Buddha then said to Sudatta a son of a Wealthy merchant: “ Go thou to Vimalakirti to inquire after his health.” Sudatta replied to Buddha and said: “ I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health, and why ? I remember once at my father’s house, I performed a great charity festival for full seven days, offering food to all Sramanas, Brahmans and heretics as well as to the poor, the humble, the suffering, and beggars. When the period of seven days expired, Vimalakirti came into the assembly and said to me: ‘ O son of the wealthy merchant, the great charity festival should not be conducted in such a manner as thou hadst. Thou shouldst conduct a charity festival of spiritual gifts. What have we to do with the bestowal of material wealth ? ’ I inquired : ‘ Sir, What is the spiritual charity festival ? [He replied :] ‘ The spiritual charity festival is not in succession but all simultaneously. It is to look after the welfare of all beings at one and the same time. This is called the spiritual charity festival.’ ‘ What does it mean ? ’ ‘ For the sake of enlightenment thou shouldst cherish the thought of mercy. For the sake of salvation thou shouldst cherish the thought of great compassion. For the maintenance of the true law thou shouldst cherish the thought of joy. For the attainment of knowledge thou shouldst dwell in the thought of impartiality. Removing all covetousness, virtue of charity should be practised. To teach the trespassers of morality, rules of discipline should be observed. Possessing the doctrine of selflessness cherish the Kshanti Paramita. Being far above the forms of body and mind cherish the Virya Paramita. Obtaining the form of Bodhi cherish the Dhyana Paramita. Obtaining omniscience cherish the Prajna Paramita. Teaching beings [the thought of] emptiness should be cherished. Not abandoning the created things cherish [the thought of] formlessness. Manifesting human birth cherish [the thought of] non-action. For the maintenance of the true law, necessary means should be cherished. To save all beings cherish the four deeds of acceptance. To revere all beings cherish the means of removing arrogance. On the foundation of the body, life and wealth, the threefold law of permanency should be established. In the sixfold remembrance memory should be exercised. Cherish the sincere mind in the possession of the sixfold peace. Abide with the right living practising the true law. Be near to the intelligent and the holy with a pure and joyous mind. Cherish the thought of self-control without hating the wicked. Cherish the profound mind practising the way of mendicants. Cherish the thought of readiness to hear practising according to the doctrine. Establish the quiet hermitage there abiding in peace. Be seated in meditation following the wisdom of Buddha. Set up thy place of holy work liberating all beings from bondage. Accumulate merits being endowed with splendour and purifying the Buddha-land. Follow judgment knowing the thoughts of all beings and preaching the law according to each one’s need. Follow the discriminating intelligence knowing how all things being far beyond either giving or taking enter the domain of the one form. Bring forth all goodness exterminating all passion, every obstacle and all wickedness. Bring forth all causes which help the law of enlightenment possessing all intelligence and all goodness. O noble youth, thus is the ceremony of gifts of spiritual things. If a Bodhisattva performs the ceremony of gifts of spiritual things he is called a. great giver and he is also the cause of the merits of all the worlds.’ “ O Blessed One, when Vimalakirti had spoken thus, two hundred Brahmans all cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment. My mind then obtained purity, and praised him saying that I had never heard the like before, and bowed to him touching his feet, and took from my neck a necklace worth a hundred thousand [gold pieces J and presented it to him; but he would not accept it. Then I said : ‘ Sir, I pray only that thou wouldst accept my gift and do with it as thou pleasest. Vimalakirti then accepting the necklace, divided it into two parts, and offered one part to the meanest beggar in the assembly and the other to the Tathagata Durdharsha. All the assembly saw the Tathagata Durdharsha of the land of light, and also saw the necklace on that Buddha transformed into a jewelled terrace supported by four columns, and adorned on all sides and even transparent and visible. Then Vimalakirti manifesting this miraculous power said : ‘ When a giver with equanimity gives even to the meanest beggar, he is like the Tathagata himself, in his stock of merits there is no trace of discrimination, his great compassion is like [that of the Tathagata], and he expects no reward, then this is called the perfecting the spiritual gift.’ Then all in the city even to the meanest beggar seeing his miraculous power and hearing his speech awakened the thought of supreme enlightenment. Therefore I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health.” Thus all the Bodhisattvas each relating his story, praised the words of Vimalakirti, and declared themselves unworthy to go and inquire after his health.

The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “What think you? If a disciple, having obtained all the treasures of this universe, were to bestow these...

The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If an enlightened disciple, in the exercise of charity, bestowed as considerable an amount of the seven...