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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1XV. DURATION OF LIFE OF THE TATHAGATA. 299 enlightenment at the town of Gaya. But, young men of good family, the truth is that many hundred thousand myriads of koftis of AZons ago I have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. By way of example, young men of good family, let there be the atoms of earth of fifty hundred thousand myriads of kofis of worlds; let there exist some man who takes one of those atoms of dust and then goes in an eastern direction fifty hundred thousand myriads of kofis of worlds further on, there to deposit that atom of dust ; let in this manner the man carry away from all those worlds the whole mass of earth, and in the same manner, and by the same act as supposed, deposit all those atoms in an eastern direction’. Now, would you think, young men of good family, that any one should be able to imagine, weigh, count, or determine (the number of) those worlds ? The Lord having thus spoken, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya and the entire host of Bodhisattvas replied: They are incalculable, O Lord, those worlds, countless, beyond the range of thought. Not even all the disciples and Pratyekabuddhas, O Lord, with their Arya-knowledge, will be able to imagine, weigh, count, or determine them. For us also, O Lord, who are Bodhisattvas standing on the place from whence there is no turning back, this point lies beyond the sphere of our comprehension; so innumerable, O Lord, are those worlds. This said, the Lord spoke to those Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas as follows: I announce to you, young men of good family, I declare to you: However numerous ' This passage is a repetition, in shorter form, of what is found in chapter VII; see p. 153. 300 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XV. be those worlds where that man deposits those atoms of dust and where he does not, there are not, young men of good family, in all those hundred thousands of myriads of kofis of worlds so many dust atoms as there are hundred thousands of myriads of kofis of fEons since I have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment!, From the moment, young men of good family, when I began preaching the law to creatures in this Saha-world and in hundred thousands of myriads of ko¢is of other worlds, and (when) the other Tathdgatas, Arhats, &c., such as the Tathagata Dipankara and the rest whom | have mentioned in the lapse of time (preached), (from thag moment) have I, young men of good family, for the complete Nirvaza of those Tathagatas, &c., created all that with the express view to skilfully preach the law*. Again, young men of good family, the Tathagata, considering the different degrees of faculty and strength of succeeding generations,
2Again, young men of good family, the Tathagata, considering the different degrees of faculty and strength of succeeding generations, ! S&kyamuni here declares, in the most emphatic manner, not only that he has existed from eternity, but that he is the All-wise, the Buddha from the beginning. The world thinks that he has become all-wise at Gay, a short time before, but in reality he has been the All-wise from eternity. In other words, the meaning of his being a common man who had reached enlightenment under the Bodhi-tree near Gay4, is declared by himself to be a delusion. Further, it will be remarked that Sdkyamuni and the Tathagata Mahébhig#4g74n4bhibhd in chapter VII are identical, though appa- ~ rently diversified. * Tesham ka Tathfgatinfm Arhatém samyaksambuddhandim parinirvazdya mayaiva tani, kulaputra, updayakausalyadharmadesanay4 (abhi) nirharanirmiténi. Burnouf translates as if he read te—nirmit4A, so that ‘those Tathagatas—have been created.’ Both readings come essentially to the same; in either case Sakyamuni is the creator, the really existing being; the other Tathagatas are emanations from him or apparent beings. XV. DURATION OF LIFE OF THE TATHAGATA. 301 reveals at each (generation) his own name, reveals a state in which Nirvama has not yet been reached’, and in different ways he satisfies the wants of (different) creatures through various Dharmaparyayas*, This being the case, young men of good family, the Tathagata declares to the creatures, whose dispositions are so various and who possess so few roots of goodness, so many evil propensities : I am young of age, monks; having left my father’s home, monks, I have lately arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment®. When, however, the Tathagata, who so long ago arrived at perfect enlightenment, declares himself to have but lately arrived at perfect enlightenment, he does so in order to lead creatures to full ripeness and make them go in. Therefore have these Dharmapary4yas been revealed; and it is for the education of creatures, young men of good family, that the Tathagata has revealed all Dharmapary4yas. And, young men of good family, the word that the Tath4gata delivers on behalf of the education of creatures, either under his own appearance or under another’s, either on his own authority‘ or under the mask® of another, all that the Tath4- 1 Instead of the last clause we find in the margin, ‘reveals (or declares) at each his own Nirvasa.’ The material difference is slight, for the temporal appearances of the everlasting being are final and multifarious, but the being itself is one and everlasting. Sakyamuni is, in reality, the one and everlasting brahma. * The Tathagata, in his proper being well understood, is not only the Dev&tideva, the supreme god of gods, of Buddhism, but ’ of all religions in the world; from him are all scriptures, ® In various periods mankind wants renewed revelation; hence Vishzu, for Dharma’s sake, descends on earth.
