a depreciatory term. Bfihtlingk takes it in the latter sense, and translates nadi kakapeya, by a shallow river that could be drunk up by a crow. Taranatha takes it in the former sense, and trans¬ lates nadi kakapeya, as a river so full of water that a crow can drink it without bending its neck (kakair anatakandharai^ piyate; purwodakatvena prafasye kakair peye nadyadau). In our passage kakapeya must be a term of praise, and we therefore could only render it by 1 ponds so full of water that crows could drink from them.’ But why should so well known a word as kakapeya have been spelt kakapeya, unless it was done intentionally? And if intentionally, what was it intended for? We must remember that Pawini, II, i, 42 schol., teaches us how to form the word tirthakaka, a crow at a tirtha, which means a person in a wrong place. It would seem therefore that crows were considered out of place at a tirtha or bathing-place, either because they were birds of ill omen, or because they defiled the water. From that point of view, kakapeya would mean a pond not visited by crows, free from crows. Professor Pischel has called my atten¬ tion to Mahaparinibbana Sutta (J. R. A. S. 1875, p. 67, p. 21), where kakapeya clearly refers to a full river. Samati/Z^ika, if this is the right reading, occurs in the same place as an epithet of THE SMALLER SUKHAVATI-VY^HA.
95 § 5. ‘And again, O.Sariputra, in that Buddha country there are heavenly musical instruments always played on, and the earth is lovely and of golden colour. And in that Buddha country a flower-rain of heavenly Mandarava blossoms pours down three times every day, and three times every night. And the beings who are born there worship before their morning meal 1 a hundred thousand ko/ls of Buddhas by going to other worlds; and having showered a hun¬ dred thousand ko/ls of flowers upon each Tatha- gata, they return to their own world in time for the afternoon rest2. With such arrays of excellences peculiar to a Buddha country is that Buddha country adorned.
§ 6. ‘And again, O.Sariputra, there are in that Bud¬ dha country swans, curlews3, and peacocks. Three times every night, and three times every day, they a river, by the side of kakapeya, and I think it most likely that it means rising to a level with the tlrthas, the fords or bathing-places. Mr. Rhys Davids informs me that the commentary explains the two words by samatittika ti samaharita, kakapeyya ti yatthatattha^i tire Mitena kakena sakka patum ti.
1 Purobhaktena. The text is difficult to read, but it can hardly be doubtful that purobhaktena corresponds to Pali purebhattawz (i. e. before the morning meal), opposed to paZ- /fcMbhattazra, after the noonday meal (i. e. in the afternoon). See Childers, s.v. Purvabhaktika would be the first repast, as Prof. Cowell informs me.
2 Di vaviharaya, for the noonday rest, the siesta. See Childers, s.v. vihiira.
3 KraurcH^. Snipe, curlew. Is it meant for Kuravlka, or Karavlka, a fine-voiced bird (according to Kern, the Sk. kara- yika), or for Kalavinka, Pali Kalavlka? See Childers, s.v. opapatiko; Burnouf, Lotus, p. 566. I see, however, the same birds mentioned together elsewhere, as hawzsakrauw^amayfiraruka- jalikakokila, &c. On mayfira see MaMv., Introd. p. xxxix; Rv. I, come together and perform a concert, each uttering his own note. And from them thus uttering proceeds a sound proclaiming the five virtues, the five powers, and the seven steps leading towards the highest knowledge b When the men there hear that sound, remembrance of Buddha, remembrance of the Law, remembrance of the Church, rises in their mind.
‘ Now, do you think, O Nariputra, that there are beings who have entered into the nature of animals (birds, &c.)? This is not to be thought of. The 1 Indriyabalabodhyangarabda. These are technical terms, but their meaning is not quite clear. Spence Hardy, in his Manual, p. 498, enumerates the five indrayas, viz. (1) sardhawa, purity (probably rraddha, faith); (2) wiraya, persevering exertion (virya); (3) sati or smirti, the ascertainment of truth (smrz'ti); (4) samadhi, tranquillity; (5) pragnawa, wisdom (pra^zza).
The five balayas (bala), he adds, are the same as the five indrayas.
