CHAPTER XVI.
OF PIETY.
While this exposition of the duration of the Tathâgata's lifetime was
being given, innumerable, countless creatures profited by it. Then the
Lord addressed the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya: While this
exposition of the duration of the Tathâgata's lifetime was being given,
Agita, sixty-eight hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Bodhisattvas,
comparable to the sands of the Ganges, have acquired the faculty to
acquiesce in the law that has no origin. A thousand times more
Bodhisattvas Mahisattvas have obtained Dharanî [Dhârani usually denotes a
magic spell, a talisman. Here and there it interchanges with dhâranâ,
support, the bearing in mind, attention. The synonymous rakshâ embraces
the meaning of talisman and protection, support. It is not easy to
decide what is intended in the text]; and other Bodhisattvas
Mahâsattvas, equal to the dust atoms of one third of a macrocosm, have
by hearing this Dharmaparyâya obtained the faculty of unhampered view.
Other Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas again, equal to the dust atoms of
two-third parts of a macrocosm, have by hearing this Dharmaparyâya
obtained the Dhârani that makes hundred thousand kotis of revolutions.
Again, other Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, equal to the dust atoms of a
whole macrocosm, have by hearing this Dharmaparyâya moved forward the
wheel that never rolls back. Some Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, equal to the
dust atoms of a mean universe, have by hearing this Dharmaparyâya moved
forward the wheel of spotless radiance. Other Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas,
equal to the dust atoms of a small universe, have by hearing this
Dharmaparyâya come so far that they will reach supreme, perfect
enlightenment after eight births. Other Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, equal
to the dust atoms of four worlds of four continents, have by hearing
this Dharmaparyâya become such as to require four births (more) before
reaching supreme, perfect enlightenment. Other Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas,
equal to the dust atoms of three four-continental worlds, have by
hearing this Dharmaparyâya become such as to require three births (more)
before reaching supreme, perfect enlightenment. Other Bodhisattvas
Mahâsattvas, equal to the dust atoms of two four-continental worlds,
have by hearing this Dharmaparyâya become such as to require two births
(more) before reaching supreme, perfect enlightenment. Other
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, equal to the dust atoms of one fourcontinental
world, have by hearing this Dharmaparyâya become such as to require but
one birth before reaching supreme, perfect enlightenment. Other
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas, equal to the dust atoms of eight macrocosms
consisting of three parts, have by hearing this Dharmaparyâya conceived
the idea of supreme, perfect enlightenment.
No sooner had the Lord given this exposition determining the duration
and periods of the law, than there fell from the upper sky a great rain
of Mandârava and great Mandârava flowers that covered and overwhelmed
all the hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Buddhas who were seated on
their thrones at the foot of the jewel trees in hundred thousands of
myriads of kotis of worlds. It also covered and overwhelmed the Lord
Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata, &c., and the Lord Prabhûtaratna, the
Tathâgata, &c., the latter sitting fully extinct on his throne, as
well as that entire host of Bodhisattvas and the four classes of the
audience. A rain of celestial powder of sandal and agallochum. trickled
down from the sky, whilst higher up in the firmament the great drums
resounded, without being struck, with a pleasant, sweet, and deep sound.
Double pieces of fine heavenly cloth fell down by hundreds and
thousands from the upper sky; necklaces, halfnecklaces, pearl necklaces,
gems, jewels, noble gems, and noble jewels were seen high in the
firmament, hanging down from every side in all directions of space,
while all around thousands of jewel censers, containing priceless,
exquisite incense, were moving of their own accord. Bodhisattvas
Mahâsattvas were seen holding above each Tathâgata, high aloft, a row of
jewel umbrellas stretching as high as the Brahma-world. So acted the
Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas in respect to all the innumerable hundred
thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddhas. Severally they celebrated
these Buddhas in appropriate stanzas, sacred hymns in praise of the
Buddhas.
And on that occasion the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya uttered the followino, stanzas:
1. Wonderful is the law which the Sugata has expounded, the law we
never heard before; how great the majesty of the Leaders is, and how
infinite the duration of their life!
2. And on hearing such a law imparted by the Sugata from face to
face, thousands of kotis of creatures, the genuine sons of the Leader of
the world, have been pervaded with gladness.
3. Some have reached the point of supreme enlightenment from whence
there is no return, others are standing on the lower stage; some have
reached the standpoint of having an unhampered view, and others have
obtained thousands of kotis of Dhâranis.
4. There are others, (as) atoms, who have reached supreme
Buddha-knowledge. Some, again, will after eight births become Ginas
seeing the infinite.
5. Among those who hear this law from the Master, some will obtain
enlightenment and see the truth after four births, others after three,
others after two.
