forever receives the most subtle, supreme happiness; he is able to understand the Tathāgata's own profound, secret meaning; he feels no elation upon receiving happiness, nor any sorrow upon meeting with suffering; he is honored and praised by every god and every person in the world; he clearly sees both birth-and-death and what is not birth-and-death; he is well able to understand the Dharma-realm and the Dharma-nature; and his own body possesses the dharma of permanence, bliss, self, and purity — this is what is named the bliss of the great nirvāṇa. "Good son, the mark of concentration is named the emptiness samādhi; the mark of wisdom is named the wishlessness samādhi; and the mark of equanimity is named the signlessness samādhi. Good son, should a bodhisattva mahāsattva be well able to know the proper time for concentration, the proper time for wisdom, the proper time for equanimity, and the proper time for none of these, this is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who truly practices the path to bodhi."

Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, how does a bodhisattva know the proper time and the improper time?" "Good son, should a bodhisattva give rise to great arrogance on account of receiving happiness, or on account of teaching the Dharma, or on account of diligent exertion, or on account of skillfully understanding meaning in questions and answers, or on account of drawing close to evil companions, or on account of some cherished object he has given away, or on account of some worldly wholesome dharma or merit, or on account of being honored by some wealthy or noble person in the world — know that, at exactly such a time, it is not fitting to cultivate wisdom, but fitting instead to cultivate concentration; this is named a bodhisattva who knows the proper time and the improper time. Should a bodhisattva, diligently cultivating exertion, fail to attain the benefit and bliss of nirvāṇa, and, because of this failure, give rise to a mind of regret; or, because of dull faculties, be unable to tame his own five sense-faculties; or, because the power of every defiling affliction is strong within him; or, doubting himself, suspect that his own moral discipline has grown weak — know that, at exactly such a time, it is not fitting to cultivate concentration, but fitting instead to cultivate wisdom; this, too, is named a bodhisattva who knows the proper time and the improper time. Good son, should a bodhisattva's own concentration and wisdom be unequal to one another, know that, at exactly such a time, it is not fitting to cultivate equanimity — only once these two dharmas are equal is it fitting to cultivate it; this, too, is named a bodhisattva who knows the proper time and the improper time. Good son, should a bodhisattva, in cultivating concentration and wisdom, give rise to affliction, know that, at exactly such a time, it is not fitting to cultivate equanimity, but fitting instead to recite, copy out, and expound the twelve divisions of scripture. Being mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, mindful of the Saṅgha, mindful of the precepts, mindful of the heavens, and mindful of relinquishment — this is named the cultivation of equanimity. Good son, should a bodhisattva cultivate these three marks in exactly this way, it is through this very cause and condition that he attains the signless nirvāṇa."

Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, nirvāṇa is named the great nirvāṇa because it is without the ten marks — and, being 'signless,' by what further cause and condition is it also named the unborn, the unemergent, the unproduced, a dwelling, an island, a refuge, tranquility, final extinction, nirvāṇa itself, stillness, the absence of every sickness and suffering, and having nothing at all?" The Buddha said: "Good son, because it is without any cause or condition, it is named the unborn. Because it is unconditioned, it is named the unemergent. Because it produces no karmic action at all, it is named the unproduced. Because it does not fall into any of the five views, it is named a dwelling. Because it has departed from the four raging torrents, it is named an island. Because it tames every being, it is named a refuge. Because it destroys the bandit of every fetter, it is named tranquility. Because the fire of every fetter is extinguished within it, it is named final extinction. Because it is free of every thought and reflection, it is named nirvāṇa. Because it is far from every clamor, it is named stillness. Because it has forever severed certain death, it is named the absence of sickness. And because everything at all is absent within it, it is named having nothing at all. Good son, should a bodhisattva mahāsattva contemplate in exactly this way, he thereby attains a clear seeing of buddha-nature."

Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, having accomplished how many dharmas is a bodhisattva mahāsattva able to see this very signless nirvāṇa, all the way to its having nothing at all?" The Buddha said: "Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva who has accomplished ten dharmas is thereby able to see nirvāṇa clearly, from its signlessness all the way to its having nothing at all. What are these ten? First, the full completion of faith. What, exactly, is meant by the full completion of faith? Deeply believing that the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha are permanent; that every buddha of the ten directions manifests only through skillful means; and that every being, including the icchantika, without exception, possesses buddha-nature; while not believing that the Tathāgata truly undergoes birth, old age, sickness, and death, or truly cultivates austerities; that Devadatta truly split the Saṅgha and truly drew the Buddha's own blood; or that the Tathāgata, in the end, truly enters nirvāṇa and that the true Dharma is truly extinguished entirely — this is named a bodhisattva's full completion of faith. "Second, the full completion of pure precepts. What, exactly, is meant by the full completion of pure precepts? Good son, should a bodhisattva claim for himself that his own precepts are pure, and yet, though he does not physically unite with a woman, still give rise, upon seeing a woman, to teasing words or playful laughter — a bodhisattva of this kind has already accomplished the dharma of desire, has already violated his own pure precepts, has already defiled his own pure conduct, and has already made his own precepts impure and cannot be named one who has fully completed pure precepts. There is, further, a bodhisattva who claims for himself that his own precepts are pure, and, though he neither physically unites with a woman nor teases or jests with her, still, hearing from behind a wall the various sounds of a woman's own jeweled ornaments and bracelets from a distance, gives rise to a mind of attachment and love — a bodhisattva of this kind, likewise, has already accomplished the dharma of desire, and cannot be named one who has fully completed pure precepts. There is, further, a bodhisattva who claims for himself that his own precepts are pure, and, though he neither unites with a woman, nor teases her, nor listens to her voice, still, upon seeing