The seven bowdyanga (bodhyanga) are according to him: (1) sihi or smirti, the ascertainment of the truth by mental application; (2) dharmmawicha, the investigation of causes; (3) wiraya, persevering exertion; (4) priti, joy; (5) passadhi, or prasrabdhi, tranquillity; (6) samadhi, tranquillity in a higher degree, including freedom from all that disturbs either body or mind; (7) upeksha, equanimity.
It will be seen from this that some of these qualities or excel¬ lences occur both as indriyas and bodhyangas, while balas are throughout identical with indriyas.
Burnouf, however, in his Lotus, gives a list of five balas (from the Vocabulaire Pentaglotte) which correspond with the five indriyas of Spence Hardy; viz. rraddhd-bala, power of faith; virya- bal a, power of vigour; smrfti-bala, power of memory; samadhi- bala, power of meditation; pra^wd-bala, power of knowledge. They precede the seven bodhyangas both in the Lotus, the Vocabulaire Pentaglotte, and the Lalita-vistara.
To these seven bodhyangas Burnouf has assigned a special treatise (Appendice xii, p. 796). They occur both in Sanskrit and P&li. See also Dharmasangraha s. v. in the Anecdota Oxoniensia.
THE SMALLER SUKHAVAt1-Vy6hA.
97 very name of hells is unknown in that Buddha country, and likewise that of (descent into) animal bodies and of the realm ofYama (the four apayas) '. No, these tribes of birds have been made on purpose by the Tathagata Amitayus, and they utter the sound of the Law. With such arrays of excellences, &c.
§ 7. ‘And again, O Yariputra, when those rows of palm-trees and strings of bells in that Buddha country are moved by the wind, a sweet and enrapturing sound proceeds from them. Yes, O Yariputra, as from a heavenly musical instrument consisting of a hundred thousand ko/is of sounds, when played by Aryas, a sweet and enrapturing sound proceeds, a sweet and enrapturing sound proceeds from those rows of palm-trees and strings of bells moved by the wind. And when the men hear that sound, reflection on Buddha arises in them, reflection on the Law, reflection on the Church. With such arrays of excellences, &c.
§ 8. ‘ Now what do you think, O Yariputra, for what reason is that T athagata called Amitayus? The length of life (&yus), O Yariputra, of that Tathagata and of those men there is immeasurable (amita). Therefore is that Tathagata called Amitayus. And ten kalpas have passed, O Yariputra, since that Tathagata awoke to perfect knowledge.
§ 9. ‘And what do you think, O Yariputra, for what reason is that Tathagata called Amitabha? The 1 Niraya, the hells, also called Naraka. Yamaloka, the realm of Yama, the judge of the dead, is explained as the four ap&yas, i. e. Naraka, hell; Tiryagyoni, birth as animals; Pretaloka, realm of the departed; Asuraloka, realm of evil spirits. The three terms which are here used together occur likewise in a passage translated by Burnouf, Introduction, p. 544.
splendour (abhd), O 6’driputra, of that Tathagata is unimpeded over all Buddha countries. Therefore is that Tathagata called Amitibha.
‘And there is, O Aariputra, an innumerable as¬ sembly of disciples with that Tathagata, purified and venerable persons, whose number it is not easy to count. With such arrays of excellences, &c.
§ io. ‘And again, O 6ariputra, of those beings also who are born in the Buddha country of the T athagata Amitayus as purified Bodhisattvas, never to return again and bound by one birth only, of those Bodhisat¬ tvas also,0.Sariputra, the number is not easy to count, except they are reckoned as infinite in number 1.
‘ Then again all beings, O.Sariputra, ought to make fervent prayer for that Buddha country. And why? Because they come together there with such excellent men. Beings are not born in that Buddha country of the Tathagata Amitayus as a reward and result of good works performed in this present life 2.
1 Iti sankhyawt ga^^^anti, they are called; cf. Childers, s.v. sankhyl. Asankhyeya, even more than aprameya, is the recognised term for infinity. Burnouf, Lotus, p. 852.
2 Avaramatraka. This is the Pali oramattako, ‘belonging merely to the present life,’ and the intention of the writer seems to be to inculcate the doctrine, that salvation can be obtained by mere repetitions of the name of Amitabha, in direct opposition to the original doctrine of Buddha, that as a man soweth, so he reapeth. Buddha would have taught that the kusalamfila, the root or the stock of good works performed in this world (avaramatraka), will bear fruit in the next, while here ‘ vain repetitions ’ seem all that is enjoyed. The Chinese translators take a different view of this passage. But from the end of this section, where we read kulaputrewa va kuladuhitra va tatra buddhakshetre /dttapra/zidhanaw kartavyam, it seems clear that the locative (buddhakshetre) forms the object of the pra«idhana, the fervent prayer or longing. The Satpurushas already in the Buddhakshetra would be the innu¬ merable men (manushyas) and Bodhisattvas mentioned before.
