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[This document can be acquired from a sub-directory coombspapers via anonymous FTP or COOMBSQUEST gopher at the Australian National University, Canberra on the node COOMBS.ANU.EDU.AU or from the ANU Soc.Sci.WWW Server at http://coombs.anu.edu.au/CoombsHome.html] The document's ftp filename and the full directory path are given in the coombspapers top level INDEX files] [This version: 20 July 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE GOSPEL OF BUDDHA - BY PAUL CARUS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The following information was supplied on 25 Jun 94 to the Coombspapers Social Sciences Data Archive by Cris A. Fugate <fugate@plains.nodak.edu> Book details ============ "The Gospel of Buddha, Compiled from Ancient Records" Author - Paul Carus Publisher - The Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago and London, 1915 Copyright by The Open Court Publishing Co., 1894 in United States, 1915 in Great Britain These copyrights have since expired Transcriber details =================== Cris A. Fugate currently residing at 115C University Village, Fargo, North Dakota 50102 USA. email: fugate@plains.nodak.edu at North Dakota State University Date of transcription: May 1994 No copyright for transcription has been claimed by Cris A.Fugate at the time of lodgement of this electronic text with the Coombspapers Archive. Changes made in transcription ============================= The transcription does not include a pronunciation chart The transcription does not include table of reference The transcription does not include "Remarks on the Illustrations of the Gospel of Buddha" Page numbers in glossary and index are converted to chapter numbers. Transcription should otherwise be very close to the original since the text has been proofread several times. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PREFACE This book is published here in form of 13 files: gospel-buddha-01-preface.txt, gospel-buddha-02-contents.txt, gospel-buddha-03-introdu.txt, gospel-buddha-04-enlight.txt, gospel-buddha-05-foundat.txt, gospel-buddha-06-consolid.txt, gospel-buddha-07-teacher.txt, gospel-buddha-08-stories.txt, gospel-buddha-09-lastdays.txt, gospel-buddha-10-conclus.txt, gospel-buddha-11-bibliog.txt, gospel-buddha-12-glossary.txt, gospel-buddha-13-index.txt ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PREFACE XLVIII. THE DHAMMAPADA This is the Dhammapada, the path of religion pursued by those who are followers of the Buddha: 1 Creatures from mind their character derive; mind-marshalled are they, mind made. Mind is the source either of bliss or of corruption. 2 By oneself evil is done; by oneself one suffers; by oneself evil is left undone; by oneself one is purified. Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another. 3 You yourself must make an effort. The Tathagatas are only preachers. The thoughtful who enter the way are freed from the bondage of Mara. 4 He who does not rouse himself when it is time to rise; who, though young and strong, is full of sloth; whose will and thoughts are weak; that lazy and idle man will never find the way to enlightenment. 5 If a man hold himself dear, let him watch himself carefully; the truth guards him who guards himself. 6 If a man makes himself as he teaches others to be, then, being himself subdued, he may subdue others; one's own self is indeed difficult to subdue. 7 If some men conquer in battle a thousand times a thousand men, and if another conquer himself, he is the greatest of conquerors. 8 It is the habit of fools, be they laymen or members of the clergy, to think, "this is done by me. May others be subject to me. In this or that transaction a prominent part should be played by me." Fools do not care for the duty to be performed or the aim to be reached, but think of their self alone. Everything is but a pedestal of their vanity. 9 Bad deeds, and deeds hurtful to ourselves, are easy to do; what is beneficial and good, that is very difficult. 10 If anything is to be done, let a man do it, let him attack it vigorously! 11 Before long, alas! this body will lie on the earth, despised, without understanding, like a useless log; yet our thoughts will endure. They will be thought again, and will produce action. Good thoughts will produce good actions, and bad thoughts will produce bad actions. 12 Earnestness is the path of immortality, thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are in earnest do not die; those who are thoughtless are as if dead already. 13 Those who imagine they find truth in untruth, and see untruth in truth, will never arrive at truth, but follow vain desires. They who know truth in truth, and untruth in truth, arrive at truth, and follow true desires. 14 As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break through an unreflecting mind. As rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will not break through a well-reflecting mind. 15 Well-makers lead the water wherever they like; fletchets bend the arrow; carpenters bend a log of wood; wise people fashion themselves; wise people falter not amidst blame and praise. Having listened to the law, they become serene, like a deep, smooth , and still lake. 16 If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him as the wheel follows the foot of an ox that draws the carriage. 