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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1THE SMALLER S U K H AVAT I-V Y U H A. Adoration to the Omniscient ! § I. Thus it was heard by me : At one time the Blessed (Bhagavat, i.e. Buddha) dwelt at ^'ravasti \ in the (7eta-grove, in the garden of Anathapi;^rt^aka, together with a large company of Bhikshus (mendicant friars), viz. with twelve hundred and fifty Bhikshus, all of them acquainted with the five kinds of knowledge ^, elders, great disciples ^, and Arhats *, ^ .Sravasti, capital of the Northern Kojalas, residence of king Prasena^it. It was in ruins when visited by Fa-hian (init. V. Saec.) ; not far from the modern Fizabad. Cf. Burnouf, Introduction, p. 22. ^ Abhi^wanabhi^watai//. The Japanese text reads abhi- ^«atabha^«atai^, i.e. abhi^«atabhi^«atai>^. If this were known to be the correct reading, we should translate it by ' known by known people,' notus a viris notis, i. e. well known, famous. Abhi^wata in the sense of known, famous, occurs in Lalitavistara, p. 25, and the Chinese translators adopted the same meaning here. Again, if we preferred the reading abhi^;7anabhi^;7atai-^, this, too, would admit of an intelligible rendering, viz. known or distinguished by the marks or characteristics, i. e. the good qualities which belong to a Bhikshu. But the technical meaning is 'possessed of a knowledge of the five abhi^was. It would be better in that case to write abhi^watabhi^wanai^, but no MSS. seem to support that reading. The five abhi^was or abhi^wanas which an Arhat ought to possess are the divine sight, the divine hearing, the knowledge of the thoughts of others, the remembrance of former existences, and magic power. See Burnouf, Lotus, Appendice, No. xiv. The larger text of the Sukhavatt-vyfiha has ' * See next page.
290 THE SMALLER SUKIIAVATt-VYl)HA. § i. such as vSariputra, the elder, Mahamaudgalydyana, Mahak^^yapa, Mahakapphiwa, Mahak^tydyana, Mahakaush///ila, Revata, ^'uddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ananda, Rahiila, Gavampati, Bharadva^a, Kalodayin, Vakkula, and Aniruddha. He dwelt together with these and many other great disciples, and together with many noble-minded Bodhisattvas, such as Ma/'^^'^u^ri, the prince, the Bodhisattva A^ita, the Bodhisattva Gandhahastin, the Bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the Bodhisattva Anikshiptadhura. He dwelt together widi them and many other noble-minded Bodhisattvas, and with ^'akra, the Indra or King^ abhi^«anabhi^«ai>^, and afterwards abhi^«atabhi^«ai^. The position of the participle as the uttara-pada in such compounds as abhi^/7anabhi^«atai/i is common in Buddhist Sanskrit. Mr. Bendall has called my attention to the Pali abhi/7//ata-abhi/7/)ata (Vinaya-piAika, ed. Oldenberg, vol. i, p. 43), which favours the Chinese acceptation of the term. ' Maha^ravaka, the great disciples; sometimes the eighty principal disciples. * ArhadbhiA. I have left the correct Sanskrit form, because the Japanese text gives the termination adbhi^. Hogo's text has the more usual form arhantaiy^. The change of the old classical arhat into the Pali arahan, and then back into Sanskrit arhanta, arahanta, and at last arihanta, with the meaning of ' destroyer of the enemies,' i e. the passions, shows very clearly the different stages through which Sanskrit words passed in the different phases of Budiihist literature. In Tibet, in Mongolia, and in China, Arhat is translated by 'destroyer of the enemy,' i.e. ari-hanta. See Burnouf, Lotus, p. 287, Introduction, p. 295. Arhat is really the title of the Bhikshu on reaching the fourth degree of perfection. Cf. Siiira of the 42 Sections, cap. 2. Clemens of Alexandria (d. 220) speaks of the Sf/n/oi who worshipped a pyramid erected over the relics of a god. This may be a translation of Arhat, as Lassen (• Dc nom. Ind. philosoph.' in Rhein. Museum, vol. i, p. 187) and Burnouf (Introduction, p. 295) supposed, or a transliteration of Samana. Clemens also speaks of itfipai (Stromat. p. 539, Potter). ' Indra, the old Vedic god, has come to mean simply lord, and