§ ii. THE SMALLER SUKhAvAt£-Vy6hA. 99 No, whatever son or daughter of a family shall hear the name of the blessed Amitayus, the T athagata, and having heard it, shall keep it in mind, and with thoughts undisturbed shall keep it in mind for one, two, three, four, five, six or seven nights, — when that son or daughter of a family comes to die, then that Amitiyus, the Tathagata, surrounded by an assembly of disciples and followed by a host of Bodhi- sattvas, will stand before them at their hour of death, and they will depart this life with tranquil minds. After their death they will be born in the world SukMvatl, in the Buddha country of the same Amitayus, the Tathagata. Therefore, then, O.Sari- putra, having perceived this cause and effect T, I with reverence say thus, Every son and every daughter of a family ought with their whole mind to make fervent prayer for that Buddha country.
§ ii. ‘And now, O.SAriputra, as I here at present glorify that world, thus in the East, O Aariputra, other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Akshobhya, the Tathagata Merudhva^a, the T athagata Maha- meru, the Tathagata Meruprabhasa, and the Tatha¬ gata Ma^fudhva^a, equal in number to the sand of the river Ganga, comprehend their own Buddha countries in their speech, and then reveal them1 2.
1 Arthavara, lit. the power of the thing; of. Dhammapada, 2 I am not quite certain as to the meaning of this passage, but if we enter into the bold metaphor of the text, viz. that the Buddhas cover the Buddha countries with the organ of their tongue and then unrol it, what is intended can hardly be anything but that they first try to find words for the excellences of those countries, and then reveal or proclaim them. Burnouf, however (Lotus, p. 4 r 7), takes the expression in a literal sense, though he is shocked by its grotesqueness. On these Buddhas and their countries, see Burnouf, Lotus, p. 113.
IOO THE SMALLER SUKHAVAtI-VYUHA.
Accept this repetition of the Law, called the “ Favour of all Buddhas,” which magnifies their inconceivable excellences.
§ 1 2. ‘ Thus also in the South do other blessed Bud¬ dhas, led by the Tathigata Wandrasuryapradipa, the Tathigata Yara^prabha, the Tathagata Mahirii- skandha, the Tathagata Merupradipa, the Tathagata Anantavirya, equal in number to the sand of the river Gangi, comprehend their own Buddha countries in their speech, and then reveal them. Accept, &c.
§ 13. ‘ Thus also in the West do other blessed Bud¬ dhas, led by the Tathagata Amitiyus, the Tathagata Amitaskandha, the Tathagata Amitadhva/a, the Ta¬ thigata Mahiprabha, the Tathigata Mahiratnaketu, the Tathigata.Suddharasmiprabha, equal in number to the sand of the river Gangi, comprehend, &c.
§ 14. ‘ Thus also in the North do other blessed Bud¬ dhas, led by the Tathigata Mahir^iskandha, the Tathigata V aLsvinaranirghosha, the Tathigata Dun- dubhisvaranirghosha, the T athigata Dushpradharsha, prabha (6'valanaprabha?),the Tathigata Prabhikara, equal in number to the sand, &c.
$ 15. ‘Thus also in the Nadir do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathigata Simha, the Tathigata Yasas, the Tathigata YaW^prabhiva, the Tathigata Dharma, theTathigata Dharmadhara, the Tathigata Dharmadhva^a, equal in number to the sand, &c.
§16. ‘Thus also in the Zenith do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathigata Brahmaghosha, the Tathigata N akshatrariva, the Tathigata Indraketu- dhva^ara^a, the Tathigata Gandhottama, the Tathi¬ gata Gandhaprabhisa, the Tathigata Mahiriiskan- dha, the Tathigata Ratnakusumasampushpitagitra, THE SMALLER SUKHAVAtI-VY {hi A.