17 An evil deed is better left undone, for a man will repent of it afterwards; a good deed is better done, for having done it one will not repent. 18 If a man commits a wrong let him not do it again; let him not delight in wrongdoing; pain is the outcome of evil. If a man does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it; happiness is the outcome of good. 19 Let no man think lightly of evil, saying in his heart, "It will not come nigh unto me." As by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled, so the fool becomes full of evil, though he gather it little by little. 20 Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, "It will not come nigh unto me." As by the falling of water-drops a water-pot if filled, so the wise man becomes full of good, though he gather it little by little. 21 He who lives for pleasure only, his senses uncontrolled, immoderate in his food, idle, and seak, him Mara, the tempter, will certainly overthrough, as the wind throws down a weak tree. He who lives without looking for pleasures, his senses well-controlled, moderate in his food, faithful and strong, him Mara will certainly not overthrow, any more than the wind throws down a rocky mountain. 22 The fool who knows his foolishness, is wise at least so far. But a fool who thinks himself wise, he is a fool indeed. 23 To the evil-doer wrong appears sweet as honey; he looks upon it as pleasant so long as it bears no fruit; but when its fruit ripens, then he looks upon it as wrong. And so the good man looks upon the goodness of the Dharma as a burden and an evil so long as it bears no fruit; but when its fruit ripens, then he sees its goodness. 24 A hater may d great harm to a hater, or an enemy to an enemy; but a wrongly-directed mind will do greater mischief unto itself. A mother, a father, or any other relative will do much good; but a well-directed mind will do greater service unto itself. 25 He whose wickedness is very great brings himself down to that state where his enemy wishes him to be. He himself is his greatest enemy. Thus a creeper destroys the life of a tree on which it finds support. 26 Do not direct thy thought to what gives pleasure, that thou mayest not cry out when burning, "This is pain." The wicked man burns by his own deeds, as if burnt by fire. 27 Pleasures destroy the foolish; the foolish man by his thirst for pleasures destroys himself as if he were his own enemy. The fields are damaged by hurricanes and weeds; mankind is damaged by passion, by hatred, by vanity, and by lust. 28 Let no man ever take into consideration whether a thing is pleasant or unpleasant. The love of pleasure begets grief and the dread of pain causes fear; he who is free from the love of pleasure and the dread of pain knows neither grief nor fear. 29 He who gives himself to vanity, and does not give himself to meditation, forgetting the real aim of life and grasping at pleasure, will in time envy him who has exerted himself in meditation. 30 The fault of others is easily noticed, but that of oneself is difficult to perceive. A man winnows his neighbor's faults like chaff, but his own fault he hides, as a cheat hides the false die from the gambler. 31 If a man looks after the faults of others, and is always inclined to take offence, his own passions will grow, and he is far from the destruction of passions. 32 Not about the perversities of others, not about their sins of commision or omission, but about his own misdeeds and neglicences alone should a sage be worried. 33 Good people shine from afar, like the snowy mountains; bad people are concealed, like arrows shot by night. 34 If a man by causing pain to others, wishes to obtain pleasure for himself, he, entangled in the bonds of selfishness, will never be free from hatred. 35 Let a man overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good; let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth! 36 For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by not-hatred, this is an old rule. 37 Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked; by these three steps thou will become divine. 38 Let a wise man blow off impurities of his self, as a smith blows off the impurities of silver, one by one, little by little, and from time to time. 39 Lead others, not by violence, but by righteousness and equity. 40 He who possesses virtue and intelligence, who is just, speaks the truth, and does what is his own business, him the world will hold dear. 41 As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower or its color or scent, so let a sage dwell in the community. 42 If a traveller does not meet with one who is his better, or his equal, let him firmly keep to his solitary journey; there is no companionship with fools. 43 Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the truth religion.44 Better than living a hundred years, not seeing the highest truth, is one day in the life of a man who sees the highest truth. 45 Some form their Dharma arbitrarily and fabricate it artificially; they advance complex speculations and imagine that good results are attainable only by the acceptance of their theories; yet the truth is but one; there are not different truths in the world. Having reflected on the various theories, we have gone into the yoke with him who has shaken off all sin. But shall we be able to proceed together with him? 46 The best of ways is the eightfold path. This is the path. There is no other that leads to the purifying of intelligence. Go on this path! Everything else is the deceit of Mara, the tempter. If you go on this path, you will make an end of pain! Says the Tathagata. The path was preached by me, when I had understood the removal of the thorn in the flesh. 