At that very moment appeared the daughter of Sagara, the Naga-king, standing before their face. After reverentially saluting the feet of the Lord she stationed herself at some distance and uttered on that occasion the following stanzas: dhisahasraikaksha?zapratilabhim. A marginal correction by a later hand adds sarva between dharma and satva.
1 The daughter of Sagara, the Ocean, is Lakshmi, the smiling goddess of Beauty and Fortune, but from some traits in the sequel it would seem that she is identified with T&A, the wife of Brfha- spati and the Moon.
2 As Hercules performed his affha.
3 As the sun shoots his rays everywhere, it is quite natural that his dhatus, i.e. particles, relics, have been spread all over the surface of the earth, and it is no untruth that the footprints (the pa das, rays) of the Lord Aakyamuni are to be found in Laos, in Ceylon, &c.
XI.
49. Spotless, bright, and of unfathomable light is that ethereal body, adorned with the thirty-two cha¬ racteristic signs, pervading space in all directions.
50. He is possessed of the secondary marks and praised by every being, and accessible to all, like an open market-place 1.
51. I have obtained enlightenment according to my wish; the Tathagata can bear witness to it; I will extensively reveal the law that releases from sufferance.
Then the venerable Sariputra said to that daughter of Sdgara, the Ndga-king: Thou hast conceived the idea of enlightenment, young lady of good family, without sliding back, and art gifted with immense wisdom, but supreme, perfect enlightenment is not easily won. It may happen, sister, that a woman displays an unflagging energy, performs good works for many thousands of vEons, and fulfils the six perfect virtues (Paramitds), but as yet there is no example of her having reached Buddhaship, and that because a woman cannot occupy the five ranks, viz. 1. the rank of Brahma; 2. the rank of Indra; 3. the rank of a chief guardian of the four quarters; 4. the rank of isfakravartin; 5. the rank of a Bodhisattva incapable of sliding back 2.
Now the daughter of Sagara, the Naga-king, had at the time a gem which in value outweighed the whole universe. That gem the daughter of S&gara, the Naga-king, presented to the Lord, and the Lord graciously accepted it. Then the daughter of Sagara, 1 Antaraparcavad yatha. I am not certain of the correctness of my translation. Burnouf has ‘ s’il etait leur concitoyen.’
2 All these beings are in Sanskrit of masculine gender; hence their rank cannot be taken by beings having feminine names.
XI.
APPARITION OF A StOpA.
the Naga-king, said to the Bodhisattva Pra,gn&- kfi/a and the senior priest.Sariputra: Has the Lord readily accepted 1 the gem I presented him or has he not? The senior priest answered: As soon as it was presented by thee, so soon it was accepted by the Lord. The daughter of Sagara, the Naga- king, replied: If I were endowed with magic power, brother.Sariputra, I should sooner have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment, and there would have been none to receive this gem.
At the same instant, before the sight of the whole world and of the senior priest.SHriputra, the female sex of the daughter of Sagara, the Naga-king, dis¬ appeared; the male sex appeared 2 and she mani¬ fested herself as a Bodhisattva, who immediately went to the South to sit down at the foot of a tree made of seven precious substances, in the world Vimala (i. e. spotless), where he showed himself enlightened and preaching the law, while filling all directions of space with the radiance of the thirty- two characteristic signs and all secondary marks. All beings in the Saha-world beheld that Lord while he received the homage of all, gods, Nagas, goblins, Gandharvas, demons, Garutfas, Kinnaras, great ser¬ pents, men, and beings not human, and was engaged 1 A marginal reading from a later hand adds: anukampam u pa day a, by grace, by mercy, graciously.
2 In ancient times such a change of sex is nothing strange. Sundry words for ‘star,' e.g. tarS, taraka., Latin Stella, are feminine, whereas the names of some particular stars are mascu¬ line; so Tara, the daughter of the Sea, Stella Marina, may have been identified with Tishya, or the Iranian Tishtrya, who equally rises from the sea; cf. Tishter Yasht (ed. Westergaard, p. 177). The daughter of the ocean seems to be identical with Ardvi Sfira, celebrated in Aban Yasht.
