Victorious Primordial Yoga Ritual Mantra (勝初瑜伽儀軌真言)

The Buddha told Subhuti, "All the bodhisattvas should subdue their minds like this: 'I must liberate all sentient beings—those born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, from transformation; those with form, without form, with thought, without thought, and those who are neither with thought nor without thought. When I have led all these sentient beings into the complete, final nirvana, not a single sentient being will have truly been liberated.' Why is this? Subhuti, if a bodhisattva holds the notion of a self, a person, a sentient being, or a life span, then they are not a true bodhisattva.

"Furthermore, Subhuti, a bodhisattva should practice generosity without dwelling on anything. They should not dwell on form when practicing generosity, nor should they dwell on sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental objects when practicing generosity. Subhuti, a bodhisattva should practice generosity in this way, without dwelling on any characteristics. Why is this? If a bodhisattva practices generosity without dwelling on characteristics, the merit of that practice is inconceivable. Subhuti, what do you think? Can the space in the eastern direction be measured?"

"No, World-Honored One."

"Subhuti, can the space in the southern, western, northern directions, the four intermediate directions, the zenith, and the nadir be measured?"

"No, World-Honored One."

"Subhuti, the merit of a bodhisattva who practices generosity without dwelling on characteristics is just as inconceivable. Subhuti, bodhisattvas should abide by the teachings I have just explained.

"Subhuti, what do you think? Can the Tathagata be seen by means of the thirty-two physical marks?"

"No, World-Honored One. The Tathagata cannot be seen by means of the thirty-two physical marks. Why is this? The Tathagata has explained that the thirty-two marks are not marks; they are merely called the thirty-two marks."

"Subhuti, suppose there is a person who gives as many lives as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. If another person hears this sutra, or even just a four-line verse from it, and believes, accepts, and practices it as taught, the merit of this latter person far surpasses that of the former.

Written at Kongōbu-ji Temple on the eleventh day of the seventh month in the third year of the Taiji era.