6. Some among them will become all-knowing after one birth, in the
next following existence. Such will be the perfect result of learning
the duration of life of the Chief.
7. Innumerable, countless as the atoms of the eight fields, are the
kotis of beings who by hearing this law have conceived the idea of
superior enlightenment.
8. Such is the effect produced by the great Seer, when he reveals
this Buddha-state that is endless and has no limit, which is as immense
as the element of ether.
9. Many thousand kotis of angels, Indras, and Brahma-angels, like the
sands of the Ganges, have flocked hither from thousands of kotis of
distant fields and have poured a rain of Mandairavas.
10. They move in the sky like birds, and strew fragrant powder of
sandal and agallochum, to cover ceremoniously the Chief of Ginas withal.
11 High aloft tymbals without being struck emit sweet sounds; thousands of kotis of white cloth whirl down upon the Chiefs.
12. Thousands of kotis of jewel censers of costly incense move of
their own accord on every side to honour the mighty Lord of the world.
13. Innumerable wise Bodhisattvas hold myriads of kotis of umbrellas,
elevated and made of noble jewels, like chaplets, up to the
Brahma-world.
14. The sons of Sugata, in their great joy, have attached beautiful
triumphal streamers at the top of the banner staffs in honour of the
Leaders whom they celebrate in thousands of stanzas.
15. Such a marvellous, extraordinary, prodigious, splendid
phenomenon, O Leader, is being displayed by all those beings who are
gladdened by the exposition of the duration of life (of the Tathâgata).
16. Grand is the matter now (occurring) in the ten points of space,
and (great) the sound raised by the Leaders; thousands of kotis of
living beings are refreshed and gifted with virtue for enlightenment.
Thereupon the Lord addressed the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya:
Those beings, Agita, who during the exposition of this Dharmaparyâya in
which the duration of the Tathâgata's life is revealed have entertained,
were it but a single thought of trust, or have put belief in it, how
great a merit are they to produce, be they young men and young ladies of
good family? Listen then, and mind it well, how great the merit is they
shall produce. Let us suppose the case, Agita, that some young man or
young lady of good family, desirous of supreme, perfect enlightenment,
for eight hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Æons practises the five
perfections of virtue (Pâramitâs), to wit, perfect charity in alms,
perfect morality, perfect forbearance, perfect energy, perfect
meditation-perfect wisdom being excepted; let us, on the other hand,
suppose the case, Agita, that a young man or young lady of good family,
on hearing this Dharmaparyâya containing the exposition of the duration
of the Tathâgata's life, conceives were it but a single thought of trust
or puts belief in it; then that former accumulation of merit, that
accumulation of good connected with the five perfections of virtue,
(that accumulation) which has come to full accomplishment in eight
hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Æons, does not equal one hundredth
part of the accumulation of merit in the second case; it does not equal
one thousandth part; it admits of no calculation, no counting, no
reckoning, no comparison, no approximation, no secret teaching. One who
is possessed of such an accumulation of merit, Agita, be he a young man
or a young lady of good family, will not miss supreme, perfect
enlightenment; no, that is not possible.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
17. Let a man who is seeking after this knowledge, superior
Buddha-knowledge, undertake to practise in this world the five perfect
virtues;
18. Let him, during eight thousand kotis of complete Æons, continue giving repeated alms to Buddhas and disciples;
19. Regaling Pratyekabuddhas and kotis of Bodhisattvas by giving meat, food and drink, clothing and lodging;
20. Let him build on earth refuges and monasteries of sandal-wood, and pleasant convent gardens provided with walks;
21. Let him after so bestowing gifts, various and diversified, during
thousands of kotis of Æons, direct his mind to enlightenment;
22. Let him then, for the sake of Buddhaknowledge, keep unbroken the
pure moral precepts which have been recommended by the perfect Buddhas
and acknowledged by the wise;
23. Let him further develop the virtue of forbearance, be steady in
the stage of meekness [i.e. of a monk under training.], be constant, of
good memory, and patiently endure many censures;
24. Let him, moreover, for the sake of Buddha-knowledge, bear the contemptuous words of unbelievers who are rooted in pride;
25. Let him, always zealous, strenuous, studious, of good memory,
without any other pre-occupation in his mind, practise meditation,
during kotis of.Æons;
26. Let him, whether living in the forest or entering upon a vagrant
life [i.e. a Yogin, a contemplative mystic.], go about, avoiding sloth
and torpor, for kotis of Æons;
27. Let him as a philosopher, a great philosopher who finds his
delight in meditation, in concentration of mind, pass eight thousand
kotis of Æons;
28. Let him energetically pursue enlightenment with the thought of
his reaching all-knowingness, and so arrive at the highest degree of
meditation;
29. Then the merit accruing to those who practise the virtues oft described, during thousands of kotis of Æons,
30. (Is less than that of) a man or a woman who, on hearing the
duration of my life, for a single moment believes in it; this merit is
endless.