SADDH ARMA-PUiV.DARIKA.
XI.
in preaching the law. And the beings who heard the preaching of that Tathagata became incapable of sliding back in supreme, perfect enlightenment. And that world Vimala and this Saha-world shook in six different ways. Three thousand living beings from the congregational circle of the Lord. 5 akya- muni gained the acquiescence in the eternal law 1, whereas three hundred thousand beings obtained the prediction of their future destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Then the Bodhisattva Pra^aku/a and the senior priest.Sariputra were silent.
XII.
EXERTION.
CHAPTER XII.
EXERTION.
Thereafter the Bodhisattva Bhaisha/yarafa and the Bodhisattva Mahapratibhana, with a retinue of twenty hundred thousand Bodhisattvas, spoke before the face of the Lord the following words: Let the Lord be at ease in this respect; we will after the ex¬ tinction of the Tathagata expound this Paryiya to (all) creatures 1, though we are aware, O Lord, that at that period there shall be malign beings, having few roots of goodness, conceited, fond of gain and honour, rooted in unholiness, difficult to tame, deprived of good will, and full of unwillingness. Nevertheless, O Lord, we will at that period read, keep, preach, write, honour, respect, venerate, wor¬ ship this Shtra; with sacrifice of body and life, O Lord, we will divulge this Sutra. Let the Lord be at ease.
Thereupon five hundred monks of the assembly, both such as were under training and such as were not, said to the Lord: We also, O Lord, will exert ourselves to divulge this Dharmaparyaya, though in other worlds. Then all the disciples of the Lord, both such as were under training and such as were 1 One would expect that this speech immediately followed st. 41 in the foregoing chapter, but the rules of composition in Buddhistic writings are so peculiar that it is unsafe to apply criticism.
not, who had received from the Lord the prediction as to their (future) supreme enlightenment, all the eight thousand monks raised their joined hands towards the Lord and said: Let the Lord be at ease. We also will divulge this Dharmaparyaya, after the complete extinction of the Lord, in the last days, the last period, though in other worlds. For in this Saha-world, O Lord, the creatures are conceited, possessed of few roots of goodness, always vicious in their thoughts, wicked, and natu¬ rally perverse.
Then the noble matron Gautami, the sister of the Lord’s mother, along with six hundred 1 nuns, some of them being under training, some being not, rose from her seat, raised the joined hands towards the Lord and remained gazing up to him. Then the Lord addressed the noble matron Gautami: Why dost thou stand so dejected, gazing up to the Tathagata? (She replied): I have not been men¬ tioned by the Tathagata, nor have I received from him a prediction of my destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment. (He said): But, Gautami, thou hast received a prediction with the prediction regarding the whole assembly. Indeed, Gautami, thou shalt from henceforward, before the face of thirty-eight 1 Ciphers do not count, so that only six must be reckoned. These six with Gautami form the number of seven. The seven Matres or Mother-goddesses are known from Indian mythology. Kumara, the prince royal (Skanda), is sometimes said to have six mothers, sometimes seven, sometimes one. The six are said to be the six clearly visible Kr/'ttikas (Pleiads ); the seventh is the less distinct star of the Pleiads. His one mother is Durga. It is by mistake that the dictionaries fix the number of Kr/'ttikas at six; there are seven, as appears e.g. from Mahabharata III, 230, 11.
XII.
EXERTION.
XII.
