67. His mental organ is perfect, lucid, right, and untroubled. By it he finds out the various laws, low, high, and mean.
68. On hearing the contents of a single stanza, the wise man catches the manifold significations (hidden) in it, and he is able for a month, four months, or even a year to go on expounding both its conven¬ tional and its true sense.
69. And the beings living in this world, within or without, gods, men, demons, goblins, Nagas, brutes, 70. The beings stationed in any of the six condi¬ tions of existence, all their thoughts the sage knows instantaneously. These are the advantages of keep¬ ing this Sfitra.
71. He also hears the holy sound of the law which the Buddha, marked with a hundred blessed signs, preaches all over the world, and he catches what the Buddha speaks.
72. He reflects much on the supreme law, and is in the wont of constantly dilating upon it; he is never hesitating. These are the advantages of keeping this Sutra.
73. He knows the connections and knots 1; he discerns in all laws contrarieties 2; he know's the meaning and the interpretations, and expounds them according to his knowledge.
74. The Sfitra which since so long a time has been 1 Sandhivisandhi, I am not sure of the real purport of these terms; Burnouf renders ‘ concordances et combinaisons.’
2 Sarveshu dharmeshu vilakshawani; the rendering is uncertain; Burnouf has, ‘ ne voit entre toutes les lois aucune difference.’
XVIII. ADVANTAGES OF A RELIGIOUS PREACHER. 353 expounded by the ancient Masters of the world is the law which he, never flinching, is always preaching in the assembly.
75. Such is the mental organ of him who keeps or reads this Sutra; he has not yet the knowledge of emancipation, but one that precedes it.
76. He who keeps this Sutra of the Sugata stands on the stage of a master; he may preach to all crea¬ tures and is skilful in ko/is of interpretations.
a a XIX.
CHAPTER XIX.
sadAparibhOta.
The Lord then addressed the Bodhisattva MahA- sattva Mahasthamaprapta. In a similar way, Maha- sthAmaprApta, one may infer from what has been said that he who rejects such a Dharmaparyaya as this, who abuses monks, nuns, lay devotees male or female, keeping this Sfttra, insults them, treats them with false and harsh words, shall experience dire results, to such an extent as is impossible to express in words. But those that keep, read, comprehend, teach, amply expound it to others, shall experience happy results, such as I have already mentioned: they shall attain such a perfection of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as just described.
In the days of yore, MahAsthAmaprApta, at a past period, before incalculable./Eons, nay, more than incalculable, immense, inconceivable, and even long before, there appeared in the world a TathAgata, &c., named Bhishmagar^itasvarara^a, endowed with science and conduct, a Sugata, &c. &c., in the.Eon Vinirbhoga, in the world MahAsambhava. Now, MahAsthAmaprApta, that Lord Bhishmagar^itasvara- ra^a, the TathAgata, &c., in that world Vinirbhoga, showed the law in the presence of the world, in¬ cluding gods, men, and demons; the law containing the four noble truths and starting from the chain of causes and effects, tending to overcome birth, decrepitude, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, XIX.
sadaparibhOta.
woe, grief, despondency, and finally leading to Nir- vd//a, he showed to the disciples; the law con¬ nected with the six Perfections of virtue and terminating in the knowledge of the Omniscient, after the attainment of supreme, perfect enlighten¬ ment, he showed to the Bodhisattvas. The lifetime of that Lord B hlshm agar^itasvararafa, the Tatha- gata, &c., lasted forty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of./Eons equal to the sands of the river Ganges \ After his complete extinction his true law remained hundred thousands of myriads of kods of /Eons equal to the atoms (contained) in Gambu- dvipa, and the counterfeit of the true law continued hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of /Eons equal to the dust-atoms in the four continents. When the counterfeit of the true law of the Lord Bhishma- garc'itasvarara^a, the Tathagata, &c., after his com¬ plete extinction, had disappeared in the world Maha- sambhava, Mahasthamaprapta, another Tathagata Bhishmagar<dtasvarara/a, Arhat, &c., appeared, en¬ dowed with science and conduct. So in succession, Mahasthamaprapta, there arose in that world Maha- sambhava twenty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Tathagatas, &c., called Bhtshmagarfita- svararava. At the time, Mahasthamaprapta, after the complete extinction of the first Tathagata amongst all those of the name of Bhlshmagarfita- svararafa, Tathagata, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c. &c., when his true law had dis¬ appeared and the counterfeit of the true law was 1 According to Burnouf: ‘ autant de centaines de mille de myri- ades de ko/is de Kalpas qu’il y a de grains de sable dans quarante Ganges.’