47 Not only by discipline and vows, not only by much learning, do I learn the happiness of release which no worldling can know. Bhikkhu, be not confident as long as thou hast not attained the extinction of thirst. The extinction of evil desire is the hi ghest religion. 48 The gift of religion exceeds all gifts; the sweetness of religion exceeds all sweetness; the delight in religion exceeds all delights; the extinction of thirst overcomes all pain. 49 Few are there among men who cross the river and reach the goal. The great multitudes are running up and down the shore; but there is no suffering for him who has finished his journey. 50 As the lily will grow full of seet perfume and delight upon a heap of rubbish, thus the disciple of the truly enlightened Buddha shines forth by his wisdom among those who are like rubbish, among the people that walk in darkness. 51 Let us live happily then, not hating those who hate us! Among men who hate us let us dwell free from hatred! 52 Let us live happily then, free from all ailments among the ailing! Among men who are ailing let us dwell free from ailments! 53 Let us live happily then, free from greed among the greedy! Among men who are greedy let us dwell free from greed! 54 The sun is bright by day, the moon shines by night, the warrior is bright in his armor, thinkers are bright in their meditation; but among all the brightest with splendor day and night is the Buddha, the Awakened, the Holy Blessed. 55 XLIX. THE TWO BRAHMANS At one time when the Blessed One was journeying through Kosala he came to the Brahman village which is called Manasakata. There he stayed in a mango grove. 1 And two young Brahmans came to him who were of different schools. One was named Vasettha and the other Bharadvaja. And Vasettha said to the Blessed One: 2 "We have a dispute as to the true path. I say the straight path which leads into a union with Brahma is that which has been announced by the Brahman Pokkharasati, while my friend says the straight path which leads unto a union with Brahma is that which has been announced by the Brahman Tarukkha. 3 "Now, regarding thy high reputation, O samana, and knowing that thou art called the Enlightened One, the teacher of men and gods, the Blessed Buddha, we have come to ask thee, are all these paths paths of salvation? There are many roads all around our village, and all lead to Manasakata. Is it just so with the paths of the sages? Are all paths paths to salvation, and do they all lead to a union with Brahma?" 4 And the Blessed One proposed these questions to the two Brahmans: "Do you think that all paths are right?" 5 Both answered and said: "Yes, Gotama, we think so." 6 "But tell me," continued the Buddha, "has any one of the Brahmans, versed in the Vedas, seen Brahma face to face?" 7 "No, sir!" was the reply. 8 "But, then," said the Blessed One, "has any teacher of the Brahmans, versed in the Vedas, seen Brahma face to face?" 9 The two Brahmans said: "No, sir." 10 "But, then," said the Blessed One, "has any one of the authors of the Vedas seen Brahma face to face?" 11 Again the two Brahmans answered in the negative and exclaimed: "How can any one see Brahma or understand him, for the mortal cannot understand the immortal." And the Blessed One proposed an illustration, saying: 12 "It is as if a man should make a staircase in the place where four roads cross, to mount up into a mansion. And people should ask him, 'Where, good friend, is this mansion, to mount up into which you are making this staircase? Knowest thou whether it is in the east, or in the south, or in the west, or in the north? Whether it is high, or low, or of medium size?' And when so asked he should answer, 'I know not.' And people should say to him, 'But, then, good friend, thou art making a staircase to mount up into something - taking it for a mansion - which all the while thou knowest not, neither hast thou seen it.' And when so asked he should answer, 'That is exactly what I do; yea I know that I cannot know it.' What would you think of him? Would you not say that the talk of that man was foolish talk?" 13 "In sooth, Gotama," said the two Brahmans, "it would be foolish talk!" 14 The Blessed One continued: "Then the Brahmans should say, 'We show you the way unto a union of what we know not and what we have not seen'. This being the subtance of Brahman lore, does it not follow that their task is vain?" 15 "It does follow," replied Bharadvaja. 16 Said the Blessed One: "Thus it is impossible that Brahmans versed in the three Vedas should be able to show the way to a state of union with that which they neither know nor have seen. Just as when a string of blind men are clinging one to the other. Neither can the foremost see, nor can those in the middle see, nor can the hindmost see. Even so, methinks, the talk of the Bhramans versed in the three Vedas is but blind talk; it is ridiculous, consists or mere words, and is a vain and empty thing." 