Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
13 Or, shall be capable. XI. APPARITION OF A STOPA. 243 39. He shall be entrusted with the leadership? amongst the sons of the Tathdgatas, he who, after having reached the stage of meekness?, shall keep this Satra. 40. He shall be the eye of the world, including gods and men, who shall speak this Satra after the extinction of the Chief of men. 41. He is to be venerated by all beings, the wise man who in the last times shall preach this Sftra (were it but) a single moment. Thereupon the Lord addressed the whole company of Bodhisattvas and the world, including gods and demons, and said: Of yore, monks, in times past I have, unwearied and without repose, sought after the Satra of the Lotus of the True Law, during immense, immeasurable AZons; many A£ons before I have been a king, during many thousands of “Eons. Having once taken the strong resolution. to arrive at supreme, perfect enlightenment, my mind did not swerve from its aim. I exerted myself to fulfil the six Perfections (Paramit4s), bestowing immense alms: gold, money, gems, pearls, lapis lazuli, conch-shells, stones(?), coral, gold and silver, emerald, Musdragalva, red pearls; villages, towns, boroughs, provinces, kingdoms, royal capitals; wives, sons, daughters, slaves, male and female; elephants, horses, cars, up to the sacrifice of life and body, of limbs and members, hands, feet, head. And never did the thought of self-complacency® rise in me. In 1 Dhuravéha. * Dantabhfimi. DA&nta is tamed, subject, meek; and also a young tamed bullock. * Agrahafittam. 244 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XI. those days the life of men lasted long, so that for a time of many hundred thousand years I was exercising the rule of a King of the Law for the sake of duty, not for the sake of enjoyment}. After installing in government the eldest prince royal, I went in quest of the best law in the four quarters, and had promulgated with sound of bell the following proclamation : He who procures for me the best law? or points out what is useful, to him will 1 become a servant. At that time there lived a Seer; he told me: Noble king, there is a Sdtra, called the Lotus of the True Law, which is an exposition of the best law. If thou consent to become my servant, I will teach thee that law. And I, glad, content, exulting and ravished at the words I heard from the Seer, became his pupil*, and said: I will do for thee the work of a servant. And so having agreed upon becoming the servant of the Seer, I performed the duties of a servitor, such as fetching grass, fuel, water, bulbs, roots, fruit, &c. I held also the office of a doorkeeper. When I had done such kind of work at day-time, I at night kept his feet while he ? This golden age evidently coincided with the reign of king Yima in Iran, of king Fr68i in Denmark, of king Manu in India; in short, with the dawn of humanity. 2 Or, the best right.
2When I had done such kind of work at day-time, I at night kept his feet while he ? This golden age evidently coincided with the reign of king Yima in Iran, of king Fr68i in Denmark, of king Manu in India; in short, with the dawn of humanity. 2 Or, the best right. * Upeyitavan. The original must have had upeyivan. The whole story, so different in language, style, phraseology, choice of words and spirit from anything else in the Lotus, has been so profoundly altered that almost every word must be taken in another sense than what originally was attached to it. I am not sure that those who modified the ancient tale understood the meaning of upeyivan; even the grammatical form was a puzzle, if not to them, at least to the scribes. XI. APPARITION OF A STOPA. 245 was lying on his couch’, and never did I feel fatigue of body or mind. In such occupations I passed a full millennium. And for the fuller elucidation of this matter the Lord on that occasion uttered the following stanzas : 42. I have a remembrance of past ages when I was Dharmika?, the King of the Law, and exercised the royal sway for duty’s sake, not for love’s sake, in the interest of the best law’. 43. I let go out in all directions this proclamation: I will become a servant to him who shall explain Dharma‘. At that time there was a far-seeing Sage, a revealer of the Sftra called the True Law‘, 44. He said to me: If thou wish to know Dharma, become my servant®; then I will explain it to thee. As I heard these words I rejoiced and carefully performed such work as a servant ought to do. 45. I never felt any bodily nor mental weariness since I had become a servant for the sake of the true law. I did my best? for real truth’s sake’, not with a view to win honour or enjoy pleasure. 1 Sayanasya mafkake padan dharay&mAsa, which is sheer nonsense; we have to read sayanasya. The plural pad4n shows that not the feet are meant—for that is padau in the dual—but the lower end of the couch; the plural, if applied to one person, is always metaphorical. 2 The text of these verses is one mass of corruption, as is proved by the repeated offences against the metre. ® Perhaps those who changed the original text intended to join the last sentence to the following. ‘ In the intention of the original author : (what is) Right. 5 Satrasya saddharman4mnah; this term being prosodically inadmissible, the original must have had another word. ® Rather absurd; the original must have had ‘my pupil.’ 7 Pranidhi, here synonymous with avadh4na, prayatna. ® Vastutvaheto4, which is nonsense; probably to read vas- 246 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XI. 46. That king meanwhile, strenuously and without engaging in other pursuits, roamed in every direction during thousands of ko¢is of complete AZons without being able to obtain the Satra called Dharma!.
