CHAPTER XVIII.
THE ADVANTAGES OF A RELIGIOUS PREACHER.
The Lord then addressed the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva
Satatasamitâbhiyukta (i.e. ever and constantly strenuous). Any one,
young man of good family, who shall keep, read, teach, write this
Dharmaparyâya or have it written, let that person be a young man of good
family or a young lady, shall obtain eight hundred good qualities of
the eye, twelve hundred of the ean, eight hundred of the nose, twelve
hundred of the tongue, eight hundred of the body, twelve hundred of the
mind. By these many hundred good qualities the whole of the six organs
shall be perfect, thoroughly perfect. By means of the natural, carnal
eye derived from his parents being perfect, he shall see the whole
triple universe, outwardly and inwardly, with its mountains and woody
thickets, down to the great hell Avîki and up to the extremity of
existence. All that he shall see with his natural eye, as well as the
creatures to be found in it, and he shall know the fruit of their works.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
1. Hear from me what good qualities shall belong to him who
unhesitatingly and undismayed shall preach this Sûtra to the congregated
assembly.
2. First, then, his eye (or, organ of vision) shall possess eight
hundred good qualities by which it shall be correct, clear, and
untroubled.
With the carnal eye derived from his parents he shall see the whole world from within and without.
4. He shall see the Meru and Sumeru, all the horizon and other mountains, as well as the seas.
5. He, the hero, sees all, downward to the Avîki and upward to the extremity of existence. Such is his carnal eye.
6. But he has not yet got the divine eye, it having not yet been
produced in him; such as here described is the range of his carnal eye.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the young man of good family or the
young lady who proclaims this Dharmaparyâya and preaches it to others,
is possessed of the twelve hundred good qualities of the ear. The
various sounds that are uttered in the triple universe, downward to the
great hell Avîki and upward to the extremity of existence, within and
without, such as the sounds of horses, elephants, cows, peasants, goats.
cars; the sounds of weeping and wailing; of horror, of conch-trumpets,
bells, tymbals; of playing and singing; of camels, of tigers; of women,
men, boys, girls; of righteousness (piety) and unrighteousness
(impiety); of pleasure and pain; of ignorant men and âryas; pleasant and
unpleasant sounds; sounds of gods, Nâgas, goblins, Gandharvas, demons,
Garudas, Kinnaras, great serpents, men, and beings not human; of monks,
disciples, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tathâgatas; as many sounds
as are uttered in the triple world, within and without, all those he
hears with his natural organ of hearing when perfect. Still he does not
enjoy the divine ear, although he apprehends the sounds of those
different creatures, understands, discerns the sounds of those different
creatures, and when with his natural organ of hearing he hears the
sounds of those creatures, his ear is not overpowered by any of those
sounds. Such, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, is the organ of hearing that the
Bodhisattva Mahâsattva acquires; yet he does not possess the divine ear.
Thus spoke the Lord; thereafter he, the Sugata, the Master, added:
7. The organ of hearing of such a person becomes (or, is) cleared and
perfect, though as yet it be natural; by it he perceives the various
sounds, without any exception, in this world.
8. He perceives the sounds of elephants, horses, cars, cows, goats,
and sheep; of noisy kettle-drums, tabours, lutes, flutes, Vallaki-lutes.
9. He can hear singing, lovely and sweet, and, at the same time, is
constant enough not to allow himself to be beguiled by it; he perceives
the sounds of kotis of men, whatever and wherever they are speaking.
10. He, moreover, always hears the voice of gods and Nâgas; he hears
the tunes, sweet and affecting, of song, as well as the voices of men
and women, boys and girls.
11. He hears the cries of the denizens of mountains and glens; the
tender notes of Kalavinkas, cuckoos, pea fowls, pheasants, and other
birds.
12. He also (hears) the heart-rending cries of those who are
suffering pains in the hells, and the yells uttered by the Spirits,
vexed as they are by the difficulty to get food;
13. Likewise the different cries produced by the demons and the
inhabitants of the ocean. All these sounds the preacher is able to hear
from his place on earth, without being overpowered by them.