a a 2 XIX.
fading; when the reign (of the law) was being oppressed by proud monks, there was a monk, a Bodhisattva Mahasattva, called Sadaparibhuta. For what reason, Mahasthamaprapta, was that Bodhi¬ sattva Mahasattva called Sadaparibhfita? It was, Mahasthamaprapta, because that Bodhisattva Maha¬ sattva was in the habit of exclaiming to every monk or nun, male or female lay devotee, while approach¬ ing them: I do not contemn you, worthies. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tatha- gatas, &c. In this way, Mahasthamaprapta, that Bodhisattva Mahasattva, when a monk, did not teach nor study; the only thing he did was, when¬ ever he descried from afar a monk or nun, a male or female lay devotee, to approach them and exclaim: I do not contemn you, sisters 1. You deserve no contempt, for you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas and are to become Tathagatas, &c. So, Mahasthamaprapta, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva at that time used to address every monk or nun, male or female devotee. But all were extremely irritated and angry at it, showed him their displea¬ sure, abused and insulted him: Why does he, unasked, declare that he feels no contempt for us? Just by so doing he shows a contempt for us. He renders himself contemptible 2 by predicting our future destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment; we do not care for what is not true. Many years, Mahasthamaprapta, went on during which that 1 It may seem strange that we find no other word than this, but the reading of the text cannot be challenged.
2 Paribhutam atmanawz karoti, yad, &c. Burnouf must have followed a different reading.
XIX.
sadaparibhOta.
Bodhisattva Mahasattva was being abused, but he was not angry at anybody, nor felt malignity, and to those who, when he addressed them in the said manner, cast a clod or stick at him, he loudly ex¬ claimed from afar: I do not contemn you. Those monks and nuns, male and female lay devotees, being always and ever addressed by him in that phrase gave him the (nick)name of Sadaparibhhta 1.
Under those circumstances, Mahasthamaprapta, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Sadaparibhftta happened to hear this Dharmaparydya of the Lotus of the True Law when the end of his life was impending, and the moment of dying drawing near. It was the Lord Bhishmagar^itasvararaga, the Tath&gata, &c., who expounded this Dharmaparyaya in twenty times twenty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of stan¬ zas, which the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Sadapari- bhftta heard from a voice in the sky, when the time of his death was near at hand. On hearing that voice from the sky, without there appearing a person speaking, he grasped this Dharmaparyaya and obtained the perfections already mentioned: the perfection of sight, hearing, smell, taste, body, and mind. With the attainment of these perfections he at the same time made a vow to prolong his life for twenty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of years, and promulgated this Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law. And all those proud beings, monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees to whom he had said: I do not contemn you, and who had given him the name of Saddparibhftta, became all his fol- 1 I.e. both ‘always contemned’ (sada and paribhfita) and ‘always not-contemned, never contemned’ (sada and apari- bhfita).
XIX.
lowers to hear the law, after they had seen the power and strength of his sublime magic faculties, of his vow, of his readiness of wit, of his wisdom. All those and many hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of other beings were by him roused to supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Afterwards, Mahasthamaprapta, that Bodhisattva Mahasattva disappeared from that place and propi¬ tiated twenty hundred ko/is 1 of Tathclgatas, &c., all bearing the same name of A'andraprabhasvarara^a, under all of whom he promulgated this Dharmapar- y&ya. By virtue of his previous root of goodness he, in course of time, propitiated twenty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of TatMgatas, &c., all bearing the name of Dundubhisvarara^a, and under all he obtained this very D h ar mapar y ay a of the Lotus of the True Law and promulgated it to the four classes. By virtue of his previous root of goodness he again, in course of time, propitiated twenty hun¬ dred thousand myriads of ko/is of Tathagatas, &c., all bearing the name of Meghasvarar^a, and under all he obtained this very Dharmapary&ya of the Lotus of the True Law and promulgated it to the four classes. And under all of them he was possessed of the afore-mentioned perfectness of sight, hearing, smell, taste, body, and mind.
