Buddhist Wisdom for the Long Night

And on that occasion, the Lord spoke the following verses: In the chain, the fiftieth to hear,A single verse from this Sutra clear,With placid mind and joy embraced,Vast merit in their heart is traced. Imagine a man, giving alms with grace,To countless beings, a smiling face,For eighty years, he satisfies,Their earthly needs, ‘neath endless skies.…

Then the great spiritual being Maitreya turned to the Lord and asked, “O Lord, when a young person, whether a man or a woman, hears this teaching and joyfully embraces it, how much virtue will be created by such a young man or woman of noble character?” And on that occasion, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya…

And on that occasion, the Lord uttered the following verses: As I’ve mentioned before, a merit immense,Shall be his who keeps this Sutra’s defense,After the Leader of men’s complete extinction,A path of wisdom, a spiritual distinction. He’ll have paid worship to me, built Stupas grand,Of relics, precious, beautiful, a wonderland,Variegated and splendid, a sacred embrace,Honoring…

Again, Ajita, consider the person who, after hearing these teachings about the infinite lifespan of the Enlightened One, grasps, delves into, and comprehends them. Such a person will generate an even more vast accumulation of spiritual virtue, leading to the wisdom of a Buddha. And it goes without saying that the merit is even greater…

The Lord then spoke to Maitreya, the great spiritual leader: “Ajita, consider those who, during the teachings about the infinite lifespan of the Enlightened One, even if they felt a single moment of trust or belief in it. Can you fathom the immense virtue they will attain, whether young men or women of noble character?…

On that occasion, Maitreya, the great spiritual leader, and Bodhisattva, recited the following verses: Wondrous is the law the Guide has shared,A truth unseen, a life unpaired,The Leaders’ majesty so grand,Infinite life, a timeless strand. Upon hearing this sacred decree,Thousands rejoice in harmony,True children of the World’s Great Guide,Their hearts with gladness open wide. Some…

As the teachings about the infinite lifespan of the Enlightened One were shared, countless beings found wisdom and understanding. The Lord then spoke to Maitreya, a great spiritual leader: “While these teachings were being shared, Ajita, many spiritual seekers—vast as the sands of a great river—have embraced the eternal truth that has no beginning. A…