Then venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it is a great wonder that in the past, when the Blessed One was practicing bodhisattva conduct, he observed those various types of virtuous qualities so resolutely!”

“Thus it is, Pūrṇa, thus it is,” answered the Blessed One. “For a long time, while I practiced bodhisattva conduct, I observed those virtuous principles very resolutely.” At that point, the Blessed One uttered these verses to explain this clearly:

“To pursue the Dharma and obtain it Is the basis of the path of the buddhas. Those who always put effort into following the Dharma Will abandon everything that is not the Dharma.

“Always practicing the authentic path, They will abandon mistaken paths. Always relying on the Dharma of the Buddha, They will follow his path.

“Therefore, after abandoning the unfree states, They will obtain the freedoms. If these states of freedom are obtained, The diligence they have cultivated will not be wasted.

“They will be supremely noble within the twofold abode. They will have the foremost physical appearance, They will be surrounded by perfect servants and retinues, And they will become the most supreme of all beings.

“They always observe discipline And practice patience with a stable mind. Always observing diligence, They will cultivate their concentration and insight.

“They will always act as the leaders Of all sentient beings. Endowed with the most sublime qualities, They know the truth and are free from fear.”

Then Pūrṇa said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, who would not train in such an excellent Dharma? In the past, we were lazy and had no hope of developing the insight of the buddhas, nor did we believe that we could ever attain such insight. Therefore, we thought that we would be emancipated through the vehicle of the hearers.

“Blessed One, from now on, I will encourage and take delight in bodhisattvas, and thereby help in their efforts to establish beings in the Dharma of the Buddha. Why is that? Because the Buddha, the Blessed One, has undergone great hardships. When he practiced bodhisattva conduct in the past, he always engaged in such great hardships for the sake of sentient beings. The worthy ones and the solitary buddhas are not able to undergo such hardships, so there is no need to mention other sentient beings!

“Blessed One, it is only the bodhisattva great beings who, when they practice bodhisattva conduct, undergo such immeasurable, boundless, and countless great hardships out of love for all beings. Therefore, Blessed One, after having engaged in such great hardships, those bodhisattvas will awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. Then they will turn the Dharma wheel and liberate sentient beings who are tormented by suffering.”

“Thus it is, Pūrṇa, thus it is!” said the Blessed One. “Just as you have said, bodhisattvas give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening. Then, concerned for the benefit and happiness of all sentient beings, they develop great love and compassion toward everyone. Therefore, when they practice bodhisattva conduct for the sake of all beings, bodhisattvas have such great aspirations and undergo such very intense, difficult, immeasurable, boundless, and countless great hardships.”

When the Blessed One had said those words, venerable Pūrṇa and the four retinues, together with all gods, humans, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and demigods, praised the words of the Blessed One with great exhilaration and trust.