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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1OR DIAMOND-CUTTER. 137 of merit by the Tathagata, and therefore it is called a stock of merit. If, O Subhuti, there existed a stock of merit, the Tathagata would not have preached: "A stock of merit, a stock of merit indeed!"' (19) XX. * What do you think then, O SubhCiti, is a Tathagata to be seen (known) by the shape of his visible body ? ' Subhuti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, a Tathagata is not to be seen (known) by the shape of his visible body. And why ? Because, what was preached, O Bhagavat, as the shape of the visible body, the shape of the visible body indeed, that was preached by the Tathagata as no-shape of the visible body, and therefore it is called the shape of the visible body. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhuti, should a Tathagata be seen (known) by the possession of signs ? ' Subh<iti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, a Tathagata is not to be seen (known) by the possession of signs. And why ? Because, what was preached by the Tathagata as the possession of signs, that was preached as no-possession of signs by the Tathagata, and therefore it is called the possession of signs.' (20) XXI. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhuti, does the Tathagata think in this wise : The Law has been taught by me ? ' Subhuti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, does the Tathagata think in this wise : The Law has been taught by me. Bhagavat said : ' If a man should say that the Law has been taught by the Tathagata, he would say what is not true ; he
2138 THE VAGRAr^^EDIKA would slander me with untruth which he has learned. Antl wh)- ? Because, O Subhuti, it is said the teachincr of the Law, the teachincr of the Law indeed. O Subhilti, there is nothing that can be perceived by the name of the teaching- of the Law.' • After this, the venerable Subhuti spoke thus to the Bhagavat : ' Forsooth, O Bhagavat, will there be any beings in the future, in the last time, in the last moment, in the last 500 years, during the time of the decay of the good Law, who, when they have heard these very Laws, will believe ? ' Bhagavat said : ' These, O Subhuti, are neither beincjs nor nobeings. And why ? Because, O Subhiiti, those who were preached as beings, beings indeed, they were preached as no-beings by the Tathagata, and therefore they are called beings.' (21) XXIL ' What do you think then, O SubhCiti, is there anything which has been known b)' the Tathagata in the form of the highest perfect knowledge ? ' The venerable Subhilti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, there is nothing, O Bhagavat, that has been known by the Tathagata in the form of the highest perfect knowledge. Bhagavat said : ' So it is, SubhAti, so it is. Even the smallest thing is not known or perceived there, therefore it is called the highest perfect knowledge.' (22) XXIIL ' Also, Subhuti, all is the same there, there is no difference there, and therefore it is called the highest perfect knowledge. Free from self, free from being, free from life, free from personality, that
3OR DIAMOND-CUTTER. I 39 highest perfect knowledge is always the same, and thus known with all good things. And why ? Because, what were preached as good things, .good things indeed, O Subhuti, they were preached as no-things by the Tathagata, and therefore they are called good things.' (23) XXIV. ' And if, O Subhuti, a woman or man, putting together as many heaps of the seven treasures as there are Sumerus, kings of mountains, in the sphere of a milHon millions of worlds, should give them as a gift to holy and fully enlightened Tathagatas ; and, if a son or a daughter of a good family, after taking from this treatise of the Law, this Pra^;/aparamita, one Gatha of four lines only, should teach it to others, then, O Subhuti, compared with his stock of merit, the former stock of merit would not come to the one hundredth part,' &c. \ till ' it will not bear an approach.' (24) XXV. ' What do you think then, O Subhuti, does a Tathagata think in this wise : Beings have been delivered by me ? You should not think so, O Subhuti. And why ? Because there is no being, O Subhuti, that has been delivered by the Tathagata. And, if there were a being, O Subhuti, that has been delivered by the Tathagata, then the Tathagata would believe in self, believe in a being, believe in a living being, and believe in a person. And what is called a belief in self, O Subhuti, that is preached ^ As before, in chap. .xvi.
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.
