Again the Lord addressed the complete assembly of monks: I announce to you, monks, I make known that the senior Maha-Katyayana here present, my disciple, shall pay homage to eight thousand kods of Buddhas; shall show them respect, honour, re¬ verence, veneration, and worship; at the expiration of those TatMgatas he shall build Stftpas, a thou¬ sand yo^anas in height, fifty yo^anas in circumference, and consisting of seven precious substances, to wit, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, red pearl 1, emerald, and, seventhly, coral 2. Those Stfipas he shall worship 1 Lohitamukti, according to Buddhist authorities, red pearl. The word is of so frequent occurrence that there can be no question of muktes in the genitive case being a clerical error for mukt&y&s. If the word ever had any existence out of Buddhist writings, mukti must have been a variation of mukta, a Musaragalva; whether this precious stone really be coral, as Buddhist dictionaries assert, is rather doubtful. As the enu¬ merated substances represent the seven colours—originally the VI.
with flowers, incense, perfumed wreaths, ointments, powder, robes, umbrellas, banners, flags, triumphal streamers. Afterwards he shall again pay a similar homage to twenty kods of Buddhas; show them respect, honour, reverence, veneration, and worship. Then in his last bodily existence \ his last corporeal appearance, he shall be a Tathigata in the world, an Arhat, &c. &c., named Cimbhnada-prabhasa (i.e. gold- shine), endowed with science and conduct, &c. His Buddha-field will be thoroughly pure, even, nice, pretty, beautiful, crystalline, variegated with jewel- trees, interlaced with gold threads, strewed with flowers, free from beings of the brute creation, hell, and the host of demons, replete with numerous men and gods, adorned with many hundred thou¬ sand disciples and many hundred thousand Bodhi- sattvas. The measure of his lifetime shall be twelve intermediate kalpas; his true law shall continue twenty intermediate kalpas and its counterfeit as many.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the fol¬ lowing stanzas: 25. Listen all to me, ye monks, since I am going to utter an infallible word 2. Katyayana here, the senior, my disciple, shall render worship to the Leaders.
26. He shall show veneration of various kinds and in many ways to the Leaders, after whose rainbow colours, I think—the interpretation either of lohitamukti or of musaragalva must be wrong, perhaps both are false.
1 Properly, western elevation or rise.
2 The Buddha may in sober truth say so, because the astronomer can predict future risings and settings. He here shows himself to be Brahma, in his function of the first of astronomers, to whom the ancient Brahma-Siddhanta is referred.
VI.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY.
expiration he shall build Stflpas, worshipping them with flowers and perfumes.
27. In his last bodily existence he shall be a Gina, in a thoroughly pure field, and after acquiring full knowledge he shall preach to a thousand ko/is of living beings.
28. He shall be a mighty Buddha and illuminator, highly honoured in this world, including the gods, under the name of Cambunada-prabhasa J, and save ko/is of gods and men.
29. Many Bodhisattvas as well as disciples, be¬ yond measure and calculation, will in that field adorn the reign of that Buddha, all of them freed from existence and exempt from existence 1 2 3 * *.
Again the Lord addressed the complete assembly of monks: I announce to you, monks, I make known, that the senior Maha-Maudgalyayana here present, my disciple, shall propitiate twenty-eight thousand Buddhas 8 and pay those Lords homage of various kinds; he shall show them respect, &c., and after their expiration build Stupas consisting of seven precious substances, to wit, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, red pearl, emerald, and, seventhly, coral; (Stflpas) a thousand yo^anas in height and five hundred yo^anas in circumference, which Stffpas he shall worship in different ways, with flowers, incense, perfumed wreaths, ointments, powder, robes, um¬ brellas, banners, flags, and triumphal streamers.
1 One MS. has a second-hand reading, “dabhasa.
2 Vibhava; Burnouf must have read vibhaya, ‘exempts de terreur.’
3 The number of twenty-eight—the cyphers not being taken into account—probably indicates the number of days (Buddhas) during which the planet is standing in some stage of its course.