14. From where he is stationed here on the earth he also hears the
different and multifarious sounds through which the inhabitants of the
realm of brutes are conversing with each other.
15. He apprehends all the sounds, without any exception, whereby the
numerous angels living in the Brahma-world, the Akanishthas and
Âbhâsvaras, call one another.
16. He likewise always hears the sound which the monks on earth are
raising when engaged in reading, and when preaching the law to
congregations, after having taken orders under the command of the
Sugatas.
17. And when the Bodhisattvas here on earth have a reading together
and raise their voices in the general synods, he hears them severally.
18. The Bodhisattva who preaches this Stara shall, at one time, also
hear the perfect law 2 that the Lord Buddha, the tamer of men, announces
to the assemblies.
19. The numerous sounds produced by all beings in the triple world,
in this field, within and without, (downward) to the Avîki and upward to
the extremity of existence, are heard by him.
20. (In short), he perceives the voices of all beings, his ear being
open. Being in the possession of his six senses, he will discern the
different sources (of sound), and that while his organ of hearing is the
natural one;
21. The divine ear is not yet operating in him; his ear continues in
its natural state. Such as here told are the good qualities belonging to
the wise man who shall be a keeper of this Sûtra.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva who keeps,
proclaims, studies, writes this Dharmaparyâya becomes possessed of a
perfect organ of smell with eight hundred good qualities. By means of
that organ he smells the different smells that are found in the triple
world, within and without, such as fetid smells, pleasant and unpleasant
smells, the fragrance of diverse flowers, as the greatflowered jasmine,
Arabian jasmine, Michelia Chainpaka, trumpet-flower; likewise the
different scents of aquatic flowers, as the blue lotus, red lotus, white
esculent water-lily and white lotus. He smells the odour of fruits and
blossoms of various trees bearing fruits and blossoms, such as sandal,
Xanthochymus, Tabernæmontana, agallochum. The manifold hundred-thousand
mixtures of perfumes he smells and discerns, without moving from his
standing-place. He smells the diverse smells of creatures, as elephants,
horses, cows, goats, beasts, as well as the smell issuing from the body
of various living beings in the condition of brutes. He perceives the
smells exhaled by the body of women and men, of boys and girls. He
smells, even from a distance, the odour of grass, bushes, herbs, trees.
He perceives those smells such as they really are, and is not surprised
nor stunned by them. Staying on this very earth he smells the odour of
gods and the fragrance of celestial flowers, such as Erythrina,
Bauhinia, Mandârava and great Mandârava, Mañgûsha and great Mañgûsha. He
smells the perfume of the divine powders of sandal and agallochum, as
well as that of the hundred-thousands of mixtures of different divine
flowers. He smells the odour exhaled by the body of the gods, such as
Indra, the chief of the gods, and thereby knows whether (the god) is
sporting, playing, and enjoying himself in his palace Vaigayanta or is
speaking the law to the gods of paradise in the assembly-hall of the
gods, Sudharmâ, or is resorting to the pleasure-park for sport. He
smells the odour proceeding from the body of the sundry other gods, as
well as that proceeding from the girls and wives of the gods, from the
youths and maidens amongst the gods, without being surprised or stunned
by those smells. He likewise smells the odour exhaled by the bodies of
all Devanikâyas, Brahmakâyikas, and Mahâbrahmas. In the same manner he
perceives the smells coming from disciples, Pratyekabuddhas,
Bodhisattvas, and Tathâgatas. He smells the odour arising from the seats
of the Tathâgatas and so discovers where those Tathâgatas, Arhats,
&c. abide. And by none of all those different smells is his organ of
smell hindered, impaired, or vexed; and, if required, he may give an
account of those smells to others without his memory being impaired by
it.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
22. His organ of smell is quite correct, and he perceives the
manifold and various smells, good or bad, which exist in this world;
23. The fragrance of the great-flowered jasmine, Arabian jasmine,
Xanthochymus, sandal, agallochum, of several blossoms and fruits.