31. He who renouncing doubt, vacillation, and misgiving shall believe even for a short moment, shall obtain such a reward.
32. The Bodhisattvas also,who have practised those virtues during
kotis of Æons, will not be startled at hearing of this inconceivably
long life of mine.
33. They will bow their heads (and think): 'May I also in future become such a one and release kotis of living beings!
34. 'As the Lord Sâkyamuni, the Lion of the Sakya race, after he had
occupied his seat on the terrace of enlightenment, raised his lion's
roar;
35. 'So may I in future be sitting on the terrace of enlightenment, honoured by all mortals, to teach so long a life!'
36. Those who are possessed of firmness of intention and have learnt
the principles, will understand the mystery and feel no uncertaint.
Again, Agita, he who after hearing this Dharmaparyâya, which contains
an exposition of the duration of the Tathâgata's life, apprehends it,
penetrates and understands it, will produce a yet more immeasurable
accumulation of merit conducive to Buddhaknowledge; unnecessary to add
that he who hears such a Dharmaparyâya as this or makes others hear it;
who keeps it in memory, reads, comprehends or makes others comprehend
it; who writes or has it written, collects or has it collected into a
volume, honours, respects, worships it with flowers, incense, perfumed
garlands, ointments, powder, cloth, umbrellas, flags, streamers,
(lighted) oil lamps, ghee lamps or lamps filled with scented oil, will
produce a far greater accumulation of merit conducive to
Buddha-knowledge.
And, Agita, as a test whether that young man or young lady of good
family who hears this exposition of the duration of the Tathâgata's life
most decidedly believes in it may be deemed the following. They will
behold me teaching the law I here on the Gridhrakûta, surrounded by a
host of Bodhisattvas, attended by a host of Bodhisattvas, in the centre
of the congregation of disciples. They will behold here my Buddha-field
in the Saha-world, consisting of lapis lazuli and forming a level plain;
forming a chequered board of eight compartments with gold threads; set
off with jewel trees. They will behold the towers that the Bodhisattvas
use as their abodes. By this test, Agita, one may know if a young man or
young lady of good family has a most decided belief. Moreover, Agita, I
declare that a young man of good family who, after the complete
extinction of the Tathâgata, shall not reject, but joyfully accept this
Dharmaparyâya when hearing it, that such a young man of good family also
is earnest in his belief; far more one who keeps it in memory or reads
it. He who after collecting this Dharmaparyâya into a volume carries it
on his shoulder carries the Tathâgata on his shoulder. Such a young man
or young lady of good family, Agita, need make no Stûpas for me, nor
monasteries; need not give to the congregation of monks medicaments for
the sick or (other) requisites [This agrees with the teaching of the
Vedanta that Brahma-knowledge is independent of good works]. For, Agita,
such a young man or young lady of good family has (spiritually) built
for the worship of my relics Stûpas of seven precious substances
reaching up to the Brahma-world in height, and with a circumference in
proportion, with the umbrellas thereto belonging, with triumphal
streamers, with tinkling bells and baskets; has shown manifold marks of
respect to those Stûpas of relics with diverse celestial and earthly
flowers, incense, perfumed garlands, ointments, powder, cloth,
umbrellas, banners, flags, triumphal streamers, by various sweet,
pleasant, clear-sounding tymbals and drums, by the tune, noise, sounds
of musical instruments and castanets, by songs, nautch and dancing of
different kinds, of many, innumerable kinds; has done those acts of
worship during many, innumerable thousands of kotis of Æons. One who
keeps in memory this Dharmaparyâya after my complete extinction, who
reads, writes, promulgates it, Agita, shall also have built monasteries,
large, spacious, extensive, made of red sandal-wood, with thirty-two
pinnacles, eight stories, fit for a thousand monks, adorned with gardens
and flowers, having walks furnished with lodgings, completely provided
with meat, food and drink and medicaments for the sick, well equipped
with all comforts. And those numerous, innumerable beings, say a hundred
or a thousand or ten thousand or a koti or hundred kotis or thousand
kotis or hundred thousand kotis or ten thousand times hundred thousand
kotis, they must be considered to form the congregation of disciples
seeing me from face to face, and must be considered as those whom I have
fully blessed. He who, after my complete extinction, shall keep this
Dharmaparyâya, read, promulgate, or write it, he, I repeat, Agita, need
not build Stûpas of relics, nor worship the congregation; not necessary
to tell, Agita, that the young man or young lady of good family who,
keeping this Dharmaparyâya, shall crown it by charity in alms, morality,
forbearance, energy, meditation, or wisdom, will produce a much greater
accumulation of merit; it is, in fact, immense, incalculable, infinite.