a man pursuing a woman, or a woman pursuing a man, gives rise to craving and attachment — a bodhisattva of this kind, likewise, has already accomplished the dharma of desire, and cannot be named one who has fully completed pure precepts. There is, further, a bodhisattva who claims for himself that his own precepts are pure, and, though he does none of the above at all, still upholds the precepts for the sake of being reborn in heaven and receiving the pleasure of the five desires there — a bodhisattva of this kind, likewise, has already accomplished the dharma of desire, and cannot be named one who has fully completed pure precepts. Good son, should a bodhisattva purely uphold the precepts, and yet do so neither for the sake of the precepts themselves, nor for the perfection of moral discipline, nor for the sake of beings, nor for the sake of personal gain, nor for the sake of bodhi, nor for the sake of nirvāṇa, nor for the sake of becoming a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha, but solely for the sake of the supreme, ultimate truth alone — good son, this is named a bodhisattva's full completion of pure precepts. "Third, drawing close to every good friend. A good friend is one who is able to teach faith, precept-keeping, extensive learning, giving, and wisdom, causing others to receive and practice them — this is named a bodhisattva's good friend. "Fourth, delighting in tranquility. Tranquility means tranquility of body and mind — contemplating the profound Dharma-realm of every dharma is named tranquility. "Fifth, diligence. Diligence means fixing the mind upon the contemplation of the four noble truths, and, even should one's own head catch fire, never once relinquishing this effort — this is named diligence. "Sixth, the full completion of mindfulness. The full completion of mindfulness means being mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, mindful of the Saṅgha, mindful of the precepts, mindful of the heavens, and mindful of relinquishment — this is named the full completion of mindfulness. "Seventh, gentle speech. Gentle speech means truthful speech, excellent speech, speech that greets another before being asked, speech given at the right time, and genuine speech — this is named gentle speech. "Eighth, protecting the Dharma. Protecting the Dharma means cherishing and delighting in the true Dharma, forever delighting in expounding it, reciting it, copying it out, reflecting on its meaning, and broadly proclaiming and spreading it abroad; and, upon seeing anyone who copies it out, expounds it, recites it, praises it, or reflects upon its meaning, providing him with what he needs to live, namely robes, food and drink, bedding, and medicine, and, for the sake of protecting the Dharma, never sparing even one's own body or life — this is named protecting the Dharma. "Ninth, a bodhisattva mahāsattva who, seeing a fellow student or fellow precept-holder in some want or lack, goes and begs on his behalf from others, provides him with bowl and robe, and supplies him with whatever he needs in tending the sick — clothing, food and drink, bedding, and lodging. "Tenth, the full completion of wisdom. Wisdom means contemplating the Tathāgata's own permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and that every being, without exception, possesses buddha-nature; contemplating the two aspects of every dharma — namely, empty and not-empty, permanent and impermanent, blissful and not blissful, self and not-self, pure and impure; that some dharmas can be severed while others cannot; that some dharmas arise from conditions while others are seen through conditions; and that some dharmas are the fruit of conditions while others are not the fruit of conditions — this is named the full completion of wisdom. Good son, this is named a bodhisattva's full completion of these ten dharmas, by which he is thereby able to see nirvāṇa's own signlessness with complete clarity."

Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, as the Buddha earlier told Cunda: 'You have now already attained the seeing of buddha-nature, attained the great nirvāṇa, and accomplished unsurpassed, complete awakening' — what, exactly, does this mean? World-Honored One, as taught within scripture, giving to an animal yields a hundredfold reward; giving to an icchantika yields a thousandfold reward; giving to one who upholds the precepts yields a reward a hundred thousand times greater; giving to a non-Buddhist practitioner who has severed affliction yields an immeasurable reward; offering to one on any of the four paths or in any of the four fruits, all the way up to the pratyekabuddha, yields an immeasurable reward; and giving to a non-retrogressing bodhisattva, to a great bodhisattva in his very last body, or to the Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, yields a blessed reward that is immeasurable, boundless, beyond calculation, and inconceivable. If the great being Cunda is to receive a reward of exactly this kind, this reward could never be exhausted at all — when, then, could he possibly attain unsurpassed, complete awakening? World-Honored One, scripture further teaches that, should a person perform a wholesome or unwholesome action with a weighty, deliberate mind, he must certainly receive its fruit — whether in this very life, in his next life, or in some life thereafter. Cunda performed his own wholesome action with just such a weighty, deliberate mind — one should therefore know that this very action must certainly bear its own fruit. And, if he must certainly receive this fruit, how, then, could he possibly attain unsurpassed, complete awakening? How, then, could he possibly attain the seeing of buddha-nature at all? World-Honored One, scripture further teaches that giving to three kinds of person yields an inexhaustible fruit: the sick, one's own parents, and the Tathāgata. World-Honored One, scripture further teaches: 'The Buddha said to Ānanda: "Should any being be entirely without karma belonging to the desire realm, he thereby attains unsurpassed, complete awakening — and karma belonging to the form realm and the formless realm is exactly the same."' World-Honored One, as the Dharmapada itself says in verse: 'Not in empty space, not in the midst of the ocean, not entering into a mountain crevice — there exists no place at all where one might escape and not receive the fruit of one's own karma.' And Aniruddha himself has said: 'World-Honored One, I recall that, in ages past, through the single gift of a single meal, I did not fall into the three evil destinies for eighty thousand kalpas.' World-Honored One, if the gift of a single meal already yields a reward such as this, how much more, then, would Cunda's own faithful gift to the Buddha himself, fully accomplishing the entire perfection of giving? World-Honored One, if a wholesome fruit of reward can never be exhausted, how, then, could the crime of slandering the Vaipulya scriptures, committing the five heinous crimes, violating the four gravest precepts, or being an icchantika, ever possibly be exhausted either? And, if it cannot be exhausted, how, then, could one possibly attain the seeing of buddha-nature, or accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening at all?"

