The Conception of Buddhist Nirvana — Th. Stcherbatsky (1927)

where did you go, wheretrom are you coming ?» They answered. «0 Reverend Subhuti, the system taught by the Lord does not allow for moving to some place nor for coming from some place». Subhuti spoke. «Who is your tea¬ cher))? They answered. «That one who never was born and never will disap¬ pear )). 2 He asked. «In what (spirit) has philosophy been taught to you»? They answered. «The goal was neither Bondage nor was it Deliverance». He asked. «Who has drilled you?» They answered. «That one who neither has a body nor a mind». He asked. «What was the method of your prepa¬ ration?)) They answered. ((Neither that of foregoing ignorance nor that of 49. 6 . acquiring knowledge)). He asked. «Wkose disciples are you?» They answe¬ red. «Of that one who has not reached (Nirvana), who has not attained at the Supreme Enlightment». He asked. «Who are your fellow disciples?" They answered. «Those who never appear in one of the three planes of existence'). He asked. «0 Brethren, how long will it take you to reach Supreme Nirvana?)) They answered. «We will have reached it when (all) the magical bodies created by the Buddhas will vanish)). He asked. «(How) have you reached the goal?» They answered. «By analysing the idea of Self and the idea of Mine». 49. 9 . He asked. «How have you got rid of passions ?» They answered. «By the utter annihilation of all the elements of life». He asked. «How r have you chal¬ lenged the Temptator?» They answered. «By disregarding the Temptator who

1 Sunya.

- pcirinirvasyati. These denials evidently refer to the Hinayanistic conceptions of Nirvana.

is inherent in the elements of our individuality". He asked. «How 7 have you been communicating with your Teacher?» They answered. ((Neither bodily, nor vocally, nor mentally)). He asked. «How have you discharged your charity obligations?)) They answered. «By taking nothing, by receiving nothing)).

He asked. «How have you escaped rebirth?» They answered. «By (evading) both annihilation and eternity». He asked. «How have you reached the goal of charity?» They answered. «By being absolutely averse to every property".

He asked. «What are you going in for?» They answered. «Weare going in for the same aims as (all) apparitional existences created by Buddha».

((During this meeting when Subhuti was starting questions aud the 4!). ir> recluses giving answers, 800 monks got rid even of their dispassionate bonds 1 and 32.000 men had their spiritual eyes cleared of all dust and filth, with regard to the (reality of all) elements of life».

Thus it is that the two magical apparitions which had no real exis- r.o. 4. tence, which were magically created by the Buddha have laid down the foundation for the purification of five hundred recluses.

It is also declared in the Vajramanrladharanl . 2 «Thus it is, n 50. 6. ManjusrI, that conditioned by a piece of wood, and conditioned by attri¬ tion, and conditioned by an effort of a man's hand smoke appears, and fire appears. But this conflagration is neither in the piece of wood, nor in the attrition, nor is it included in the effort of the hands. Even so it is, 0 Mahjusrl, that in the individuality (called) man one feels bewildered by an illusive unreality. The conflagration of lust, the conflagration of hatred and the con¬ flagration of infatuation are produced. But this conflagration is not inside him, neither is it in the objects outside him, nor. in the inter¬ mediate space between both. Again, 0 ManjusrI, what we call illu- 50. 11. sion, why is it so called? Illusion, 0 ManjusrI, is (a condition) of complete error in regard of all elements of existence. The axiom of this Dharanl is that all elements are like the hells». When asked, «How is it, 0 Buddha, that this is the axiom?» He answered. «The hells, 0 Maiijusrt, are produced by imagination. Fools and simple people are cheated by error and illu¬ sion)). He asks.« Wherefrom, 0 Blessed One, do the hells descend?" Buddha an¬ swers. «From the Space do the hells descend." «Do you think, 0 ManjusrI, that the hells are produced by our imagination or do they exist as a se¬ parate reality ?» He answers. «The (transmigration of our Soul into) the hells, in-

1 I. e. they became aryas. 2 Cp. Turnout Introduction. 2 p. 434 if.

NIRVANA