MindYourBuddha

The Ten Merit is the concluding chapter of The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings.  It speaks of the merits we will gain by understanding the teaching of this sutra.  It begins with a curiously worded set of questions asked of the Buddha by the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva GreatAdornment:

From what place does this Sutra come?  For what place does it leave?  At what place does it stay?

In the study group we learned that the place the Sutra comes from is the compassion the Buddhas feel for all people.  The target of the Sutra is the aspiration of all who seek buddha-hood, and the place it stays is to be found wherever people practice it.

The first merit as spoken by Buddha is:

Good sons! 
First, this sutra makes the unawakened bodhisattva aspire to buddha-hood,
makes a merciless one raise the mind of mercy,
makes a homicidal one raise the mind of great compassion,
make a jealous one raise the mind of joy,
makes an attached one raise the mind of detachment,
makes a miserly one raise the mind of donation,
makes a arrogant one raise the mind of keeping the commandments,
makes an irascible one raise the mind of perseverance,
makes an indolent one raise the mind of assiduity,
makes a distracted one raise the mind of meditation,
makes an ignorant one rise the mind of wisdom,
makes one who lacks concern for saving others raise the mind of saving others,
makes one who commits the ten evils raise the mind of keeping the ten virtues ,
makes one who aspires for existence aspire to the mind of nonexistence,
makes one who has inclinations towards apostasy build the mind of non-retrogression,
makes one who commits defiled acts raise the mind of undefilement,
and
makes one who suffers from delusions raise the mind of detachment

Or rephrased in this simple list:
 1. unawakened
 2. capable of mercy
 3. capable of compassion
 4. capable of joy
    attachment
 1. donation of time, money or knowledge
 2. keeping the precepts
 3. perseverance to say on the path
 4. assiduity, or to pursue the path without distraction
 5. to meditate always on the ultimate reality of things
 6. to show wisdom in all actions and compassion for all beings

The first set of items marked one to four are considered the qualities of the Buddha nature found in everyone.  These give us the ability to aspire to budda-hood.  The second set of items marked one to six are the Six Perfections (Parametis) which along with the Eightfold Path form the practice of Buddhism.  The Eightfold Path can be practiced individually but the Six Perfections require engagement with the sanga (community).

The remaining merit powers are as follows:

(II)  you will understand fully the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings
(III)  all delusion will fade, you will have no fear of rebirth, you will be compassionate and obtain the courage to obey all the laws
(IV)  you will become the attendant of the Buddha and be taught the law directly by the Buddha and be protected by all the Buddhas
(V,VI)  you will understand the teaching and be able to teach without fault to others           
(VII-X)  as you teach this sutra to others, you will come to see the mind of Buddha.