24. He likewise perceives the smells exhaled by men, women, boys, and
girls, at a considerable distance, and by the smell he knows where they
are.
25. He recognises emperors, rulers of armies, governors of provinces,
as well as royal princes and ministers, and all the ladies of the harem
by their (peculiar) scent.
26. It is by the odour that the Bodhisattva discovers sundry jewels
of things, such as are found on the earth and such as serve as jewels
for women.
27. That Bodhisattva likewise knows by the odour the various kinds of
ornament that women use for their body, robes, wreaths, and ointments.
28. The wise man who keeps this exalted Sûtra recognises, by the
power of a good-smelling organ, a woman standing, sitting, or lying; he
discovers wanton sport and magic power.
29. He perceives at once where he stands, the fragrance of scented
oils, and the different odours of flowers and fruits, and thereby knows
from what source the odour proceeds.
30. The discriminating man recognises by the odour the numerous
sandal-trees in full blossom in the glens of the mountains, as well as
all creatures dwelling there.
31. All the beings living within the compass of the horizon or
dwelling in the depth of the sea or in the bosom of the earth the
discriminating man knows how to distinguish from the (peculiar) smell.
32. He discerns the gods and demons, and the daughters of demons; he
discovers the sports of demons and their luxury. Such, indeed, is the
power of his organ of smell.
33. By the smell he tracks the abodes of the quadrupeds in the woods, lions, tigers, elephants, snakes, buffaloes, cows, gayals.
34. He infers from the odour, whether the child that women, languid from pregnancy, bear in the womb be a boy or a girl.
35. He can discern if a woman is big with a dead child; he discerns
if she is subject to throes, and, further, if a woman, the pains being
removed, shall be delivered of a healthy boy.
36. He guesses the various designs of men, he smells (so to say) an
air of design; he finds out the odour of passionate, wicked,
hypocritical, or quiet persons.
37. That Bodhisattva by the scent smells treasures hidden in the ground, money, gold, bullion, silver, chests, and metal pots.
38. Necklaces of two sorts, gems, pearls, nice priceless jewels he
knows by the scent, as well as things priceless and brilliant in
general.
39. That great man from his very place on earth smells the flowers
here above (in the sky) with the gods, such as Mandâravas, Mañgûshakas,
and those growing on the coral tree.
40. By the power of his organ of smell he, without leaving his stand
on earth, perceives how and whose are the aerial cars, of lofty, low,
and middling size, and other brilliant forms shooting (through the
firmament).
41. He likewise finds out the paradise, the gods (in the hall) of
Sudharmâ and in the most glorious palace of Vaigayanta, and the angels
who there are diverting themselves.
42. He perceives, here on earth, an air of them; by the scent he
knows the angels, and where each of them is acting, standing, listening,
or walking.
43. That Bodhisattva tracks by the scent the houris who are decorated
with many flowers, decked with wreaths and ornaments and in full
attire; he knows wherever they are dallying or staying at the time.
44. By smell he apprehends the gods, Brahmas, and Brahmakâyas moving
on aerial cars aloft, upwards to the extremity of existence; he knows
whether they are absorbed in meditation or have risen from it.
45. He perceives the Âbhâsvara angels falling (and shooting) and
appearing, even those that he never saw before. Such is the organ of
smell of the Bodhisattva who keeps this Sûtra.
46. The Bodhisattva also recognises all monks under the rule of the
Sugata, who are strenuously engaged in their walks and find their
delight in their lessons and reading.
47. Intelligent as he is, he discerns those among the sons of Gina
who are disciples and those who used to live at the foot of trees, and
he knows that the monk so and so is staying in such and such a place.
48. The Bodhisattva knows by the odour whether other Bodhisattvas are
of good memory, meditative, delighting in their lessons and reading,
and assiduous in preaching to congregations.
49. In whatever point of space the Sugata, the great Seer, so benign
and bounteous, reveals the law in the midst of the crowd of attending
disciples, the Bodhisattva by the odour recognises him as the Lord of
the universe.
