The Dharma and the Person

The Buddha said: "Being based on Dharma means nothing more than basing oneself on the Mahaparinirvana of the Tathagata. All Buddhist teachings are nothing more than 'Dharmata' [essence of Dharma, essence of Reality]. This 'Dharmata' is the Tathagata. Hence, the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging. Any person who says that the Tathagata is non-Eternal does not know the 'Dharmata'. Such a person is not someone to base oneself upon. All the four (kinds) of persons mentioned above appear in the world, protect, act and become a refuge [for all beings]. Why? Because they thoroughly understand the deepest points of what the Tathagata says and know that the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging. It is not good to say that the Tathagata is non-Eternal and that He changes.

The four (kinds) of people, when they (appear) as such, are the Tathagata. Why? Because such kinds (of people) well understand and speak about the undisclosed words of the Tathagata. Someone who well understands what is deeply hidden and knows that the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging, will never, for profit, says that the Tathagata is non-Eternal. Such a person is someone to base oneself upon - why not on those four (kinds) of people?”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.

Evil and Purity

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "There are four kinds of people in the Sangha. It's like with the mango, which is difficult to know when it is ripe. How can we know the difference between violation and non-violation of the precepts?"

The Buddha said: "Oh good man! Basing oneself on the All-Wonderful Great Nirvana Sutra, it is easy to know. How can one know by looking into the Great Nirvana Sutra? For example, a farmer plants rice, and removes the tares in the rice fields. One looks at the field with the fleshly eyes and says that it is a fine field. But when the harvesting comes, now we see that the tares and rice are different. Thus, eight things indeed defile the priest. If thoroughly done away with, we see that he is pure. When a person observes the precepts and does not violate them, it is hard to distinguish with the fleshly eye. If evil arises, this is easy to see. It's like in the case of the tares in the rice fields, which can easily be seen. The same goes with the Bhiksu. If he is able to make away with the eight impure poisonous snakes, we call him pure and a holy field of weal. For him, will be made offerings by humans and gods. It is not easy to see clearly the karmic results of pure deeds with the fleshly eye.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.

The Sun of Great Nirvana

“If someone believes in such a Mahayana sutra like this, the rough and coarse forms that one may have obtained at birth will seem right and correct, by the virtue of the power of this sutra; the dignity and countenance will improve day by day, such that both humans and the gods will be pleased to look at him. They will respect and love him, and no time they will lose their regard for him. Kings, ministers and family people will listen to, respect and believe him. If any of my Sravaka disciples are desirous to perform the first rare act, they should preach this Mahayana sutra to all in the world.

Oh, good man! The frost and mist may wish strongly remain as they are, but this only until the time of sunrise. Once the sun was born, everything goes away and nothing remains as before. Oh, good man! The evil deeds committed by these people also accumulate in the same way (as snow). The power [which one may have] in the present life only continues up to seeing the sunrise of the Great Nirvana. When the sun of this Great Nirvana rises, all the evils that have been done will die out. Also, oh good man! For example, one might abandon one's home, shave one's head, wear the Kasaya robe, and still do not receive the ten precepts of a Shramana. Or a rich person might come and invite all the priests [to his home], and those who have not received the precepts may be invited, along with the others. They may not have received the precepts and yet, however, may be counted as priests.

Oh, good man! It's like with a person who aspires to enlightenment for the first time, studies this Mahayana Great Nirvana Sutra, upholds, copies and recites it. It may not yet have attained the level of the ten stages [of a Bodhisattva], and yet, it will be counted as one of those of the ten stages. If a person, whether or not a disciple, without greed or fear, or even for profit, hear just one gatha of this sutra and, having heard it, do not slanders it - know that this person is already close to unsurpassed Enlightenment. Oh, good man! For this reason, I say that the four people [dependables] will become the refuges of the world. So I say, oh good man, that such people will never say that what the Buddha said is not what He said. Nothing of this kind occurs. That is why I say that such four kinds of people become the refuges of the world. Oh, good man! Make offerings to these four kinds of people."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.