The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent! Good son, only two kinds of person are able to attain merit that is immeasurable, boundless, beyond calculation, and beyond words — able to exhaust the raging river of birth-and-death's own current, to subdue Māra's every hostile force and topple his very banner of victory, and to turn the Tathāgata's own unsurpassed wheel of the Dharma: one who asks well, and one who answers well. Good son, among the Tathāgata's own ten powers, the power concerning karma is the most profound of all. Good son, there are beings who, with regard to the workings of karma, hold it lightly and do not believe in it at all — and it is for the sake of delivering these very beings that I speak in the way I have. Good son, every karmic action is of two kinds, light and heavy, and both light and heavy actions, further, are each of two kinds: decisive, and indecisive. Good son, there are those who say: 'Evil karma yields no fruit at all — for, were it said that evil karma must certainly yield its fruit, how, then, could the caṇḍāla Aṅgulimāla's own executioner have been reborn in heaven, and how could Aṅgulimāla himself have attained the fruit of liberation?' It is for this very reason that one should know that karmic action is of two kinds: that which certainly yields its fruit, and that which does not certainly yield its fruit. It is in order to remove and sever this very wrong view that I teach, within my own scriptures, these very words: that every karmic action, without exception, yields its own fruit. "Good son, there are cases in which a heavy action may become light, and cases in which a light action may become heavy — and this holds not for every person alike, but only in dependence on whether one is foolish or wise. One should therefore know that not every karmic action, without exception, certainly yields its fruit — and yet, though it does not certainly yield its fruit, this does not mean it never yields any fruit at all. Good son, every being, without exception, is of one of two kinds: the wise, and the foolish. The wise person, through the very power of his own wisdom, is able to cause even the heaviest of hell-bound karma to be experienced only lightly, in this very life. The foolish person, by contrast, experiences even light karma in this very life as heavy retribution in hell instead." Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, if this is so, one ought not to seek pure conduct or the fruit of liberation at all." The Buddha said: "Good son, were every karmic action to certainly yield its fruit without exception, one ought not to seek pure conduct or liberation at all — it is precisely because it is not certain that one cultivates pure conduct and the fruit of liberation. Good son, should one be able to depart from every evil karmic action entirely, one thereby attains a wholesome fruit; and should one depart from wholesome action, one thereby attains an evil fruit. Were every karmic action to certainly yield its fruit without exception, one ought not to seek the cultivation of the noble path at all — and, without cultivating the path, there could be no liberation at all. The very reason every noble one cultivates the path is to destroy decisive karma, so that its fruit may be experienced only lightly — for indecisive karma bears no fruit at all. Were every karmic action to certainly yield its fruit, then it could never be so that a person who departs from cultivating the noble path nonetheless attains liberation; nor could it ever be so that one attains nirvāṇa without first attaining liberation. Good son, were every karmic action to certainly yield its fruit without exception, then a purely wholesome action performed in a single lifetime ought to yield everlasting, constant happiness, and an extremely heavy evil action performed in a single lifetime ought likewise to yield everlasting, great suffering — and, were karmic fruit truly like this, there could be no cultivation of the path, no liberation, and no nirvāṇa at all. A human being's own action would then always be experienced as a human being, and a brahmin's own action would always be experienced as a brahmin — and, were this so, there could never be any such thing as a person of low caste or low standing at all; a human being would forever remain a human being, and a brahmin would forever remain a brahmin. An action performed in childhood ought to be experienced in childhood, never in middle age or old age; and evil performed in old age, leading to rebirth in hell, ought never to be experienced in the very first moment of that hellish existence, but only once old age has once again been reached. And, were one not to commit killing in old age, one ought never to attain long life in one's prime — and, without a long life in one's prime, how could one ever reach old age at all, given that karma is never lost? And, if karma is truly never lost in this rigid way, how, then, could there be any cultivation of the path, or any nirvāṇa at all? Good son, karma is of two kinds: decisive, and indecisive. Decisive karma is, further, of two kinds: fixed in its fruit, and fixed in its timing. There is karma fixed in its fruit yet not fixed in its timing, which is experienced only once the right conditions come together; and there is karma experienced across any of three possible times — in this very life, in the next life, or in some later life thereafter. Good son, should one perform a wholesome or unwholesome action with a truly decisive mind, and, having performed it, give rise to deep faith and joy in it, or make a vow while making offerings to the three jewels — this is named decisive karma. "Good son, the wise person's own wholesome roots are deep and firm, difficult to shake, and it is for this very reason that he is able to cause even heavy karma to become light. The foolish person's own unwholesome roots run deep, and he is thereby able to cause even light karma to become heavy retribution. It is for this very reason that no karmic action at all is named absolutely decisive. A bodhisattva mahāsattva possesses no hell-bound karma of his own at all, and yet, for the sake of beings, gives rise to a great vow to be reborn within hell itself. Good son, in ages past, at a time when beings' own lifespans reached a hundred years, beings as numerous as the sands of the Ganges underwent the very retribution of hell. Seeing this, I at once gave rise to a great vow to receive a hellish body myself. At that time, the bodhisattva, in truth, possessed no such karma at all, and yet, for the sake of beings, received the very fruit of hell. I, at that time, dwelt within hell itself across immeasurable years, broadly opening up and expounding the twelve divisions of scripture for the sake of these very sinners — and these people, upon hearing it, had their own evil karmic fruit destroyed, until hell itself was left entirely empty, save only for the icchantika. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all."

