Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra)

Original text: 大王。应作是念。我当云何。于人天中。得为眼目。于长夜中。得为照明。于爱河中。得为船筏。于险难处。得为导师。无依怙者。为作主宰。自得度已。复能度他。自解脱已。令他解脱。自得安隐。令他安隐。自证涅槃。复令他证。大王。不应观彼。现在世间。所受富乐。五欲自在。诸根如幻。境界如梦。谓于色境。声香味触。心生贪着。无满足时。

Bodhisattvas should make the vow that after they have crossed over themselves, they can then cross others over. Only after one has crossed over oneself can one cross others over. If a bodhisattva has only the intention to save beings while still in the sea of suffering of saṃsāra, then he lacks the power to save sentient beings. For example, someone who has never been to a distant place with beautiful scenery cannot lead others there to enjoy the scenery together; he may well lose his way halfway and naturally never reach the destination. Therefore, one must first have been to the scenic place oneself, personally beheld its beauty, and become thoroughly familiar with the route in between, before one can lead others there. This is the principle that only by crossing over oneself can one cross others over.

Bodhisattvas should make the vow that after they have liberated themselves, they will enable others to be liberated. Only when one has attained liberation oneself can one enable others to attain liberation. Only when one has the ability to leave the three realms and is no longer bound by the three realms can one lead others along the correct path to liberation. If one has not attained liberation oneself, one does not know the correct path to liberation and cannot lead sentient beings onto the path of liberation.

Bodhisattvas should make the vow that after they have attained tranquility themselves, they will enable others to attain tranquility. The Buddha has already reached the farther shore of nirvāṇa and attained the ultimate bliss of the quiescence of nirvāṇa, with both body and mind at peace. In order to save sentient beings and bring them peace, He returned to the three realms, yet His body and mind remain tranquil and at ease, neither deluded nor bound by the realms of the five desires and six sense objects of the Sahā world. Only thus can He guide sentient beings to gradually attain tranquility as well. When Śākyamuni Buddha came to the Sahā world and manifested the eight aspects of attaining the Way, He was born as Prince Siddhārtha, surrounded by the five desires; yet the prince's mind had long since transcended these worldly realms, untainted by any realm whatsoever. His mind attained tranquility, unconfused and unturned in any realm, and He was able to renounce all worldly desires and familial attachments, resolutely leaving home to cultivate the Way. After attaining the Way, He began to extensively deliver measureless sentient beings. Bodhisattvas should likewise emulate the conduct of the Buddhas, diligently cultivating practice to attain tranquility of body and mind, and then bring peace to measureless sentient beings. If one's own mind has not yet attained tranquility, with greed, attachment, and grasping unceasing, one is easily deluded amid the five desires and six sense objects, and consequently creates evil karma and suffers endlessly. When one cannot even attain tranquility oneself, how can one bring peace to sentient beings?