1OR DIAMOND-CUTTER. 137 of merit by the Tathagata, and therefore it is called a stock of merit. If, O Subhuti, there existed a stock of merit, the Tathagata would not have preached: "A stock of merit, a stock of merit indeed!"' (19) XX. * What do you think then, O SubhCiti, is a Tathagata to be seen (known) by the shape of his visible body ? ' Subhuti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, a Tathagata is not to be seen (known) by the shape of his visible body. And why ? Because, what was preached, O Bhagavat, as the shape of the visible body, the shape of the visible body indeed, that was preached by the Tathagata as no-shape of the visible body, and therefore it is called the shape of the visible body. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhuti, should a Tathagata be seen (known) by the possession of signs ? ' Subh<iti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, a Tathagata is not to be seen (known) by the possession of signs. And why ? Because, what was preached by the Tathagata as the possession of signs, that was preached as no-possession of signs by the Tathagata, and therefore it is called the possession of signs.' (20) XXI. Bhagavat said : ' What do you think, O Subhuti, does the Tathagata think in this wise : The Law has been taught by me ? ' Subhuti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, does the Tathagata think in this wise : The Law has been taught by me. Bhagavat said : ' If a man should say that the Law has been taught by the Tathagata, he would say what is not true ; he
2138 THE VAGRAr^^EDIKA would slander me with untruth which he has learned. Antl wh)- ? Because, O Subhuti, it is said the teachincr of the Law, the teachincr of the Law indeed. O Subhilti, there is nothing that can be perceived by the name of the teaching- of the Law.' • After this, the venerable Subhuti spoke thus to the Bhagavat : ' Forsooth, O Bhagavat, will there be any beings in the future, in the last time, in the last moment, in the last 500 years, during the time of the decay of the good Law, who, when they have heard these very Laws, will believe ? ' Bhagavat said : ' These, O Subhuti, are neither beincjs nor nobeings. And why ? Because, O Subhiiti, those who were preached as beings, beings indeed, they were preached as no-beings by the Tathagata, and therefore they are called beings.' (21) XXIL ' What do you think then, O SubhCiti, is there anything which has been known b)' the Tathagata in the form of the highest perfect knowledge ? ' The venerable Subhilti said : ' Not indeed, O Bhagavat, there is nothing, O Bhagavat, that has been known by the Tathagata in the form of the highest perfect knowledge. Bhagavat said : ' So it is, SubhAti, so it is. Even the smallest thing is not known or perceived there, therefore it is called the highest perfect knowledge.' (22) XXIIL ' Also, Subhuti, all is the same there, there is no difference there, and therefore it is called the highest perfect knowledge. Free from self, free from being, free from life, free from personality, that
3OR DIAMOND-CUTTER. I 39 highest perfect knowledge is always the same, and thus known with all good things. And why ? Because, what were preached as good things, .good things indeed, O Subhuti, they were preached as no-things by the Tathagata, and therefore they are called good things.' (23) XXIV. ' And if, O Subhuti, a woman or man, putting together as many heaps of the seven treasures as there are Sumerus, kings of mountains, in the sphere of a milHon millions of worlds, should give them as a gift to holy and fully enlightened Tathagatas ; and, if a son or a daughter of a good family, after taking from this treatise of the Law, this Pra^;/aparamita, one Gatha of four lines only, should teach it to others, then, O Subhuti, compared with his stock of merit, the former stock of merit would not come to the one hundredth part,' &c. \ till ' it will not bear an approach.' (24) XXV. ' What do you think then, O Subhuti, does a Tathagata think in this wise : Beings have been delivered by me ? You should not think so, O Subhuti. And why ? Because there is no being, O Subhuti, that has been delivered by the Tathagata. And, if there were a being, O Subhuti, that has been delivered by the Tathagata, then the Tathagata would believe in self, believe in a being, believe in a living being, and believe in a person. And what is called a belief in self, O Subhuti, that is preached ^ As before, in chap. .xvi.
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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