IOI the TatMgata Salendrara^a, the TatMgata Ratnot- palam, the Tath&gata Sarv&rthadan?a, the TatMgata Sumerukalpa, equal in number to the sand, See. 1 §17. ‘Now what do you think, O.Sariputra, for what reason is that repetition (treatise) of the Law called the Favour of all Buddhas? Every son or daughter of a family who shall hear the name of that repetition of the Law and retain in their memory the names of those blessed Buddhas, will be favoured by the Buddhas, and will never return again, being once in possession of the transcendent true knowledge. Therefore, then, O.Sariputra, believe 2, accept, and do not doubt of me and those blessed Buddhas!
‘Whatever sons or daughters of a family shall make mental prayer for the Buddha country of that blessed Amit&yus, the TatMgata, or are making it now or have made it formerly, all these will never return again, being once in possession of the tran¬ scendent true knowledge. They will be born in that Buddha country, have been born, or are being born 1 It should be remarked that the TatMgatas here assigned to- the ten quarters differ entirely from those assigned to them in the Lalita-vistara, Book XX. Not even Amitabha is mentioned there.
2 Pratiyatha. The texts give again and again pattiyatha, evidently the Pali form, instead of pratiyata. I have left tha, the Pali termination of the 2 p. pi. in the imperative, instead of ta, because that form was clearly intended, while pa for pra may be an accident. Yet I have little doubt that patiyatha was in the original text. That it is meant for the imperative, we see from jraddadhadhvam, &c., further on. Other traces of the influence of Pali or Prakrit on the Sanskrit of our Sutra appear in arhan- ta.ik, the various reading for arhadbhiA, which I preferred; sambahula for bahula; dhriyate yapayati; purobhaktena; anyatra; sankhy&za gaM^anti; avaramatraka; veMana instead of vesh/ana, in nirveMana; dharmapary&ya (Corp. Inscript, plate xv), &c.
now. Therefore, then, O.Sariputra, mental prayer is to be made for that Buddha country by faithful sons and daughters of a family.
§ 1 8. ‘And as I at present magnify here the incon¬ ceivable excellences of those blessed Buddhas, thus, O.S'driputra, do those blessed Buddhas magnify my own inconceivable excellences.
‘A very difficult work has been done by.Sclkya- muni, the sovereign of the.Sakyas. Having ob¬ tained the transcendent true knowledge in this world Saha, he taught the Law which all the world is reluctant to accept, during this corruption of the present kalpa, during this corruption of mankind, during this corruption of belief, during this corrup¬ tion of life, during this corruption of passions.
§ 19. ‘This is even for me, O.Siriputra,an extremely difficult work that, having obtained the transcendent true knowledge in this world Saha, I taught the Law which all the world is reluctant to accept, during this corruption of mankind, of belief, of passion, of life, and of this present kalpa.’
§ 20. Thus spoke Bhagavat joyful in his mind. And the honourable.Sariputra, and the Bhikshus and Bodhisattvas, and the whole world with the gods, men, evil spirits and genii, applauded the speech of Bhagavat.
This is the Mahaydnashtra 1 called Sukhavati-vyftha.
1 The Sukhavati-vyfiha, even in its shortest text, is called a Mahayana-sutra, nor is there any reason why a Mahayana-shtra should not be short. The meaning of Mahayana-sutra is simply a Sutra belonging to the Mahayana school, the school of the Great Boat. It was Bumouf who, in his Introduction to the History of Buddhism, tried very hard to establish a distinction between the Vaipulya or developed Sutras, and what he calls the simple Sfttras. Now, the Vaipulya Sfttras may all belong to the Mahayana school, but that would not prove that all the Sutras of the Mahayana school are Vaipulya or developed Sfttras. The name of simple Sutra, in op¬ position to the Vaipulya or developed Sutras, is not recognised by the Buddhists themselves; at least, I know no name for simple Sfttras. No doubt there is a great difference between a Vaipulya Sutra, such as the Lotus of the Good Law, translated by Burnouf, and the Sutras which Burnouf translated, for instance, from the Divyavadana. But what Burnouf considers as the distinguishing mark of a Vaipulya Sfttra, viz. the occurrence of Bodhisattvas, as followers of the Buddha .Sakyamuni, would no longer seem to be tenable *, unless we classed our short Sukhavati-vyftha as a Vaipulya or developed Sfttra. For this there is no authority. Our Sfttra is a Mahayana Sutra, but never called a Vaipulya Sfttra, and yet in this Sfttra the Bodhisattvas con¬ stitute a very considerable portion among the followers of Buddha. But more than that, Amitabha, the Buddha of Sukhavati, another personage whom Burnouf looks upon as peculiar to the Vaipulya Sfttras, who is, in fact, one of the Dhyani-buddhas, though not called by that name in our Sfttra, forms the chief object of its teaching, and is represented as known to Buddha.Sakyamuni, nay, as having become a Buddha long before the Buddha.Sakyamuni +. The larger text of the Sukhavati-vyftha would certainly, according to Burnoufs definition, seem to fall into the category of the Vaipulya Sfttras. But it is not so called in the MSS. which I have seen, and Burnouf himself gives an analysis of that Sfttra (Intro¬ duction, p. 99) as a specimen of a Mahayana, but not of a Vaipulya Sfttra.
