6. The Merit of True Faith
Subhuti addressed the Buddha, “World Honored One, will there be any sentient beings who give rise to true faith upon hearing this teaching?” The Buddha said to Subhuti, “Do not even say such a thing. After my passing, in the last five hundred years [of the Dharma ending age], there will be those who observe the precepts and cultivate merit, who have faith that these are words of truth. You should know that these people have not merely cultivated the roots of virtue with one buddha, two buddhas, three, four, or five buddhas; they have cultivated all kinds of virtuous roots with hundreds of thousands, even countless numbers of buddhas. Upon hearing these passages, Subhuti, some will, in an instant, give rise to pure faith. The Tathagata fully knows and fully sees these beings as they attain such countless merits. Why? It is because these sentient beings are free from the notions of a self, a person, a sentient being, or a life span. They are also free from the notions of dharmas or nondharmas. “Why? If the minds of these sentient beings cherish these notions, then they will cling to a self, a person, a sentient being, and a life span. If they cherish the notion of dharmas, they will cling to a self, a person, a sentient being, and a life span. Why? If they cherish the notion of non-dharmas, they will cling to a self, a person, a sentient being, and a life span. Therefore one should not cherish dharmas or non-dharmas. For this reason, the Tathagata often teaches: Bhiksus, know that my Dharma is like a raft. If even the correct teachings (Dharma) should be abandoned, how much more so the incorrect teachings (nonDharma)?”
正 信 希 有 分 第 六
須菩提白佛言•世尊•頗有眾生•得聞如是言說章 句•生實信不•佛告須菩提•莫作是說•如來滅後• 後五百歲•有持戒修福者•於此章句•能生信心•以 此為實•當知是人•不於一佛二佛三四五佛而種善 根•已於無量千萬佛所•種諸善根•聞是章句•乃至 一念生淨信者•須菩提•如來悉知悉見•是諸眾生• 得如是無量福德•何以故•是諸眾生•無復我相•人 相•眾生相•壽者相•無法相•亦無非法相• 何以故•是諸眾生•若心取相•即為著我人眾生壽 者•若取法相•即著我人眾生壽者•何以故•若取非 法相•即著我人眾生壽者•是故不應取法•不應取非 法•以是義故•如來常說•汝等比丘•知我說法•如 筏喻者•法尚應捨•何況非法•
