The Fo-sho-hing-tsan-king: A Life of Buddha — SBE Vol. 19 (trans. Samuel Beal, 1883)

opposed to the occupation of, a hunter.’

* That is, as if it were pure; there is a play on the expression ‘not foul’ or ‘impure,’ meaning that the dress was itself of a dark or impure colour, and that the occupation of the hunter made it more so.

® Thought ‘deeply ;’ the expression F F AH means ‘rare,’ or, ‘seldom-felt thought.’

‘ That is, as I understand it, giving the remaining articles of his dress to Kandaka.

7O FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING. Il, 6.

Then like the dark and lowering cloud’, that surrounds the disc of the sun or moon, he for a moment gazed, scanning his steps (way), then entered on the hermit’s grot; 490

Kandaka following him with (wistful) eyes, his body disappeared, nor was it seen again. ‘My lord and master now has left his father’s house, his kinsfolk and myself (he cried), 491

‘He now has clothed himself in hermit’s garb ?, and entered the painful® forest ;’ raising his hands he called on Heaven, o’erpowered with grief he could not move; 492

Till holding by the white steed’s neck, he tottered forward on the homeward road, turning again and often looking back, his steps (body) going on, his heart back-hastening, 493

Now lost in thought and self-forgetful, now looking down to earth, then raising up his drooping (eye) to heaven, falling at times and then rising again, thus weeping as he went, he pursued his way homewards. 494

Varca 7. ENTERING THE PLace (Woop) oF
AUSTERITIES.

The prince having dismissed Aandaka, as he entered the Azshis’ abode, his graceful body. brightly

1 Thave supposed that es is for K&. The robe is represented as the cloud surrounding the bright person of Bodhisattva.

2 He now has put on a dark-colour’d robe.

® The painful forest; that is, the forest or wood where painful mortification is practised. + 47 +kp. 71 shining, lit up on every side the forest ‘place of suffering ;’ 495

Himself gifted with every excellence (Siddhartha), according to his gifts, so were they reflected. As the lion, the king of beasts, when he enters among the herd of beasts, 496

Drives from their minds all thoughts of common things!, as now they watch the true form of their kind?, so those Rzshi masters assembled there, suddenly perceiving the miraculous _portent®, 497

Were struck with awe and fearful gladness‘, as they gazed with earnest eyes and hands conjoined. The men and women too, engaged in various occupations, beholding him, with unchanged attitudes, 498

Gazed as the gods look on king Sakra, with constant look and eyes unmoved; so the Aishis, with their feet fixed fast, looked at him even thus; 499

Whatever in their hands they held, without releasing it, they stopped and looked ; even as the ox when yoked to the wain, his body bound, his mind also restrained; 500

So also the followers of the holy Azshis, each called the other to behold the miracle. The peacocks and the other birds with cries commingled flapped their wings; 501

The peacocks and the other birds with cries commingled flapped their wings; 501

1 That is, expels the recollection of all inferior shapes or forms.
2 «The true form of their kind,’ I here take ig to be equal
to the ‘way of birth.’

* <The miracle, 7 =e A .

‘ ‘Fearful gladness,’ ¥* w.

p. 72

The Brahmaéfrins holding the rules of deer’, following the deer wandering through mountain glades, (as the) deer coarse of nature, with flashing eyes [shen shih], regard (or see) the prince with fixed gaze; 502

So following the deer, those Brahmaérins intently gaze likewise, looking at the exceeding glory of the Ikshvaéku. As the glory of the rising sun 503

Is able to affect the herds of milch kine, so as to increase the quantity of their sweet-scented milk, so those Brahmaéérins, with wondrous joy, thus spoke one to the other: 504

‘Surely this is one of the eight Vasu Devas ?;’ others, ‘this is one of the two Asvins3;’ others, ‘this is M4ra‘;’ others, ‘this is one of the’ Brahmak4yikas;’ 505

Others, ‘this is Sdryadeva* or Kandradeva, coming down ; are they not seeking here a sacrifice which is their due? Come let us haste to offer our religious services |’ 506

The prince, on his part, with respectful mien addressed to them polite salutation. Then Bodhisattva, looking with care in every direction on the Brahmakarins occupying the wood, 507

' Is this a name of a sect of Brahman ascetics? holding-deerrules.