* ‘ La presence des Bodhisattvas ou leur absence interesse done le fonds meme des livres ou on la remarque, et il est bien evident que ce sent point trace une ligne de demarcation profonde entre les Sutras ordinaires et les Sutras de- veloppes.’ — Burnouf, Introduction, p. 112.
t ‘ L’idee d’un ou de plusieurs Buddhas surhumains, celle de Bodhisattvas crees par eux, sont des conceptions aussi etrangeres 4 ces livres (les Sutras simples) que celle d’un Adibuddha ou d’un Dieu.’ — Burnouf, Introduction, INDEX OF NAMES AND SUBJECTS IN THE SMALLER SUKHAVATLVYUHA.
Adityasambhava, the Tathagata, page ioo.
Agita, the Bodhisattva, 90. Akshobhya, the Tathagata, 99. Amitabha, the Tathagata, 97 seq.; Amitadhvaga, the Tathagata, 100. Amitaskandha, the Tathagata, 100. Amitayus, the Tathagata, 91; 97 seqq.; too seq.; repetition of the name of A., 98 seq.
Ananda, 90.
Anantavirya, the Tathagata, 100. AnathapiWaka, 89.
Anikshiptadhura, the Bodhisattva, Animal bodies, descent into, 96 seq. Aniruddha, 90.
Bharadva^a, 90.
Brahmaghosha, the Tathagata, 100. Brahman Sahampati, 91.
Buddha countries, 91 seqq.
Buddhas, 95; 99 seqq.; Buddha, the Law, the Church, 96; 97; ‘ Favour of all Buddhas,’ 100; Burnouf, on the Mahay ana-sutras, Cause and effect (arthavara), 99.
Devas, king of the, 91.
Dharma, the Tathagata, 100. Dharmadhara, the Tathagata, 100. Dharmadhvaj-a, the Tathagata, 100. Dhyani-buddhas, 103.
Dundubhisvaranirghosha, the T atha- Galeniprabha, the Tathagata, 100.
Gandhahastin, the Bodhisattva, 90.
Gandhaprabhasa, the Tathagata, too.
Gandhottama, the Tathagata, 100.
Gavampati, 90.
Gems, four and seven, 92 seq., see Gem-trees, 94.
Genii, 102.
Great disciples (mahairavaka), 89, see note 3.
Gvalanaprabha, see Galeniprabha.
Hells, 97.
Indra or King, 90, see note 5.
Kalodayin, 90.
ATandrasuryapradtpa, the Tathagata, Knowledge, five kinds of, 89, see note 2; steps leading towards the highest k., 96; transcendent Mahakapphina, 90.
MahakSjyapa, 90.
Mahakatyayana, 90.
Mahakaush/Aila, 90.
Mahamaudgalyayana, 90.
Mahameru, the Tathagata, 99.
Mahaprabha, the Tathagata, 100.
Maharatnaketu, the Tathagata, 100.
io6 THE SMALLER SUKHAVATI-VYtjHA.
Mahar&skandha, the Tathagata, ioo (tris).
Men and gods, 102.
Merudhva^-a, the Tathagata, 99. Meruprabhasa, the Tathagata, 99. Merupradipa, the Tathagata, 100.
Nakshatrara^a, the Tathagata, too. Nanda, 90.
Nityodyukta, the Bodhisattva, 90. Numbers in Buddhist literature, 91, note 1.
Pali, its influence on Sanskrit, 101, note 2.
Powers, five, 96.
Prabhakara, the Tathagata, 100.