Now, Mahisthamaprapta, that Bodhisattva Maha¬ sattva Sadiparibhhta, after having honoured, re¬ spected, esteemed, worshipped, venerated, revered so many hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Tathi- gatas, and after having acted in the same way towards 1 From the sequel it appears that the text ought to have ‘ twenty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is.’
XIX.
SADAPARIBHfjTA.
many hundred thousand myriads of koris of other Buddhas, obtained under all of them this very Dhar¬ maparyiya of the Lotus of the True Law, and owing to his former root of goodness having come to full development, gained supreme, perfect enlightenment. Perhaps, Mahisthimapripta, thou wilt have some doubt, uncertainty, or misgiving, and think that he who at that time, at that juncture was the Bodhisat- tva Mahisattva called Sadaparibhuta was one, and he who under the rule of that Lord Bhishmagargi- tasvararafa, the Tathigata, &c.,was generally called Sadiparibhftta by the four classes, by whom so many Tathigatas were propitiated, was another. But thou shouldst not think so. For it is myself who at that time, at that juncture was the Bodhisattva Mahisat- tva Sadiparibhhta. Had I not formerly grasped and kept this Dharmaparyiya, Mahisthimapripta, I should not so soon have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. It is because I have kept, read, preached this Dharmaparyiya (derived) from the teaching of the ancient Tathigatas, &c., Mahastha¬ maprapta, that I have so soon arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. As to the hundreds of monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees, Mahi¬ sthimapripta, to whom under that Lord the Bodhi¬ sattva Mahisattva Sadaparibhuta promulgated this Dharmaparyiya by saying: I do not contemn you; you all observe the course of duty of Bodhisattvas; you are to become Tathigatas, &c., and in whom awoke a feeling of malignity towards that Bodhisattva, they in twenty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of .riions never saw a Tathigata, nor heard the call of the law, nor the call of the assembly, and for ten thousand riEons they suffered terrible pain in the XIX.
great hell AvL§i. Thereafter released from the ban, they by the instrumentality of that Bodhisattva Mahasattva were all brought to full ripeness for supreme, perfect enlightenment. Perhaps, Maha- sthamaprapta, thou wilt have some doubt, uncer¬ tainty, or misgiving as to who at that time, at that juncture were the persons hooting and laughing at the Bodhisattva Mahasattva. They are, in this very assembly, the five hundred Bodhisattvas headed by Bhadrap&la, the five hundred nuns following Simha- £andra, the five hundred lay devotees 1 following Sugata/£etan&, who all of them have been rendered inflexible in supreme, perfect enlightenment. So greatly useful it is to keep and preach this Dharma- paryaya, as it tends to result for Bodhisattvas Maha- sattvas in supreme, perfect enlightenment. Hence, Mahasthamaprapta, the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas should, after the complete extinction of the TatM- gata, constantly keep, read, and promulgate this Dharmaparyaya.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the follow¬ ing stanzas: 1. I remember a past period, when king Bhish- masvara 2, the Gina, lived, very mighty, and revered by gods and men, the leader of men, gods, goblins, and giants.
2. At the time succeeding the complete extinc¬ tion of that Gina, when the decay of the true law 1 Upasaka, the masculine; this does not suit, but on the other hand it must be admitted that the omission of male devotees is not to be accounted for. Not unlikely some words have been left out by inadvertence, not only in the Cambridge MS., but also in the MSS. known to Burnouf. Cf., however, st. 9.
XIX.
SADAPARIBHijTA.
was far advanced, there was a monk, a Bodhisattva, called by the name of Sadaparibhuta.
