Pūrṇa continued, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, moreover, if bodhisattva great beings are being scolded, they should not retaliate but remain patient. Why is that? Because that way they do not abandon omniscience. Even if they are struck, they should not fight back. When people are hostile, they should not get angry. When they are abused, they should not repay in kind. When people revile them, they should not reciprocate. Instead, they should simply remain forbearing. And why is that? Because that way they do not abandon omniscience. Even if others stab them with spears or arrows, they should not become angry, impatient, disturbed, or short-tempered. If they can succeed in that manner, those bodhisattvas will be practicing the perfection of patience and even their body will begin to shine with a golden complexion. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, in this way bodhisattva great beings should possess the strength of patience and the willingness to joyfully accept difficult situations. That is because with patience and joyful acceptance they can uphold the perfection of patience, approach the omniscient state, and distance themselves from the sufferings of saṃsāra. However, if bodhisattvas are attracted to the levels of the hearers or the solitary buddhas, their practice of the perfection of patience is weakened. Why is that? Because, if they are attracted to the levels of the hearers or the solitary buddhas, no matter how much suffering they take upon themselves, those bodhisattvas have abandoned their proper experience and strayed into a different domain.”

Śāradvatīputra asked, “Venerable Pūrṇa, what does it take for bodhisattvas to stray into a different domain?”

Pūrṇa replied, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, whether bodhisattvas are attracted to the levels of the hearers or the solitary buddhas, or the mindset of the hearers or the solitary buddhas, or the paths of the hearers or the solitary buddhas, that in itself causes the bodhisattvas to stray into a different domain.”

Śāradvatīputra asked, “Venerable Pūrṇa, what is the proper domain of bodhisattvas?”

Pūrṇa replied, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattvas should be concerned with the six perfections and the state of omniscience. The domain of the bodhisattvas consists of the perfection of generosity, the perfection of discipline, the perfection of patience, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of insight. When bodhisattvas are practicing these perfections, they engage in the proper domain of bodhisattvas. For such people, even the evil Māra will find no opportunity to cause any harm. As an analogy, a fox is unable to harm a tortoise and when it realizes that, it tires and leaves. In the same way, Venerable Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattvas train in the six perfections, the evil Māra can find no chance to harm them and, realizing that, he tires and leaves. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, even if the evil Māra were to emanate as many evil demons as there are beings in the entire trichiliocosm and equip each of those demons with a retinue of that same number of demons, they would find no opportunity to harm the bodhisattva great beings who are practicing the six perfections. Not having any success, they would tire and leave, just like the fox leaves the tortoise. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, therefore, bodhisattva great beings should tell themselves, ‘Whatever happens, I will never relinquish the six perfections. If I succeed in that, the evil Māra shall have no chance to harm me.’ ”

Śāradvatīputra asked, “Venerable Pūrṇa, how can one tell if bodhisattvas are influenced by demons?”

Pūrṇa replied, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, one can tell that bodhisattva great beings are influenced by demons if they do not listen to the perfections. Likewise, one can tell that bodhisattvas are influenced by demons if they are not accomplishing the perfections. Bodhisattvas should not become hostile or lose their patience even if they realize, ‘This demon is approaching me in order to create obstacles for my attainment of omniscience.’ If bodhisattva great beings can act like that, they are practicing the perfection of patience. The bodhisattvas should then think, ‘When I awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, I will teach the Dharma to all beings in order to eradicate their attachment, anger, and delusion.’ If bodhisattva great beings can be mindful at that time, they will overcome the evil Māra. Whenever bodhisattvas lose sight of the state of omniscience, they should tell themselves, ‘I have strayed into an incorrect domain.’ Why is that? Because in that way they can reprimand themselves saying, ‘I have lost sight of omniscience.’ ”

Śāradvatīputra asked, “Venerable Pūrṇa, how do bodhisattvas waste their time?”

Pūrṇa replied, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, if bodhisattvas are practicing any of these six perfections but lose sight of omniscience, or fail to dedicate toward omniscience, then those bodhisattvas are wasting their time by involving themselves in craving and dullness. However, if the bodhisattvas spend two, three, or four days contemplating generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight, and also dedicate these perfections toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening, then their time becomes meaningful. All of their meditations on generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight will bear fruit.”

Śāradvatīputra asked, “Venerable Pūrṇa, what is the difference between the patience of the bodhisattvas and the patience of those worthy ones who have exhausted defilements? How are they dissimilar?”

Pūrṇa replied, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, think of the central mountain and a mustard seed. How are they different in terms of size, height, and weight? How are they dissimilar?”

Śāradvatīputra said, “Venerable Pūrṇa, the difference between Meru, the central mountain, and a mustard seed in terms of size, height, and weight is boundless. Their dissimilarity is boundless.”

Pūrṇa said, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, that is correct. The difference between the patience of the bodhisattvas and the patience of the worthy ones is boundless. Their dissimilarity is boundless. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, if you compare the water in the ocean to the water contained in a single drop that is lifted from the ocean using the tip of a hair, which of these two is greater and infinitely larger?”

Śāradvatīputra said, “Venerable Pūrṇa, the water contained in a single drop that is lifted from the ocean with the tip of a hair would not constitute even one percent of the water in the ocean. Nor would it measure a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a millionth, or a trillionth of that. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice.”

Pūrṇa said, “Venerable Śāradvatīputra, in the same way the patience of the hearers does not constitute even one percent of the patience of bodhisattvas. Nor does it measure a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or a trillionth of that. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice.”

Then the Blessed One said to Venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “Pūrṇa, due to the power of the Buddha you have eloquently explained the bodhisattva great beings’ perfection of patience. Excellent, excellent! Pūrṇa, if one wishes to grasp the extent of the bodhisattva great beings’ patience this amounts to wishing to grasp and understand the extent of the Thus-Gone One’s patience. Why is that? Because, Pūrṇa, bodhisattvas possess boundless patience.”

After the Blessed One had said this, Venerable Śāradvatīputra, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, the great hearers and the entire world, including its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.