As I have recited The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings again and again for these three weeks, this quote (Reeves, p33-34) has always stood out as something I will want to refer to in the future. So, for safe keeping, I offer this gateway:
The Buddha said to Magnificently Adorned Bodhisattva and the eighty thousand bodhisattvas: “Good sons, there is a unique gateway to the Dharma that leads bodhisattvas to attain supreme awakening quickly. If a bodhisattva learns this gateway to the Dharma, he will attain supreme awakening.”
“World-Honored One, what is this gateway to the Dharma called? What does it mean? How does a bodhisattva practice it?”
The Buddha replied: “Good sons, this unique gateway to the Dharma is called innumerable meanings. A bodhisattva who wants to practice and study the gateway to the Dharma of innumerable meanings should observe that all things were originally, will be, and are in themselves empty and tranquil in nature and character; not large or small, not subject to arising or extinction, not fixed or movable, and neither advancing nor retreating. Like empty space, they are non-dualistic.
“All living beings, however, make delusory distinctions: weighing whether something is this or that; whether it is a gain or a loss. Bad thoughts come to them, producing a variety of evil actions. They transmigrate within the six states undergoing all kinds of suffering and harm, from which they cannot escape during innumerable billions of eons. Seeing this clearly, bodhisattva great ones cultivate sympathy and show great kindness and compassion in the desire to extricate others from suffering. What’s more, they penetrate deeply into all things.
“In accord with the character of Dharma, all things emerge. In accord with the character of Dharma, all things live. In accord with the character of Dharma, all things change. In accord with the character of Dharma, all things perish. In accord with the character of Dharma, bad things emerge. In accord with the character of Dharma, good things emerge, live, change, and perish. Bodhisattvas, observing these four modes and being thoroughly familiar with them from one end to the other, should next observe clearly that none of these things continues to live even for a moment, but emerges and perishes every moment, each emerging, living, changing, and perishing in an instant.
“After seeing this, the abilities, natures, and desires of living beings can be seen. As natures and desires are innumerable, sermons are innumerable, and as sermons are innumerable, meanings are innumerable. The innumerable meanings emerge from one Dharma. This one Dharma is characterless. Accordingly, this characterlessness manifests all characters. Neither having character nor being characterless is called true character.
“The compassion that bodhisattva great ones display after dwelling at peace in this true character of reality is clear and not in vain. They are truly capable of relieving living beings from suffering. Having given them relief from suffering, they teach the Dharma again, delighting all living beings.
“Good sons, if a bodhisattva practices well the gateway to the Dharma of innumerable meanings in this way, the bodhisattva will for certain attain supreme awakening soon.”
Cultivating sympathy and showing great kindness and compassion – the gateway to the Dharma of innumerable meanings.