EXERTION.
hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Buddhas ’, be a Bodhisattva and preacher of the law. These six thousand 1 2 nuns also, partly perfected in discipline, partly not, shall along with others become Bodhi- sattvas 3 and preachers of the law before the face of the Tathagatas. Afterwards, when thou shalt have completed the course of a Bodhisattva, thou shalt become, under the name of Sarvasattvapriyadanana (i. e. lovely to see for all beings), a Tathagata, an Arhat, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c. &c. And that Tathagata Sarvasattvapriyadarsana, O Gautami, shall give a prediction by regular succes¬ sion to those six thousand Bodhisattvas concerning their destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Then the nun Ya^odhari, the mother of Rahula, thought thus: The Lord has not mentioned my name. And the Lord comprehending in his own mind what was going on in the mind of the nun Yasodhari said to her: I announce to thee, Yasodhara, I declare to thee: Thou also shalt before the face of ten thousand ko/is 4 of Buddhas become a Bodhisattva and preacher of the law, and after regularly completing the course of a Bodhisattva thou shalt become a Tathagata, named RamiLatasahasraparipftraadhva/a, an Arhat, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c. &c., in the 1 In the margin has been added by a later hand: ‘ after paying honour, respect, reverence, worship, and veneration.’ A little further on we find the same marginal addition.
2 A few lines before the number was six hundred. Both numbers come to the same, for ciphers do not count.
3 Here it is not added that Gautami cum suis has to change sex (i.e. gender) in order to be fit for Bodhisattvaship. In fact, the Kr/'ttikas are always feminine in Sanskrit.
4 Burnouf has read, ten hundred thousand myriads of ko/is.
XII.
world Bhadra; and the lifetime of that Lord Rasmi- j-atasahasrapariphmadhva^a shall be unlimited.
When the noble matron Gautami, the nun, with her suite of six thousand nuns, and Yasodhara, the nun, with her suite of four thousand nuns, heard from the Lord their future destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment, they uttered, in wonder and amaze¬ ment, this stanza: 1. O Lord, thou art the trainer, thou art the leader; thou art the master of the world, including the gods; thou art the giver of comfort, thou who art worshipped by men and gods. Now, indeed, we feel satisfied.
After uttering this stanza the nuns said to the Lord: We also, O Lord, will exert ourselves to divulge this Dharmaparyaya in the last days, though in other worlds.
Thereafter the Lord looked towards the eighty hundred thousand Bodhisattvas who were gifted with magical spells and capable of moving forward the wheel that never rolls back. No sooner were those Bodhisattvas regarded by the Lord than they rose from their seats, raised their joined hands towards the Lord and reflected thus: The Lord invites us to make known the Dharmaparyaya. Agitated by that thought they asked one another: What shall we do, young men of good family, in order that this Dharmaparyaya may in future be made known as the Lord invites us to do? Thereupon those young men of good family, in consequence of their reverence for the Lord and their own pious vow in their previous course, raised a lion’s roar 1 before the Lord: We, O Lord, will in future, after the 1 One might say, a cry of martial exultation.
XII.
EXERTION.
complete extinction of the Lord, go in all directions in order that creatures shall write, keep, meditate, divulge this Dharmaparyaya, by no other’s power but the Lord’s. And the Lord, staying in another world, shall protect, defend, and guard us.
Then the Bodhisattvas unanimously in a chorus addressed the Lord with the following stanzas: 2. Be at ease, O Lord. After thy complete ex¬ tinction, in the horrible last period of the world, we will proclaim this sublime Sutra.
3. We will suffer, patiently endure, O Lord, the injuries, threats, blows and threats with sticks 1 at the hands of foolish men.
4. At that dreadful last epoch men will be malign, crooked, wicked, dull, conceited, fancying to have come to the limit when they have not.
5. ‘We do not care but to live in the wilderness and wear a patched cloth; we lead a frugal life; ’ so will they speak to the ignorant 2.
6. And persons greedily attached to enjoyments will preach the law to laymen and be honoured as if they possessed the six transcendent qualities.
7. Cruel-minded and wicked men, only occupied with household cares, will enter our retreat in the forest and become our calumniators.
8. The Tlrthikas 3, themselves bent on profit and honour, will say of us that we are so, and—shame on such monks!—they will preach their own fictions 4.