Afterwards he shall again pay a similar worship to twenty 1 hundred thousand ko/is of Buddhas; he shall show respect, &c., and in his last bodily exist¬ ence become in the world a Tathigata,. &c., named Tamalapatra/c'andanagandha 2, endowed with science and conduct, &c. The field of that Buddha will be called Manobhirama; his period Ratipratipfima. And that Buddha-field will be even, nice, pretty, beautiful, crystalline, variegated with jewel-trees, strewn with detached flowers, replete with gods and men, frequented by hundred thousands of Seers, that is to say, disciples and Bodhisattvas. The measure of his lifetime shall be twenty-four intermediate kalpas; his true law is to last forty intermediate kalpas and its counterfeit as many.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the fol¬ lowing stanzas: 30. The scion of the Mudgala-race, my disciple here, after leaving 3 human existence shall see twenty thousand mighty 4 (Anas and eight (thousand) more of these faultless beings.
31. Under them he shall follow a course of duty, trying to reach Buddha-knowledge; he shall pay homage in various ways to those Leaders and to the most high of men.
32. After keeping their true law, of wide reach and sublime, for thousands of kods of Aions, he shall at the expiration of those Sugatas worship their Stfipas.
1 As many days in another stage.
2 I. e. having the odour (or resemblance) of Xanthochymus and sandal. From the dark colour I infer that Saturn is meant, for this planet is represented as being black.
3 Gahitva. 4 Tdyin.
VI.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY.
33. In honour of those most high Cinas, those mighty beings 1 so beneficial to the world, he shall erect Stflpas consisting of precious substances, and decorated with triumphal streamers, worshipping them with flowers, perfumes, and the sounds of music.
34. At the period of his last bodily existence he shall, in a nice and beautiful field, be a Buddha bounteous and compassionate to the world, under the name of Tamilapatraiandanagandha.
35. The measure of that Sugata’s life shall be fully twenty-four intermediate kalpas, during which he shall be assiduous in declaring the Buddha-rule to men and gods.
36. That Gina shall have many thousands of ko/is of disciples, innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, gifted with the six transcendent faculties and the triple science, and possessed of magic power, under the command of that Sugata.
37. Under the reign of that Sugata there shall also appear numerous Bodhisattvas, many thousands of them, unable to slide back (or to deviate), de¬ veloping zeal, of extensive knowledge and studious habits.
38. After that Uina’s expiration his true law shall measure in time twenty-four 2 intermediate kalpas in full; its counterfeit shall have the same measure.
39. These are my five mighty disciples whom I 1 T&yin.
2 The original reading has been meddled with; one MS. has vim&ak £ava m (second-hand, ka. vim) syantarakalpa; another, viwzsai ka. vLrantarak 0. The original Prakrit may have had something like vimaam kaXxm.
VI.
have destined to supreme enlightenment and to become in future self-born Cinas; now hear from me their course 1.
1 In this chapter only four disciples are mentioned; the fifth must be.Sariputra, whose destination has been predicted before.
VII.
ANCIENT DEVOTION.
CHAPTER VII.
ANCIENT DEVOTION 1.
Of yore, monks, in the past, incalculable, more than incalculable, inconceivable, immense, measure¬ less AEons since, nay, at a period, an epoch far beyond, there appeared in the world a Tathagata, &c., named Mahabhi^^a^dnabhibhh, endowed with science and conduct 2, a Sugata, &c. &c., in the sphere Sambhava (i. e. origin, genesis), in the period Mahd- rftpa. (You ask), monks, how long ago is it that the Tathagata was born? Well, suppose some man was to reduce to powder the whole mass of the earth element as much as is to be found in this whole universe; that after taking one atom of dust from this world he is to walk a thousand worlds farther in easterly direction to deposit that single atom; that after taking a second atom of dust and walking a thousand worlds farther he deposits that second atom, and proceeding in this way at last gets the whole of the earth element deposited in eastern 1 Purvayoga, which recurs as the heading of chaps. XXII and XXV, would at first sight seem to mean ‘ former conjunction,’ but that does not answer any more than ‘ ancient devotion.’ I think that yoga here is an alteration of yuga, age, period, or a Pra- kritism for yauga, i. e. referring to an age. A Sanskrit purva- yauga would be formed like purva-yayata, &c.; cf. Pazzini VI, 2, 103. The original meaning of purva-yoga is, I sup¬ pose, pre-history. Cf. pubbayogo ti pubbakammam, Milinda Pawho, p. 2.