"Furthermore, good son, within this present fortunate kalpa, immeasurable beings fall among the animals, undergoing the fruit of their own evil karma. Seeing this, I gave rise, further, to a vow that, in order to teach the Dharma and deliver beings, I might take on, by turns, the body of a musk deer, a common deer, a bear, a monkey, a nāga, a serpent, a garuḍa, a bird, a dove, a fish, a turtle, a hare, an elephant, an ox, or a horse. Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva, in truth, possesses no such evil, animal karma at all — it is only through the power of his own great vow that, for the sake of beings, he manifests and receives bodies of exactly this kind. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all. "Furthermore, good son, within this present fortunate kalpa, there are, further, immeasurable, boundless beings born among the hungry ghosts, eating vomit, fat, flesh, pus, blood, excrement, urine, mucus, and saliva, their own lifespans reaching hundreds of thousands upon millions of years, never once even hearing the very word 'water,' much less ever seeing it with their own eyes, or drinking it at all. Should one, seeing water from a distance, form the intention to go toward it, upon arriving, it transforms into fierce fire and pus and blood; or, at times, it does not transform at all, and yet a great many beings stand there, spears and lances in hand, blocking and guarding it, never allowing it to be approached; or the very rain that falls from heaven turns to fire the instant it touches their bodies — this is named the fruit of evil karma. Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva, in truth, possesses no such evil karmic fruit at all — it is only in order to transform beings and cause them to attain liberation that he gives rise to a vow to receive a body of exactly this kind. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all. "Good son, within this present fortunate kalpa, I was born into a family of butchers, raising chickens, pigs, cattle, and sheep, hunting with nets and traps, and, born into a caṇḍāla household, committing robbery and theft. The bodhisattva, in truth, possesses no such evil karma at all — it is only for the sake of delivering beings, and causing them to attain liberation, that he receives a body of exactly this kind through the power of his own great vow. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all. "Good son, within this present fortunate kalpa, I was, further, born in a border region, given greatly to greed, hatred, and delusion, habitually practicing what is contrary to the Dharma, having no faith in the three jewels or the fruit of karma in future lives, and unable to show reverence to my own parents, elders, or venerable seniors. Good son, the bodhisattva, at that time, in truth, possessed no such karma at all — it is only in order to cause beings to attain liberation that he is born in such a place through the power of his own great vow. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all. "Good son, within this present fortunate kalpa, I received, further, a woman's body, an ugly body, a body given to greed, to hatred, to delusion, to envy, to stinginess, to deception, to falsehood, and a body wrapped and covered by every affliction. Good son, the bodhisattva, at that time, likewise possessed no such karma at all — it is only for the sake of beings' own liberation that he vows to be born into such a state through the power of his own great vow. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all. "Good son, within this present fortunate kalpa, I received a eunuch's body — one lacking any sexual organ at all, or possessing both, or possessing an indeterminate one. Good son, a bodhisattva mahāsattva, in truth, possesses no such evil bodily karma at all — it is only in order to cause beings to attain liberation that he vows to be born into such a state through the power of his own great vow. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all. "Good son, within this present fortunate kalpa, I, further, took up the teaching of the Nirgrantha, a non-Buddhist sect, believing and accepting their teaching: that there is no giving and no offering; that giving and offering yield no fruit at all; that there is no wholesome or unwholesome karma at all, and no fruit of wholesome or unwholesome karma; that there is neither a present life nor a future life; that there is neither this world nor another; that there are no noble ones at all; that there is no manifested, transformed body at all; and that there is no path and no nirvāṇa at all. Good son, the bodhisattva, in truth, possesses no such evil karma at all — it is only for the sake of causing beings to attain liberation that he receives even a wrong teaching such as this through the power of his own great vow. This is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva who does not, in a present, future, or later life, actually receive this very evil karma at all."

"Good son, I recall that, in ages past, together with Devadatta, I was a merchant-leader — each of us with our own five hundred merchants — and, for the sake of profit, we went into the great ocean to gather precious treasure. On account of evil karma, we met, along the way, a violent storm, which shattered our own ships, and every one of our companions perished. At that time, Devadatta and I, on account of our own karmic fruit of never having killed and of thereby possessing long life, were carried by the wind together to dry land. At that time, Devadatta, grieving greedily over his own lost treasure, gave rise to great sorrow and suffering, and wept aloud. I said to him: 'Devadatta, there is no need to weep.' Devadatta then said to me: 'Listen closely, listen closely! It is like a man, poor and in great distress, who goes to a graveyard, takes hold of a corpse with his own hand, and says: "I beg you, grant me now the very ease of death, and I shall grant you my own poverty and lifespan in return." At that very moment, the corpse rises up and sits, and says to this poor man: "Good sir, take for yourself my own poverty and lifespan — I am now exceedingly at ease, and this very ease of death is not something I wish to exchange for your own poverty at all." And now, today, I possess neither the ease of death nor any escape from poverty — how, then, could I possibly refrain from weeping?' I then consoled him, saying: 'Do not be troubled — I now have two pearls, of incalculable value, and I shall divide one of them and give it to you as a gift.' I then divided it and gave it to him, further saying: 'It is only a living person who is able to make use of such treasure — were he to have no life at all, who could possibly make use of it?' I, at that time, exhausted, went to rest beneath a tree, and lay down to sleep. Devadatta, his own greed blazing fiercely, coveting my remaining pearl, gave rise to an evil intention, gouged out my own eyes, and seized my pearl from me. I, at that time, suffering from this very wound, cried out and groaned aloud. There was, at that time, a woman who came to where I was, and asked me: 'Good sir, why do you groan and cry out so?' I then explained to her, at length, everything that had happened. This woman, upon hearing it, asked me, further: 'What is your own name?' I answered her: 'My name is Truthful Speech.' The woman said: 'How could I possibly know that you truly are Truthful Speech?' I then made this very vow: 'Should I now, in truth, hold any evil intention at all toward Devadatta, may these eyes of mine remain forever blind; and, should I hold no such intention, may my eyes be restored to me once more.' Having spoken these words, my eyes were restored at once, exactly as they had been before. Good son, this is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva speaking of a fruit experienced in this very present life.

