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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
198 THE SMALLER SUKHAVATJ-V\OhA. § lO. splendour (^bhd). O KSariputra, of that Tathagata is unimpeded over all Buddha countries. Therefore is that Tathagata called Amitabha. 'And there is, O ^S'ariputra, an innumerable assembly of disciples with that Tathagata, purified and venerable persons, whose number it is not easy to count. With such arrays of excellences, See. J lo. 'And again, O ^S'ariputra, of those beings also who are born in the Buddha country of the Tathagata Amitiyus as purified Bodhisattvas, never to return again and bound by one birth only, of those Bodhisattvas also, O ^'ariputra, the number is not easy to count, except they are reckoned as infinite in number \ ' Then again all beings, O 6'ariputra, ought to make fervent prayer for that Buddha country. And why ? Because they come together there with such excellent men. Beinq-s are not born in that Buddha country of the Tathagata Amitayus as a reward and result of good works performed in this present life -. ' Iti sankhyS/w ga^^^anti, they are called; cf. Childers, s.v. sahkhya. Asahkhyeya, even more than aprameya, is the recognised term for infinity. Burnoiif, Lotus, p. 852. ^ Avaramatraka. This is the Pali oramattako, 'belonging merely to the present life,' and the intention of the writer seems to be to inculcate the doctrine, that salvation can be obtained by mere repetitions of the name of Amitabha, in direct opposition to the original doctrine of Buddha, that as a man soweth, so he reapeth. Buddha would have taught that the ku^alamtila, the root or the stock of good works performed in this world (avaramatraka), will bear fruit in the ne.xt, while here 'vain repetitions' seem all that is enjoyed. The Chinese translators take a different view of this passage. But from the end of this section, where we read kulaputrena va kuladuhitra va tatra buddhakshetre X'ittapra;/idhana»z kariavyam, it seems clear that the locative (buddhakshetre) forms the object of the pra«idh.ina, the fervent prayer or longing. Tlie Satpuruslias already in the Buddhakshetra would be the innumerable men (manushyds) and Bodhisattvas mentioned before.
2§ ir. THE SMALLER SUKHAVATi-VYOnA. 99 No, whatever son or daughter of a family shall hear the name of the blessed Amitayus, the Tathagata, and having heard It, shall keep It In mind, and with thoughts undisturbed shall keep It In mind for one, two, three, four, five, six or seven nights, — when that son or daughter of a family comes to die, then that Amitayus, the Tathagata, surrounded by an assembly of disciples and followed by a host of Bodhisattvas, will stand before them at their hour of death, and they will depart this life with tranquil minds. After their death they will be born In the world Sukhavati, In the Buddha country of the same Amitayus, the Tathagata. Therefore, then, O SAnputra, having perceived this cause and effect \ I with reverence say thus. Every son and every daughter of a family ought with their whole mind to make fervent prayer for that Buddha country, J II. 'And now, O .Sdriputra, as I here at present glorify that world, thus In the East, O 6ariputra, other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Akshobhya, the Tathagata Merudhva^a, the Tathagata Mahameru, the Tathagata Meruprabhasa, and the Tathagata Ma^'^^udhva^a, equal In number to the sand of the river Gaiiga, comprehend their own Buddha countries in their speech, and then reveal them 2. ' Arthavaja, lit. the power of the thing; of. Dhammapada, p. 388, V. 289. ^ I am not quite certain as to the meaning of this passage, but if we enter into the bold metaphor of the text, viz. that the Buddhas cover the Buddha countries with the organ of their tongue and then unrol it, what is intended can hardly be anything but that they first try to find words for the excellences of those countries, and then reveal or proclaim them. Burnouf, however (Lotus, p. 417), takes the expression in a literal sense, though he is shocked by itsgrotcsqueness. On these Buddhas and their countries, see Burnouf, Lotus, p. 113. * H 2
3lOO THE SMALLER SUKHAVATi-VYUHA. § 12. Accept this repetition of the Law, called the " Favour of all Buddhas," which magnifies their inconceivable excellences. ^12. Thus also in the South do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata A'andrasuryapradipa, the Tathagata Ya^a/zprabha, the Tathagata Mahar>{'iskandha, the Tathagata Merupradipa, the Tathagata Anantavirya. equal in number to the sand of the river Ganga, comprehend their own Buddha countries in their speech, and then reveal them. Accept, &c. J 13. ' Thus also in the West do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Amitayus, the Tathagata Amitaskandha, the Tathagata Amitadhva.i;a, the Tathagata Mahaprabha, the Tathagata Maharatnaketu, the Tathagata vyuddhara^miprabha, equal in number to the sand of the river Ganga, comprehend, &c. § 14. ' Thus also in the North do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Mahar/'iskandha, the Tathagata Vaii"vanaranirghosha, the Tathagata Dundubhisvaranirghosha, the Tathagata Dushpradharsha, the Tathagata Adityasambhava, the Tathagata Caleniprabha((7valanaprabha ?), the Tathagata Prabhakara, equal in number to the sand, &c. § 1$. 'Thus also in the Nadir do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Siwha, the Tathagata Ya^as, the Tathagata Ya.s"a//prabhava, the Tathagata Dharma, theTathagata Dliarmadhara, the Tathagata Dharmadhva^a, equal in number to the sand, &c. § 16. 'Thus also in the Zenith do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Brahmaghosha, the Tathagata Nakshatrara<^a, the Tathagata Indraketudhvar^arA^a, the Tathagata Ganclhottama, the Tathagata Gandhaprabhasa, the Tathdgata Mahar/'iskandha, ihc Tathagata Ratnakusumasampushpitagatra,
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.