3§3. THE SMALLER SUKHAVATt-VYUHA. 9I of the Devas, and with Brahman Sahampati. With these and many other hundred thousand nayutas ^ of sons of the gods, Bhagavat dwelt at 6'ravasti. § 2. Then Bhagavat addressed the honoured Sanputra and said, ' O ^Sariputra, after you have passed from here over a hundred thousand ko/is of Buddha countries there is in the Western part a Buddha country, a world called Sukhavati (the happy country). And there a Tathagata, called Amitayus, an Arhat, fully enlightened, dwells now, and remains, and supports himself, and teaches the Law -. ' Now what do you think, ^'ariputra, for what reason is that world called Sukhavati (the happy) ? In that world Sukhavati, O ^'ariputra, there is neither bodily nor mental pain for living beings. The sources of happiness are innumerable there. For that reason is that world called Sukhavati (the happy). f 3. 'And again, O .Sariputra, that world Sukhavati is adorned with seven terraces, with seven rows of in the -^anda Paritta (Journal Asiatique, 1871, p. 220) we actually find Asurinda, the Indra or Lord of the Asuras. ^ The numbers in Buddhist literature, if they once exceed a ko/i or ko/i, i. e. ten millions, become very vague, nor is their value always the same. Ayuta, i. e. a hundred ko/is ; niyuta, i.e. a hundred ayutas ; and nayuta, i.e. i with 22 zeros, are often confounded ; nor does it matter much so far as any definite idea is concerned which such numerals convey to our mind. See Prof. H. Schubert, 'On large numbers,' in Open Court, Dec. 14, 1893. ^ Tish///ati dhriyate yapayati dharma;;; X-a dejayati. This is an idiomatic phrase, which occurs again and again in the Nepalese text of the Sukhavati-vyfiha (MS. 26 b, 11. i, 2 ; 55 a, 1. 2, &c.). It seems to mean, he stands there, holds himself, supports himself, and teaches the law. Burnouf translates the same phrase by, ' ils se trouvent, vivent, existent' (Lotus, p. 354). On yapeti in Pali, see Fausboll, Dasaratha-^taka, pp. 26, 28 ; and yapana in Sanskrit.
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.
1THE SMALLER S U K H AVAT I-V Y U H A. Adoration to the Omniscient ! § I. Thus it was heard by me : At one time the Blessed (Bhagavat, i.e. Buddha) dwelt at ^'ravasti \ in the (7eta-grove, in the garden of Anathapi;^rt^aka, together with a large company of Bhikshus (mendicant friars), viz. with twelve hundred and fifty Bhikshus, all of them acquainted with the five kinds of knowledge ^, elders, great disciples ^, and Arhats *, ^ .Sravasti, capital of the Northern Kojalas, residence of king Prasena^it. It was in ruins when visited by Fa-hian (init. V. Saec.) ; not far from the modern Fizabad. Cf. Burnouf, Introduction, p. 22. ^ Abhi^wanabhi^watai//. The Japanese text reads abhi- ^«atabha^«atai^, i.e. abhi^«atabhi^«atai>^. If this were known to be the correct reading, we should translate it by ' known by known people,' notus a viris notis, i. e. well known, famous. Abhi^wata in the sense of known, famous, occurs in Lalitavistara, p. 25, and the Chinese translators adopted the same meaning here. Again, if we preferred the reading abhi^;7anabhi^;7atai-^, this, too, would admit of an intelligible rendering, viz. known or distinguished by the marks or characteristics, i. e. the good qualities which belong to a Bhikshu. But the technical meaning is 'possessed of a knowledge of the five abhi^was. It would be better in that case to write abhi^watabhi^wanai^, but no MSS. seem to support that reading. The five abhi^was or abhi^wanas which an Arhat ought to possess are the divine sight, the divine hearing, the knowledge of the thoughts of others, the remembrance of former existences, and magic power. See Burnouf, Lotus, Appendice, No. xiv. The larger text of the Sukhavatt-vyfiha has ' * See next page.