"Good son, I recall that, in ages past, I was born in a brahmin family, in the city of Puṇḍravardhana, in South India. At that time, there was a king named Kalābu, violent and evil by nature, arrogant and self-important, still in the full vigor and beauty of his youth, and given entirely to indulgence in the five desires. I, at that time, for the sake of delivering beings, dwelt in silent meditation outside that very city. At that time, in spring, when the trees were in blossom, this king, together with his own retinue, palace attendants, and courtesans, went out from the city to wander and take in the sights, and, beneath a grove of trees, amused himself with the five desires. His own courtesans, leaving the king to his own amusement, then came to where I was. I, at that time, wishing to sever their own craving, taught the Dharma for them. The king, arriving soon after and seeing me there, at once gave rise to an evil intention, and asked me: 'Have you now already attained the fruit of arhatship?' I said: 'I have not.' He asked, further: 'Have you attained the fruit of non-return?' I said: 'I have not.' He then said: 'If you have not yet attained either of these two fruits, you must still be fully endowed with the affliction of craving and desire — how, then, could you allow yourself to gaze so freely upon my own women?' I then answered him: 'Great king, you should know that, though I have not yet severed the fetter of craving, my own inner mind, in truth, holds no attachment at all.' The king said: 'Fool — even the sages of this world, who subsist on mere air and fruit, still feel craving upon seeing form — how much more, then, you, in the very prime of your life, who have not yet severed craving and desire at all — how could you possibly see form and feel no craving?' I said: 'Great king, my freedom from attachment upon seeing form is, in truth, not due to subsisting on air and fruit at all, but comes entirely from fixing my own mind upon impermanence and impurity.' The king said: 'Should one hold another in contempt and thereby give rise to slander against him, how could this possibly be called upholding pure precepts?' I said: 'Great king, only where there is a mind of envy is there slander — I hold no mind of envy at all — how, then, could this be called slander?' The king said: 'Venerable one, what, exactly, is meant by "precept"?' 'Great king, forbearance is named precept.' The king said: 'If forbearance is indeed precept, then I shall now cut off your own ear — should you be able to endure it, I shall know that you truly uphold the precepts.' He then cut off my ear. At that time, though I had been mutilated, my own countenance did not change at all. The king's own ministers, seeing this, remonstrated with the king, saying: 'A great being such as this ought not to be harmed.' The king said to his ministers: 'How do you know that he is truly a great being?' The ministers answered: 'Because, even while undergoing such suffering, his own countenance did not change at all.' The king said, further: 'I shall test him once more, to know whether his countenance changes or not.' He then cut off my nose, and severed my hands and feet. At that time, the bodhisattva had already, across immeasurable, boundless ages, cultivated loving-kindness and compassion, pitying every suffering being; and, at that very moment, the four heavenly kings, their hearts filled with wrathful indignation, rained down sand and gravel upon the king. The king, seeing this, was filled with great terror, and came once more to where I was, knelt upon both knees, and said: 'I beg only for your pity — allow me to confess and repent.' I said: 'Great king, my own mind holds no anger at all, exactly as it holds no craving at all.' The king said: 'Venerable one, how could I possibly know that your mind truly holds no anger or resentment at all?' I then made this very vow: 'Should I, in truth, hold no anger or resentment at all, may this very body of mine be restored, exactly as it was before.' Having made this vow, my body was restored at once — this, too, is named a bodhisattva mahāsattva speaking of a fruit experienced in this very present life."

"Good son, wholesome karma bearing its fruit in the next life or in a later life, and unwholesome karma, are exactly the same. At the very moment a bodhisattva mahāsattva attains unsurpassed, complete awakening, every one of his own karmic actions comes to bear its fruit in this very present life at once. As for unwholesome, evil karma that bears its fruit in the present life — it is like a king who commits evil, and heaven sends down an evil rain in response; or like a man who points out to a hunter the lair of a bear or the location of a jewel-colored deer, and his own hand then falls off — this is named evil karma whose fruit is received in the present life. Karma bearing its fruit in the next life is exemplified by the icchantika, and by one who has violated the four gravest precepts or committed the five heinous crimes. Karma bearing its fruit in some later life is exemplified by one who upholds the precepts and makes a deep vow that, in a future life, he might forever attain a body upholding precepts of exactly this kind — or, should a being live to be a hundred years old, that, in his eightieth year, he might become a wheel-turning sage-king, teaching and transforming beings. Good son, should karma be certain to bear its fruit only in this present life, it could then never also bear fruit in a next life or a later life. A bodhisattva mahāsattva's cultivation of the karma producing the thirty-two marks of a great being is unable to bear its fruit in this very present life at all. Karma that fails to bear any of these three kinds of fruit is named indecisive karma. Good son, should one say that every karmic action, without exception, is certain to bear its fruit, there could then be no such thing as the cultivation of pure conduct, liberation, or nirvāṇa at all — know that a person who holds this view is not my own disciple, but a follower of Māra instead. Should one say, instead, that karma is of two kinds, decisive and indecisive — the decisive bearing its fruit in the present life, the next life, or a later life, and the indecisive being experienced only once the right conditions come together, and not experienced at all should those conditions fail to come together — then there can indeed be pure conduct, liberation, and nirvāṇa; know that a person who holds this view is truly my own disciple, and not a follower of Māra. Good son, of every being's own karma, indecisive karma is the greater portion, and decisive karma the lesser — and it is for this very reason that there can be the cultivation of the path. Because the path is cultivated, decisive, heavy karma can be caused to be experienced only lightly, and indecisive karma need not be experienced as a fruit born in a next life at all. "Good son, there are two kinds of person. The first turns indecisive karma into decisive, turns