3® Vastutvaheto4, which is nonsense; probably to read vas- 246 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XI. 46. That king meanwhile, strenuously and without engaging in other pursuits, roamed in every direction during thousands of ko¢is of complete AZons without being able to obtain the Satra called Dharma!. Now, monks, what is your opinion ? that it was another who at that time, at that juncture was the king? No, you must certainly not hold that view. For it was myself, who at that time, at that juncture was the king. What then, monks, is your opinion ? that it was another who at that time, at that juncture was the Seer? No, you must certainly not hold that view. For it was this Devadatta himself, the monk?, who at that time, at that juncture was the Seer. Indeed, monks, Devadatta was my good friend. By the aid of Devadatta* have I accomplished the six perfect virtues (Paramités). Noble kindness, noble compassion, noble sympathy, noble indifference, the thirty-two signs of a great man, the eighty lesser marks‘, the gold-coloured tinge, the ten powers, the fourfold absence of hesitation®, the four articles of sociability, the eighteen uncommon tutatvaheto#. A later hand has added a marginal reading sarvasatva, obviously intended to give a Buddhistic tinge to the tale. 1 The traces of alteration are so clearly visible that it is not necessary to point them out. 2 Ayam-eva sa Devadatto bhikshus tena k4lena tena samayena rtshir abhitt. Hence it follows that Devadatta is present at the gathering. His name not being mentioned before, he must be concealed under another name; I take him to be identical with Prabhfittaratna. * Devadattam 4gamya, properly, having come to or reached D. “ Anuvyafigana; they have been thoroughly treated of by Burnouf in an Appendix to the Lotus, p. 583 seq.; cf. Hodgson’s Essays, p. go, and S. Hardy’s Manual, p. 369. * Vais&radya; Burnouf, Lotus, p. 396; S. Hardy, Eastern Monachism, p. 291. XI. APPARITION OF A STOPA. 247
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.
13 Or, shall be capable. XI. APPARITION OF A STOPA. 243 39. He shall be entrusted with the leadership? amongst the sons of the Tathdgatas, he who, after having reached the stage of meekness?, shall keep this Satra. 40. He shall be the eye of the world, including gods and men, who shall speak this Satra after the extinction of the Chief of men. 41. He is to be venerated by all beings, the wise man who in the last times shall preach this Sftra (were it but) a single moment. Thereupon the Lord addressed the whole company of Bodhisattvas and the world, including gods and demons, and said: Of yore, monks, in times past I have, unwearied and without repose, sought after the Satra of the Lotus of the True Law, during immense, immeasurable AZons; many A£ons before I have been a king, during many thousands of “Eons. Having once taken the strong resolution. to arrive at supreme, perfect enlightenment, my mind did not swerve from its aim. I exerted myself to fulfil the six Perfections (Paramit4s), bestowing immense alms: gold, money, gems, pearls, lapis lazuli, conch-shells, stones(?), coral, gold and silver, emerald, Musdragalva, red pearls; villages, towns, boroughs, provinces, kingdoms, royal capitals; wives, sons, daughters, slaves, male and female; elephants, horses, cars, up to the sacrifice of life and body, of limbs and members, hands, feet, head. And never did the thought of self-complacency® rise in me. In 1 Dhuravéha. * Dantabhfimi. DA&nta is tamed, subject, meek; and also a young tamed bullock. * Agrahafittam. 244 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XI. those days the life of men lasted long, so that for a time of many hundred thousand years I was exercising the rule of a King of the Law for the sake of duty, not for the sake of enjoyment}. After installing in government the eldest prince royal, I went in quest of the best law in the four quarters, and had promulgated with sound of bell the following proclamation : He who procures for me the best law? or points out what is useful, to him will 1 become a servant. At that time there lived a Seer; he told me: Noble king, there is a Sdtra, called the Lotus of the True Law, which is an exposition of the best law. If thou consent to become my servant, I will teach thee that law. And I, glad, content, exulting and ravished at the words I heard from the Seer, became his pupil*, and said: I will do for thee the work of a servant. And so having agreed upon becoming the servant of the Seer, I performed the duties of a servitor, such as fetching grass, fuel, water, bulbs, roots, fruit, &c. I held also the office of a doorkeeper. When I had done such kind of work at day-time, I at night kept his feet while he ? This golden age evidently coincided with the reign of king Yima in Iran, of king Fr68i in Denmark, of king Manu in India; in short, with the dawn of humanity. 2 Or, the best right.