Rahula, 90.
Ratnakusumasampushpitagatra, the Tathagata, 100.
Ratnotpalajri, the Tathagata, xoi. Revata, 90.
Saha, the world S., 102.
Sakra, the king of the Devas, 90.
Sakyamuni, the sovereign of the Sakyas, 102.
Salendraraga, the Tathagata, iot. Sariputra, the elder, 90 seqq. Sarvarthadarja, the Tathagata, 101. SEftvot, 90, note 4.
Simha, the Tathagata, 100.
Spirits, evil, 102.
Sravasti, 89; 91.
Steps (seven) leading to the highest knowledge (bodhyanga), 96. Suddhararmiprabha, the Tathagata, Suddhipanthaka, 90.
SukhavatT, 9 1 seqq.; 99. Sumerukalpa, the Tathagata, 10 1.
Vaipulya Sutras, 103. Vaixvanaranirghosha, the Tathagata, Vakkula, 90.
Virtues, five, 96.
Water, eight good qualities of, 93.
Yama, realm of, 97.
Yajaiprabha, the Tathagata, 100. YajaAprabhlva, the Tathagata, 100. Yajas, the Tathagata, 100.
INDEX OF SANSKRIT WORDS, CHIEFLY THOSE EXPLAINED IN THE NOTES.
anuparikshipta, enclosed, page 92, note 2.
apaya, the four apayas, i. e. hell, 97, see note.
arthavaja, cause and effect, 99, n. 1.
asankhyeya, infinite, 98, n. 1. asuraloka, realm of evil spirits, 97 note.
Asurinda, lord of the Asuras, 90, n. 5.
indriya, five virtues, 96 note.
kankana^ala, see kinki»iyala. kakapeya (kakapeya), to be drunk even by crows, 93, n. 2. kinkini^ala, string of bells, 92, n. 1. kori, ten millions, 91, n. 1. krau«ia, snipe, curlew, 95, n. 3.
tiryagyoni, birth as animals, 97 note, tishfj&ati dhriyate yapayati, ‘he stands there, holds himself, supports divavihara, noonday rest, siesta, 95, dharma»j dejayati, he teaches the purobhaktena, before the morning prat!, pratiyatha, 101, n. 2. pretaloka, realm of the departed, 97 note.
bala, five powers, 96 note, bodhyanga, seven steps leading towards the highest knowledge, 96 note.
mahajravaka, great disciple, 90, n. 3.
yamaloka, realm of Yama, 97 note, yapayati, ‘he supports himself,’ 91, vaWurya, lapis lazuli, or cat’s eye, sankhya, iti sankhyam gai^anti, THE vagraa'^edikA.
THE vagra^z/edikA OR DIAMOND-CUTTER.
Adoration to the blessed Arya-pra^a-piramit& (perfection of wisdom).
I.
Thus it was heard by me: At one time Bhagavat (the blessed Buddha) dwelt in -Sravasti, in the grove of £reta h in the garden of Anathapi/zahda1 2, together with a large company of Bhikshus (mendicants), viz. with 1 250 Bhikshus 3 4, with many noble-minded Bodhi- sattvas *.
1 (?eta, son of king Prasena^it, to whom the park belonged before it was sold to Anathapi«</ada.
2 Another name of Sudatta, meaning, literally, he who gives food to the poor.
3 The number of 1250 is explained by a Chinese priest Lun-hin, in his commentary on the Amitayur-dhyana-sGtra. According to the Dharmagupta-vinaya, which he quotes, the number consisted of 500 disciples of Uruvilva-kiLryapa, 300 of Gaya-karyapa, 200 of Nadi-k&ryapa, 150 of Aariputra, and 100 of Maudgalyayana. The Chinese translators often mistook the Sanskrit expression ‘ half- thirteen hundred,’ i. e. 1250. See Bunyiu Nanjio, Catalogue of T ripi/aka, p. 6.
4 Higher beings on the road to Bodhi or perfect knowledge. They are destined hereafter to become Buddhas themselves.
THE VAGRAXXffEDIKA Then Bhagavat having in the forenoon put on his undergarment!, and having taken his bowl and cloak, entered the great city of.Sravasti to collect alms. Then Bhagavat, after he had gone to the great city of.Sravasti to collect alms, performed the act of eating1 2, and having returned from his round in the afternoon 3, he put away his bowl and cloak, washed his feet, and sat down on the seat intended 4 for him, crossing his legs5, holding his body upright, and turning his reflection upon himself. Then many Bhikshus approached to where Bhagavat was, saluted his feet with their heads, turned three times round him to the right, and sat down on one side, (i) II.