what would be experienced in this present life into karma experienced in a next life instead, and turns what would be a light fruit into a heavy one — turning what ought to be experienced merely among humans into something experienced in hell instead. The second turns decisive karma into indecisive, redirects what ought to be experienced in a next life into something experienced in this very present life instead, and turns a heavy fruit into a light one — turning what ought to be experienced in hell into something experienced only lightly, among humans, instead. Of these two kinds of person, the one is foolish, and the other is wise: the wise person makes karma light, while the foolish person makes it heavy. Good son, it is like two men who have both committed some offense against a king: the one with many relatives receives a lighter sentence, while the one with few relatives, though his offense ought to be light, receives a heavier one instead. The foolish and the wise are exactly the same: the wise, having many wholesome deeds to draw upon, experience even a heavy offense lightly, while the foolish, having few wholesome deeds to draw upon, experience even a light offense heavily. Good son, it is like two men, one fat and robust, and the other thin and weak, who both sink into deep mud together: the fat, robust one is able to climb back out, while the thin, weak one sinks and is submerged. Good son, it is like two men who both take poison together: the one possesses a protective spell and an antidote, while the other does not — the one relying on the spell and the medicine is unharmed by the poison, while the one without them dies the very moment he takes it. Good son, it is like two men who both drink a great deal of liquid: the one whose own digestive fire is strong is able to properly digest it, while the one whose digestive fire is weak suffers illness from it instead. Good son, it is like two men who are both imprisoned by a king: the one is wise, and the other is foolish — the wise one is able to secure his own release, while the foolish one has no prospect of release at all. Good son, it is like two men who both travel along a perilous road: the one has sight, and the other is blind — the sighted man passes straight through without any mishap, while the blind man stumbles and falls into a deep, perilous pit. Good son, it is like two men who both drink wine together: the one has eaten a great deal beforehand, and the other very little — the one who has eaten much suffers no ill effect from the wine, while the one who has eaten little suffers harm from it. Good son, it is like two men who both face an enemy in battle: the one is fully armed and armored, and the other stands bare — the armed one is able to defeat the enemy, while the unarmed one is unable even to protect himself. There are, further, two men whose garments have both become soiled with filth: the one, noticing it, washes it at once, and the other does not — the one who washes it promptly has a clean, pure garment, while the one who does not lets its filth grow worse day by day. There are, further, two men who both ride in a cart: the one has a spare axle, and the other does not — the one with a spare axle is able to travel wherever he wishes, while the one without one cannot move from where he is. There are, further, two men who both journey across a vast wilderness: the one has provisions, and the other travels empty-handed — the one with provisions is able to cross the perilous journey, while the one traveling empty-handed is unable to make it across at all. There are, further, two men who are both robbed by bandits: the one has a hidden treasure store elsewhere, and the other does not — the one with a hidden store feels no sorrow or grief at all, while the one without one is filled with sorrow and vexation. The foolish and the wise are exactly the same: one who has a store of wholesome deeds experiences even heavy karma lightly, while one without such a store experiences even light karma heavily."

Lion's Roar Bodhisattva said: "World-Honored One, as the Buddha has taught, not every karmic action, without exception, yields a decisive fruit, and not every being, without exception, is certain to receive that fruit. World-Honored One, how, then, does a being cause what ought to be a light fruit in this present life to become a heavy fruit in hell instead? And how does one cause a heavy fruit in hell to become a light fruit in this present life?" The Buddha said: "Every being, without exception, is of one of two kinds: the wise, and the foolish. Should one be able to cultivate body, precept, mind, and wisdom, this is named the wise; should one be unable to cultivate body, precept, mind, and wisdom, this is named the foolish. What, exactly, is meant by not cultivating the body? Should one be unable to govern one's own five senses and sense-faculties, this is named not cultivating the body. Being unable to uphold the seven kinds of pure precept is named not cultivating precept. Failure to tame the mind is named not cultivating the mind. Failure to cultivate noble conduct is named not cultivating wisdom. Furthermore, not cultivating the body means being unable to fully complete the essence of pure precept-keeping; not cultivating precept means accepting and keeping the eight kinds of impure object; not cultivating the mind means being unable to cultivate the three marks; and not cultivating wisdom means failing to cultivate pure conduct. Furthermore, not cultivating the body means being unable to contemplate the body — unable to contemplate form or the mark of form, unable to observe the body's own marks, not knowing the body's own constituent aggregates, and not knowing that this body travels from this place to that — and, giving rise to the mark of a body where there is no body, and giving rise to the mark of form where there is no form, one thereby clings in craving to 'my own body' and its own constituent aggregates — this is named not cultivating the body. Not cultivating precept means this: should one receive only the lesser precepts, this cannot be named cultivating precept; should one uphold only marginal precepts, precepts kept for one's own benefit alone or for one's own self-regulation alone, unable to bring peace and happiness broadly to every being, and not for the sake of upholding and protecting the unsurpassed true Dharma, but only for the sake of being reborn in heaven to receive the pleasure of the five desires — this, too, cannot be named cultivating precept. Not cultivating the mind means this: should the mind be scattered and distracted, unable to single-mindedly guard its own proper domain — this proper domain being the four foundations of mindfulness, and the domain belonging to another being the five desires — should one be unable to cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, this is named not cultivating the mind. Failing to properly guard the mind amid evil karma is named not cultivating wisdom."

