The Manna of Dharma and the Castle of Treasures

Then the World Honored One spoke in a gatha for all congregation:

"All of you! Open your mind, do not grieve deeply.
The teachings of all Buddhas are thus.
So, keep silence. Try not to be indolent,
protect your mind, abide in right thought,
segregate yourselves from the unlawful acts;
console yourselves and be happy.

Furthermore, Oh bhiksus! If you have any doubts, ask now. If you have doubt about Void versus non-Void, Eternal versus non-Eternal, Suffering versus non- Suffering, dependent versus non-dependent, gone versus not-gone, refuge versus non-refuge, always versus not-always, impermanence versus the Eternal, beings versus non-beings, 'is' versus 'not-is', the Real versus the not-Real, the True versus the not-True, extinction versus non-extinction, esoteric versus non-esoteric, and the dual versus the non-dual; I shall speak to you accordingly. For your sake, too, I shall speak first of the manna and then enter Nirvana.

Oh bhiksus! It is hard to witness the appearance of the Buddha in the World. It's hard to be born as human. It is hard, too, to encounter the Buddha and gain faith. It is also hard to hear the inaudible. It is also hard to uphold and be perfect in the prohibitive injunctions and attain the arhatship. This is like trying to find gold in the sand. It's like in the case of the udumbara. Oh Bhiksus! It's hard to be born as a human by the self-isolation from the eight inopportune situations [vices that bar the way to meeting the Buddha and hearing his teachings].

Oh you! Having now met me, do not go away empty-handed. I have suffered hardships in the past, and now I gain all such unsurpassed expedients. For your sake, countless kalpas ago, I cast away my body, hands, feet, head, eyes, marrow, and brain. In view of this, do not subject yourselves to indolence. Oh Bhiksus! How can we adorn the Castle of Treasures of Wonderful Dharma? By adorning ourselves with various virtues and rare gems, and being protected by the ramparts and ditches of the precepts [sila], meditation [dhyana] and wisdom [prajna]. Now, you have met with this castle of Buddhist teachings. Do not take by false. For example, a merchant may encounter a castle of true treasures, and yet gather up rubbish such as shingles and gravels, and go home. The same is true with you. You have came across a castle of treasures, and yet take it as false. Oh all you Bhiksus! Do not be satisfied with a low mind. You are now ordained, but you do not love the Mahayana that is superior. Oh you Bhiksus! You wear on your bodies the kasaya (robes of Buddhist Bhiksus) and dyed robes of a priest, but your mind is still not dyed by the pure Dharma of Mahayana. Oh you Bhiksus! You go to many places and beg alms, but you do not seek the dishes of the Dharma of Mahayana. Oh Bhiksus! You shave your hair, but you do not shave the bonds of illusion. Oh you Bhiksus! I now teach you truly. Now I see that all is in harmony and the Dharma nature of the Tathagata is true and unshakable. So, make effort, all of you! Stand up yourselves, be brave and untie all the bonds of illusion! If the sun of Wisdom of the ten powers sinks, darkness will reign over you. Oh you Bhiksus! It's like when the great earth, mountains and all medicinal herbs become useful to beings. The same is the case with the Dharma of which I speak. It proclaims wonderfully the good and sweet dishes of Dharma and provides the best cure for the illnesses of illusion of beings. Now, I shall make all beings my disciples and the four classes of the Buddhist Sangha abide in the undisclosed teachings of Dharma. I, too, abide in this and enter Nirvana."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 3 - On Grief.