At that time again the venerable Subhuti came to that assembly and sat down. Then rising from his seat and putting his robe over one shoulder, kneeling on the earth with his right knee, he stretched out his folded hands towards Bhagavat and said to him: ‘ It is wonderful, O Bhagavat, it is exceedingly wonderful, O Sugata, how much the noble-minded Bodhisattvas have been favoured with the highest favour by the Tathagata, the holy and 1 In Pali pubbawhasamayaw nivasetva, the technical expres¬ sion for putting on the robes early in the morning; see Childers, s. v. nivaseti.
2 In Pstli katabhattaki-i/’o, see Childers, s.v.
3 In Pali pa/WMbhattam pizzzfapatapa/ikkanta, see Childers, s.v. piwzfapata. Vi^. observes that pa/77zabhatta»z piwrfapatapa/ikkanto is a varepov nporepov, as it means, having returned from his rounds, and then made his meal on the food obtained on his rounds.
4 PSli pazzrcata.
OR DIAMOND-CUTTER.
fully enlightened! It is wonderful how much the noble-minded Bodhisattvas have been instructed1 with the highest instruction by the Tathagata, the holy and fully enlightened! How then, O Bha- gavat, should the son or the daughter of a good family, after having entered on the path of the Bodhisattvas, behave, how should he advance, and how should he restrain his thoughts? ’ After the venerable Subhhti had thus spoken, Bhagavat said to him: ‘ Well said, well said, Su- bhftti! So it is, Subhuti, so it is, as you say. The noble-minded Bodhisattvas have been favoured with the highest favour by the Tathdgata, the noble- minded Bodhisattvas have been instructed with the highest instruction by the Tathagata. Therefore, O Subhtiti, listen and take it to heart, well and rightly. I shall tell you, how any one who has entered on the path of Bodhisattvas should behave, how he should advance, and how he should restrain his thoughts.’ Then the venerable Subhtiti an¬ swered the Bhagavat and said: ‘ So be it, O Bha¬ gavat.’ (2) III.
Then the Bhagavat thus spoke to him: ‘ Any one, O Subhfiti, who has entered here on the path of the Bodhisattvas must thus frame his thought: As many beings as there are in this world of beings, compre¬ hended under the term of beings (either born of eggs, or from the womb, or from moisture, or miraculously), with form or without form, with name or without name, or neither with nor without name, as far as 1 I have followed the Chinese translator, who translates parindita by instructed, entrusted, not by protected.
THE VAGRA-OTHEDIKA any known world of beings is known, all these must be delivered by me in the perfect world of Nirvana. And yet, after I have thus delivered immeasurable beings, not one single being has been delivered. And why? If, O Subhuti, a Bodhisattva had any idea of (belief in) a being, he could not be called a Bodhisattva (one who is fit to become a Buddha). And why? Because, O Subhhti, no one is to be called a Bodhisattva, for whom there should exist the idea of a being, the idea of a living being, or the idea of a person.’ (3) IV.
IV.
‘And again, O Subhfiti, a gift should not be given by a Bodhisattva, while he believes 1 in objects; a gift should not be given by him, while he believes in anything; a gift should not be given by him, while he believes in form; a gift should not be given by him, while he believes in the special qualities of sound, smell, taste, and touch. For thus, O Subhhti, should a gift be given by a noble-minded Bodhi¬ sattva, that he should not believe even in the idea of cause. And why? Because that Bodhisattva, O Subhuti, who gives a gift, without believing in anything, the measure of his stock of merit is not easy to learn.’ — ‘ What do you think, O Subhhti, is it easy to learn the measure of space in the eastern quarter?’ Subhfiti said: ‘Not indeed, O Bhagavat.’ — Bhagavat said: ‘ In like manner, is it easy to learn the measure of space in the southern, western, northern quarters, below and above (nadir and zenith), in quarters and subquarters, in the ten quarters all round?’ Subhhti said: ‘Not indeed, 1 To believe here means to depend on or to accept as real.
OR DIAMOND-CUTTER.