7A 3B BX the eight Vasus.

"= Be ae We.

* Literally, ‘the sixth Mara,’ i.e. ‘Mra of the sixth heaven,’ or Mara who rules over the six heavens of the Kamaloka.

* RS Wn Fe Ke.

* The sun Devaputra, or the moon Devaputra.

p. 73

Each engaged in his religious duties, all desirous of the delights of heaven, addressed the senior BrahmaZarin, and asked him as to the path of true religion .- 508

‘Now having but just come here, I do not yet know the rules of your religious life. I ask you therefore for information, and I pray explain to me what I ask.’ 509

On this that twice-born (Brahman) in reply explained in succession all the modes of painful discipline, and the fruits expected as their result. 510

(How some ate) nothing brought from inhabited places (villages)*, (but) that produced from pure water, (others) edible roots and tender twigs, (others) fruits and flowers fit for food, 511

Each according to the rules of his sect, clothing and food in each case different, some living amongst bird-kind, and like them capturing and eating food; 512

‘Others eating as the deer the grass (and herbs); others living like serpents, inhaling air; others eating nothing pounded in wood or stone; some eating with two teeth, till a wound be formed; 513

Others, again, begging their food and giving it in charity, taking only the remnants for themselves; others, again, who let water continually drip on their heads and those who offer up with fire; 514

1 Or, ‘an aged Brahmaffrin:’ here we have the expression
‘ Khang suh,’ fe {8 , for ‘aged’ (as before).

® Literally, ‘opposed to village coming out,’ or, ‘that which comes out of (fff Hf) villages.’

p. 74

Others who practise water-dwelling like fish!; thus there are (he said) Brahmaé4rins of every sort, who practise austerities, that they may at the end of life obtain a birth in heaven, 515

And by their present sufferings afterwards obtain peaceable fruit. The lord of men’, the excellent master, hearing all their modes of sorrow-producing penance, 516

Not perceiving any element of truth in them, experienced no joyful emotion in his heart; lost in thought, he regarded the men with pity, and with his heart in agreement his mouth thus spake: 517

‘ Pitiful indeed are such sufferings! and merely in quest of a human or heavenly reward ’, ever revolving in the cycle of birth or death, how great your sufferings, how small the recompence! 518

‘Leaving your friends, giving up honourable position; with a firm purpose to obtain the joys of heaven, although you may escape little sorrows, yet in the end involved in great sorrow; 519

‘Promoting the destruction of your outward form, and undergoing every kind of painful penance, and yet seeking to obtain another birth; increasing and prolonging the causes of the five desires, 520.

‘Not considering that herefrom (result repeated) birth and death, undergoing suffering and, by that, seeking further suffering; thus it is that the world of men, though dreading the approach of death, 521

1 That is, as I understand it, Rishis who live in water like fish.
In the former case the ‘air-inhaling snake Rishi’ would be Rishis
who endeavour to live on air like the boa.

2 <The lord of two-footed creatures,’ i.e. of men,

* Gin-tien po; if it had been tien-gin po, it would have simply meant ‘a heavenly reward.’

p. 75

‘Yet strive after renewed birth; and being thus born, they must die again. Altho’ still dreading (the power of) suffering, yet prolonging their stay in the sea of pain: 522

‘Disliking from their heart their present kind of life, yet still striving incessantly after other life ; enduring affliction that they may partake of joy; seeking a birth in heaven, to suffer further trouble; 523

‘Seeking joys, whilst the heart sinks with feebleness. For this is so with those who oppose right reason; they cannot but be cramped and poor at heart. But by earnestness and diligence, then we conquer. 524

‘Walking in the path of true wisdom, letting go both extremes}, we then reach ultimate perfection; to mortify the body, (if) this is religion,? then to enjoy rest, is something not resulting from religion. 525

‘To walk religiously and afterwards to receive happiness, this is to make the fruit of religion something different from religion; but bodily exercise is but the cause of death, strength results alone from the mind’s intention; 526