Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
11 Padma, Nelumbium Speciosum, having a rosy hue, we must infer that Sariputra will be reborn at twilight. * The supreme tamer of men is, in reality, Yama, personified Twilight, and as evening twilight the god of death and the ruler of the infernal regions. The word yama itself means both ‘twin’ (cf. twi-light) and ‘tamer.’ Owing to the fact that in mythology many beings are denoted by the name of ‘the twins,’ e. g. morning and evening, the Asvins, Castor and Pollux, it is often [21] F 66 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. TI. At that time then, Sariputra, the Buddha-field of that Lord, the Tathagata Padmaprabha, to be called Viraga, will be level, pleasant, delightful, extremely beautiful to see, pure, prosperous, rich, quiet, abounding with food, replete with many races of men?; it will consist of lapis lazuli, and contain a checker-board of eight compartments distinguished by gold threads, each compartment having its jewel tree always and perpetually filled with blossoms and fruits of seven precious substances. Now that Tathagata Padmaprabha, &c., Sariputra, will preach the law by the instrumentality of three vehicles*. Further, Sariputra, that Tathagata will not appear at the decay of the Zon, but preach the law by virtue of a vow. That AZon, Sariputra, will be named Mahératnapratimanaita (i.e. ornamented with magnificent jewels). Knowest thou, Sariputra, why that AZon is named Mahératnapratimazdita? The Bodhisattvas of a Buddha-field, Sariputra, are called ratnas (jewels), and at that time there will be many Bodhisattvas in that sphere (called) Viraga; innumerable, incalculable, beyond computation, abstraction made from their being computed by the Tath4gatas. On that account is that Zon called Mahératnapratimazdita. Now, to proceed, Sariputra, at that period the difficult to make out which pair of twins is meant in any particular case. The sun himself appears in the function of Yama, because it is he who makes twilight. * One MS. reads bahuganamanushy&kiraa, the other bahuganamaruprakiraa. * Cf. the threefold vehicle, trivr7t ratha, of the Asvins, Rigveda I, 34, 9. 12, 47, 2. III. A PARABLE. Bodhisattvas of that field will in walking step on jewel lotuses'. And these Bodhisattvas will not be plying their work for the first time, they having accumulated roots of goodness and observed the course of duty under many hundred thousand Buddhas ; they are praised by the Tath4gatas for their zealous application to Buddha-knowledge; are perfectioned in the rites preparatory to transcendent knowledge ; accomplished in the direction of all true laws; mild, thoughtful. Generally, Sariputra, will that Buddha-region teem with such Bodhisattvas.
2Generally, Sariputra, will that Buddha-region teem with such Bodhisattvas. As to the lifetime, S4riputra, of that Tathagata Padmaprabha, it will last twelve intermediate kalpas, if we leave out of account the time of his being a young prince. And the lifetime of the creatures then living will measure eight intermediate kalpas. At the expiration of twelve intermediate kalpas, Sdriputra, the Tathaégata Padmaprabha, after announcing the future destiny of the Bodhisattva called Dhritipariptrza? to superior perfect enlightenment, is to enter complete Nirvaza. ‘This Bodhisattva Mahdsattva Dhr‘“tiparipdrvza, O monks, shall immediately after me come to supreme, perfect enlightenment. He shall become in the world a Tathagata named Padmavyvishabhavikr4min, an Arhat, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c. &c.’ Now the Tathagata Padmavrzshabhavikramin, Sariputra, will have a Buddha-field of quite the same description. The true law, Sariputra, of that Tathagata Padmavyshabhavikramin will, after his 1 We may express the same idea thus: roses are springing up under their feet at every step. * Dhriti, perseverance, endurance. Dhritiparipfraa is, full of perseverance or endurance. F 2 68 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA, In. extinction, last thirty-two intermediate kalpas, and the counterfeit of his true law will last as many intermediate kalpas'. And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas : 23. Thou also, son of Sri, shalt in future be a Gina, a Tathagata named Padmaprabha, of illimited sight ; thou shalt educate thousands of ko/is of living beings’. 24. After paying honour to many kofis of Buddhas, making® strenuous efforts in the course of duty, and after having produced in thyself the ten powers, thou shalt reach supreme, perfect enlightenment. 25. Within a period inconceivable and immense there shall be an AZon rich in jewels (or, the Aon jewel-rich), and a sphere named Viraga, the pure field of the highest of men; 26. And its ground will consist of lapis lazuli, and be set off with gold threads; it will have hundreds of jewel trees, very beautiful, and covered with blossoms and fruits. 27. Bodhisattvas of good memory, able in showing 1 This counterfeit, pratirdpaka, of the true law, reminds one of the counterfeit, paitiy4ro, produced by Ariman in opposition to the creation of Ormazd; mythologically it is the dark side of nature. That there is some connection between the Buddhistical pratirdpaka and the Iranian paitiy4ro can hardly be doubted. * A striking example of how the original Prakrit of the verse has been adulterated in order to give it a more Sanskrit colouring is afforded by this stanza. One MS. has bhavishyast Sarisut& tuhampi; another bhavishyase S arisutanukampfi, with marginal correction tvayampi. 5 Upadayitva, i.e. Pali upadiyitva, synonymous with 4rabhya(viryam) ; the var. lect. upargayitv4, having acquired, is an innovation, at first sight specious enough. II. A PARABLE, 69
3has bhavishyast Sarisut& tuhampi; another bhavishyase S arisutanukampfi, with marginal correction tvayampi. 5 Upadayitva, i.e. Pali upadiyitva, synonymous with 4rabhya(viryam) ; the var. lect. upargayitv4, having acquired, is an innovation, at first sight specious enough. II. A PARABLE, 69 the course of duty which they have been taught under hundreds of Buddhas, will come to be born in that field. 28. And the afore-mentioned Gina, then in his last bodily existence, shall, after passing the state of prince royal, renounce sensual pleasures, leave home (to become a wandering ascetic), and thereafter reach the supreme and the highest enlightenment. 29. The lifetime of that Gina will be precisely twelve intermediate kalpas, and the life of men will then last eight intermediate kalpas. 30. After the extinction of the Tathagata the true law will continue thirty-two A®ons in full, for the benefit of the world, including the gods. 31. When the true law shall have come to an end, its counterfeit will stand for thirty-two intermediate kalpas. The dispersed relics of the holy one will always be honoured by men and gods. 32. Such will be the fate of that Lord. Rejoice, O son of S4ri, for it is thou who shalt be that most excellent of men, so unsurpassed. The four classes of the audience, monks, nuns, ' lay devotees male and female, gods, Nagas, goblins, Gandharvas, demons, Garudas, Kinnaras, great serpents, men and beings not human, on hearing the . announcement of the venerable Sariputra’s destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment, were so pleased, glad, charmed, thrilling with delight and joy, that they covered the Lord severally with their own robes, while Indra the chief of gods, Brahma Sah4mpati, besides hundred thousands of ko¢is of other divine beings, covered him with heavenly garments and bestrewed him with flowers of heaven, Mand4ravas and great Mandaravas. High aloft they 70 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. IIT. whirled celestial clothes and struck hundred thousands of celestial musical instruments and cymbals, high in the sky; and after pouring a great rain of flowers they uttered these words: The wheel of the ‘law has been put in motion by the Lord, the first time at Benares at Azshipatana in the Deer-park ; to-day has the Lord again put in motion the supreme wheel of the law. And on that occasion those divine beings uttered the following stanzas : 33- The wheel of the law was put in motion by thee, O thou that art unrivalled in the world, at Benares, O great hero! (that wheel which is the rotation of) the rise and decay of all aggregates. 34. There it was put in motion for the first time ; now, a second time, is it turned here, O Lord. Today, O Master, thou hast preached this law, which is hard to be received with faith". 35. Many laws have we heard near the Lord of the world, but never before did we hear a law like this.
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.
11 Padma, Nelumbium Speciosum, having a rosy hue, we must infer that Sariputra will be reborn at twilight. * The supreme tamer of men is, in reality, Yama, personified Twilight, and as evening twilight the god of death and the ruler of the infernal regions. The word yama itself means both ‘twin’ (cf. twi-light) and ‘tamer.’ Owing to the fact that in mythology many beings are denoted by the name of ‘the twins,’ e. g. morning and evening, the Asvins, Castor and Pollux, it is often [21] F 66 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. TI. At that time then, Sariputra, the Buddha-field of that Lord, the Tathagata Padmaprabha, to be called Viraga, will be level, pleasant, delightful, extremely beautiful to see, pure, prosperous, rich, quiet, abounding with food, replete with many races of men?; it will consist of lapis lazuli, and contain a checker-board of eight compartments distinguished by gold threads, each compartment having its jewel tree always and perpetually filled with blossoms and fruits of seven precious substances. Now that Tathagata Padmaprabha, &c., Sariputra, will preach the law by the instrumentality of three vehicles*. Further, Sariputra, that Tathagata will not appear at the decay of the Zon, but preach the law by virtue of a vow. That AZon, Sariputra, will be named Mahératnapratimanaita (i.e. ornamented with magnificent jewels). Knowest thou, Sariputra, why that AZon is named Mahératnapratimazdita? The Bodhisattvas of a Buddha-field, Sariputra, are called ratnas (jewels), and at that time there will be many Bodhisattvas in that sphere (called) Viraga; innumerable, incalculable, beyond computation, abstraction made from their being computed by the Tath4gatas. On that account is that Zon called Mahératnapratimazdita. Now, to proceed, Sariputra, at that period the difficult to make out which pair of twins is meant in any particular case. The sun himself appears in the function of Yama, because it is he who makes twilight. * One MS. reads bahuganamanushy&kiraa, the other bahuganamaruprakiraa. * Cf. the threefold vehicle, trivr7t ratha, of the Asvins, Rigveda I, 34, 9. 12, 47, 2. III. A PARABLE. Bodhisattvas of that field will in walking step on jewel lotuses'. And these Bodhisattvas will not be plying their work for the first time, they having accumulated roots of goodness and observed the course of duty under many hundred thousand Buddhas ; they are praised by the Tath4gatas for their zealous application to Buddha-knowledge; are perfectioned in the rites preparatory to transcendent knowledge ; accomplished in the direction of all true laws; mild, thoughtful. Generally, Sariputra, will that Buddha-region teem with such Bodhisattvas.
2Generally, Sariputra, will that Buddha-region teem with such Bodhisattvas. As to the lifetime, S4riputra, of that Tathagata Padmaprabha, it will last twelve intermediate kalpas, if we leave out of account the time of his being a young prince. And the lifetime of the creatures then living will measure eight intermediate kalpas. At the expiration of twelve intermediate kalpas, Sdriputra, the Tathaégata Padmaprabha, after announcing the future destiny of the Bodhisattva called Dhritipariptrza? to superior perfect enlightenment, is to enter complete Nirvaza. ‘This Bodhisattva Mahdsattva Dhr‘“tiparipdrvza, O monks, shall immediately after me come to supreme, perfect enlightenment. He shall become in the world a Tathagata named Padmavyvishabhavikr4min, an Arhat, &c., endowed with science and conduct, &c. &c.’ Now the Tathagata Padmavrzshabhavikramin, Sariputra, will have a Buddha-field of quite the same description. The true law, Sariputra, of that Tathagata Padmavyshabhavikramin will, after his 1 We may express the same idea thus: roses are springing up under their feet at every step. * Dhriti, perseverance, endurance. Dhritiparipfraa is, full of perseverance or endurance. F 2 68 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA, In. extinction, last thirty-two intermediate kalpas, and the counterfeit of his true law will last as many intermediate kalpas'. And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas : 23. Thou also, son of Sri, shalt in future be a Gina, a Tathagata named Padmaprabha, of illimited sight ; thou shalt educate thousands of ko/is of living beings’. 24. After paying honour to many kofis of Buddhas, making® strenuous efforts in the course of duty, and after having produced in thyself the ten powers, thou shalt reach supreme, perfect enlightenment. 25. Within a period inconceivable and immense there shall be an AZon rich in jewels (or, the Aon jewel-rich), and a sphere named Viraga, the pure field of the highest of men; 26. And its ground will consist of lapis lazuli, and be set off with gold threads; it will have hundreds of jewel trees, very beautiful, and covered with blossoms and fruits. 27. Bodhisattvas of good memory, able in showing 1 This counterfeit, pratirdpaka, of the true law, reminds one of the counterfeit, paitiy4ro, produced by Ariman in opposition to the creation of Ormazd; mythologically it is the dark side of nature. That there is some connection between the Buddhistical pratirdpaka and the Iranian paitiy4ro can hardly be doubted. * A striking example of how the original Prakrit of the verse has been adulterated in order to give it a more Sanskrit colouring is afforded by this stanza. One MS. has bhavishyast Sarisut& tuhampi; another bhavishyase S arisutanukampfi, with marginal correction tvayampi. 5 Upadayitva, i.e. Pali upadiyitva, synonymous with 4rabhya(viryam) ; the var. lect. upargayitv4, having acquired, is an innovation, at first sight specious enough. II. A PARABLE, 69
3has bhavishyast Sarisut& tuhampi; another bhavishyase S arisutanukampfi, with marginal correction tvayampi. 5 Upadayitva, i.e. Pali upadiyitva, synonymous with 4rabhya(viryam) ; the var. lect. upargayitv4, having acquired, is an innovation, at first sight specious enough. II. A PARABLE, 69 the course of duty which they have been taught under hundreds of Buddhas, will come to be born in that field. 28. And the afore-mentioned Gina, then in his last bodily existence, shall, after passing the state of prince royal, renounce sensual pleasures, leave home (to become a wandering ascetic), and thereafter reach the supreme and the highest enlightenment. 29. The lifetime of that Gina will be precisely twelve intermediate kalpas, and the life of men will then last eight intermediate kalpas. 30. After the extinction of the Tathagata the true law will continue thirty-two A®ons in full, for the benefit of the world, including the gods. 31. When the true law shall have come to an end, its counterfeit will stand for thirty-two intermediate kalpas. The dispersed relics of the holy one will always be honoured by men and gods. 32. Such will be the fate of that Lord. Rejoice, O son of S4ri, for it is thou who shalt be that most excellent of men, so unsurpassed. The four classes of the audience, monks, nuns, ' lay devotees male and female, gods, Nagas, goblins, Gandharvas, demons, Garudas, Kinnaras, great serpents, men and beings not human, on hearing the . announcement of the venerable Sariputra’s destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment, were so pleased, glad, charmed, thrilling with delight and joy, that they covered the Lord severally with their own robes, while Indra the chief of gods, Brahma Sah4mpati, besides hundred thousands of ko¢is of other divine beings, covered him with heavenly garments and bestrewed him with flowers of heaven, Mand4ravas and great Mandaravas. High aloft they 70 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. IIT. whirled celestial clothes and struck hundred thousands of celestial musical instruments and cymbals, high in the sky; and after pouring a great rain of flowers they uttered these words: The wheel of the ‘law has been put in motion by the Lord, the first time at Benares at Azshipatana in the Deer-park ; to-day has the Lord again put in motion the supreme wheel of the law. And on that occasion those divine beings uttered the following stanzas : 33- The wheel of the law was put in motion by thee, O thou that art unrivalled in the world, at Benares, O great hero! (that wheel which is the rotation of) the rise and decay of all aggregates. 34. There it was put in motion for the first time ; now, a second time, is it turned here, O Lord. Today, O Master, thou hast preached this law, which is hard to be received with faith". 35. Many laws have we heard near the Lord of the world, but never before did we hear a law like this.
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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