50. Staying on earth, the Bodhisattva also perceives those beings who
hear the law and rejoice at it, and the whole assembly of the Gina.
51. Such is the power of his organ of smell. Yet it is not the divine
organ he possesses, but (the natural one) prior to the perfect, divine
faculty of smell.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the young man of good family or the
young lady who keeps, teaches, proclaims, writes this Dharmaparyâya
shall have an organ of taste possessed of twelve hundred good faculties
of the tongue. All flavours he takes on his tongue will yield a divine,
exquisite relish. And he tastes in such a way that he is not to relish
anything unpleasant; and even the unpleasant flavours that are taken on
his tongue will yield a divine relish. And whatever he shall preach in
the assembly, the creatures will be satisfied by it; they will be
content, thoroughly content, filled with delight. A sweet, tender,
agreeable, deep voice goes out from him, an amiable voice which goes to
the heart, at which those creatures will be ravished and charmed; and
those to whom he preaches, after having heard his sweet voice, so tender
and melodious, will, even (if they are) gods, be of opinion that they
ought to go and see, venerate, and serve him. And the angels and houris
will be of opinion, &c. The Indras, Brahmas, and Brahmakayikas will
be of opinion, &c. The Nâgas and Nâga girls will be of opinion,
&c. The demons and their girls will be of opinion, &c. The
Garudas and their girls will be of opinion, &c. The Kinnaras and
their girls, the great serpents and their girls, the goblins and their
girls, the imps and their girls will be of opinion that they ought to go
and see, venerate, serve him, and hear his sermon, and all will show
him honour, respect, esteem, worship, reverence, and veneration. Monks
and nuns, male and female lay devotees will likewise be desirous of
seeing him. Kings, royal pyinces, and grandees (or ministers) will also
be desirous of seeing him. Kings ruling armies and emperors possessed of
the seven treasures, along with the princes royal, ministers, ladies of
the harem, and their retinue will be desirous of seeing him and paying
him their homage. So sweet will be the speech delivered by that
preacher, so truthful and according to the teaching of the Tathâgata
will be his words. Others also, Brahmans and laymen, citizens and
peasants, will always and ever follow that preacher till the end of
life. Even the disciples of the Tathâgata will be desirous of seeing
him; likewise the Pratyekabuddhas and the Lords Buddhas. And wherever
that young man of good family or young lady shall stay, there he (or
she) will preach, the face turned to the Tathâgata, and he (or she) will
be a worthy vessel of the Buddha-qualities. Such, so pleasant, so deep
will be the voice of the law going out from him.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
52. His organ of taste is most excellent, and he will never relish
anything of inferior flavour; the flavours are no sooner put on his
tongue than they become divine and possessed of a divine taste.
53. He has a tender voice and delivers sweet words, pleasant to hear,
agreeable, charming; in the midst of the assembly lie is used to speak
with a melodious and deep voice.
54. And whosoever hears him when he is delivering a sermon with
myriads of kotis of examples, feels a great joy and shows him an immense
veneration.
55. The gods, Nâgas, demons, and goblins always long to see him, and
respectfully listen to his preaching. All those good qualities are his.
56. If he would, he might make his voice heard by the whole of this
world; his voice is (so) fine, sweet, deep, tender, and winning.
57. The emperors on earth, along with their children and wives, go to
him with the purpose of honouring him, and listen all the time to his
sermon with joined hands.
58. He is constantly followed by goblins, crowds of Nâgas,
Gandharvas, imps, male and female, who honour, respect, and worship him.
59. Brahma himself becomes his obedient servant; the gods Îsvara and
Mahesvara, as well as Indra and the numerous heavenly nymphs, approach
him.