290 THE SMALLER SUKIIAVATt-VYl)HA. § i. such as vSariputra, the elder, Mahamaudgalydyana, Mahak^^yapa, Mahakapphiwa, Mahak^tydyana, Mahakaush///ila, Revata, ^'uddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ananda, Rahiila, Gavampati, Bharadva^a, Kalodayin, Vakkula, and Aniruddha. He dwelt together with these and many other great disciples, and together with many noble-minded Bodhisattvas, such as Ma/'^^'^u^ri, the prince, the Bodhisattva A^ita, the Bodhisattva Gandhahastin, the Bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the Bodhisattva Anikshiptadhura. He dwelt together widi them and many other noble-minded Bodhisattvas, and with ^'akra, the Indra or King^ abhi^«anabhi^«ai>^, and afterwards abhi^«atabhi^«ai^. The position of the participle as the uttara-pada in such compounds as abhi^/7anabhi^«atai/i is common in Buddhist Sanskrit. Mr. Bendall has called my attention to the Pali abhi/7//ata-abhi/7/)ata (Vinaya-piAika, ed. Oldenberg, vol. i, p. 43), which favours the Chinese acceptation of the term. ' Maha^ravaka, the great disciples; sometimes the eighty principal disciples. * ArhadbhiA. I have left the correct Sanskrit form, because the Japanese text gives the termination adbhi^. Hogo's text has the more usual form arhantaiy^. The change of the old classical arhat into the Pali arahan, and then back into Sanskrit arhanta, arahanta, and at last arihanta, with the meaning of ' destroyer of the enemies,' i e. the passions, shows very clearly the different stages through which Sanskrit words passed in the different phases of Budiihist literature. In Tibet, in Mongolia, and in China, Arhat is translated by 'destroyer of the enemy,' i.e. ari-hanta. See Burnouf, Lotus, p. 287, Introduction, p. 295. Arhat is really the title of the Bhikshu on reaching the fourth degree of perfection. Cf. Siiira of the 42 Sections, cap. 2. Clemens of Alexandria (d. 220) speaks of the Sf/n/oi who worshipped a pyramid erected over the relics of a god. This may be a translation of Arhat, as Lassen (• Dc nom. Ind. philosoph.' in Rhein. Museum, vol. i, p. 187) and Burnouf (Introduction, p. 295) supposed, or a transliteration of Samana. Clemens also speaks of itfipai (Stromat. p. 539, Potter). ' Indra, the old Vedic god, has come to mean simply lord, and
3§3. THE SMALLER SUKHAVATt-VYUHA. 9I of the Devas, and with Brahman Sahampati. With these and many other hundred thousand nayutas ^ of sons of the gods, Bhagavat dwelt at 6'ravasti. § 2. Then Bhagavat addressed the honoured Sanputra and said, ' O ^Sariputra, after you have passed from here over a hundred thousand ko/is of Buddha countries there is in the Western part a Buddha country, a world called Sukhavati (the happy country). And there a Tathagata, called Amitayus, an Arhat, fully enlightened, dwells now, and remains, and supports himself, and teaches the Law -. ' Now what do you think, ^'ariputra, for what reason is that world called Sukhavati (the happy) ? In that world Sukhavati, O ^'ariputra, there is neither bodily nor mental pain for living beings. The sources of happiness are innumerable there. For that reason is that world called Sukhavati (the happy). f 3. 'And again, O .Sariputra, that world Sukhavati is adorned with seven terraces, with seven rows of in the -^anda Paritta (Journal Asiatique, 1871, p. 220) we actually find Asurinda, the Indra or Lord of the Asuras. ^ The numbers in Buddhist literature, if they once exceed a ko/i or ko/i, i. e. ten millions, become very vague, nor is their value always the same. Ayuta, i. e. a hundred ko/is ; niyuta, i.e. a hundred ayutas ; and nayuta, i.e. i with 22 zeros, are often confounded ; nor does it matter much so far as any definite idea is concerned which such numerals convey to our mind. See Prof. H. Schubert, 'On large numbers,' in Open Court, Dec. 14, 1893. ^ Tish///ati dhriyate yapayati dharma;;; X-a dejayati. This is an idiomatic phrase, which occurs again and again in the Nepalese text of the Sukhavati-vyfiha (MS. 26 b, 11. i, 2 ; 55 a, 1. 2, &c.). It seems to mean, he stands there, holds himself, supports himself, and teaches the law. Burnouf translates the same phrase by, ' ils se trouvent, vivent, existent' (Lotus, p. 354). On yapeti in Pali, see Fausboll, Dasaratha-^taka, pp. 26, 28 ; and yapana in Sanskrit.
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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