Buddhist Mahâyâna Texts — SBE Vol. 49 — trans. Cowell, Müller & Takakusu (1894)

134 T"E VAGRAA'A'HEDIKA perfect knowledge has been known, he would speak an untruth, and would slander me, O Subhuti, with some untruth that he has learned. And why ? Because there is no such thing-, O Subhuti, as has been known by the Tathagata with regard to the highest perfect knowledge. And in that, O SubhQti, which has been known and taught by the Tathagata, there is neither truth nor falsehood.

Therefore the Tathagata preaches : " All things are Buddhathings. And why ? Because what was preached by the Tathagata, O Subhuti, as all things, that was preached as no-things; and therefore all things are called Buddha-things. ' Now, O Subhuti, a man might have a body and a large body.

The venerable Subhuti said : ' That man who was spoken of by the Tathagata as a man with a body, with a large body, he, O Bhagavat, was spoken of by the Tathagata as without a body, and therefore he is called a man with a body and with a large body. Bhagavat said : ' So it is, O Subhuti ; and if a Bodhisattva were to say: " I shall deliver all beings," he ought not to be called a Bodhisattva. And why ?

Is there anything, O Subhuti, that is called a Bodhisattva ? ' Subhuti said : ' Not indeed, Bhagavat, there is nothing which is called a Bodhisattva. Bhagavat said : ' Those who were spoken of as beings, beings indeed, O Subhuti, they were spoken of as no-beings by the Tathagata, and therefore they are called beings. Therefore the Tathdgata says : "All beings are without self, all beings are without life, without manhood \ without a personality. ' Sans croissancc, Ilarlez; see Childers, s. v. poriso.

p. 35' If, O Subhuti, a Bodhisattva were to say: " I shall create numbers of worlds," he would say what is untrue. And why ? Because, what were spoken of as numbers of worlds, numbers of worlds indeed, O Subhtiti, these were spoken of as no-numbers by the Tathagata, and therefore they are called numbers of worlds.

'A Bodhisattva, O Subhuti, who believes that all things are without self, that all things are without self, he has faith, he is called a noble-minded Bodhisattva by the holy and fully enlightened Tathagata.' {17) XVIII. Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhuti, has the Tathagata the bodily eye ? ' Subhuti said : ' So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathagata has the bodily eye.

Bhagavat said : 'What do you think, O Subhuti, has the Tathagata the heavenly eye ? ' Subhuti said : ' So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathagata has the heavenly eye. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhuti, has the Tathagata the eye of knowledge ? ' Subhuti said : ' So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathagata has the eye of knowledge. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhiiti, has the Tathagata the eye of the Law ?

' Subhuti said : ' So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathagata has the eye of the Law. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhuti, has the Tathagata the eye of Buddha ? ' Subhiiti said : 'So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathagata has the eye of Buddha. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhtiti, as many grains of sand as there are in the great river Gahga — were they preached by the Tathagata

136 THE VAGRAA'A'//EDIKA as grains of sand ? ' SubhCiti said : 'So it is, O Bhagavat, so it is, O Sugata, they were preached as grains of sand by the Tathagata. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhuti, if there were as many Gahga rivers as there are grains of sand in the great river Gariga ; and, if there were as many worlds as there are orrains of sand in these, would these worlds be many ?

' Subhuti said : ' So it is, O Bhagavat, so it is, O Sugata, these worlds would be many.* Bhagavat said : ' As many beings as there are in all those worlds, I know the manifold trains of thought of them all. And why ? Because what was preached as the train of thoughts, the train of thoughts indeed, O Subhuti, that was preached by the Tathagata as no-train of thoughts, and therefore it is called the train of thouehts. And why ?

Because, O Subhuti, a past thought is not perceived, a future thought is not perceived, and the present thought is not perceived.' (18) XIX.

'What do you think, O Subhuti, if a son or a daughter of a good family should fill this sphere of a million millions of worlds with the seven treasures, and give it as a gift to holy and fully enlightened Buddhas, would that son or daughter of a good family produce on the strength of this a large stock of merit ? ' SubhCiti said : ' Yes, a large one.

Bhagavat said : ' So it is, Subhuti, so it is ; that son or daughter of a good family would produce on the strength of this a large stock of merit, immeasurable and innumerable. And why ? Because what was preached as a stock of merit, a stock of merit indeed, O Sul)huti, that was preached as no-stock