60. And the Buddhas, benign and merciful for the world, along with
their disciples, hearing his voice, protect him by showing their face,
and feel satisfaction in hearing him preaching.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva who keeps,
reads, promulgates, teaches, writes this Dharmaparyâya shall have the
eight hundred good qualities of the body. It will be pure, and show a
hue clear as the lapis lazuli ; it will be pleasant to see for the
creatures. On that perfect body he will see the whole triple universe;
the beings who in the triple world disappear and appear, who are low or
lofty, of good or of bad colour, in fortunate or in unfortunate
condition, as well as the beings dwelling within the circular plane of
the horizon and of the great horizon, on the chief mountains Meru and
Sumeru, and the beings dwelling below in the Avîki and upwards to the
extremity of existence; all of them he will see on his own body. The
disciples, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tathâgatas dwelling in the
triple universe, and the law taught by those Tathâgatas and the beings
serving the Tathâgatas, he will see all of them on his own body, because
he receives the proper body of all those beings, and that on account of
the perfectness of his body.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
61. His body becomes thoroughly pure, clear as if consisting of lapis
lazuli; he who keeps this sublime Sûtra is always a pleasant sight for
(all) creatures.
62. As on the surface of a mirror an image is seen, so on his body
this world. Being self-born, he sees no other beings. Such is the
perfectness of his body.
63. Indeed, all beings who are in this world, men, gods, demons,
goblins, the inhabitants of hell, the spirits, and the brute creation
are seen reflected on that body.
64. The aerial cars of the gods up to the extremity of existence, the
rocks, the ridge of the horizon, the Himâlaya, Sumeru, and great Meru,
all are seen on that body.
65. He also sees the Buddhas on his body, along with the disciples
and other sons of Buddha; likewise the Bodhisattvas who lead a solitary
life, and those who preach the law to congregations.
66. Such is the perfectness of his body, though he has not yet obtained a divine body; the natural property of his body is such.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva who after
the complete extinction of the Tathâgata keeps, teaches, writes, reads
this Dharmaparyâya shall have a mental organ possessed of twelve hundred
good qualities of intellect. By this perfect mental organ he will, even
if he hears a single stanza, recognise its various meanings. By fully
comprehending the stanza he will find in it the text to preach upon for a
month, for four months, nay, for a whole year. And the sermon he
preaches will not fade from his memory. The popular maxims of common
life, whether sayings or counsels, he will know how to reconcile with
the rules of the law. Whatever creatures of this triple universe are
subject to the mundane whirl, in any of the six conditions of existence,
he will know their thoughts, doings, and movements. He will know and
discern their motions, purposes, and aims. Though he has not yet
attained the state of an Ârya, his intellectual organ will be thoroughly
perfect. And all he shall preach after having pondered on the
interpretation of the law will be really true; he speaks what all
Tathâgatas have spoken, all that has been declared in the Sûtras of
former Ginas.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas:
67. His mental organ is perfect, lucid, right, and untroubled. By it he finds out the various laws, low, high, and mean.
68. On hearing the contents of a single stanza, the wise man catches
the manifold significations (hidden) in it, and he is able for a month,
four months, or even a year to go on expounding both its conventional
and its true sense.
69. And the beings living in this world, within or without, gods, men, demons, goblins, Nâgas, brutes,
70. The beings stationed in any of the six conditions of existence,
all their thoughts the sage knows instantaneously. These are the
advantages of keeping this Sûtra.
71. He also hears the holy sound of the law which the Buddha, marked
with a hundred blessed signs, preaches all over the world, and he
catches what the Buddha speaks.
72. He reflects much on the supreme law, and is in the wont of
constantly dilating upon it; he is never hesitating. These are the
advantages of keeping this Sûtra.
73. He knows the connections and knots; he discerns in all laws
contrarieties; he knows the meaning and the interpretations, and
expounds them according to his knowledge.
74. The Sûtra which since so long a time has been expounded by the
ancient Masters of the world is the law which he, never flinching, is
always preaching in the assembly.
75. Such is the mental organ of him who keeps or reads this Sûtra; he
has not yet the knowledge of emancipation, but one that precedes it.
76. He who keeps this Sûtra of the Sugata stands on the stage of a
master; he may preach to all creatures and is skilful in kotis of
interpretations.
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