3. Other monks and nuns who did not believe but in what they saw 1, he would approach (and say): I never am to contemn you, for you observe the course leading to supreme enlightenment.
4. It was his wont always to utter those words, which brought him but abuse and taunts from their part. At the time when his death was impending he heard this Sutra.
5. The sage, then, did not expire; he resolved upon 2 a very long life, and promulgated this Stitra under the rule of that leader.
6. And those many (persons) who only acknow¬ ledged the evidence of sensual perception 3 were by him brought to full ripeness for enlightenment. Then, disappearing from that place, he propitiated thousands of koris of Buddhas.
7. Owing to the successive good actions performed by him, and to his constantly promulgating this Sfttra, that son of Gina reached enlightenment. That Bodhisattva then is myself, 6akyamuni.
8. And those persons who only believed in per¬ ception by the senses 4, those monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees who by the sage were admonished of enlightenment, 9. And who have seen many ko/is of Buddhas, 1 Upalambhadrz'sh/ina; I am not sure of the correctness of this translation; Burnouf renders it by: qui ne voyaient que les objets extdrieurs,’ which comes pretty much to the same.
2 PratishZ/zihitva (Sansk. pratish/Mya) ka. sudirgham ayu^, properly ‘ having stood still for a very long time of life.’
8 Upalambhika.
4 Aupalambhika.
XIX.
are the monks here before me,—no less than five hundred,—nuns, and female lay devotees 1.
10. All of them have been by me brought to complete ripeness, and after my extinction they will all, full of wisdom, keep this Sfttra.
11. Not once in many, inconceivably many kofis of Aions has such a Sfttra as this been heard. There are, indeed, hundreds of ko^is of Buddhas, but they do not elucidate this Shtra.
12. Therefore let one who has heard this law exposed by the Self-born himself, and who has re¬ peatedly propitiated him, promulgate this Sutra after my extinction in this world.
1 The text has upasikO.
XX. TRANSCENDENT POWER OF THE TATHAGATAS. 363 CHAPTER XX.
CONCEPTION OF THE TRANSCENDENT POWER OF THE TATHAGATAS.
Thereupon those hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of Bodhisattvas equal to the dust-atoms of a macrocosm, who had issued from the gaps of the earth, all stretched their joined hands towards the Lord, and said unto him: We, O Lord, will, after the complete extinction of the Tath&gata, promul¬ gate this Dharmaparyhya everywhere (or on every occasion) in all Buddha-fields of the Lord, wherever (or whenever) the Lord shall be completely extinct 1. We are anxious to obtain this sublime Dharma- paryaya, O Lord, in order to keep, read, publish, and write it.
Thereupon the hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of Bodhisattvas, headed by Mangnsri; the monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees living in this world; the gods, Nagas, goblins, Gandharvas, demons, Garuahs, Kinnaras, great serpents, men, and beings not human, and the many Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas equal to the sands of the river Ganges, said unto the Lord: We also, O Lord, will promul¬ gate this Dharmaparyaya after the complete extinc¬ tion of the Tath&gata. While standing with an invisible body in the sky, O Lord, we will send 1 Hence follows that Nirvawa is repeatedly entered into by the Lord.
XX.
forth a voice 1, and plant the roots of goodness of such creatures as have not (yet) planted roots of goodness.
Then the Lord addressed the Bodhisattva Mah&- sattva Vidsh/aZ'aritra, followed by a troop, a great troop, the master of a troop, who was the very first of those afore-mentioned Bodhisattvas Mah&sattvas followed by a troop, a great troop, masters of a troop: Very well, Vidsh^aiaritra, very well; so you should do; it is for the sake of this Dharmaparyaya that the Tathagata has brought you to ripeness.
