Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (202)

The Merit of the Dharma Gate of Cultivating Liberation

Original text: 尔时世尊。告净饭王言。大王。如上所说。解脱法门。当自系心。正念观察。勇猛精进。决定修作。过去未来。现在诸佛。依此得证。无上菩提。能招世间。一切富乐。能消世间。一切渴爱。能伏世间。一切我慢。能破世间。一切邪见。能灭有情。一切罪恶。未登初地。凡夫异生。皆令证得。平等法性。如是法要。非诸声闻。及辟支佛。所行境界。唯诸菩萨。之所修作。

Explanation: The Buddha said to King Śuddhodana: Regarding the dharma gate of liberation as described above, you should gather your own mind and observe it with right mindfulness, and with courageous diligence resolutely cultivate it. The Buddhas of the past, future, and present all attained unsurpassed bodhi by relying on this gate of liberation. By relying on this dharma gate of liberation, one can attain great ease and freedom within worldly dharmas and the retributions of all wealth and happiness; it can extinguish all craving and attachment in the world, subdue all conceit of self in the world, break all wrong views in the world, and eliminate all sins and evils of sentient beings. By cultivating in accordance with this dharma gate of liberation, those ordinary beings and unregenerate ones who have not yet attained the first bhūmi can all realize the equal nature of dharmas. Such a dharma essential point is not the realm of practice of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; only the great bodhisattvas can cultivate and realize it.