"Furthermore, not cultivating the body means being unable to deeply contemplate that this body is impermanent, without any fixed abode, precarious and fragile, perishing moment by moment, and is itself Māra's own domain. Not cultivating precept means being unable to fully complete the perfection of moral discipline. Not cultivating the mind means being unable to fully complete the perfection of meditative absorption. Not cultivating wisdom means being unable to fully complete the perfection of wisdom. Furthermore, not cultivating the body means clinging in craving to 'my own body' and to what belongs to my own body, taking this body to be permanent and unchanging. Not cultivating precept means committing the ten evil deeds for the sake of this very body. Not cultivating the mind means being unable to govern the mind amid evil karma. Not cultivating wisdom means, through this failure to govern the mind, being unable to distinguish wholesome from unwholesome dharmas. Furthermore, not cultivating the body means failing to sever the view of self. Not cultivating precept means failing to sever attachment to mere rules and rituals. Not cultivating the mind means committing karmic acts of craving and hatred, moving toward hell. Not cultivating wisdom means failing to sever the deluded mind. Furthermore, not cultivating the body means being unable to observe that, though this body itself commits no fault, it is nevertheless forever an enemy. "Good son, it is like a man who is forever pursued by an enemy, waiting for the chance to strike — the wise, aware of this, fix their own minds carefully upon guarding against him, and, without such careful guarding, they would surely be harmed by him. Every being's own body is exactly the same: it is only through constant nourishment with water, food and drink, and proper regulation of cold and warmth that it is sustained — and, without such careful, attentive care, it would at once fall apart and be destroyed. Good son, it is like a brahmin who serves the fire-god, forever offering incense and flowers, praising and bowing before it, making offerings and attending upon it for a full hundred years — should he touch it even once, it burns his hand at once. This fire, though it has received offerings of exactly this kind, never once, in the end, thinks to repay the kindness of the one who served it. Every being's own body is exactly the same: though it is provided for, across many years, with fine incense and flowers, ornaments and clothing, food and drink, bedding, and medicine for illness, should it meet with some evil cause or condition, whether internal or external, it falls apart and is destroyed at once, never once recalling the kindness of the clothing and food once provided to it. Good son, it is like a king who keeps four venomous serpents, placing them together in a single basket, and entrusts them to a certain man, ordering him to tend and care for them. Should even one of these four serpents give rise to anger, it is able to kill this man — and this man, in his own terror, forever seeks out food for them, guarding them attentively at all times. Every being's own four great elements are exactly like these four venomous serpents: should even one of them give rise to a great disturbance, it is able to destroy the body entirely. Good son, it is like a man long ill, who ought to seek treatment from a physician with his whole heart — and, without diligently seeking a cure, he is certain to die without doubt. Every being's own body is exactly the same: one ought forever to govern one's own mind, never allowing it to grow heedless — for, should one grow heedless, the body falls apart and is destroyed at once. Good son, it is like an unfired clay pot, unable to withstand wind and rain, or being struck, thrown, or crushed — every being's own body is exactly the same, unable to withstand hunger, thirst, cold, heat, wind and rain, beating, imprisonment, or harsh abuse. Good son, it is like a boil not yet ripe, which one must forever carefully protect, never letting anyone touch it — for, should it be touched, great pain results at once — every being's own body is exactly the same. Good son, it is like a mule who, once she conceives, brings harm upon her own body — every being's own body is exactly the same: should wind and cold arise within it, the body itself suffers harm at once. Good son, it is like a plantain tree, which withers the very moment it bears fruit — every being's own body is exactly the same. Good son, it is also like a plantain tree, which has no firm substance within it at all — every being's own body is exactly the same. Good son, it is like the snake, the rat, and the weasel, each of which forever bears enmity toward the others — every being's own four great elements are exactly the same. Good son, it is like a royal goose, which takes no delight in dwelling near a graveyard — a bodhisattva is exactly the same, taking no delight at all in the graveyard that is his own body. Good son, it is like the caṇḍāla, who, across seven generations in succession, never abandons his own hereditary occupation, and is, for this very reason, held in contempt by others — the very seed of this body is exactly the same: its own seed, its own semen and blood, are, in the end, entirely impure, and it is on account of this very impurity that every buddha and bodhisattva holds it in gentle reproach. "Good son, this body is not like the sandalwood that grows upon Mount Malaya, nor is it able to produce the blue lotus, the white lotus, the campaka flower, the jasmine flower, or the vārṣikā flower — its nine orifices forever flow with pus, blood, and impurity, its very place of birth foul and filthy, ugly and repulsive, forever dwelling together with every kind of worm and insect. Good son, it is like the world, in which, though there may be the finest, purest garden and grove, should a corpse be brought into it, it becomes impure at once, and everyone, together, abandons it, giving rise to no attachment to it at all. The form realm is exactly the same: though it is itself pure and wondrous, because it still possesses a body, every buddha and bodhisattva, together, abandons it entirely."

"Good son, should one be unable to make an observation of exactly this kind, this is named not cultivating the body. Good son, should one be unable to observe that the precepts are the very ladder of every wholesome dharma, and the very root of every wholesome dharma — as the earth is itself the root from which every tree and plant grows; that they are the very foremost guide of every wholesome root — as a merchant-leader guides every merchant beneath him; that the precepts are the victory-banner of every wholesome dharma — as the banner raised by Indra himself; that the precepts are able to forever sever every evil karma and the three evil destinies, and cure evil sickness like a medicinal tree; that the precepts are the very provisions for the perilous road of birth-and-death, the very armor and weapon that crushes every fetter and defeats every bandit, the very healing spell that destroys the venomous serpent of every fetter, and the very bridge that carries one across the conduct of evil karma — should one be unable to observe in exactly this way, this is named not cultivating precept. "Not cultivating the mind means being unable to observe the mind — restless and agitated, constantly shifting, difficult to grasp and difficult to tame, galloping and rushing about like a great, savage elephant; arising and perishing with the swiftness of a flash of lightning; restless and never still, exactly like a monkey; illusory and flickering like a mirage — it is itself the very root of every evil. The five desires are as difficult to satisfy as fire is to satisfy with fuel; it is like the great ocean, swallowing up every river that flows into it; like Mount Mandara, ever more thickly overgrown with grass and trees. Unable to observe the emptiness and falsity of birth-and-death, indulging and becoming confused, one brings calamity upon oneself, exactly like a fish swallowing a hook; it forever leads and draws every karmic action along in its train, exactly as a mother cowrie leads her own young; craving and clinging to the five desires, taking no delight in nirvāṇa, it is like a camel eating honey even unto death; giving no thought to the very grass beneath its feet, deeply attached only to present pleasure, giving no thought to future consequence, it is like an ox