198 THE SMALLER SUKHAVATJ-V\OhA. § lO. splendour (^bhd). O KSariputra, of that Tathagata is unimpeded over all Buddha countries. Therefore is that Tathagata called Amitabha. 'And there is, O ^S'ariputra, an innumerable assembly of disciples with that Tathagata, purified and venerable persons, whose number it is not easy to count. With such arrays of excellences, See. J lo. 'And again, O ^S'ariputra, of those beings also who are born in the Buddha country of the Tathagata Amitiyus as purified Bodhisattvas, never to return again and bound by one birth only, of those Bodhisattvas also, O ^'ariputra, the number is not easy to count, except they are reckoned as infinite in number \ ' Then again all beings, O 6'ariputra, ought to make fervent prayer for that Buddha country. And why ? Because they come together there with such excellent men. Beinq-s are not born in that Buddha country of the Tathagata Amitayus as a reward and result of good works performed in this present life -. ' Iti sankhyS/w ga^^^anti, they are called; cf. Childers, s.v. sahkhya. Asahkhyeya, even more than aprameya, is the recognised term for infinity. Burnoiif, Lotus, p. 852. ^ Avaramatraka. This is the Pali oramattako, 'belonging merely to the present life,' and the intention of the writer seems to be to inculcate the doctrine, that salvation can be obtained by mere repetitions of the name of Amitabha, in direct opposition to the original doctrine of Buddha, that as a man soweth, so he reapeth. Buddha would have taught that the ku^alamtila, the root or the stock of good works performed in this world (avaramatraka), will bear fruit in the ne.xt, while here 'vain repetitions' seem all that is enjoyed. The Chinese translators take a different view of this passage. But from the end of this section, where we read kulaputrena va kuladuhitra va tatra buddhakshetre X'ittapra;/idhana»z kariavyam, it seems clear that the locative (buddhakshetre) forms the object of the pra«idh.ina, the fervent prayer or longing. Tlie Satpuruslias already in the Buddhakshetra would be the innumerable men (manushyds) and Bodhisattvas mentioned before.
2§ ir. THE SMALLER SUKHAVATi-VYOnA. 99 No, whatever son or daughter of a family shall hear the name of the blessed Amitayus, the Tathagata, and having heard It, shall keep It In mind, and with thoughts undisturbed shall keep It In mind for one, two, three, four, five, six or seven nights, — when that son or daughter of a family comes to die, then that Amitayus, the Tathagata, surrounded by an assembly of disciples and followed by a host of Bodhisattvas, will stand before them at their hour of death, and they will depart this life with tranquil minds. After their death they will be born In the world Sukhavati, In the Buddha country of the same Amitayus, the Tathagata. Therefore, then, O SAnputra, having perceived this cause and effect \ I with reverence say thus. Every son and every daughter of a family ought with their whole mind to make fervent prayer for that Buddha country, J II. 'And now, O .Sdriputra, as I here at present glorify that world, thus In the East, O 6ariputra, other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Akshobhya, the Tathagata Merudhva^a, the Tathagata Mahameru, the Tathagata Meruprabhasa, and the Tathagata Ma^'^^udhva^a, equal In number to the sand of the river Gaiiga, comprehend their own Buddha countries in their speech, and then reveal them 2. ' Arthavaja, lit. the power of the thing; of. Dhammapada, p. 388, V. 289. ^ I am not quite certain as to the meaning of this passage, but if we enter into the bold metaphor of the text, viz. that the Buddhas cover the Buddha countries with the organ of their tongue and then unrol it, what is intended can hardly be anything but that they first try to find words for the excellences of those countries, and then reveal or proclaim them. Burnouf, however (Lotus, p. 417), takes the expression in a literal sense, though he is shocked by itsgrotcsqueness. On these Buddhas and their countries, see Burnouf, Lotus, p. 113. * H 2
3lOO THE SMALLER SUKHAVATi-VYUHA. § 12. Accept this repetition of the Law, called the " Favour of all Buddhas," which magnifies their inconceivable excellences. ^12. Thus also in the South do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata A'andrasuryapradipa, the Tathagata Ya^a/zprabha, the Tathagata Mahar>{'iskandha, the Tathagata Merupradipa, the Tathagata Anantavirya. equal in number to the sand of the river Ganga, comprehend their own Buddha countries in their speech, and then reveal them. Accept, &c. J 13. ' Thus also in the West do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Amitayus, the Tathagata Amitaskandha, the Tathagata Amitadhva.i;a, the Tathagata Mahaprabha, the Tathagata Maharatnaketu, the Tathagata vyuddhara^miprabha, equal in number to the sand of the river Ganga, comprehend, &c. § 14. ' Thus also in the North do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Mahar/'iskandha, the Tathagata Vaii"vanaranirghosha, the Tathagata Dundubhisvaranirghosha, the Tathagata Dushpradharsha, the Tathagata Adityasambhava, the Tathagata Caleniprabha((7valanaprabha ?), the Tathagata Prabhakara, equal in number to the sand, &c. § 1$. 'Thus also in the Nadir do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Siwha, the Tathagata Ya^as, the Tathagata Ya.s"a//prabhava, the Tathagata Dharma, theTathagata Dliarmadhara, the Tathagata Dharmadhva^a, equal in number to the sand, &c. § 16. 'Thus also in the Zenith do other blessed Buddhas, led by the Tathagata Brahmaghosha, the Tathagata Nakshatrara<^a, the Tathagata Indraketudhvar^arA^a, the Tathagata Ganclhottama, the Tathagata Gandhaprabhasa, the Tathdgata Mahar/'iskandha, ihc Tathagata Ratnakusumasampushpitagatra,
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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