Thereupon the Lord d’akyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., and the wholly extinct Lord Prabhutaratna, the Tathagata, &c., both seated on the throne in the centre of the Stftpa 2, commenced smiling to one another, and from their opened mouths stretched out their tongues, so that with their tongues they reached the Brahma-world, and from those two tongues issued many hundred thousand myriads of kods of rays 3. From each of those rays issued many hundred thou¬ sand myriads of ko/is of Bodhisattvas, with gold- coloured bodies and possessed of the thirty-two characteristic signs of a great man, and seated on thrones consisting of the interior of lotuses. Those 1 From this it appears that the abode of the monks &c. in the assembly of the Lord.Sakyamuni is in the sky, at least occa¬ sionally. Their attribute of ‘an invisible body’ shows them to be identical with the videhas, the incorporeal ones, i. e. the spirits of the blessed departed, Arhats, Muktas, Pitaras. The Pitaras form the assembly of Dharmarag-a.
a Cf. Chapter XI.
3 It is quite true that the moon as well as the sun is sahasra- ra.rmi, possessed of thousand rays, but it is difficult to under¬ stand how the Bhagavat Prabhbtaratna can show his magic power in his state of extinction.
XX. TRANSCENDENT POWER OF THE TATHAGATAS. 365 Bodhisattvas spread in all directions in hundred thousands of worlds, and while on every side sta¬ tioned in the sky preached the law. Just as the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., produced a miracle of magic by his tongue, so, too, Prabhuta- ratna, the Tathagata, &c., and the other Tathagatas, &c., who, having flocked from hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of other worlds, were seated on thrones at the foot of jewel trees, by their tongues produced a miracle of magic.
The Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., and all those Tathagatas, &c., produced that magical effect during fully a thousand 1 years. After the lapse of that millennium those Tathagatas, &c., pulled back their tongue, and all simultaneously, at the same moment, the same instant, made a great noise as of expector¬ ation 2 and of snapping the fingers, by which sounds all the hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of Buddha-fields in every direction of space were moved, removed, stirred, wholly stirred, tossed, tossed forward, tossed along, and all beings in all those Buddha-fields, gods, Nagas, goblins, Gan- dharvas, demons, Garudas, Kinnaras, great ser¬ pents, men, and beings not human beheld, by the power of the Buddha, from the place where they stood, this Saha-world. They beheld the hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of Tathagatas seated severally on their throne at the foot of a jewel tree, and the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., and the Lord Prabhutaratna, the TatMgata, &c., wholly extinct, sitting on the throne in the centre of the XX.
Stupa of magnificent precious substances, along with the Lord Yakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c.; they be¬ held, finally, those four classes of the audience. At this sight they felt struck with wonder, amazement, and rapture. And they heard a voice from the sky calling: Worthies, beyond a distance of an immense, incalculable number of hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of worlds there is the world named Saha; there the Tathagata called 6’akyamuni, the Arhat, &c., is just now revealing to the Bodhisattvas Mahi- sattvas the Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law, a Sutranta of great extent, serving to instruct Bodhisattvas, and belonging in proper to all Buddhas. Ye accept it joyfully with all your heart, and do homage to the Lord Yakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., and the Lord Prabhutaratna, the Tathagata, &c.
On hearing such a voice from the sky all those beings exclaimed from the place where they stood, with joined hands: Homage to the Lord Yakya- muni, the Tathagata. Then they threw towards the Saha-world various flowers, incense, fragrant wreaths, ointment, gold, cloth, umbrellas, flags, ban¬ ners, and triumphal streamers, as well as ornaments, parures, necklaces, gems and jewels of all sorts, in order to worship the Lord Yakyamuni, the Tatha¬ gata 1, and this Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law. Those flowers, incense, &c., and those necklaces, &c., came down upon this Saha-world, where they formed a great canopy of flowers hanging in the sky above the Tathagatas there sitting, as well as those in the hundred thousands of myriads of kods of other worlds.