17 "Now suppose," added the Blessed One, "that a man should come hither to the bank of the river, and, having some business on the other side, should want to cross. Do you suppose that if he were to invoke the other bank of the river to come over to him on this side, the bank would come on account of his praying?" 18 "Certainly not, Gotama." 19 "Yet this is the way of the Brahmans. They omit the practice of those qualities which really make a man a Brahman, and say, 'Indra, we call upon thee; Soma, we call upon thee; Varuna, we call upon thee; Brahma, we call upon thee.' Verily, it is not possible that these Brahmans, on account of their invocation, prayers, and praises, should after death be united with Brahma." 20 "Now tell me," continued the Buddha, "what do the Brahmans say of Brahma? Is his mind full of lust?" 21 And when the Brahmans denied this, the Buddha asked: "Is Brahma's mind full of malice, sloth, or pride?" 22 "No sir!" was the reply. "He is the opposite of all this." 23 And the Buddha went on: "But are the Brahmans free from these vices?" 24 "No sir!" said Vasettha. 25 The Holy One said: "The Brahmans cling to the five things leading to worldliness and yield to the temptations of the senses; they are entangled in the five hinderances, lust, malice, sloth, pride, and doubt. How can they be united to that which is most unlike their nature? Therefore the threefold wisdom of the Brahmans is a waterless desert, a pathless jungle, and a hopeless desolation." 26 When the Buddha had thus spoken, one of the Brahmans said: "We are told, Gotama, that the Sakyamuni knows the path to a union with Brahma." 27 And the Blessed One said: "What do you think, O Brahmans, of a man born and brought up in Manasakata? Would he be in doubt about the most direct way from this spot to Manasakata?" 28 "Certainly not, Gotama." 29 "Thus," replied the Buddha, "the Tathagata knows the straight path that leads to a union with Brahma. He knows it as one who has entered the world of Brahma and has been born in it. There can be no doubt in the Tathagata." 30 And the two young Brahmans said: "If thou knowest the way show it to us." 31 And the Buddha said: 32 "The Tathagata sees the universe face to face and understands its nature. He proclaims the truth both in its letter and in its spirit, and his doctrine is glorious in its origin, glorious in its progress, glorious in its consummation. The Tathagata reveals the higher life in its purity and perfection. He can show you the way to that which is contrary to the five great hindrances. 33 "The Tathagata lets his mind pervade the four quarters of the world with thoughts of love. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around, and everywhere will continue to be filled with love, far- reaching, grown great, and beyond measure. 34 "Just as a mighty trumpeter makes himself heard - and that without difficulty - in all the four quarters of the earth; even so is the coming of the Tathagata: there is not one living creature that the Tathagata passes by or leaves aside, but regards them all with mind set free, and deep-felt love. 35 "And this is the sign that a man follows the right path:Uprightness is his delight, and he sees danger in the least of those things which he should avoid. He trains himself in the commands of morality, he encompasseth himself with holiness in word and deed; he sustains his life by means that are quite pure; good is his conduct, guarded is the door of his senses; mindful and self-possessed, he is altogether happy. 36 "He who walks in the eightfold noble path with unswerving determination is sure to reach Nirvana. The Tathagata anxiously watches over his children and with loving care helps them to see the light. 37 "When a hen has eight or ten or twelve eggs, over which she has properly brooded, the wish arises in her heart, 'O would that my little chickens would break open the egg-shell with their claws, or with their beaks, and come forth into the light in safety!' yet all the whilw those little chickens are sure to break the egg-shell and will come forth into the light in safety. Even so, a brother who with firm determination walks in the noble path is sure to come forth into the light, sure to reach up to the higher wisdom, sure to attain to the highest bliss of enlightenment." 38 L. GUARD THE SIX QUARTERS While the Blessed One was staying at the bamboo grove near Rajagaha, he once met on his was Sigala, a householder, who, clasping his hands, turned to the four quarters of the world, to the zentih above, and to the nadir below. And the Blessed One, knowing that this was done according to the traditional religious superstition to avert evil, asked Sigala: "Why performest thou these strange ceremonies?" 1 And Sigala in reply said: "Dost thou think it strange that I protect my home against the influences of demons? I know thou wouldst fain tell me, O Gotama Sakyamuni, whom people call the Tathagata and the blessed Buddha, that incantations are of no avail and possess no saving power. But listen to me and know, that in performing this rite I honour, reverence, and keep sacred the words of my father." 2 Then the Tathagata said: 3 "Thou dost well, O Sigala, to honour, reverence, and keep sacred the words of thy father; and it is thy duty to protect thy home, thy wife, thy children, and thy children's children against the hurtful influences of evil spirits. I find no fault with the performance of thy father's rite. But I find that thou dost not understand the ceremony. Let the Tathagata, who now speaks to thee as a spiritual father and loves thee no less than did thy parents, explain to thee the meaning of the six directions. 