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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Enough, Sériputra, let it suffice to say, that the Tath4gatas, &c., have something extremely ' Here will be meant the ten powers, whence the epithet of Dasabala applied to a Buddha; they are enumerated in S. Hardy’s Manual, p. 379. Other enumerations count four, five, or seven powers. * Or rather, the uncommon, not vulgar properties which distinguish the saints from the vulgar; these A4vezikadharmas, also called buddhadharmas, are eighteen in number; S. Hardy’s Manual, p. 381. * The seven Bodhyangas, viz. recollection, investigation, energy, joyfulness, calm, contemplation, and equanimity. * Vimoksha, vimukti, for which see Burnouf’s Appendix to the Lotus, p. 824 sqq. According to the view there expressed the eight Vimokshas are as many states of intellect which the thinking sage is going through in his effort to emancipate himself from the versatile world; cf. Lotus, p. 543. There is also a threefold Vimoksha, mentioned by Childers, Pai Dict., p. 270; it may be compared with the threefold Aitta-vimukti in the Yoga system; see Comm. on Yogas4stra, 2, 27. 32 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. II. wonderful, Sariputra. None but a Tathagata, SAriputra, can impart to a Tathagata those laws which the Tathagata knows. And all laws, S4riputra, are taught by the Tathagata, and by him alone; no one but he knows all laws, what they are, how they are, like what they are, of what characteristics and of what nature they are. And on that occasion, to set forth the same subject more copiously, the Lord uttered the following stanzas : 1. Innumerable are the great heroes in the world that embraces gods and men; the totality of creatures is unable to completely know the leaders. 2. None can know their powers and states of emancipation, their absence of hesitation and Buddha properties, such as they are. 3. Of yore have I followed in presence of koéis of Buddhas the good course which is profound, subtle, difficult to understand, and most difficult to find. 4. After pursuing that career during an inconceivable number of kofis of A®ons, I have on the terrace of enlightenment discovered the fruit thereof. 5. And therefore I recognise, like the other chiefs of the world, how it is, like what it is, and what are its characteristics. 6. It is impossible to explain it; it is unutterable; nor is there such a being in the world 7. To whom this law could be explained or who would be able to understand it when explained, with exception of the Bodhisattvas, those who are firm in resolve. 8. As to the disciples of the Knower of the world, those who have done their duty and received praise ome. a a a ae II. SKILFULNESS, 33 from the Sugatas, who are freed from faults and have arrived at the last stage of bodily existence, the Gina-knowledge lies beyond their sphere. g. If this whole sphere were full of beings like Sérisuta, and if they were to investigate with combined efforts, they would be unable to comprehend the knowledge of the Sugata.
2g. If this whole sphere were full of beings like Sérisuta, and if they were to investigate with combined efforts, they would be unable to comprehend the knowledge of the Sugata. 10. Even if the ten points of space were full of sages like thee, ay, if they were full of such as the rest of my disciples, 11. And if those beings combined were to investigate the knowledge of the Sugata, they would, all together, not be able to comprehend the Buddhaknowledge in its whole immensity. 12, If the ten points of space were filled with Pratyekabuddhas, free from faults, gifted with acute faculties, and standing in the last stage of their existence, aS numerous as reeds and bamboos in the woods; 13. And if combined for an endless number of myriads of kofis of AZons, they were to investigate a part only of my superior laws, they would never find out its real meaning. 14. If the ten points of space were full of Bodhisattvas who, after having done their duty under many ko¢is of Buddhas, investigated all things and preached many sermons, after entering a new vehicle!; 15. If the whole world were full of them, as of dense reeds and bamboos, without any interstices, and if all combined were to investigate the law which the Sugata has realised ; 1 Or rather, a new career. far] D 34 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. II. 16. If they were going on investigating for many kotis of Eons, as incalculable as the sand of the Ganges, with undivided attention and subtle wit, even then that (knowledge) would be beyond their ken. 17. If such Bodhisattvas as are unable to fall back, numerous as the sand of the Ganges, were to investigate it with undivided attention, it would prove to lie beyond their ken. 18. Profound are the laws of the Buddhas, and subtle; all inscrutable and faultless. I myself know them as well as the Ginas do in the ten directions of the world. 19. Thou, Sariputra, be full of trust in what the Sugata declares. The Gina speaks no falsehood, the great Seer who has so long preached the highest truth. 20. I address all disciples here, those who have set out to reach the enlightenment of Pratyekabuddhas, those who are roused to activity at my NirvAm#a!, and those who have been released from the series of evils. 21. It is by my superior skilfulness that I explain the law at great length to the world at large. 1 deliver whosoever are attached to one point or another, and show the three vehicles?. The eminent disciples in the assembly headed by Ag#Ata-Kaundinya, the twelve hundred Arhats faultless and self-controlled, the other monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees using the vehicle of disciples, and those who had entered the vehicle of Pratyeka- * Or, who by me are established in Nirv4ma. ? The word yana in the text also means ‘a career, course.’ II. SKILFULNESS. 35
