The Awakening of Faith
In the Mahayana Doctrine
The New Buddhism
by the Patriarch Ashvagosha
 

5: THE ADVANTAGES OF THE PRACTICE OF THE MAHAYANA FAITH

HAVING discussed the practice of these principles we will now discuss the advantages of practising them. We have already given a general idea of the mysterious resources of the Buddhas of the Mahayana school.

A. If any one desires to get a right faith in the deep things of the Tathagata, and desires to be far from error, which brings religion into disrepute, and to get the Mahayana Faith, he should lay hold of this book, study it and practise it. In the end he will attain to the very highest truth.

B. If a man listens to this truth, and has neither fear nor weakness, such a man is certain to succeed to the rank of Buddha, and to be enrolled as such by all the Divine Ones.

C. If a man should be able to reform all living beings throughout all the systems in the universe, in order to make them good, he would not be equal to a man who, for only the time he takes to eat a meal, studies this way of deliverance. The two methods are incomparable.

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D. Next, if a man takes this book, studies and practises it only for a day and a night, the blessings received would be incalculable. Even if all the Buddhas of the universe were each to speak of these blessings for incalculably and immeasurably long kalpas, they could not exhaust them, for the blessings of the Eternal Nature are endless, and the blessings to this man would be also in like manner endless.

E. But if there should be any who speak evil and do not believe in this book, the recompense of their sin will be to suffer immense pain for measureless ages. On this account all men should respectfully believe and not speak evil of it, thereby injuring themselves more and more and others too, destroying every hope of deliverance by destroying the Eternal Soul of the Three Precious Ones originally in man (the soul of the universe, the body of laws pervading the universe, the body of men teaching these laws), for all the Divine Ones attain to Nirvana by this means, and all the Saints attain Buddha-wisdom by the same practice.

F. Know that it is by this means that the Bodhisattvas of the past obtained pure faith, and that it is by this means that the Bodhisattvas of the present obtain pure faith, therefore it is by this means that the Bodhisattvas of the future must obtain pure faith. Thus all men should diligently study and practise it.

THE CLOSING HYMN

Deep and wide is Buddhist Law,
This in brief I have declared;
Godward are eternal stores,
Blessings give to countless worlds!


from: Mahayana Buddhism: The Awakening of Faith