coveting the young shoots, unafraid of the driver's own switch. Racing and rushing throughout all twenty-five states of existence, it is like a swift wind blowing away a wisp of kapok down; seeking what ought never to be sought, seeking without ever being satisfied, it is like a foolish man seeking a fire without any heat; forever delighting in birth-and-death, taking no delight in liberation, it is like the neem-worm delighting in the neem tree, confused and infatuated, clinging to the foul stench of birth-and-death; it is like a prisoner delighting in the prison-guard's own daughter, or like a pig in a latrine, delighting in filth. Should one be unable to observe in exactly this way, this is named not cultivating the mind. "Not cultivating wisdom means failing to observe that wisdom possesses great power — like the garuḍa, able to destroy evil karma; like the light of the sun, able to dispel the darkness of ignorance; able to uproot the tree of the aggregates, as water sweeps away whatever it carries; burning away wrong view, exactly like a fierce fire. Wisdom is the very root of every wholesome dharma, the very seed of every buddha and bodhisattva's own mother. Should one be unable to observe in exactly this way, this cannot be named cultivating wisdom. "Good son, in the ultimate sense, should one perceive a body, a mark of body, a cause of body, a fruit of body, an aggregation of body, body as one, body as two, this body, that body, the cessation of body, the equality of body, the cultivation of body, or a cultivator of body — should one hold views of exactly this kind, this is named not cultivating the body. "Good son, should one perceive a precept, a mark of precept, a cause of precept, a fruit of precept, a higher precept, a lower precept, an aggregation of precept, precept as one, precept as two, this precept, that precept, the cessation of precept, the equality of precept, the cultivation of precept, a cultivator of precept, or the perfection of moral discipline — should one hold views of exactly this kind, this is named not cultivating precept. "Should one perceive a mind, a mark of mind, a cause of mind, a fruit of mind, an aggregation of mind, mind together with its mental factors, mind as one, mind as two, this mind, that mind, the cessation of mind, the equality of mind, the cultivation of mind, a cultivator of mind, a higher, middle, or lower mind, or a wholesome or unwholesome mind — should one hold views of exactly this kind, this is named not cultivating the mind. "Good son, should one perceive a wisdom, a mark of wisdom, a cause of wisdom, a fruit of wisdom, an aggregation of wisdom, wisdom as one, wisdom as two, this wisdom, that wisdom, the cessation of wisdom, the equality of wisdom, a higher, middle, or lower wisdom, a dull or a sharp wisdom, the cultivation of wisdom, or a cultivator of wisdom — should one hold views of exactly this kind, this is named not cultivating wisdom. "Good son, should a person who does not cultivate body, precept, mind, and wisdom in exactly this way commit even a small evil action, he receives a great and evil fruit in return — for, out of his own fear, he forever gives rise to this very thought: 'I belong to hell, and my own conduct is hellish conduct.' Though he hears the wise speak of the sufferings of hell, he forever thinks to himself: 'It is like iron striking iron, stone striking stone, wood striking wood, or a fire-loving insect delighting in fire — a hellish body, being itself already hell-like, what further suffering could there possibly be in it?' It is like a fly caught fast in spittle, unable to free itself — this man is exactly the same, unable to free himself even from the smallest transgression. His own mind, from the very first, gives rise to no regret at all, and, unable to cultivate any wholesome deed, he conceals his own faults instead — and, though he may have performed every kind of wholesome deed in the past, all of it becomes stained and defiled by this very transgression, and what ought to have been a light fruit received in this present life is thereby transformed into an extremely heavy, evil fruit in hell instead. Good son, it is like a small vessel of water into which a full measure of salt is placed — its flavor becomes so bitterly salty that it can hardly be drunk at all; this man's own karmic transgression is exactly the same. Good son, it is like a man who, owing another a single coin, is unable to repay it, and, on this very account, has his own body bound and undergoes every kind of suffering; this man's own karmic transgression is exactly the same." Lion's Roar Bodhisattva said: "World-Honored One, why does such a person cause what ought to be a light fruit in this present life to become a fruit experienced in hell instead?" The Buddha said: "Good son, should any being be endowed with five things, this causes what ought to be a light fruit in this present life to become a fruit experienced in hell instead. What are these five? First, foolishness; second, having but slight wholesome roots; third, evil karma that runs deep and heavy; fourth, failing to confess and repent; and fifth, failing to cultivate one's own original wholesome deeds. There are, further, five things: first, cultivating evil karma; second, lacking the very wealth of the precepts; third, keeping distant from every wholesome root; fourth, failing to cultivate body, precept, mind, and wisdom; and fifth, drawing close to evil companions. Good son, it is for these very reasons that what ought to be a light fruit in this present life is caused to become a heavy fruit in hell instead." Lion's Roar said: "World-Honored One, what kind of person is able to turn a fruit that ought to be experienced in hell into a light fruit experienced in this present life instead?" "Good son, should one cultivate body, precept, mind, and wisdom, exactly as was taught before, and be able to observe that every dharma is just like empty space, seeing no wisdom, no wise person, no foolishness, no foolish person, no cultivation, and no one who cultivates — this is named a wise person. A person of exactly this kind is thereby able to cultivate body, precept, mind, and wisdom, and is able to cause the fruit of hell to be experienced only lightly, in this very present life. Should such a person happen to commit an extremely heavy evil action, through his own reflection and observation, he is able to make it light, thinking to himself: 'Though my own karma is heavy, it is not equal to my own wholesome karma. It is like a bundle of cotton-flock, which, though it weighs a hundred catties, could never in the end outweigh a single ounce of genuine gold. It is like casting a single measure of salt into the Ganges River — the water takes on no salty taste at all, and one who drinks of it does not even notice it. It is like a man of vast wealth who, though he owes many people thousands upon thousands of treasures, cannot be bound and made to suffer for it at all, exactly as a great, fragrant elephant is able to break an iron chain and walk away freely.' A person of wisdom is exactly the same, forever reflecting and thinking to himself: 'My own wholesome power is great, and my evil karma is weak and feeble — I am able to confess and repent openly, remove my own evil karma, and cultivate wisdom. My own wisdom's power is great, and ignorance's power is small.' Having reflected in this way, he draws close to good friends, cultivates right view, upholds, recites, copies out, and expounds the twelve divisions of scripture; and, upon seeing anyone else who upholds, recites, copies out, or expounds them, he gives rise to a reverent mind toward him, and, further, provides him with clothing and food, lodging and bedding, medicine and incense and flowers, praising and honoring him, and, wherever he goes, speaking only of his own good qualities, never disputing his faults. He makes offerings to the three jewels, reveres and believes in this Vaipulya Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra, believing that the Tathāgata is ever-abiding and without change, and that every being, without exception, possesses buddha-nature. A person of exactly this kind is able to cause a heavy fruit that ought to be experienced in hell to be experienced only lightly, in this very present life instead. Good son, it is for this very reason that not every karmic action, without exception, has a decisive fruit, and not every being, without exception, is certain to receive that fruit."