1 In Burnoufs translation we find added: and the TatMgata Prabhutaratna.
XX. TRANSCENDENT POWER OF THE TAThAgATAS. 367 Thereupon the Lord addressed the Bodhisattvas Mahisattvas headed by Vidsh/aiaritra: Inconceivable, young men of good family, is the power of the Tatha- gatas, &c. In order to transmit this Dharmaparyaya, young men of good family, I might go on for hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of dEons explaining the manifold virtues of this Dharmaparyaya through the different principles of the law, without reaching the end of those virtues. In this Dharmaparyaya I have succinctly taught all Buddha-laws (or Buddha- qualities), all the superiority, all the mystery, all the profound conditions of the Buddhas. Therefore, young men of good family, you should, after the complete extinction of the Tathagata, with reverence keep, read, promulgate, cherish 1, worship it. And wherever on earth, young men of good family, this Dharmaparyaya shall be made known, read, written, meditated, expounded, studied or collected into a volume, be it in a monastery or at home, in the wilderness or in a town, at the foot of a tree or in a palace, in a building or in a cavern, on that spot one should erect a shrine in dedication to the Tatha¬ gata. For such a spot must be regarded as a terrace of enlightenment; such a spot must be regarded as one where all Tathagatas &c. have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment; on that spot have all Tathagatas moved forward the wheel of the law; on that spot one may hold that all Tathigatas have reached complete extinction.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the follow¬ ing stanzas: 1 Or develop; or meditate, bhavayitavya. Burnouf seems to have read b h a s h ay i t a v y a, for he translates it by ‘expliquer.’
1. Inconceivable is the power to promote the weal of the world 1 possessed by those who, firmly established in transcendent knowledge, by means of their unlimited sight display their magic faculty in order to gladden all living beings on earth.
2. They extend their tongue over the whole world 2, darting thousands of beams to the astonish¬ ment of those to whom this effect of magic is dis¬ played and who are making for supreme enlighten¬ ment.
3. The Buddhas made a noise of expectoration and of snapping the fingers, (and by it) called the attention of the whole world, of all parts of the world in the ten directions of space.
4. Those and other miraculous qualities they display in their benevolence and compassion (with the view) that the creatures, gladly excited at the time, may (also) keep the Shtra after the complete extinction of the Sugata.
5. Even if I continued for thousands of kods of ./Eons speaking the praise of those sons of Sugata who shall keep this eminent Sutra after the extinc¬ tion of the Leader of the world, 6. I should not have terminated the enumeration of their qualities; inconceivable as the qualities of infinite space are the merits of those who constantly keep this holy Sutra.
7. They behold me as well as these chiefs, and the Leader of the world now extinct; (they behold) all these numerous Bodhisattvas and the four classes.
8. Such a one now here 3 propitiates me and all 1 LokahitanudharmatS. 2 Sarvalokam.
8 Ten’ ihadya. The connection between this stanza and the next would have been clearer if the two stanzas had been transposed.
XX. TRANSCENDENT POWER OF THE TATIiAGATAS. 369 these leaders, as well as the extinct chief of (Pinas and the others in every quarter.
9. The future and past Buddhas stationed in the ten points of space will all be seen and worshipped by him who keeps this Svttra.
10. He who keeps this Sutra, the veritable law, will fathom the mystery of the highest man; will soon comprehend what truth it was that was arrived at on the terrace of enlightenment.
11. The quickness of his apprehension will be unlimited; like the wind he will nowhere meet im¬ pediments; he knows the purport and interpretation of the law, he who keeps this exalted Sfitra.
12. He will, after some reflection, always find out the connection of the Shtras spoken by the leaders; even after the complete extinction of the leader he will grasp the real meaning of the Sfitras.
13. He resembles the moon and the sun; he illu¬ minates all around him, and while roaming the earth in different directions he rouses many Bodhisattvas.
14. The wise Bodhisattvas who, after hearing the enumeration of such advantages, shall keep this Sutra after my complete extinction will doubtless reach enlightenment.
XXI.
CHAPTER XXI.
SPELLS.