2 I. e. with light and motion.
vir.
direction. Now, monks, what do you think of it, is it possible by calculation to find the end or limit of these worlds? They answered: Certainly not, Lord; certainly not, Sugata. The Lord said: On the contrary, monks, some arithmetician or master of arithmetic might, indeed, be able by calculation to find the end or limit of the worlds, both those where the atoms have been deposited and where they have not, but it is impossible by applying the rules of arith¬ metic to find the limit of those hundred thousands of myriads of /Eons; so long, so inconceivable, so immense is the number of /Eons which have elapsed since the expiration of that Lord, the Tathagata Mahabh ig #a^«anabhibhu. Yet, monks, I perfectly remember that Tathagata who has been extinct for so long a time x, as if he had reached extinction to-day or yesterday 1 2, because of my possessing the mighty knowledge and sight of the Tathagata.
And on that occasion the Lord pronounced the following stanzas: 1. I remember 3 the great Seer AbhifM^ana- bhibhft, the most high of men, who existed many ko/is of /Eons ago as the superior Gina of the period.
2. If, for example, some men after reducing this 1 Hence follows that the Buddha has existed since time imme¬ morial; in other words, that he is Adibuddha.
2 I have taken the liberty to render fvas by ‘yesterday,’ though I have no other warrant for the word ever being taken in this sense except the context and the fact that in sundry languages the notions of to-morrow and yesterday are occasionally expressed by the same term, e. g. Hindi kal (properly morning, to-morrow, Sansk. kalyam, kalyam); the English ‘yesterday’ is the very same word with Gothic gistradagis, to-morrow.
3 Anusmarami, omitted by Burnouf.
VII.
ANCIENT DEVOTION.
universe to atoms of dust took one atom to deposit it a thousand regions farther on; 3. If he deposited a second, a third atom, and so proceeded until he had done with the whole mass of dust, so that this world were empty and the mass of dust exhausted; 4. To that immense mass of the dust of these worlds, entirely reduced to atoms, I liken the num¬ ber of Etons past.
5. So immense is the number of kods of.Eons past since that extinct Sugata; the whole of (ex¬ isting) atoms is no (adequate) expression of it; so many are the.Eons which have expired since.
6. That Leader who has expired so long ago, those disciples and Bodhisattvas, I remember all of them as if it were to-day or yesterday. Such is the knowledge of the Tathagatas.
7. So endless, monks, is the knowledge of the Tathagata; I know what has taken place many hundreds of Eons ago, by my precise and faultless memory.
To proceed, monks, the measure of the lifetime of the Tathagata Mahabhi^a^%anabhibhu, the Arhat, &c. was fifty-four hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Eons.
In the beginning when the Lord had not yet reached supreme, perfect enlightenment and had just occupied the summit of the terrace of enlighten¬ ment a, he discomfited and defeated the whole host of Mira, after which he thought: I am to reach 1 Bodhima»<favaragragata eva; v&r. lect. bodhimaWavaragata eva, i. e. just having come to the terrace of enlightenment. Vara here is vara, circuit; it adds little to the notion of the simple bodhi- rnawtfa, this also being a round terrace.
perfect enlightenment h But those laws (of perfect enlightenment) had not yet dawned upon him. He stayed on the terrace of enlightenment at the foot of the tree of enlightenment during one intermediate kalpa. He stayed there a second, a third inter¬ mediate kalpa, but did not yet attain supreme, per¬ fect enlightenment. He remained a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth, a ninth, a tenth inter¬ mediate kalpa on the terrace of enlightenment at the foot of the tree of enlightenment 1 2, continuing sitting cross-legged without in the meanwhile rising. He stayed, the mind motionless, the body unstirring and untrembling, but those laws had not yet dawned upon him.
Now, monks, while the Lord was just on the summit of the terrace of enlightenment, the gods of Paradise (Trayastri^as) prepared him a magnificent royal throne, a hundred yo^anas high, on occupying which the Lord attained supreme, perfect enlighten¬ ment; and no sooner had the Lord occupied the seat of enlightenment than the Brahmakayika gods scat¬ tered a rain of flowers all around the seat of en¬ lightenment over a distance of a hundred yo/anas; in the sky they let loose storms by which the flowers, withered, were swept away. From the beginning of the rain of flowers, while the Lord was sitting on the seat of enlightenment, it poured without interruption during fully ten intermediate kalpas 3, 1 It is difficult not to see that we have here, as well as in the opening of the Mahavagga and in Lalita-vistara, chap. 21, a description of the rising of the sun, the beginning of a kalpa, a myth of the creation of the visible world.