1 Da«rfa-udgira»a, for which I think we have to read da«</a- udghra«a.
2 Durmatin.
8 Dissenters, as the foremost of whom generally appear the Gainas, from the Buddhist point of view.
4 Tirthika vat' ime bhikshh svani kavyani derayuA. Here SADDHARMA-PWDARtKA.
XII.
9. Prompted by greed of profit and honour they will compose Shtras of their own invention and then, in the midst of the assembly, accuse us of plagiarism 1.
10. To kings, princes, king’s peers, as well as to Brahmans and commoners, and to monks of other confessions, 11. They will speak evil of us and propagate the Tirtha-doctrine 2. We will endure all that out of reverence for the great Seers.
12. And those fools who will not listen to us, shall (sooner or later) become enlightened 3, and therefore will we forbear to the last.
13. In that dreadful, most terrible period of fright¬ ful general revolution will many fiendish monks stand up as our revilers.
x 4. Out of respect for the Chief of the world we will bear it, however difficult it be; girded with the girdle of forbearance will 1 4 proclaim this Sfitra.
15. I 5 do not care for my body or life, O Lord, we have the interjection vata (bata) in the sense of a ninda, reproach, contempt. The Buddhists are fond of denouncing schis¬ matics or heretics as impostors, and their works as forgeries; a model of such an accusation brought forward by the orthodox against the ‘wicked’ monks, the Va^giputtakas, is to be found in Dipavawsa V, 30 seqq.
1 Or, perhaps, speak slander of us. The term used, anuku//ana, is unknown to me from other passages, so that I have had recourse to etymology: anu, after, ku//ana, stamping.
2 These passages are not very explicit, but this much is clear that the Tirthikas are somehow akin to the Buddhists, and distinguished from monks of other confession, who are wholly out of the pale of Bauddha sects. The whole history of the church in India is one of family quarrels, at least down to the days of Hiouen Thsang.
s Or, Buddhas, i.e. will sooner or later die.
4 Prakasaye, a singular which I do not feel at liberty to render by a plural.
XII.
EXERTION.
but as keepers of thine entrusted deposit we care for enlightenment.
16. The Lord himself knows that in the last period there are (to be) wicked monks who do not under¬ stand mysterious speech 1.
17. One will have to bear frowning looks, re¬ peated disavowal (or concealment), expulsion from the monasteries, many and manifold abuses 2.
18. Yet mindful of the command of the Lord of the world we will in the last period undauntedly proclaim this Sfttra in the midst of the congre¬ gation.
19. We will visit towns and villages everywhere, and transmit to those who care for it thine entrusted deposit, O Lord.
20. O Chief of the world, we will deliver thy message; be at ease then, tranquil and quiet, great Seer.
21. Light of the world, thou knowest the dis¬ position of all who have flocked hither from every direction, (and thou knowest that) we speak a word of truth.
1 Sandhabhashya, here rather ‘conciliatory speech;’ this is the meaning which sandhaya sambhashawa has in Sanskrit.
2 The rendering of the last words bahuku/Zi bahfividha^ is conjectural. Burnouf has, ‘ emprisonner et frapper de diverses manieres/ but hereby two meanings are assigned to ku tt\.
XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
PEACEFUL LIFE.
Ma^uyrl, the prince royal, said to the Lord: It is difficult, Lord, most difficult, what these Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas will attempt out of reverence for the Lord. How are these Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas to promulgate this Dharmaparyaya at the end of time, at the last period? Whereupon the Lord answered Maw^u^ri, the prince royal: A Bodhisattva Maha- sattva, Mawgurri, he who is to promulgate this Dhar- maparyaya at the end of time, at the last period, must be firm in four things. In which things? The Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Ma^mri, must be firm in his conduct and proper sphere if he wishes to teach this Dharmaparyiya. And how, M&ngnsri, is a Bodhi¬ sattva Mahasattva firm in his conduct and proper sphere? When the Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Ma n- .^usri, is patient, meek, has reached the stage of meekness; when he is not rash, nor envious; when, moreover, Maiifum, he clings to no law whatever and sees the real character of the laws (or things); when he is refraining from investigating and discussing these laws, Ma^usri; that is called the conduct of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva. And what is the proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Maw^usrl? When the Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Ma^u-sri, does not serve, not court, not wait upon kings; does not serve, not court, not wait upon princes; when he does not approach them; when he does not XIII.