2When I had done such kind of work at day-time, I at night kept his feet while he ? This golden age evidently coincided with the reign of king Yima in Iran, of king Fr68i in Denmark, of king Manu in India; in short, with the dawn of humanity. 2 Or, the best right. * Upeyitavan. The original must have had upeyivan. The whole story, so different in language, style, phraseology, choice of words and spirit from anything else in the Lotus, has been so profoundly altered that almost every word must be taken in another sense than what originally was attached to it. I am not sure that those who modified the ancient tale understood the meaning of upeyivan; even the grammatical form was a puzzle, if not to them, at least to the scribes. XI. APPARITION OF A STOPA. 245 was lying on his couch’, and never did I feel fatigue of body or mind. In such occupations I passed a full millennium. And for the fuller elucidation of this matter the Lord on that occasion uttered the following stanzas : 42. I have a remembrance of past ages when I was Dharmika?, the King of the Law, and exercised the royal sway for duty’s sake, not for love’s sake, in the interest of the best law’. 43. I let go out in all directions this proclamation: I will become a servant to him who shall explain Dharma‘. At that time there was a far-seeing Sage, a revealer of the Sftra called the True Law‘, 44. He said to me: If thou wish to know Dharma, become my servant®; then I will explain it to thee. As I heard these words I rejoiced and carefully performed such work as a servant ought to do. 45. I never felt any bodily nor mental weariness since I had become a servant for the sake of the true law. I did my best? for real truth’s sake’, not with a view to win honour or enjoy pleasure. 1 Sayanasya mafkake padan dharay&mAsa, which is sheer nonsense; we have to read sayanasya. The plural pad4n shows that not the feet are meant—for that is padau in the dual—but the lower end of the couch; the plural, if applied to one person, is always metaphorical. 2 The text of these verses is one mass of corruption, as is proved by the repeated offences against the metre. ® Perhaps those who changed the original text intended to join the last sentence to the following. ‘ In the intention of the original author : (what is) Right. 5 Satrasya saddharman4mnah; this term being prosodically inadmissible, the original must have had another word. ® Rather absurd; the original must have had ‘my pupil.’ 7 Pranidhi, here synonymous with avadh4na, prayatna. ® Vastutvaheto4, which is nonsense; probably to read vas- 246 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XI. 46. That king meanwhile, strenuously and without engaging in other pursuits, roamed in every direction during thousands of ko¢is of complete AZons without being able to obtain the Satra called Dharma!.
3® Vastutvaheto4, which is nonsense; probably to read vas- 246 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XI. 46. That king meanwhile, strenuously and without engaging in other pursuits, roamed in every direction during thousands of ko¢is of complete AZons without being able to obtain the Satra called Dharma!. Now, monks, what is your opinion ? that it was another who at that time, at that juncture was the king? No, you must certainly not hold that view. For it was myself, who at that time, at that juncture was the king. What then, monks, is your opinion ? that it was another who at that time, at that juncture was the Seer? No, you must certainly not hold that view. For it was this Devadatta himself, the monk?, who at that time, at that juncture was the Seer. Indeed, monks, Devadatta was my good friend. By the aid of Devadatta* have I accomplished the six perfect virtues (Paramités). Noble kindness, noble compassion, noble sympathy, noble indifference, the thirty-two signs of a great man, the eighty lesser marks‘, the gold-coloured tinge, the ten powers, the fourfold absence of hesitation®, the four articles of sociability, the eighteen uncommon tutatvaheto#. A later hand has added a marginal reading sarvasatva, obviously intended to give a Buddhistic tinge to the tale. 1 The traces of alteration are so clearly visible that it is not necessary to point them out. 2 Ayam-eva sa Devadatto bhikshus tena k4lena tena samayena rtshir abhitt. Hence it follows that Devadatta is present at the gathering. His name not being mentioned before, he must be concealed under another name; I take him to be identical with Prabhfittaratna. * Devadattam 4gamya, properly, having come to or reached D. “ Anuvyafigana; they have been thoroughly treated of by Burnouf in an Appendix to the Lotus, p. 583 seq.; cf. Hodgson’s Essays, p. go, and S. Hardy’s Manual, p. 369. * Vais&radya; Burnouf, Lotus, p. 396; S. Hardy, Eastern Monachism, p. 291. XI. APPARITION OF A STOPA. 247
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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