8 An intermediate kalpa is the twentieth part of an incalculable kalpa, which in reality is equal to one day of twenty-four hours, VII.
ANCIENT DEVOTION.
covering the Lord. That rain of flowers having once begun falling continued to the moment of the Lord’s complete Nirvana. The angels belonging to the division of the four guardians of the cardinal points made the celestial drums of the gods resound 1; they made them resound without interruption in honour of the Lord who had attained the summit of the terrace of enlightenment. Thereafter, during fully ten intermediate kalpas, they made uninterruptedly resound those celestial musical instruments up to the moment of the complete extinction of the Lord.
Again, monks, after the lapse of ten interme¬ diate kalpas the Lord Mahibhi^#a^#anibhibhh, the Tathagata, &c., reached supreme, perfect enlighten¬ ment 2. Immediately on knowing his having become enlightened the sixteen 3 sons born to that Lord when a prince royal, the eldest of whom was named (AMnakara—which sixteen young princes, monks, had severally toys to play with, variegated and pretty—those sixteen princes, I repeat, monks, left their toys, their amusements, and since they knew that the Lord Mahhbhi^a^anabhibhh, the Tatha¬ gata, &c., had attained supreme, perfect knowledge, went, surrounded and attended by their weeping mothers and nurses, along with the noble, rich king Aakravartin, many ministers, and hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of living beings, to the place where the Lord Mahabhi^a^anabhibhh, the consequently ten intermediate kalpas are equal to one day (half day- night) of twelve hours, from sunrise until sunset at the equinox.
1 It must have been a stormy day, far from rare about the time of the equinoxes.
2 Just at sunset.
3 Sixteen is the number of the kalas (digits) of the moon.
TatMgata, &c., was seated on the summit of the terrace of enlightenment. They went up to the Lord in order to honour, respect, worship, revere, and venerate him, saluted his feet with their heads, made three turns round him keeping him to the right \ lifted up their joined hands, and praised the Lord, face to face, with the following stanzas: 8. Thou art the great physician 1 2, having no superior, rendered perfect in endless.dions 3. Thy benign wish of saving all mortals (from darkness) has to-day been fulfilled.
9. Most difficult things hast thou achieved 4 * during the ten intermediate kalpas now past; thou hast been sitting all that time without once moving thy body, hand, foot, or any other part fi.
10. Thy mind also was tranquil and steady, mo¬ tionless, never to be shaken; thou knewest no distraction 6; thou art completely quiet and faultless.
11. Joy with thee 7! that thou so happily and safely, 1 And, moving from east to south, and so forth.
2 Like Apollo. Therefore the Buddha immediately after his bodhi, i. e. awakening, pronounces the four Aryasatyani, which are nothing else but the well-known four chief points in the medical art,—the disease, the cause of the disease, necessity to remove that cause, and the remedy.
3 And, of infinite body; and, whose pharmacology is boundless; anantakalpa is the term used.
4 Out of a figure similar and akin to Hercules, the active Ndrfi- ya«a has become a sage tranquil, peaceful, and refraining from action.
8 Desa. This immovability must be taken cumgranosalis, in so far as the sun is represented to continue in the same portion of the ecliptic for one day.
6 Vikshepa as an astronomical term means celestial latitude; the sun knows no deviation from the ecliptic, of course.
7 Dish/yasi.
VII.
ANCIENT DEVOTION.
without any hurt, hast reached supreme enlighten¬ ment. How great a fortune is ours! we congratu¬ late ourselves, O Lion amongst kings!
12. These unhappy 1 creatures, vexed in all ways, deprived of eyes, as it were, and joyless, do not find the road leading to the end of toils, nor develop energy for the sake of deliverance.
13. Dangers are for a long time on the increase, and the laws (or phenomena, things) are deprived of the (possession of a) celestial body; the word of the Gina is not being heard; the whole world is plunged in thick darkness.
14. But to-day (or now) hast thou, Majesty of the world, reached this hallowed, high, and faultless spot; we as well as the world are obliged to thee, and approach to seek our refuge with thee, O Protector!