PEACEFUL LIFE.
serve, not court, not wait upon persons of an¬ other sect, Aarakas, Parivra^akas, Aglvakas 1, Nir- granthas 2, nor persons passionately fond of fine literature; when he does not serve, not court, not wait upon adepts at worldly spells 3, and votaries of a worldly philosophy 4 *, nor keep any intercourse with them; when he does not go to see K&nd&\as, jugglers, vendors of pork, poulterers, deer-hunters, butchers, actors and dancers, wrestlers, nor resort to places whither others flock for amusement and sport; when he keeps no intercourse with them unless from time to time to preach the law to them when they come to him, and that freely 6; when he does not serve, not court, not wait upon monks, nuns, lay devotees, male and female, who are adherents of the vehicle of disciples, nor keep intercourse with them; when he does not come in contact with them at the place of promenade or in the monastery, unless from time to time to preach the law to them when they come to him, and even that freely. This, Ma%awri, is the proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva.
Again, Maw^nsrl, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva does not take hold of some favourable opportunity or another to preach the law to females every now and anon, nor is he desirous of repeatedly seeing females; nor does he think it proper to visit families and then too often address a girl, virgin, or young wife, nor does he greet them too fondly in return. He does 1 Three kinds of mendicant friars not belonging to the Buddhist, nor to the (raina persuasion.
2 ffaina monks.
3 Lokiyatamantradhdraka.
4 Lokayatikas, the Sadducees or Epicureans of India.
6 Anirrita; Burnouf renders it,‘sans meme s’arreter.’
XIII.
not preach the law to a hermaphrodite, keeps no intercourse with such a person, nor greets too friendly in return. He does not enter a house alone in order to receive alms, unless having the Tathagata in his thoughts. And when he happens to preach the law to females, he does not do so by passionate attach¬ ment to the law, far less by passionate attachment to a woman. When he is preaching, he does not display his row of teeth, let alone a quick emotion on his physiognomy. He addresses no novice, male or female, no nun, no monk, no young boy, no young girl, nor enters upon a conversation with them; he shows no great readiness in answering their address x, nor cares to give too frequent answers. This, Ma n- gMsri, is called the first proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva.
Further, Ma«gufrl, a Bodhisattva Mahasattva looks upon all laws (and things) as void; he sees them duly established 1 2, remaining unaltered, as they are in reality, not liable to be disturbed, not to be moved backward, unchangeable, existing in the highest sense of the word (or in an absolute sense), having the nature of space, escaping explanation and expression by means of common speech, not born, composed and simple, aggregated and isolated 3, not expressible in words, independently established, manifesting them- 1 Pratisawlapanaguruka, literally ‘making much of return¬ ing (one’s) addressing.’
2 YathavatpratishMitan, aviparitasthayino yathabhutan, &c. Bur- nouf adds, ‘privies de toute essence,’ i.e. niratmakan.
3 In the rendering of the last four terms I have followed Burnouf, as the reading in the Camb. MS. is evidently corrupt: asaw- skrftanasa»ztS.ndsa»?manasannabhilSpena pravy&hrz't&n. The original reading may have been asawskrftan nasawskrf- tln, not composed, not simple; nasaman na samSn, not unlike XIII.
PEACEFUL LIFE.
selves owing to a perversion of perception. In this way then, Maw^uyrl, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva constantly views all laws, and if he abides in this course, he remains in his own sphere. This, Ma«- gusrl, is the second proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva.