just as the element of ether, Agita, is boundless, to the east, south,
west, north, beneath, above, and in the intermediate quarters, so
immense and incalculable an accumulation of merit, conducive to
Buddha-knowledge, will be produced by a young man or young lady of good
family who shall keep, read, write, or cause to be written, this
Dharmaparyâya. He will be zealous in worshipping the Tathâgata shrines;
he will laud the disciples of the Tathâgata, praise the hundred
thousands of myriads of kotis of virtues of the Bodhisattvas
Mahâsattvas, and expound them to others; he will be accomplished in
forbearance, be moral, of good character, agreeable to live with, and
tolerant, modest, not jealous of others, not wrathful, not vicious in
mind, of good memory, strenuous and always busy, devoted to meditation
in striving after the state of a Buddha, attaching great value to
abstract meditation, frequently engaging in abstract meditation, able in
solving questions and in avoiding hundred thousands of myriads of kotis
of questions. Any Bodhisattva Mahâsattva, Agita, who, after the
Tathâgata's complete extinction, shall keep this Dharmaparyâya, will
have the good qualities I have described. Such a young man or young lady
of good family, Agita, must be considered to make for the terrace of
enlightenment; that young man or young lady of good family steps towards
the foot of the tree of enlightenment in order to reach enlightenment.
And where that young man or young lady of good family, Agita, stands,
sits, or walks, there one should make a shrine', dedicated to the
Tathâgata, and the world, including the gods, should say: This is a
Stûpa of relics of the Tathâgata.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
37. An immense mass of merit, as I have repeatedly mentioned, shall
be his who, after the complete extinction of the Leader of men, shall
keep this Sûtra.
38. He will have paid worship to me, and built Stûpas of relics, made
of precious substances, variegated, beautiful, and splendid;
39. In height coming up to the Brahma-world, with rows of umbrellas,
great in circumference gorgeous, and decorated with triumphal streamers;
40. Resounding with the clear ring of bells, and decorated with silk
bands, while jingles moved by the wind form another ornament at (the
shrines of) Gina relics.
41. He will have shown great honour to them by flowers, perfumes, and
ointments ; by music, clothes, and the repeated (sound of) tymbals.
42. He will have sweet musical instruments struck at those relics, and lamps with scented oil kept burning all around.
43. He who at the period of depravation shall keep and teach this Sûtra, he will have paid me such an infinitely varied worship.
44. He has built many kotis of excellent monasteries of sandal-wood, with thirty-two pinnacles, and eight terraces high;
45. Provided with couches, with food hard and soft; furnished with excellent curtains, and having cells by thousands.
46. He has given hermitages and walks embellished by flower-gardens; many elegant objects of various forms and variegated.
47. He has shown manifold worship to the host of disciples in my presence, he who, after my extinction, shall keep this Sûtra.
48. Let one be ever so good in disposition, much greater merit will he obtain who shall keep or write this Sûtra.
49. Let a man cause this to be written and have it well put together
in a volume; let him always worship the volume with flowers, garlands,
ointments.
50. Let him constantly place near it a lamp filled with scented oil,
along with full-blown lotuses and suitable' oblations of Michelia
Champaka.
51. The man who pays such worship to the books will produce a mass of merit which is not to be measured.
52. Even as there is no measure of the element of ether, in none of
the ten directions, so there is no measure of this mass of merit.
53. How much more will this be the case with one who is patient, meek, devoted, moral, studious, and addicted to meditation;
54. Who is not irascible, not treacherous, reverential towards the
sanctuary, always humble towards monks, not conceited, nor neglectful;
55. Sensible and wise, not angry when he is asked a question; who,
full of compassion for living beings, gives such instruction as suits
them.
56. If there be such a man who (at the same time) keeps this Sûtra, he will possess a mass of merit that cannot be measured.
57. If one meets such a man as here described, a keeper of this Sûtra, one should do homage to him.
58. One should present him with divine flowers, cover him with divine
clothes, and bow the head to salute his feet, in the conviction of his
being a Tathâgata.
59. And at the sight of such a man one may directly make the
reflection that he is going towards the foot of the tree to arrive at
superior, blessed enlightenment for the weal of all the world, including
the gods.
60. And wherever such a sage is walking, standing, sitting, or lying
down; wherever the hero pronounces were it but a single stanza from this
Sûtra;
61. There one should build a Stûpa for the most high of men, a
splendid, beautiful (Stûpa), dedicated to the Lord Buddha, the Chief,
and then worship it in manifold ways.
62. That spot of the earth has been enjoyed by myself; there have I
walked myself, and there have I been sitting; where that son of Buddha
has stayed, there I am.
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