3? The word yana in the text also means ‘a career, course.’ II. SKILFULNESS. 35 buddhas, all of them made this reflection: What may be the cause, what the reason of the Lord so extremely extolling the skilfulness of the Tathé-, gatas? of his extolling it by saying, ‘ Profound is the law by me discovered ;’ of his extolling it by saying, ‘It is difficult for all disciples and Pratyekabuddhas to understand it.’ But as yet the Lord has declared no more than one kind of emancipation, and therefore we also should acquire the Buddhalaws on reaching Nirvava. We do not catch the meaning of this utterance of the Lord. And the venerable S4riputra, who apprehended the doubt and uncertainty of the four classes of the audience and guessed their thoughts from what was passing in his own mind, himself being in doubt about the law, then said to the Lord: What, O Lord, is the cause, what the reason of the Lord so repeatedly and extremely extolling the skilfulness, knowledge, and preaching of the Tathagata? Why does he repeatedly extol it by saying, ‘Profound is the law by me discovered; it is difficult to understand the mystery of the Tathagatas.’ Never before have I heard from the Lord such a discourse on the law. These four classes of the audience, O Lord, are overcome with doubt and perplexity. Therefore may the Lord be pleased to explain what the Tathagata is alluding to, when repeatedly extolling the profound law of the Tathagatas. On that occasion the venerable S4riputra uttered the following stanzas: 22. Now first does the Sun of men utter such a speech : ‘I have acquired the powers, emancipations, and numberless meditations.’ 23. And thou mentionest the terrace of enlighten- D2 36 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. II, ment without any one asking thee; thou mentionest the mystery, although no one asks thee. _ 24. Thou speakest unasked and laudest thine own course; thou mentionest thy having obtained knowledge and pronouncest profound words. 25. To-day a question rises in my mind and of these _self-controlled, faultless beings striving after Nirvaza: Why does the Gina speak in this manner? 26. Those who aspire to the enlightenment of Pratyekabuddhas, the nuns and monks, gods, Nagas, goblins, Gandharvas, and great serpents, are talking together, while looking up to the highest of men, 27. And ponder in perplexity. Give an elucidation, great Sage, to all the disciples of Sugata here assembled. 28. Myself have reached the perfection (of virtue), have been taught by the supreme Sage; still, O highest of men! even in my position I feel some doubt whether the course (of duty) shown to me shall receive its final sanction by Nirvama. 29. Let thy voice be heard, O thou whose voice resounds like an egregious kettle-drum ! proclaim thy law such as it is. The legitimate sons of Gina here standing and gazing at the Gina, with joined hands ;
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Enough, Sériputra, let it suffice to say, that the Tath4gatas, &c., have something extremely ' Here will be meant the ten powers, whence the epithet of Dasabala applied to a Buddha; they are enumerated in S. Hardy’s Manual, p. 379. Other enumerations count four, five, or seven powers. * Or rather, the uncommon, not vulgar properties which distinguish the saints from the vulgar; these A4vezikadharmas, also called buddhadharmas, are eighteen in number; S. Hardy’s Manual, p. 381. * The seven Bodhyangas, viz. recollection, investigation, energy, joyfulness, calm, contemplation, and equanimity. * Vimoksha, vimukti, for which see Burnouf’s Appendix to the Lotus, p. 824 sqq. According to the view there expressed the eight Vimokshas are as many states of intellect which the thinking sage is going through in his effort to emancipate himself from the versatile world; cf. Lotus, p. 543. There is also a threefold Vimoksha, mentioned by Childers, Pai Dict., p. 270; it may be compared with the threefold Aitta-vimukti in the Yoga system; see Comm. on Yogas4stra, 2, 27. 32 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. II. wonderful, Sariputra. None but a Tathagata, SAriputra, can impart to a Tathagata those laws which the Tathagata knows. And all laws, S4riputra, are taught by the Tathagata, and by him alone; no one but he knows all laws, what they are, how they are, like what they are, of what characteristics and of what nature they are. And on that occasion, to set forth the same subject more copiously, the Lord uttered the following stanzas : 1. Innumerable are the great heroes in the world that embraces gods and men; the totality of creatures is unable to completely know the leaders. 2. None can know their powers and states of emancipation, their absence of hesitation and Buddha properties, such as they are. 3. Of yore have I followed in presence of koéis of Buddhas the good course which is profound, subtle, difficult to understand, and most difficult to find. 4. After pursuing that career during an inconceivable number of kofis of A®ons, I have on the terrace of enlightenment discovered the fruit thereof. 5. And therefore I recognise, like the other chiefs of the world, how it is, like what it is, and what are its characteristics. 6. It is impossible to explain it; it is unutterable; nor is there such a being in the world 7. To whom this law could be explained or who would be able to understand it when explained, with exception of the Bodhisattvas, those who are firm in resolve. 8. As to the disciples of the Knower of the world, those who have done their duty and received praise ome. a a a ae II. SKILFULNESS, 33 from the Sugatas, who are freed from faults and have arrived at the last stage of bodily existence, the Gina-knowledge lies beyond their sphere. g. If this whole sphere were full of beings like Sérisuta, and if they were to investigate with combined efforts, they would be unable to comprehend the knowledge of the Sugata.