Thereupon the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Bhaisha- ^yara^a rose from his seat, and having put his upper robe upon one shoulder and fixed the right knee upon the ground lifted his joined hands up to the Lord and said: How great, O Lord, is the pious merit which will be produced by a young man of good family or a young lady who keeps this Dhar- maparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law, either in memory or in a book? Whereupon the Lord said to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Bhaisha^yarafa: Suppose, Bhaisha^yar&^a, that some man of good family or a young lady honours, respects, reveres, worships hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of Tath&gatas equal to the sands of eighty Ganges rivers; dost thou think, Bhaisha^yar&^a, that such a young man or young lady of good family will on that account produce much pious merit? The Bo¬ dhisattva Bh;iishayyara(''a replied: Yes, Lord; yes, Sugata. The Lord said: I announce to thee, Bhaisha- ^■yari^a, I declare to thee: any young man or young lady of good family, Bhaishajfyarafa, who shall keep, read, comprehend, and in practice follow, were it but a single stanza from this Dharmapary&ya of the Lotus of the True Law, that young man or young lady of good family, Bhaisha^yara/a, will on that account produce far more pious merit.
XXI.
SPELLS.
Then the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Bhaisha^ya- rijm immediately said to the Lord: To those young men or young ladies of good family, O Lord, who keep this Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law in their memory or in a book, we will give talismanic words 1 for guard, defence, and protection; such as, anye 2 manye mane mamane /§itte barite same, samitdvi, sinte, mukte, muktatame, same avishame, samasame, ^aye, kshaye, akshbze, sinte sani, dharam ilokabhashe, pratyaveksham, nidhini, abhyantaravisish/e, utkule mutkule, asa d&, para de, sukinkshi, asamasame, buddhavilokite, dharmapa- rikshite, sanghanirghosham, nirghosham bhayibha- yasodhani, mantre mantrikshayate, rutakausalye, akshaye, akshavanatiya, vakule valoda, amanyatiya 3. These words of charms and spells, O Lord, have been pronounced by reverend Buddhas (in number) 1 Dharawipadani.
2 In giving these words I have followed the Camb. MS., even where the readings would seem to be incorrect.
3 The list in Burnouf’s translation seems in many respects more correct; it is as follows: anye manye, arau parau amane ma¬ mane &tte barite; rame ramita vijante, mukte muktatame same avisamasame, £uye kshaye akshaye akshi»e.rante.samite dharawi alokabha.se pratyavekshawi dhiru viviru abhyantaranivish/e abhyan- tarapariruddhi, utkule mukule ara.de parade sukankshi asama¬ same buddhivilokite dharmaparikshite pratyaveksham sanghanir- ghosha»i nirghosham bhayavirodhani mantre mantrakshayate rutakamalya akshayavanatfi vakkulavaloka amanyatlye. All these words are, or ought to be, feminine words in the vocative. I take them to be epithets of the Great Mother, Nature or Earth, differently called Aditi, Pra^wa, Maya, Bhavani, Durga. Any! may be identified with the Vedic anya, inexhaustible, and synonymous with aditi. Most of. the other terms may be ex¬ plained as synonymous with prag-rafi (e. g. pratyaveksha«i), with nature (kshaye akshaye), with the earth (dhira nt).
B b 2 XXI.
equal to the sands of sixty-two Ganges rivers. All these Buddhas would be offended by any one who would attack such preachers, such keepers of the Shtranta.
The Lord expressed his approval to the Bodhi- sattva Mahisattva Bhaisha^yara^a by saying: Very well, Bhaisha/yara^a, by those talismanic words being pronounced out of compassion for creatures, the common weal of creatures is promoted; their guard, defence, and protection is secured.
Thereupon the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Pradana- ■sfira said unto the Lord: I also, O Lord, will, for the benefit of such preachers, give them talismanic words, that no one seeking for an occasion to surprise such preachers may find the occasion, be it a demon, giant, goblin, sorcerer, imp or ghost; that none of these when seeking and spying for an occasion to surprise may find the occasion. And then the Bodhisattva Mahisattva Pradana^ura instantly pronounced the following words of a spell: ^vale maha^vale, ukke mukke, ade ad&vati, trzVye trzVyavati, i/ini vi/ini /kiitmi, tritti trzVyivati svaha h These talismanic words, O Lord, have been pronounced and approved by Tathagatas, &c. (in number) equal to the sands of the river Ganges. All those Tathagatas would be offended by any one who would attack such preachers.