Then the Blessed One said to Venerable Śāradvatīputra, “Śāradvatīputra, do you understand what it means to say, ‘This bodhisattva clings excessively to discipline while this one does not?’ ”

Śāradvatīputra replied, “As I have understood the meaning expressed by the Blessed One, in whom I trust, bodhisattvas should be known as clinging excessively to discipline if they develop aspirations for the levels of the hearers or the solitary buddhas. Why is that? Because if they aspire to attain the levels of the hearers or the solitary buddhas, then they are no longer within the domain of a bodhisattva. Instead, those bodhisattvas are excessively clinging to discipline. If bodhisattvas focus on form, sound, smell, taste, or texture, that should be considered unfounded attention by bodhisattvas. Why is that? Because such unfounded attention is classified as a disturbing emotion and all that belongs under that category that leads to taking on a physical body in this and other lives. However, the more they take on physical bodies, the more they can practice and engage in the six perfections. The more they are able to practice and engage in the six perfections, the closer they come to omniscience. Blessed One, that is how I understand it. Blessed One, in this way even disturbing emotions can be of benefit for bodhisattva great beings in their pursuit of omniscience. Thus, Blessed One, whenever bodhisattvas see that even disturbing emotions can be of benefit, that is when those bodhisattva great beings become truly skilled in means. Moreover, in this way bodhisattvas also observe discipline and do not excessively cling to it.”

The Blessed One said to Venerable Śāradvatīputra, “Excellent! Śāradvatīputra, that is excellent! Śāradvatīputra, what you have just said is precisely what the Thus-Gone One has taught. It is a true Dharma statement and a reply that fully conforms with the Dharma. Śāradvatīputra, in this regard, when bodhisattva great beings observe the perfection of discipline, they will form the wish, ‘By this practice of the perfection of discipline, may all beings in all the endless and limitless worlds who practice a lapse in discipline, each attain proper discipline as a result of my training in the perfection of discipline! May they abandon their lapse in discipline and may this discipline of mine be of benefit to everyone!’ If bodhisattvas think in this way, they should be regarded as being skilled in means. The more they are able to dedicate their discipline, the more their perfection of discipline will flourish. The more their perfection of discipline flourishes, the more those bodhisattvas come to uphold the boundless Dharma. By not limiting their discipline, bodhisattvas come to uphold the boundless Dharma. Moreover, bodhisattvas should dedicate their merit by focusing on other bodhisattvas, saying, ‘May all beings in all the limitless worlds who have newly entered the bodhisattva vehicle become nonregressing by means of my discipline, and may all nonregressing bodhisattvas quickly perfect the state of omniscience!’ The more bodhisattvas are able to dedicate merit in this way, the more they avoid straying from the mind of omniscience and the closer they are to that state. In this way those bodhisattvas’ boundless perfection of discipline will increase endlessly.

“The dedication made by bodhisattvas who dedicate the perfection of discipline to other bodhisattvas can be compared with the dedication of someone who makes the wish, ‘May all the lapse in discipline of beings in as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges be consummated as the perfection of discipline!’ In that case, the latter dedication does not amount even to one percent of the dedication of the perfection of discipline made by the bodhisattvas who dedicate their perfection of discipline toward other bodhisattvas. Nor does it count for one thousandth or a hundred thousandth of that. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice. Why is that? Because, Śāradvatīputra, those bodhisattvas embrace and support the state of omniscience. Any bodhisattvas who uphold the practice of omniscience and teach it to others will benefit and support countless and limitless beings.

“Śāradvatīputra, imagine a mansion with ten or twenty halls, supported by just a single pillar. In the shade inside that mansion there might be several hundred, several thousand, or even several hundred thousand beings. If for some reason a man wanted to tear down that single pillar, someone might warn him, saying, ‘Hey! If you tear down the pillar that supports the mansion, many hundreds of beings will lose their lives.’ Since such a well-meaning and caring person would be able to stop the other person from tearing down the pillar of the mansion, others might begin to praise him, saying, ‘Hey, you have given the gift of life to many hundreds, thousands, even hundreds of thousands of beings!’

“Likewise, Śāradvatīputra, if bodhisattvas, who wish to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, teach and explain the levels of the hearers and solitary buddhas yet do not teach and explain the six perfections, then they create obstacles to attaining the state of a worthy one for a limitless number of beings. Śāradvatīputra, if someone teaches and explains the six perfections as well as the way to omniscience out of a wish to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, then they are granting beings the gift of becoming a worthy one. Therefore, Śāradvatīputra, if bodhisattvas encounter my teaching, form the wish to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, and subsequently teach and explain the six perfections to others, then they are bringing benefit and happiness to limitless beings.

“Śāradvatīputra, other bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of discipline may dedicate their merit toward all beings, saying, ‘May this discipline cause all beings to observe discipline!’ When others hear those words, they will be happy and joyful, and being free of ill will, they will instead adopt discipline. In that way they engender a single attitude of resting in the bodhisattvas’ perfection of discipline. However, that does not amount even to one percent of the stream of merit of the former bodhisattvas. Nor does it count for a thousandth or a hundred thousandth of that. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice. The more bodhisattvas dedicate their discipline for the sake of all beings, the more those bodhisattva great beings are advanced by the perfection of discipline. That is why bodhisattvas should practice the perfection of discipline.”