2g. If this whole sphere were full of beings like Sérisuta, and if they were to investigate with combined efforts, they would be unable to comprehend the knowledge of the Sugata. 10. Even if the ten points of space were full of sages like thee, ay, if they were full of such as the rest of my disciples, 11. And if those beings combined were to investigate the knowledge of the Sugata, they would, all together, not be able to comprehend the Buddhaknowledge in its whole immensity. 12, If the ten points of space were filled with Pratyekabuddhas, free from faults, gifted with acute faculties, and standing in the last stage of their existence, aS numerous as reeds and bamboos in the woods; 13. And if combined for an endless number of myriads of kofis of AZons, they were to investigate a part only of my superior laws, they would never find out its real meaning. 14. If the ten points of space were full of Bodhisattvas who, after having done their duty under many ko¢is of Buddhas, investigated all things and preached many sermons, after entering a new vehicle!; 15. If the whole world were full of them, as of dense reeds and bamboos, without any interstices, and if all combined were to investigate the law which the Sugata has realised ; 1 Or rather, a new career. far] D 34 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. II. 16. If they were going on investigating for many kotis of Eons, as incalculable as the sand of the Ganges, with undivided attention and subtle wit, even then that (knowledge) would be beyond their ken. 17. If such Bodhisattvas as are unable to fall back, numerous as the sand of the Ganges, were to investigate it with undivided attention, it would prove to lie beyond their ken. 18. Profound are the laws of the Buddhas, and subtle; all inscrutable and faultless. I myself know them as well as the Ginas do in the ten directions of the world. 19. Thou, Sariputra, be full of trust in what the Sugata declares. The Gina speaks no falsehood, the great Seer who has so long preached the highest truth. 20. I address all disciples here, those who have set out to reach the enlightenment of Pratyekabuddhas, those who are roused to activity at my NirvAm#a!, and those who have been released from the series of evils. 21. It is by my superior skilfulness that I explain the law at great length to the world at large. 1 deliver whosoever are attached to one point or another, and show the three vehicles?. The eminent disciples in the assembly headed by Ag#Ata-Kaundinya, the twelve hundred Arhats faultless and self-controlled, the other monks, nuns, male and female lay devotees using the vehicle of disciples, and those who had entered the vehicle of Pratyeka- * Or, who by me are established in Nirv4ma. ? The word yana in the text also means ‘a career, course.’ II. SKILFULNESS. 35
3? The word yana in the text also means ‘a career, course.’ II. SKILFULNESS. 35 buddhas, all of them made this reflection: What may be the cause, what the reason of the Lord so extremely extolling the skilfulness of the Tathé-, gatas? of his extolling it by saying, ‘ Profound is the law by me discovered ;’ of his extolling it by saying, ‘It is difficult for all disciples and Pratyekabuddhas to understand it.’ But as yet the Lord has declared no more than one kind of emancipation, and therefore we also should acquire the Buddhalaws on reaching Nirvava. We do not catch the meaning of this utterance of the Lord. And the venerable S4riputra, who apprehended the doubt and uncertainty of the four classes of the audience and guessed their thoughts from what was passing in his own mind, himself being in doubt about the law, then said to the Lord: What, O Lord, is the cause, what the reason of the Lord so repeatedly and extremely extolling the skilfulness, knowledge, and preaching of the Tathagata? Why does he repeatedly extol it by saying, ‘Profound is the law by me discovered; it is difficult to understand the mystery of the Tathagatas.’ Never before have I heard from the Lord such a discourse on the law. These four classes of the audience, O Lord, are overcome with doubt and perplexity. Therefore may the Lord be pleased to explain what the Tathagata is alluding to, when repeatedly extolling the profound law of the Tathagatas. On that occasion the venerable S4riputra uttered the following stanzas: 22. Now first does the Sun of men utter such a speech : ‘I have acquired the powers, emancipations, and numberless meditations.’ 23. And thou mentionest the terrace of enlighten- D2 36 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. II, ment without any one asking thee; thou mentionest the mystery, although no one asks thee. _ 24. Thou speakest unasked and laudest thine own course; thou mentionest thy having obtained knowledge and pronouncest profound words. 25. To-day a question rises in my mind and of these _self-controlled, faultless beings striving after Nirvaza: Why does the Gina speak in this manner? 26. Those who aspire to the enlightenment of Pratyekabuddhas, the nuns and monks, gods, Nagas, goblins, Gandharvas, and great serpents, are talking together, while looking up to the highest of men, 27. And ponder in perplexity. Give an elucidation, great Sage, to all the disciples of Sugata here assembled. 28. Myself have reached the perfection (of virtue), have been taught by the supreme Sage; still, O highest of men! even in my position I feel some doubt whether the course (of duty) shown to me shall receive its final sanction by Nirvama. 29. Let thy voice be heard, O thou whose voice resounds like an egregious kettle-drum ! proclaim thy law such as it is. The legitimate sons of Gina here standing and gazing at the Gina, with joined hands ;
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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