3* The Tathagata, in his proper being well understood, is not only the Dev&tideva, the supreme god of gods, of Buddhism, but ’ of all religions in the world; from him are all scriptures, ® In various periods mankind wants renewed revelation; hence Vishzu, for Dharma’s sake, descends on earth. * Atm4rambanena (sic), properly, on his own base. 5 Apar&varamena. One may also render it by ‘under the cloak of another.’ 302 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XV. gata declares, all those Dharmapary4yas spoken by the Tathagata are true. There can be no question of untruth from the part of the Tathagata in this respect. For the Tathagata sees the triple world as it really is: it is not born, it dies not; it is not conceived, it springs not into existence; it moves not in a whirl, it becomes not extinct; it is not real, nor unreal; it is not existing, nor non-existing; it is not such, nor otherwise’, nor false. The Tathdgata sees the triple world, not as the ignorant, common people, he seeing things always present to him; indeed, to the Tath4gata, in his position, no laws are concealed. In that respect any word that the Tathagata speaks is true, not false. But in order to produce the roots of goodness in the creatures, who follow different pursuits and behave according to different notions, he reveals various Dharmaparydyas with various fundamental principles. The Tath4gata then, young men of good family, does what he has to do. The Tathagata who so long ago was perfectly enlightened is unlimited in the duration of his life, he is everlasting. Without being extinct, the Tathagata makes a show of extinction, on behalf of those who have to be educated. And even now, young gentlemen of good family, I have not accomplished my ancient Bodhisattvacourse, and the measure of my lifetime is not full. Nay, young men of good family, I shall yet have twice as many hundred thousand myriads of kofis of 7Eons before the measure of my lifetime be full 2. 1 Or, it is not as it ought to be, nor wrong. 2 Virtually he has existed from the very beginning, from an infinite period; infinity multiplied by two remains infinity. XV. DURATION OF LIFE OF THE TATHAGATA. 303
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.
1XV. DURATION OF LIFE OF THE TATHAGATA. 299 enlightenment at the town of Gaya. But, young men of good family, the truth is that many hundred thousand myriads of koftis of AZons ago I have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. By way of example, young men of good family, let there be the atoms of earth of fifty hundred thousand myriads of kofis of worlds; let there exist some man who takes one of those atoms of dust and then goes in an eastern direction fifty hundred thousand myriads of kofis of worlds further on, there to deposit that atom of dust ; let in this manner the man carry away from all those worlds the whole mass of earth, and in the same manner, and by the same act as supposed, deposit all those atoms in an eastern direction’. Now, would you think, young men of good family, that any one should be able to imagine, weigh, count, or determine (the number of) those worlds ? The Lord having thus spoken, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya and the entire host of Bodhisattvas replied: They are incalculable, O Lord, those worlds, countless, beyond the range of thought. Not even all the disciples and Pratyekabuddhas, O Lord, with their Arya-knowledge, will be able to imagine, weigh, count, or determine them. For us also, O Lord, who are Bodhisattvas standing on the place from whence there is no turning back, this point lies beyond the sphere of our comprehension; so innumerable, O Lord, are those worlds. This said, the Lord spoke to those Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas as follows: I announce to you, young men of good family, I declare to you: However numerous ' This passage is a repetition, in shorter form, of what is found in chapter VII; see p. 153. 300 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XV. be those worlds where that man deposits those atoms of dust and where he does not, there are not, young men of good family, in all those hundred thousands of myriads of kofis of worlds so many dust atoms as there are hundred thousands of myriads of kofis of fEons since I have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment!, From the moment, young men of good family, when I began preaching the law to creatures in this Saha-world and in hundred thousands of myriads of ko¢is of other worlds, and (when) the other Tathdgatas, Arhats, &c., such as the Tathagata Dipankara and the rest whom | have mentioned in the lapse of time (preached), (from thag moment) have I, young men of good family, for the complete Nirvaza of those Tathagatas, &c., created all that with the express view to skilfully preach the law*. Again, young men of good family, the Tathagata, considering the different degrees of faculty and strength of succeeding generations,