4 "To guard thy home by mysterious ceremonies is not sufficient; thou must guard it with good deeds. Turn to thy parents in the East, to thy teachers in the South, to thy wife and children in the West, to thy friends in the North, and regualte the zenith of thy religious relations above thee, and the nadir of thy servants below thee. 5 "Such is the religion thy father wants thee to have, and the performance of the ceremony shall remind thee of thy duties." 6 And Sigala looked up to the Blessed One with reverence as to his father and said: "Truly, Gotama, thou art the Buddha, the Blessed One, the holy teacher. I never knew what I was doing, but now I know. Thou hast revealed to me the truth that was hidden as one who bringeth a lamp into the darkness. I take my refuge in the Enlightened Teacher, in the truth that enlightens, and in the community of brethren who have been taught the truth." 7 LI. SIMHA'S QUESTION CONCERNING ANNIHILATION At that time many distinguished citizens were sitting together assembled in the town-hall and spoke in many ways in praise of the Buddha, of the Dharma, and of the Sangha. Simha, the general-in- chief, a disciple of the Niggantha sect, was sitting among them. And Simha thought: "Truly, the Blessed One must be the Buddha, the Holy One. I will go and visit him." 1 Then Simha, the general, went to the place where the Niggantha chief, Nataputta, was; and having approached him, he said: "I wish, Lord, to visit the samana Gotama." 2 Nataputta said: "Why should you, Simha, who believe in the result of actions according to their moral merit, go to visit the samana Gotama, who denies the result of actions; he teaches the doctrine of non-action; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples." 3 Then the desire to go and visit the Blessed One, which had arisen in Simha, the general, abated. 4 Hearing again the praise of the Buddha, of the Dharma, and of the Sangha, Simha asked the Niggantha chief a second time; and again Nataputta persuaded him not to go. 5 When a third time the general heard some men of distinction extol the merits of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, the general thought: "Truly the samana Gotama must be the Holy Buddha. What are the Nigganthas to me, whether they give their consent or not? I shall go without asking their permission to visit him, the Blessed One, the Holy Buddha." 6 And Simha, the general, said to the Blessed One: "I have heard, Lord, that the samana Gotama denies the result of actions; he teaches the doctrine of non-action, saying that the action of sentient beings do not receive their reward, for he teaches annihilation and the contemptibleness of all things; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples. Teachest thou the dong away of the soul and the burning away of man's being? Pray tell me, Lord, do those who speak thus say the truth, or do they bear false witness against the Blessed One, passing off a spurious Dharma as thy Dharma?" 7 The Blessed One said: 8 "There is a way, Simha, in which one who says so, is speaking truly of me, on the other hand, Simha, there is a way in which one who says the opposite is speaking truly of me, too. Listen, and I will tell thee: 9 "I teach, simha, the not-doing of such actions as are unrighteous, either by deed, or by word, or by thought; I teach the not-bringing about of all those conditions of heart which are evil and not good. However, I teach, Simha, the doing of such actions as are righteous, by deed, by word, and by thought; I teach the bringing about of all those conditions of heart which are good and not evil. 10 "I teach, Simha, that all the conditions of heart which are evil and not good, unrighteous actions by deed, by word, and by thought, must be burnt away. He who has freed himself, Simha, from all those conditions of heart which are evil and not good, he who has destroyed them as a palm-tree which is rooted out, so that they cannot grow up again, such a man has accomplished the eradication of self. 11 "I proclaim, Simha, the annihilation of egotism, of lust, of ill- will, of delusion. However, I do not proclaim the annihilation of forbearance, of love, of charity, and of truth. 12 "I deem, Simha, unrighteous actions contemptible, whether they be performed by deed, or by word, or by thought; but I deem virtue and righteousness praiseworthy." 13 And Simha said: "One doubt still lurks in my mind concerning the doctrine of the Blessed One. Will the Blessed One consent to clear the cloud away so that I may understand the Dharma as the Blessed One teaches it?" 14 The Tathagata having given his consent, Simha continued: "I am a soldier, O Blessed One, and am appointed by the king to enforce his laws and to wage his wars. Does the Tathagata who teaches kindness without end and compassion with all sufferers, permit the punishment of the criminal? and further, does the Tathagata declare that is is wrong to go to war for the protection for our homes, our wives, our children, and our property? Does the Tathagata teach the doctrine of a complete self-surrender, so that I should suffer the evil-doer to do what he pleases and yield submissively to him who threatens to take by violence what is my own? Does the Tathagata maintain that all strife, including such warfare as is waged for a righteous cause, should be forbidden?" 