When, O monks, those sixteen princes in the condition of boys, childlike and young, had with such stanzas celebrated the Lord Mah 4 bhi^i^dni- bhibhfi, the Tathagata, &c., they urged the Lord to move on the wheel of the law 2: Preach the law, O Lord; preach the law, O Sugata, for the weal of the public, the happiness of the public, out of compas¬ sion for the world; for the benefit, weal, and happi¬ ness of the people generally, both of gods and men. And on that occasion they uttered the following stanzas: 15. Preach the law, O thou who art marked with a hundred auspicious signs, O Leader, O incom¬ parable great Seer! thou hast attained exalted, 1 Anayika, derived from an and aya. a I. e. to rise a second day, to awaken from his Nirvawa.
sublime knowledge; let it shine in the world, includ¬ ing the gods.
16. Release us as well as these creatures; display the knowledge of the Tathagatas, that we also and, further, these beings may obtain this supreme 1 enlightenment.
17. Thou knowest every course (of duty) and knowledge; thou knowest the (mental and moral) disposition and the good works done in a former state; the (natural) bent of all living beings. Move on the most exalted, sublime wheel!
Then, monks, as the Lord Mahibhi^a^ind- bhibhft, the Tathigata, &c., reached supreme, per¬ fect enlightenment, fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of spheres in each of the ten directions of space were shaken in six different ways and be¬ came illumined with a great lustre. And in the intervals between all those spheres, in the dreary places of dark gloom, where even the sun and moon, so powerful, mighty, and splendid, have no advan¬ tage of the shining power they are endowed with, have no advantage of the colour and brightness they possess, even in those places a great lustre arose instantly. And the beings who appeared 2 in those intervals behold each other, acknowledge each other, (and exclaim): Lo, there are other beings also here appearing! lo, there are other beings also here appearing! The palaces and aerial cars of the gods in all those spheres up to the Brahma-world shook in six different ways and became illumined with a 1 Or, foremost; the word used being agra.
2 Upapanna, by so-called aupap&duka (P&li opap&tika), apparitional birth, birth by metamorphosis. Clouds e. g. are so born.
VII.
ANCIENT DEVOTION.
great lustre, surpassing the divine majesty of the gods. So then, monks, a great earthquake and a great, sublime lustre arose simultaneously. And the aerial cars of the Brahma-angels to the east, in these fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of spheres, began excessively to glitter, glow, and sparkle in splendour and glory. And those Brahma-angels made this reflection: What may be foreboded by these aerial cars so excessively glittering, glowing, and sparkling in splendour and glory? Thereupon, monks, the Brahma-angels in the fifty hundred thou¬ sand myriads of ko/is of spheres went all to each other’s abodes and communicated the matter to one another. After that, monks, the great Brahma-angel, named Sarvasattvatratrf (i.e. Saviour of all beings) 1, addressed the numerous host of Brahma-angels in the following stanzas: 18. Our aerial cars to-day (or now) are all brist¬ ling 2 with rays in an extraordinary degree, and blazing in beautiful splendour and brilliancy. What may be the cause of it?
19. Come, let us investigate the matter, what divine being has to-day sprung into existence, whose power, such as was never seen before, here now appears?
20. Or should it be the Buddha, the king of kings, who to-day has been born somewhere in the world, and whose birth is announced by such a token that all the points of the horizon are now blazing in splendour?
Thereupon, monks, the great Brahma-angels in the 1 Probably a veiled name of the regent of the eastern quarter, Indra, one of whose epithets is Sutraman.
2 Harshita.
M fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of spheres mounted all together their own divine aerial cars, took with them divine bags, as large as Mount Sumeru, with celestial flowers, and went through the four quarters successively until they arrived at the western quarter, where those great Brahma-angels, O monks, stationed in the western quarter, saw the Lord Mahabhi^a^anabhibhu, the Tathagata, &c., on the summit of the exalted terrace of enlighten¬ ment, seated on the royal throne at the foot of the tree of enlightenment 1, surrounded and attended by gods, Ndgas, goblins, Gandharvas, demons, Garu^as, Kinnaras, great serpents, men, and beings not human, while his sons, the sixteen young princes, were urging him to move forward the wheel of the law. On seeing which the Brahma-angels came up to the Lord, saluted his feet with their heads, walked many hundred thousand times round him from left to right, strewing (flowers) and overwhelming both him and the tree of enlightenment, over a distance of ten yofanas, with those flower-bags as large as Mount Sumeru. After that they presented to the Lord their aerial cars (with the words): Accept, O Lord, these aerial cars out of compassion to us; use, O Sugata, those cars out of compassion to us.
