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.

The Anagamin

"The people of the third category are those of the stage of Anagamim. With them there can never be such things as slandering the Wonderful Dharma, keeping servants, male or female, having impure things, or keeping the books (scriptures) of the Tirthikas, being hindered by foreign illusions, or being tied by various old illusions, keeping for himself the true sharira [relic] of the Tathagata, getting attacked by (secular) illnesses or the four great poisonous serpents [greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance], and persisting upon self. They talk about selflessness, but never talk about, or cling to, worldly things. They talk speak, and uphold the Mahayana, but their bodies are never infected by the 80,000 germs. They remove forever the sensual appetite, and even in their dreams, they never ejaculate impure things. At the last moment of their lives, they never feel fear. What does 'Anagamim'? It means that this person never comes back (to rebirth) or backward. As already stated, no failures or illnesses ever catch hold to him. It goes, returns and circulates around. It is called Bodhisattva. Receiving his prophecy [to Buddhahood], not long after that, it attains unsurpassed Enlightenment. This is the person of the third category."

Read more in Nirvana Sutra – Chapter 8 – On The Four Dependables.

The Srotapanna and the Sakridagamin

“The people of the second category are those of the stages of Srotapanna and Sakridagamin. Having found the Wonderful Dharma, they uphold it. They follow and listen to the words of the Buddha and act as they have heard. Having heard, they write what they have heard, uphold what they have heard, recite it and expound the teachings to others. There can be no [with these people] such things as not writing, not receiving, not upholding and expounding the teachings to others. With them there could never be anything like saying that the Buddha allows them to have servants and what is impure. This refers to the people of the second category. They have not yet attained the second and third places of abode. They are called ‘Bodhisattvas’. They have already received the prophecy of the Buddha that they [one day] will attain Buddhahood.”

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

The Common Mortal

“What do we mean by 'those garbed in illusions'? Such people uphold the prohibitions, observe [moral] deportment, and uphold the Wonderful Dharma. They agree with what the Buddha says, understand what is said and expound it to others, and say: ‘Coveting little is the Way; desiring much is not the Way’, and expound the ‘eight awakened minds of a great man' (this is called the Noble Eightfold Path). To one who transgresses, the Way is shown, so that he confesses and repents. These people make away with sins and know the expedients and secrets of the teachings of the Bodhisattvas. Such a person [of the first category] is a common mortal, not the eighth-person [someone who has reached at the stage of attainment called ‘eighth-person stage’]. The eighth-person is not a common mortal. It is called 'Bodhisattva', but not Buddha.”

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