2Again, young men of good family, the Tathagata, considering the different degrees of faculty and strength of succeeding generations, ! S&kyamuni here declares, in the most emphatic manner, not only that he has existed from eternity, but that he is the All-wise, the Buddha from the beginning. The world thinks that he has become all-wise at Gay, a short time before, but in reality he has been the All-wise from eternity. In other words, the meaning of his being a common man who had reached enlightenment under the Bodhi-tree near Gay4, is declared by himself to be a delusion. Further, it will be remarked that Sdkyamuni and the Tathagata Mahébhig#4g74n4bhibhd in chapter VII are identical, though appa- ~ rently diversified. * Tesham ka Tathfgatinfm Arhatém samyaksambuddhandim parinirvazdya mayaiva tani, kulaputra, updayakausalyadharmadesanay4 (abhi) nirharanirmiténi. Burnouf translates as if he read te—nirmit4A, so that ‘those Tathagatas—have been created.’ Both readings come essentially to the same; in either case Sakyamuni is the creator, the really existing being; the other Tathagatas are emanations from him or apparent beings. XV. DURATION OF LIFE OF THE TATHAGATA. 301 reveals at each (generation) his own name, reveals a state in which Nirvama has not yet been reached’, and in different ways he satisfies the wants of (different) creatures through various Dharmaparyayas*, This being the case, young men of good family, the Tathagata declares to the creatures, whose dispositions are so various and who possess so few roots of goodness, so many evil propensities : I am young of age, monks; having left my father’s home, monks, I have lately arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment®. When, however, the Tathagata, who so long ago arrived at perfect enlightenment, declares himself to have but lately arrived at perfect enlightenment, he does so in order to lead creatures to full ripeness and make them go in. Therefore have these Dharmapary4yas been revealed; and it is for the education of creatures, young men of good family, that the Tathagata has revealed all Dharmapary4yas. And, young men of good family, the word that the Tath4gata delivers on behalf of the education of creatures, either under his own appearance or under another’s, either on his own authority‘ or under the mask® of another, all that the Tath4- 1 Instead of the last clause we find in the margin, ‘reveals (or declares) at each his own Nirvasa.’ The material difference is slight, for the temporal appearances of the everlasting being are final and multifarious, but the being itself is one and everlasting. Sakyamuni is, in reality, the one and everlasting brahma. * The Tathagata, in his proper being well understood, is not only the Dev&tideva, the supreme god of gods, of Buddhism, but ’ of all religions in the world; from him are all scriptures, ® In various periods mankind wants renewed revelation; hence Vishzu, for Dharma’s sake, descends on earth.
3* The Tathagata, in his proper being well understood, is not only the Dev&tideva, the supreme god of gods, of Buddhism, but ’ of all religions in the world; from him are all scriptures, ® In various periods mankind wants renewed revelation; hence Vishzu, for Dharma’s sake, descends on earth. * Atm4rambanena (sic), properly, on his own base. 5 Apar&varamena. One may also render it by ‘under the cloak of another.’ 302 SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA. XV. gata declares, all those Dharmapary4yas spoken by the Tathagata are true. There can be no question of untruth from the part of the Tathagata in this respect. For the Tathagata sees the triple world as it really is: it is not born, it dies not; it is not conceived, it springs not into existence; it moves not in a whirl, it becomes not extinct; it is not real, nor unreal; it is not existing, nor non-existing; it is not such, nor otherwise’, nor false. The Tathdgata sees the triple world, not as the ignorant, common people, he seeing things always present to him; indeed, to the Tath4gata, in his position, no laws are concealed. In that respect any word that the Tathagata speaks is true, not false. But in order to produce the roots of goodness in the creatures, who follow different pursuits and behave according to different notions, he reveals various Dharmaparydyas with various fundamental principles. The Tath4gata then, young men of good family, does what he has to do. The Tathagata who so long ago was perfectly enlightened is unlimited in the duration of his life, he is everlasting. Without being extinct, the Tathagata makes a show of extinction, on behalf of those who have to be educated. And even now, young gentlemen of good family, I have not accomplished my ancient Bodhisattvacourse, and the measure of my lifetime is not full. Nay, young men of good family, I shall yet have twice as many hundred thousand myriads of kofis of 7Eons before the measure of my lifetime be full 2. 1 Or, it is not as it ought to be, nor wrong. 2 Virtually he has existed from the very beginning, from an infinite period; infinity multiplied by two remains infinity. XV. DURATION OF LIFE OF THE TATHAGATA. 303
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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