On that occasion, monks, after presenting their own cars to the Lord, the Brahma-angels celebrated the Lord, face to face, with the following seasonable stanzas: 21. A (or the) wonderful, matchless Cina, so beneficial and merciful, has arisen in the world. Thou art born a protector, a ruler (and teacher), a master; to-day all quarters are blessed.
1 The sun rises the second day.
VII.
ANCIENT DEVOTION.
22. We have come as far as fully fifty thousand ko/is of worlds from here to humbly salute the Gina by surrendering our lofty aeriel cars all together.
23. We possess these variegated and bright cars, owing to previous works; accept them to oblige us, and make use of them to thine heart’s content, O Knower of the world!
After the great Brahma-angels, monks, had cele¬ brated the Lord Mahabhi^a^anabhibhfi, the Tatha- gata, &c., face to face, with these seasonable stanzas, they besought him, saying: May the Lord move forward the wheel of the law! May the Lord preach final rest! May the Lord release all beings! Be favourable, O Lord, to this world! Preach the law, O Lord, to this world, including gods, Miras, and Brahma-angels; to all people, including ascetics and Brahmans, gods b men, and demons! It will tend to the weal of the public, to the happiness of the public; out of mercy to the world, for the benefit and hap¬ piness of the people at large, both gods and men.
Thereupon, monks, those fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Brahma-angels addressed the Lord, with one voice, in common chorus z, with the following stanza: 24. Show the law, O Lord; show it, O most high of men! Show the power of thy kindness; save the tormented beings.
25. Rare 1 2 3 is the light 4 of the world like the 1 The gods have been enumerated just before; therefore it would seem that gods, men, and demons here are veiled expressions for kings or Kshatriyas, VaLryas, and.STtdras.
2 MSS. sometimes samasangity a, but more frequently s am am s., i. e. all together in chorus or concert.
3 And, precious, durlabha. 4 Pradyota.
blossom of the glomerated fig-tree. Thou hast arisen, O great Hero; we pray to thee, the Tathagata.
And the Lord, O monks, silently intimated his assent to the Brahma-angels.
Somewhat later, monks, the aerial cars of the Brahma-angels in the south-eastern quarter in the fifty hundred thousand myriads of spheres began excessively to glitter, glow, and sparkle in splendour and glory. And those Brahma-angels made this reflection: What may be foreboded by these aerial cars so excessively glittering, glowing, and sparkling in splendour and glory? Thereupon, monks, the Brahma-angels in the fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of spheres went all to each other’s abodes and communicated the matter to one another. After that, monks, the great Brahma-angel, named Adhimitrakarumka (i. e. exceedingly compassionate), addressed the numerous host of Brahma-angels with the following stanzas: 26. What foretoken is it we see to-day (or now), friends? Who or what is foreboded by the celes¬ tial cars shining with such uncommon glory?
27. May, perhaps, some blessed divine being have come hither, by whose power all these aerial cars are illumined?
28. Or may the Buddha, the most high of men, have appeared in this world, that by his power these celestial cars are in such a condition as we see them?
29. Let us all together go and search; no trifle can be the cause of it; such a foretoken, indeed, was never seen before ’.
1 Viz. in the same kalpa, i. e. on that same day.
VII. ANCIENT DEVOTION. 1 65 30. Come, let us go and visit ko/is of fields, along the four quarters; a Buddha will certainly now have made his appearance in this world.
Thereupon, monks, the great Brahma-angels in the fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of spheres mounted all together their own divine aerial cars, took with them divine bags, as large as Mount Sumeru, with celestial flowers, and went through the four quarters successively until they arrived at the north-western quarter, where those great Brahma- angels, stationed in the north-western quarter, saw the Lord Mahabhi^a^anabhibhfi [&c., as above till compassion to us].
On that occasion, monks, after presenting their own cars to the Lord the Brahma-angels celebrated the Lord, face to face, with the following seasonable stanzas: 31. Homage to thee, matchless great Seer, chief god of gods, whose voice is sweet as the lark’s 1. Leader in the world, including the gods, I salute thee, who art so benign and bounteous to the world.