And in order to expound this matter in greater detail, the Lord uttered the following stanzas: 1. The Bodhisattva who, undaunted and un¬ abashed, wishes to set forth this Sutra in the dreadful period hereafter, 2. Must keep to his course (of duty) and proper sphere; he must be retired and pure, constantly avoid intercourse with kings and princes.
3. Nor should he keep up intercourse with king’s servants, nor with K&ndSldLS, jugglers, and Tlrthikas in general 1.
4. He ought not to court conceited men, but catechise such as keep to the religion 2. He must also avoid such monks as follow the precepts of the Arhat 3, and immoral men.
5. He must be constant in avoiding a nun who is fond of banter and chatter; he must also avoid notoriously loose female lay devotees.
6. He should shun any intercourse with such female lay devotees as seek their highest happiness (i.e. equal to all), nor like; or, ndsawtdn (in grammatical Sansk. n&sato) na sa«tan, not non-existent, not existent 1 Burnouf adds, ‘ceux qui vendent des liqueurs ferment^es,’ which is wanting in my MS.: ^awt&lair mushrikauMpi tirthikair- Mpi samurai.
2 According to the reading, vinayed dgamasthitd(n). A mar¬ ginal reading has vinayena 0, a reading followed by Burnouf.
3 Or, Arhats: Arhantasawrmata(n) bhikhshfln. The trainas are meant.
XIII.
in this transient world. This is called the proper conduct of a Bodhisattva.
7. But when one comes to him to question him about the law for the sake of superior enlighten¬ ment, he should, at any time, speak freely, always firm and undaunted.
8. He should have no intercourse with women and hermaphrodites; he should also shun the young wives and girls in families.
9. He must never address them to ask after their health 1. He must also avoid intercourse with vendors of pork and mutton.
10. With any persons who slay animals of various kind for the sake of profit, and with such as sell meat he should avoid having any intercourse.
11. He must shun the society of whoremongers, players, musicians, wrestlers, and other people of that sort.
12. He should not frequent whores, nor other sensual persons; he must avoid any exchange of civility with them.
13. And when the sage has to preach for a woman, he should not enter into an apartment with her alone, nor stay to banter.
14. When he has often to enter a village in quest of food, he must have another monk with him or constantly think of the Buddha.
15. Herewith have I shown the first sphere of proper conduct 2. Wise are they who, keeping this Sfitra in memory, live according to it.
16. And when one observes 3 no law at all, low, 1 Kauralyaw hasa \>rikkhiixm. I take his a to stand for asa (Sansk. asim), if it be no error for tasa (Sansk. tasam).
2 AHrago^aro hy esha. 3 ATarate.
XIII.
PEACEFUL LIFE.
superior or mean, composed or uncomposed, real or not real; 17. When the wise man does not remark, ‘ This is a woman,’ nor marks, ‘ This is a manwhen in searching he finds no laws (or things), because they have never existed; 18. This is called the observance 1 of the Bodhi- sattvas in general. Now listen to me when I set forth what should be their proper sphere.
19. All laws (i.e. the laws, the things) have been declared to be non-existing, not appearing, not pro¬ duced, void, immovable, everlasting; this is called the proper sphere of the wise.
20. They have been divided into existing and non-existing, real and unreal, by those who had wrong notions; other laws also, of permanency, of being produced, of birth from something already produced 2, are wrongly assumed.
21. Let (the Bodhisattva) be concentrated in mind, attentive, ever firm as the peak of Mount Sumeru, and in such a state (of mind) look upon all laws (and things) as having the nature of space 3, 22. Permanently equal to space, without essence, immovable, without substantiality 4. These, indeed, are the laws, all and for ever. This is called the proper sphere of the wise.
23. The monk observing this rule of conduct given by me may, after my extinction, promulgate this Sutra in the world, and shall feel no depression.
24. Let the sage first, for some time, coerce his 2 Gi tada bhuti (Sansk. ^dtad bhftti^).
s I. e. as being void.
* Satyena; in the margin dtmant.
XIII.
thoughts, exercise meditation with complete absorp¬ tion, and correctly perform all that is required for attaining spiritual insight 1 2, and then, after rising (from his pious meditation), preach with unquailing mind.
25. The kings of this earth and the princes who listen to the law protect him. Others also, both laymen (or burghers) and Brahmans, will be found together in his congregation.
Further, 'Wia.ngnsri, the Bodhisattva Mah&sattva who, after the complete extinction of the Tathagata at the end of time, the last period, the last five hundred years 8, when the true law is in a state of decay, is going to propound this Dharmapary&ya, must be in a peaceful state (of mind) and then preach the law, whether he knows it by heart or has it in a book. In his sermon he will not be too prone to carping at others, not blame other preaching friars, not speak scandal nor propagate scandal. He does not mention by name other monks, adherents of the vehicle of disciples, to propagate scandal. He cherishes even no hostile feelings against them, because he is in a peaceful state. All who come, one after the other, to hear the sermon he receives with benevolence, and preaches the law to them without invidiousness 3 *. He refrains from entering upon a 1 Kalena ko ^ittayamatu (Sansk. °yamat) pararfitaA pravilayanawz tatha gha/Yayitva, vipajyidharmam imu sarva yoniso utthaya, &c. I take gha//ayitv& in the sense of gha/ayitv&=yuktv&.
2 I.e. 11 the latter part of the millennium. According to the declaration of the Buddha in ATullavagga X, 1, 6, the true law (Saddhamma) is to stand a millennium, though at the same time, owing to the institution of female monks, the number of 1000 years should be reduced to half.
3 Anupdrigrdhikayd, ananyusu^anayS dharmaw defayati; °sfi£anaya is certainly wrong; cf. stanza 30 below.
XIII.
PEACEFUL LIFE.
dispute; but if he is asked a question, he does not answer in the way of (those who follow) the vehicle of disciples 1; on the contrary, he answers as if he had attained Buddha-knowledge.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the follow¬ ing stanzas: 26. The wise man 2 is always at ease 3, and in that state he preaches the law, seated on an elevated pulpit which has been prepared for him on a clean and pretty spot.
27. He puts on a clean, nice, red robe, dyed with good colours 4, and a black woollen garment and a long undergarment; 28. Having duly washed his feet and rubbed his head and face with smooth ointments 5, he ascends the pulpit, which is provided with a footbank and covered with pieces of fine cloth of various sorts, and sits down.
29. When he is thus seated on the preacher’s pulpit and all who have gathered round him are 1 Sravakayanena. It is instructive to see that the Buddha here espouses the party of the great vehicle.
a I. e. preacher, minister of religion. The word used, pawrfita, has passed into the languages of the Indian Archipelago in the sense of a minister of religion.
3 Sukhasthita, which in the preceding passage I have rendered by ‘being in a peaceful state,’ because there the mental state is more prominent.
4 Aaukshaw ka. so Kvara pravaritva suraktarangaw suprajas- tarangaW.
5 According to the ten commandments (Dasa/ila) the use of ointments is forbidden to the monks, but the preacher need not be a monastic man. In Nep&l it is the Va^ra-Aiarya who devotes himself to the active ministry of religion; see Hodgson’s Essays, XIII.
attentive, he proceeds to deliver many discourses, pleasing by variety, before monks and nuns, 30. Before male and female lay devotees, kings and princes. The wise man always (takes care to) deliver a sermon diversified in its contents and sweet, free from invidiousness 1.
31. If occasionally he is asked some question, even after he has commenced, he will explain the matter anew in regular order, and he will explain it in such a way that his hearers gain enlightenment.
32. The wise man is indefatigable; not even the thought of fatigue will rise in him; he knows no listlessness, and so displays to the assembly the strength of charity.
33. Day and night the wise man preaches this sublime law with myriads of ko/is of illustrations; he edifies and satisfies his audience without ever requiring anything.
34. Solid food, soft food, nourishment and drink, cloth, couches, robes, medicaments for the sick, all this does not occupy his thoughts, nor does he want anything from the congregation.
35. On the contrary, the wise man is always thinking: How can I and these beings become Buddhas? I will preach this true law, upon which the happiness of all beings depends 2, for the benefit of the world.
36. The monk who, after my extinction, shall preach in this way, without envy, shall not meet with trouble, impediment, grief or despondency.
37. Nobody shall frighten him, beat or blame 1 Ananyasfiyantu; perhaps we must read anabhyasftyantu.
2 Etat samasatvasukhopadhanaw saddharmawz rravemi hitaya loke.
XIII.
PEACEFUL LIFE.
him; never shall he be driven away, because he is firm in the strength of forbearance.
38. The wise man who is peaceful, so disposed as I have just said, possesses hundreds of ko/is of advantages, so many that one would not be able to enumerate them in hundreds of Aions.
Again, Maraud, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva who lives after the extinction of the Tathagata at the end of time when the true law is in decay, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva who keeps this Sutra is not envious, not false, not deceitful; he does not speak disparagingly of other adherents of the vehicle of Bodhisattvas, nor defame, nor humble them. He does not bring forward the shortcomings of other monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees, neither of the adherents of the vehicle of disciples nor of those of the vehicle of Pratyekabuddhas. He does not say: You young men of good family, you are far off from supreme, perfect enlightenment; you give proof of not having arrived at it; you are too fickle in your doings and not capable of acquiring true knowledge. He does not in this way bring forward the shortcomings of any adherent of the vehicle of the Bodhisattvas. Nor does he show any delight in dis¬ putes about the law, or engage in disputes about the law, and he never abandons the strength of charity towards all beings. In respect to all Tathagatas he feels as if they were his fathers, and in respect to all Bodhisattvas as if they were his masters. And as to the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas in all directions of space, he is assiduous in paying homage to them by good will and respect. When he preaches the law, he preaches no less and no more than the law, with¬ out partial predilection for (any part of) the law, and XIII.
he does not show greater favour to one than to another, even from love of the law.
Such, Mawtfusrl, is the third quality with which a Bodhisattva MaMsattva is endowed who is to expound this Dharmaparyaya after the extinction of the Tathagata at the end of time when the true law is in decay; who will live at ease 1 and not be annoyed in the exposition of this Dharmaparyaya. And in the synod 2 he will have allies, and he will find auditors at his sermons who will listen to this Dharmaparyaya, believe, accept, keep, read, pene¬ trate, write it and cause it to be written, and who, after it has been written and a volume made of it, will honour, respect, esteem, and worship it.
This said the Lord, and thereafter he, the Sugata, the Master, added the following: 39. The wise man, the preacher, who wishes to expound this Sutra must absolutely renounce false¬ hood, pride, calumny, and envy.
40. He should never speak a disparaging word of anybody; never engage in a dispute on religious belief; never say to such as are guilty of short¬ comings, You will not obtain superior knowledge.
41. He is always sincere, mild, forbearing; (as) a (true) son of Sugata he will repeatedly preach the law without any feeling of vexation.
42. ‘The Bodhisattvas in all directions of space, who out of compassion for creatures are moving in the world, are my teachers;’ (thus thinking) the wise man respects them as his masters.
1 Sukhya[wz] sparfawz viharati, which answers to the Pali phrase phii.su viharati.
2 Dharmasangityam.
XIII.
PEACEFUL LIFE.
43. Cherishing the memory of the Buddhas, the supreme amongst men, he will always feel towards them as if they were his fathers, and by forsaking all idea of pride he will escape hindrance.
44. The wise man who has heard this law, should be constant in observing it. If he earnestly strives after a peaceful life, ko/is of beings will surely pro¬ tect him.