The Rare Dishes of the King from Other Lands

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! Sooner or later, people will slander this sutra. Oh, World Honored One! What good and pure people will come and save those who commit such slanders?"

The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "Oh good man! For 40 years after my entering Nirvana, this sutra will flourish in Jambudvipa. Then, it will disappear. Oh, good man! For example, in a land where one can get sugar cane, rice, rock candy, butter, cream and sarpirmanda, people will say: 'This is the best of all flavors’. Or there may be people who are living amid a field of millet and barnyard grass, and which may say that what they eat is the best of all foods. These are people of bad luck, due to their karmic retribution. The ears of the fortunate ones will never hear of millet or barnyard grass. What they will hear will be rice bran, sugar cane, rock candy and sarpirmanda. The same is the case with this wonderful Great Nirvana Sutra. Those born dull minded and unfortunate will not wish hear it, just like those dull and little-fortunate people who hate rice bran and rock candy. It is thus with the people of the two vehicles (Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas) which will hate this unsurpassed Nirvana Sutra.

But there are people who feel gratified on hearing this sutra and who, having heard it, feel pleased and do not slander. They are like those people of good luck who eat rice bran. Oh, good man! For example, there is a king who lives in the depths of the mountains, a place located on a cliff, difficult to access. He has sugar cane, rice bran and rock candy, but since these things are difficult to obtain, he bargain and stores them, and does not eat them. Fearing that they may finish, he only eats millet and barnyard grass. Then, the king of a different land, hearing about this and feeling pity, sends rice bran and sugar cane to him. The king receives and divides them amongst the people of his land, who eat them. After eating them, they are all gladdened and say: 'Because of that king, now we are blessed with this food’. Oh, good man! It is the same with the four kinds of people. They become the generals of this great teaching. One of the four kinds of people sees that countless Bodhisattvas of others countries study, copy, or have other copies of Mahayana sutras of this kind to achieve gains, fame, knowledge, expertise, or to deal with others sutras, but they do not speak of them (the Mahayana sutras) to others. Hence, he takes this all-wonderful sutra and gives it to the Bodhisattvas, so that they might aspire to unsurpassed Bodhichitta and rest peacefully in the Enlightenment. A Bodhisattva, obtaining this sutra, speaks about it to others who, through it, become blessed with the amrta ['amrta' - Ambrosia - the state of immortality] of the Mahayana teaching. All of this is what has been brought forth by this single Bodhisattva. He enables others to hear what they have not heard before. This is like the people who, through the power of that king, enjoy rare dishes. The case is similar.

Also, Oh good man! Wherever this All-Wonderful Great Nirvana Sutra goes, that place - you should know - is indestructible. The people who live there are also adamantine. Anyone who hears this sutra will attain unsurpassed Enlightenment, and never draws back from it. Such people will gain whatever they wish to have. Oh, you Bhiksus! Uphold well what I say to you today. Any people who do not hear this sutra are, you should know, much to be pitied. Why is so? Because such people cannot uphold the deep meaning of a Mahayana Sutra like this."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.

The Arhat

"The fourth (category) is the Arhat. An Arhat is one who cut the bonds of illusion, which made away with the burden on their shoulders and who has attained what it wanted to have. Once all things were accomplished, it lives on the tenth level. Attaining an undisturbed state of Wisdom, it does what others wish to have and manifests itself (through) various images. If it desires to accomplish the Buddha-Way, as should be accomplished, it can do it. Thus, one who can accomplish innumerable virtues is an Arhat.

These are the four kinds of people who appear, benefit, and feel pity of the world. Thus, they become the refuges of the world and bring peace and bliss to human and celestial beings. They are the most honored and most superb of all the humans and gods. It's like in the case of the Tathagata, who is the most superb among humans and gods, and is the Refuge of the world."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.