32. How wonderful, O Lord, is it that after so long a time thou appearest in the world 2. Eighty hundred complete./Eons this world of the living was without Buddha 3.
1 Kalavinka, which I have freely rendered in this manner, commonly denotes a sparrow, but the corresponding P&li word kuravika is supposed to be the Indian cuckoo, the koil, which in Indian poetry may be said to answer to our nightingale; in so far one might perhaps render kalavinka by nightingale.
2 Consequently it was not for the first time that he appeared.
3 I do not understand this reckoning, unless JDon (kalpa) here be taken in the sense of intermediate kalpa. A mahakalpa is the period elapsing from the commencement of the world’s destruction (i. e. sunset) to its complete restoration (i. e. sunrise). So, indeed, VII.
33. It was deprived of the most high of men; hell was prevailing and the celestial bodies constantly went on waning during eighty hundred complete .$ions.
34. But now he has appeared, owing to our good works, who is (our) eye, refuge, resting-place 1, pro¬ tection, father, and kinsman 2; he, the benign and bounteous one, the King of the law.
After the great Brahma-angels, monks, had cele¬ brated the Lord Mahabhi^a^«anabhibhh,the Tatha- gata, &c., face to face, with these seasonable stanzas, they besought him: May the Lord move forward the wheel of the law! [as above till both gods and men.]
Thereupon, monks, those fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Brahma-angels addressed the Lord, with one voice, in common chorus, with the following stanzas: 35. Move forward the exalted wheel, O great ascetic! reveal the law in all directions; deliver all beings oppressed with suffering 3; produce amongst mortals gladness and joy!
36. Let them by hearing the law partake of en¬ lightenment and reach divine places. Let all shake off their demon body and be peaceful, meek, and at ease 4.
the Buddha has been absent for a kalpa, such a kalpa'—mahakalpa contains 4 asankhyeya-kalpas; each asankhyeya-kalpa has 20 in¬ termediate kalpas; hence a mahakalpa=80 intermediate kalpas.
1 Lena, Sansk. layana. In Burnouf’s translation we find this word rendered by appui.
2 The sun is lokabandhu, the kinsman and friend of the world, of mankind.
3 Or relieve all beings oppressed with toil.
* It is not easy to say what is really meant by those divine VII. ANCIENT DEVOTION. 167 And the Lord, O monks, silently intimated his assent to these Brahma-angels also.
Somewhat later, monks, the aerial cars of the Brahma-angels in the southern quarter [&c., as above till to one another]. After that, monks, the great Brahma-angel, named Sudharma 1, addressed the numerous host of Brahma-angels in stanzas: 37. It cannot be without cause or reason, friends, that to-day (or now) all these celestial cars are so brilliant; this bespeaks some portent somewhere in the world. Come, let us go and investigate the matter.
38. No such portent has appeared in hundreds of ./Eons past. Either some god has been born or a Buddha has arisen in this world.
Thereupon, monks, the great Brahma-angels in the fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of spheres mounted [&c., as above 2 till compassion to us].
On that occasion, monks, after presenting their own cars to the Lord, the Brahma-angels celebrated the Lord, face to face, with the following seasonable stanzas: 39. Most rare (and precious) is the sight of the Leaders. Be welcome, thou dispeller of worldly defilement. It is after a long time that thou now appearest in the world; after hundreds of complete ./Eons one (now) beholds thee.
40. Refresh the thirsty creatures, O Lord of the places; I think the temples and shrines to be visited in the morning.
1 Of course Dharma, Yama, the regent of the south. The name here applied to him is derived from Sudharma, Yama’s hall.
2 Save the substitution of ‘ northern quarter ’ to ‘ north-western quarter.’
VII.
world! Now first thou art seen 1; it is not easy to behold thee. As rare (or precious) as the flowers of the glomerated fig-tree is thine appearance, O Lord.
41. By thy power these aerial cars of ours are so uncommonly illumined now, O Leader. To show us thy favour accept them, O thou whose look pierces everywhere!
After the great Brahma-angels, monks, had cele¬ brated the Lord Mahabhi^M^Mndbhibhfi, the Tatha- gata, &c., face to face, with these seasonable stanzas, they besought him: May the Lord move forward the wheel of the law! [as above till gods and men.]
Thereupon, monks, those fifty hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Brahma-angels addressed the Lord, with one voice, in common chorus, with the following stanzas: