Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
167. Thou art not able to hear a sound at a distance of but five yoganas, far less at a greater distance. 68. Thou canst not discern who are malevolent or benevolent towards thee. Whence then comes that pride to thee? 69. If thou hast to walk so far as a kos, thou canst not go without a beaten track?; and what happened to thee when in thy mother’s womb thou hast immediately forgotten. 70. In this world he is called all-knowing who possesses the five transcendent faculties, but when thou who knowest nothing pretendest to be allknowing, it is an effect of infatuation. 71. If thou art desirous of omniscience, direct thy attention to transcendent wisdom ; then betake thy- 1 T.e. eternal, because in this system the dead is dead for ever, This immortal, everlasting Nirvana is, of course, the anupadhisesha, P&li anup4disesa N. 2 Or, perhaps, without a guide, padavin tu vind ’gatiz. This does not agree with the prose version, but it is not rare to meet with such discrepancies. 140 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. Vv. self to the wilderness and meditate on the pure law; by it thou shalt acquire the transcendent faculties. 72. The man catches the meaning, goes to the wilderness, meditates with the greatest attention, and, as he is endowed with good qualities, ere long acquires the five transcendent faculties. 73. Similarly all disciples fancy having reached Nirvaza, but the Gina instructs them (by saying): This is a (temporary) repose, no final rest. 74. It is an artifice of the Buddhas to enunciate this dogma’. There is no (real) Nirvaza without all-knowingness ; try to reach this. 75. The boundless knowledge of the three paths (of time), the six utmost perfections (P4ramitds), voidness, the absence of purpose (or object), the absence of finiteness?; 76. The idea of enlightenment and the other laws leading to Nirvd4za, both such as are mixed with imperfection and such as are exempt from it, such as are tranquil and comparable to ethereal space ; 77. The four Brahmavihdras* and the four Sangrahas ‘, as well as the laws sanctioned by eminent sages for the education of creatures ; 78. (He who knows these things) and that all phenomena have the nature of illusion and dreams, 1 Of temporary repose, it would seem. * Or, absence of fixed purpose, pramidhAnavivargitam. 5 Otherwise termed Appamafina in Pali; they are identical with the four bhAvan4s, or exercises to develop benevolence, compassion, cheerful sympathy, and equanimity, well known from the Yoga; see Yogasdstra I, 33. * Commonly called sangrahavastfni, Pali sangahavatthfini, articles of sociability, viz. liberality, affability, promoting another's interest, and pursuit of a common aim; see e.g. Lalita-vistara, Pp. 39, 1-1. Vv. ON PLANTS. I4I that they are pithless as the stem of the plantain}, and similar to an echo; 79. And who knows that the triple world throughout is of that nature, not fast and not loose, he knows rest.
2Lalita-vistara, Pp. 39, 1-1. Vv. ON PLANTS. I4I that they are pithless as the stem of the plantain}, and similar to an echo; 79. And who knows that the triple world throughout is of that nature, not fast and not loose, he knows rest. 80. He who considers all laws? to be alike, void, devoid of particularity and individuality, not derived from an intelligent cause; nay, who discerns that nothingness is law; 81. Such a one has great wisdom and sees the whole of the law entirely. There are no three vehicles by any means; there is but one vehicle in this world. 82. All laws (or the laws of all) are alike, equal, for all, and ever alike. Knowing this, one understands immortal, blest Nirv4za. 1 Cf. the words of the funeral song in YAgiiavalkya III, 8: ‘Foolish is he who would seek pithfulness in humanity, which is pithless as the plantain’s stem and resembling a water bubble.’ * Or all things; or the laws of all things. * Sarvadharman sam4(7)& &AQny&(n) nirnfnakaranAtmak4m (r. *kan), na Aaitén (I think Aaittan) prekshate napi kiméid dharmim (sic) vipasyate. The other MS. has sarvadharmam (r. °man) sam4(n) sQnyan nimnanaikaran4tmikan, na Aetém prekshate n4pi kimkid dharmam vinasyati. The great difficulty lies in the second half verse, which is evidently corrupt and wrongly Sanskritised, so that the correctness of the translation in this respect is problematical. 142 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. VI. CHAPTER VI. ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY. After pronouncing these stanzas the Lord addressed the complete assembly of monks: I announce to you, monks, I make known to you that the monk K4syapa, my disciple, here present, shall do homage to thirty thousand kofis of Buddhas; shall respect, honour, and worship them; and shall keep the true law of those Lords and Buddhas. In his last bodily existence’ in the world Avabhasa (i. e. lustre), in the age (4Zon) Mah4vytha (i.e. great division) he shall be a TathAgata, an Arhat, &c. &c., by the name of Rasmiprabhdsa (i.e. beaming with rays). His lifetime shall last twelve intermediate kalpas, and his true law twenty intermediate kalpas; the counterfeit of his true law shall last as many intermediate kalpas. His Buddha-field will be pure, clean, devoid of stones, grit, gravel; of pits and precipices; devoid of gutters and dirty pools?; even, pretty, beautiful, and pleasant to see; consisting of lapis lazuli, adorned with jewel-trees, and looking like a checker-board with eight compartments set off with gold threads. It will be strewed ' Paskima samuésshraya, which also means western rise, elevation. * Apagatasyandanikag dthodilla, var. lect. thodigalla. My rendering of the last part of the compound is conjectural. VI. ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY. 143
3It will be strewed ' Paskima samuésshraya, which also means western rise, elevation. * Apagatasyandanikag dthodilla, var. lect. thodigalla. My rendering of the last part of the compound is conjectural. VI. ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY. 143 with flowers, and many hundred thousand Bodhisattvas are to appear in it. As to disciples, there will be innumerable hundred thousands of myriads of kofis of them. Neither M4ra the evil one, nor his host will be discoverable in it, though Mara and his followers shall afterwards be there; for they will apply themselves to receive the true law under the command of that very Lord Rasmiprabhasa. And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas : 1. With my Buddha-eye, monks, I see that the senior KAsyapa here shall become a Buddha at a future epoch, in an incalculable Aon, after he shall have paid homage to the most high of men. 2. This KAsyapa shall see fully thirty thousand kofis of Ginas, under whom he shall lead a spiritual life for the sake of Buddha-knowledge. 3. After having paid homage to those highest of men and acquired that supreme knowledge, he shall in his last bodily existence be a Lord of the world, a matchless, great Seer. 4. And his field will be magnificent, excellent, pure, goodly, beautiful, pretty, nice, ever delightful, and set off with gold threads. 5. That field, monks, (appearing like) a board divided into eight compartments, will have several jewel-trees, one in each compartment, from which issues a delicious odour. 6. It will be adorned with plenty of flowers, and embellished with variegated blossoms; in it are no pits nor precipices; it is even, goodly, beautiful. 7. There will be found hundreds of kofis of Bodhisattvas, subdued of mind and of great magical 144 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. VI. power, mighty keepers' of Sdtrantas of great extension. 8. As to disciples, faultless, princes of the law, standing in their last period of life, their number can never be known, even if one should go on counting for AZons, and that with the aid of divine knowledge. 9. He himself shall stay twelve intermediate kalpas, and his true law twenty complete £ons ; the counterfeit is to continue as many AZons, in the domain of RasmiprabhAsa. Thereupon the venerable senior Mah4-Maudgalyayana, the venerable Subhati, and the venerable Mahd-K4tyayana, their bodies trembling, gazed up to the Lord with unblenching eyes, and at the same moment severally uttered, in mental concert, the following stanzas: 10. O hallowed one (Arhat), great hero, Sakyalion, most high of men! out of compassion to us speak the Buddha-word. 11. The highest of men, the Gina, he who knows the fatal term, will, as it were, sprinkle us with nectar by predicting our destiny also. 12, (It is as if) a certain man, in time of famine, comes and gets good food, but to whom, when the food is already in his hands, they say that he should wait *, 13. Similarly it was with us, who after minding
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.
167. Thou art not able to hear a sound at a distance of but five yoganas, far less at a greater distance. 68. Thou canst not discern who are malevolent or benevolent towards thee. Whence then comes that pride to thee? 69. If thou hast to walk so far as a kos, thou canst not go without a beaten track?; and what happened to thee when in thy mother’s womb thou hast immediately forgotten. 70. In this world he is called all-knowing who possesses the five transcendent faculties, but when thou who knowest nothing pretendest to be allknowing, it is an effect of infatuation. 71. If thou art desirous of omniscience, direct thy attention to transcendent wisdom ; then betake thy- 1 T.e. eternal, because in this system the dead is dead for ever, This immortal, everlasting Nirvana is, of course, the anupadhisesha, P&li anup4disesa N. 2 Or, perhaps, without a guide, padavin tu vind ’gatiz. This does not agree with the prose version, but it is not rare to meet with such discrepancies. 140 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. Vv. self to the wilderness and meditate on the pure law; by it thou shalt acquire the transcendent faculties. 72. The man catches the meaning, goes to the wilderness, meditates with the greatest attention, and, as he is endowed with good qualities, ere long acquires the five transcendent faculties. 73. Similarly all disciples fancy having reached Nirvaza, but the Gina instructs them (by saying): This is a (temporary) repose, no final rest. 74. It is an artifice of the Buddhas to enunciate this dogma’. There is no (real) Nirvaza without all-knowingness ; try to reach this. 75. The boundless knowledge of the three paths (of time), the six utmost perfections (P4ramitds), voidness, the absence of purpose (or object), the absence of finiteness?; 76. The idea of enlightenment and the other laws leading to Nirvd4za, both such as are mixed with imperfection and such as are exempt from it, such as are tranquil and comparable to ethereal space ; 77. The four Brahmavihdras* and the four Sangrahas ‘, as well as the laws sanctioned by eminent sages for the education of creatures ; 78. (He who knows these things) and that all phenomena have the nature of illusion and dreams, 1 Of temporary repose, it would seem. * Or, absence of fixed purpose, pramidhAnavivargitam. 5 Otherwise termed Appamafina in Pali; they are identical with the four bhAvan4s, or exercises to develop benevolence, compassion, cheerful sympathy, and equanimity, well known from the Yoga; see Yogasdstra I, 33. * Commonly called sangrahavastfni, Pali sangahavatthfini, articles of sociability, viz. liberality, affability, promoting another's interest, and pursuit of a common aim; see e.g. Lalita-vistara, Pp. 39, 1-1. Vv. ON PLANTS. I4I that they are pithless as the stem of the plantain}, and similar to an echo; 79. And who knows that the triple world throughout is of that nature, not fast and not loose, he knows rest.
2Lalita-vistara, Pp. 39, 1-1. Vv. ON PLANTS. I4I that they are pithless as the stem of the plantain}, and similar to an echo; 79. And who knows that the triple world throughout is of that nature, not fast and not loose, he knows rest. 80. He who considers all laws? to be alike, void, devoid of particularity and individuality, not derived from an intelligent cause; nay, who discerns that nothingness is law; 81. Such a one has great wisdom and sees the whole of the law entirely. There are no three vehicles by any means; there is but one vehicle in this world. 82. All laws (or the laws of all) are alike, equal, for all, and ever alike. Knowing this, one understands immortal, blest Nirv4za. 1 Cf. the words of the funeral song in YAgiiavalkya III, 8: ‘Foolish is he who would seek pithfulness in humanity, which is pithless as the plantain’s stem and resembling a water bubble.’ * Or all things; or the laws of all things. * Sarvadharman sam4(7)& &AQny&(n) nirnfnakaranAtmak4m (r. *kan), na Aaitén (I think Aaittan) prekshate napi kiméid dharmim (sic) vipasyate. The other MS. has sarvadharmam (r. °man) sam4(n) sQnyan nimnanaikaran4tmikan, na Aetém prekshate n4pi kimkid dharmam vinasyati. The great difficulty lies in the second half verse, which is evidently corrupt and wrongly Sanskritised, so that the correctness of the translation in this respect is problematical. 142 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. VI. CHAPTER VI. ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY. After pronouncing these stanzas the Lord addressed the complete assembly of monks: I announce to you, monks, I make known to you that the monk K4syapa, my disciple, here present, shall do homage to thirty thousand kofis of Buddhas; shall respect, honour, and worship them; and shall keep the true law of those Lords and Buddhas. In his last bodily existence’ in the world Avabhasa (i. e. lustre), in the age (4Zon) Mah4vytha (i.e. great division) he shall be a TathAgata, an Arhat, &c. &c., by the name of Rasmiprabhdsa (i.e. beaming with rays). His lifetime shall last twelve intermediate kalpas, and his true law twenty intermediate kalpas; the counterfeit of his true law shall last as many intermediate kalpas. His Buddha-field will be pure, clean, devoid of stones, grit, gravel; of pits and precipices; devoid of gutters and dirty pools?; even, pretty, beautiful, and pleasant to see; consisting of lapis lazuli, adorned with jewel-trees, and looking like a checker-board with eight compartments set off with gold threads. It will be strewed ' Paskima samuésshraya, which also means western rise, elevation. * Apagatasyandanikag dthodilla, var. lect. thodigalla. My rendering of the last part of the compound is conjectural. VI. ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY. 143
3It will be strewed ' Paskima samuésshraya, which also means western rise, elevation. * Apagatasyandanikag dthodilla, var. lect. thodigalla. My rendering of the last part of the compound is conjectural. VI. ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUTURE DESTINY. 143 with flowers, and many hundred thousand Bodhisattvas are to appear in it. As to disciples, there will be innumerable hundred thousands of myriads of kofis of them. Neither M4ra the evil one, nor his host will be discoverable in it, though Mara and his followers shall afterwards be there; for they will apply themselves to receive the true law under the command of that very Lord Rasmiprabhasa. And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas : 1. With my Buddha-eye, monks, I see that the senior KAsyapa here shall become a Buddha at a future epoch, in an incalculable Aon, after he shall have paid homage to the most high of men. 2. This KAsyapa shall see fully thirty thousand kofis of Ginas, under whom he shall lead a spiritual life for the sake of Buddha-knowledge. 3. After having paid homage to those highest of men and acquired that supreme knowledge, he shall in his last bodily existence be a Lord of the world, a matchless, great Seer. 4. And his field will be magnificent, excellent, pure, goodly, beautiful, pretty, nice, ever delightful, and set off with gold threads. 5. That field, monks, (appearing like) a board divided into eight compartments, will have several jewel-trees, one in each compartment, from which issues a delicious odour. 6. It will be adorned with plenty of flowers, and embellished with variegated blossoms; in it are no pits nor precipices; it is even, goodly, beautiful. 7. There will be found hundreds of kofis of Bodhisattvas, subdued of mind and of great magical 144 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. VI. power, mighty keepers' of Sdtrantas of great extension. 8. As to disciples, faultless, princes of the law, standing in their last period of life, their number can never be known, even if one should go on counting for AZons, and that with the aid of divine knowledge. 9. He himself shall stay twelve intermediate kalpas, and his true law twenty complete £ons ; the counterfeit is to continue as many AZons, in the domain of RasmiprabhAsa. Thereupon the venerable senior Mah4-Maudgalyayana, the venerable Subhati, and the venerable Mahd-K4tyayana, their bodies trembling, gazed up to the Lord with unblenching eyes, and at the same moment severally uttered, in mental concert, the following stanzas: 10. O hallowed one (Arhat), great hero, Sakyalion, most high of men! out of compassion to us speak the Buddha-word. 11. The highest of men, the Gina, he who knows the fatal term, will, as it were, sprinkle us with nectar by predicting our destiny also. 12, (It is as if) a certain man, in time of famine, comes and gets good food, but to whom, when the food is already in his hands, they say that he should wait *, 13. Similarly it was with us, who after minding
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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