Section 15
Original Sanskrit
यश्च खलु पुनः सुभूते स्त्री वा पुरुषो वा पूर्वाह्णकालसमये गंगानदीवालुकासमानात्मभावान्परित्यजेत् एवं मध्याह्नकालसमये गंगानदीवालुकासमानात्मभावान्परित्यजेत् सायाह्नकालसमये गंगानदीवालुकासमानात्मभावान्परित्यजेत् अनेन पर्यायेण बहूनि कल्पकोटिनियुतशतसहस्राण्यात्मभावान्परित्यजेत् यश्चेमं धर्मपर्यायं श्रुत्वा न प्रतिक्षिपेत् अयमेव ततो निदानं बहुतरं पुण्यस्कंधं प्रसुनुयादप्रमेयमसंख्येयं । कः पुनर्वादो यो लिखित्वोद्गृह्णीयाद्धारयेद्वाचयेत्पर्यवाप्नुयात्परेभ्यश्च विस्तरेण संप्रकाशयेत् ॥
अपि तु खलु पुनः सुभूते अचिंत्योऽतुल्योऽयं धर्मपर्यायः । अयं च सुभूते धर्मपर्यायस्तथागतेन भाषितोऽग्रयानसंप्रस्थितानां सत्त्वानामर्थाय श्रेष्ठयानसंप्रस्थितानां सत्त्वानामर्थाय । य इमं धर्मपर्यायमुद्गृहीष्यंति धारयिष्यंति वाचयिष्यंति पर्यवाप्स्यंति परेभ्यश्च विस्तरेण संप्रकाशयिष्यंति ज्ञातास्ते सुभूते तथागतेन बुद्धज्ञानेन दृष्टास्ते सुभूते तथागतेन बुद्धचक्षुषा बुद्धास्ते तथागतेन ।
सर्वे ते सुभूते सत्त्वा अप्रमेयेण पुण्यस्कंधेन समन्वागता भविष्यंति । अचिंत्येनातुल्येनामापेनापरिमाणेन पुण्यस्कंधेन समन्वागता भविष्यंति । सर्वे ते सुभूते सत्त्वाः समांशेन बोधिं धारयिष्यंति वाचयिष्यंति पर्यवाप्स्यंति । तत्कस्य हेतोः । न हि शक्यं सुभूतेऽयं धर्मपर्यायो हीनाधिमुक्तिकैः सत्त्वैः श्रोतुं नात्मदृष्टिकैर्न सत्त्वदृष्टिकैर्न जीवदृष्टिकैर्न पुद्गलदृष्टिकैः । नाबोधिसत्त्वप्रतिज्ञैः सत्त्वैः शक्यमयं धर्मपर्यायः श्रोतुं वोद्गृहीतुं वा धारयितुं वा वाचयितुं वा पर्यवाप्तुं वा । नेदं स्थानं विद्यते ॥
अपि तु खलु पुनः सुभूते यच्च पृथिवीप्रदेश इदं सूत्रं प्रकाशयिष्यते पूजनीयः स पृथिवीप्रदेशो भविष्यति सदेवमानुषासुरस्य लोकस्य वंदनीयः प्रदक्षिणीयश्च स पृथिवीप्रदेशो भविष्यति चैत्यभूतः स पृथिवीप्रदेशो भविष्यति ॥१५॥
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Sanskrit of F. Max Müller’s 1881 Anecdota Oxoniensia edition, all 32 sections, with the printed section numbers kept.
"Subhūti, suppose a woman or a man gave away their own bodies, as many as the sands of the Ganges, in the morning, at midday, and in the evening, day after day for many hundreds of thousands of niyutas of koṭis of kalpas; and suppose another heard this teaching and did not reject it. That second person's merit would be greater still, beyond all measure. What then of one who copies this teaching, holds it, recites it, learns it, and explains it widely to others?"
"Subhūti, this teaching is inconceivable and incomparable. The Tathāgata has spoken this teaching for the sake of those who have set out on the foremost vehicle and the highest vehicle. Those who take it up, hold it, recite it, learn it, and explain it widely to others are known by the Tathāgata with his Buddha-knowledge, seen by him with his Buddha-eye, and understood by him. All those beings will be endowed with an immeasurable heap of merit. They will be endowed with an inconceivable, incomparable, boundless, measureless heap of merit. All those beings will hold, recite, and master an equal share of awakening. Why? Subhūti, a teaching like this cannot be heard by beings of low aspiration, nor by those who hold a self-view, a being-view, a soul-view, or a person-view. Nor can it be heard, taken up, held, recited, or learned by beings who have not made the bodhisattva's vow. That is not possible."
"Moreover, Subhūti, in whatever place this sutra is proclaimed, that place will become worthy of worship for the world with its gods, humans, and asuras, worthy of salutation and of circumambulation, and will become a shrine." [15]
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Sanskrit, covering all 32 sections with the printed section numbers.
"Subhūti, suppose a man or a woman gave away their own bodies, as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges, in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, day after day for many hundreds of thousands of niyutas of koṭis of ages. And suppose someone else heard this teaching and did not turn away from it. That second person would have even more merit, beyond all measure. What about someone who copies this teaching, keeps it, recites it, learns it, and explains it widely to others?"
"Subhūti, this teaching cannot be imagined or compared. The Tathāgata taught it for people on the foremost path and the highest path. Those who take it up, keep it, recite it, learn it, and explain it widely to others are known to the Tathāgata with his Buddha-knowledge, seen by him with his Buddha-eye, and understood by him. All of them will be filled with merit that cannot be measured. They will be filled with merit that cannot be imagined, cannot be compared, and has no limit and no measure. All of them will hold, recite, and master an equal share of awakening. Why? Subhūti, people of low aspiration cannot hear this teaching, and neither can people who hold on to the idea of a self, a being, a soul, or a person. Nor can people who have not made the bodhisattva's vow hear it, keep it, or learn it. That is not possible."
"Subhūti, in any place where this teaching is spoken aloud, that place will be worthy of honor from the world of gods, humans, and demigods, worthy of being bowed to and walked around, and it will be a shrine." [15]
About this section
Section 15 is part of Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra) by Unknown. This page sets the Sanskrit original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 15 of 32 in the work, which is kept in the Buddhist tradition.
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