15 The Buddha replied: "He who deserves punishment must be punished, and he who is worthy of favour must be favoured. Yet at the same time he teaches to do no injury to any living being but to be full of love and kindness. These injuncions are not contradictory, for whosoever must be punished for the crimes which he has committed, suffers his injury not through the ill-will of the judge but on account of his evil-doing. His own acts have brought upon him the injury that the executer of the law inflicts. When a magistrate punishes, let him not harbour hatred in his breast, yet a murderer, when put to death, should consider that this is the fruit of his own act. As soon as he will understand that the punishment will purify his soul, he will no longer lament his fate but rejoice at it." 16 And the Blessed One continued: "The Tathagata teaches that all warfare in which man tries to slay his brother is lamentable, but he does not teach that those who go to war in a righteous cause after having exhausted all means to preserve the peace are blame-worthy. He must be blamed who is the cause of war. 17 "The Tathagata teaches a complete surrender of self, but he does not teach a surrender of anything to those powers that are evil, be they men or gods or the elements of nature. Struggle must be, for all life is a struggle of some kind. But he that struggles should look to it lest he struggle in the interest of self against truth and righteousness. 18 "He who struggles in the interest of self, so that he himself may be great or powerful or rich or famous, will have no reward, but he who struggles for righteousness and truth, will have great reward, for even his defeat will be a victory. 19 "Self is not a fit vessel to receive any great success; self is small and brittle and its contents will soon be split for the benefit, and perhaps also for the curse, of others. 20 "Truth, however, is large enough to receive the yearnings and aspirations of all selves and when the selves break like soap-bubbles, their contents will be preserved and in the truth they will lead a life everlasting. 21 "He who goeth to battle, O Simha, even though it be in a righteous cause, must be prepared to be slain by his enemies, for that is the destiny of warriors; and should his fate overtake him he has no reason for complaint. 22 "But he who is victorious should remember the instability of earthly things. His success may be great, but be it ever so great the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring him down into the dust. 23 "However, if he moderates himself and, extinguishing all hatred in his heart lifts his down-trodden adversary up and says to him, 'Come now and make peace and let us be brothers,' he will gain a victory that is not a transient success, for its fruits will remain forever.24 "Great is a successful general, O Simha, but he who had conquered self is the greater victor. 25 "The doctrine of the conquest of self, O Simha, is not taught to destroy the souls of men, but to preserve them. He who has conquered self is more fit to live, to be successful, and to gain victories than he who is the slave of self. 26 "He whose mind is free from the illusion of self, will stand and not fall in the battle of life. 27 "He whose intentions are righteousness and justice, will meet with no failure, but be successful in his enterprises and his success will endure. 28 "He who harbours in his heart love of truth will live and not die, for he has drunk the water of immortality. 29 "STruggle then, O general, courageously; and fight thy battles vigorously, but be a soldier of truth and the Tathagata will bless thee." 30 When the Blessed One had spoken thus, Simha, the general, said: "Glorious Lord, glorious Lord! Thou hast revealed the truth. Great is the doctrine of the Blessed One. Thou, indeed, art the Buddha, the Tathagata, the Holy One. Thou art the teacher of mankind. Thou showest us the road of salvation, for this indeed is true deliverance. He who follows thee will not miss the light to enlighten his path. He will find blessedness and peace. I take my refuge, Lord, in the Blessed One, and in his doctrine, and in his brotherhood. May the Blessed One receive me from this day forth while my life lasts as a disciple who has taken refuge in him." 31 And the Blessed One said: "Consider first, Simha, what thou doest. It is becoming that persons of rank like thyself should do nothing without due consideration." 32 Simha's faith in the Blessed One increased. He replied: "Had other teachers, Lord, succeeded in making me their disciple, they would carry around their banners through the whole city of Vesali, shouting: 'Simha, the general has become our disciple! For the second time, Lord, I take my refuge in the Blessed One, and in the Dharma, and in the Sangha; may the Blessed One receive me from this day forth while my life lasts as a disciple who has taken his refuge in him." 33 Said the Blessed One: "For a long time, Simha, offerings have been given to the Nigganthas in thy house. Thou shouldst therefore deem it right also in the future to give them food when they come to thee on their alms-pilgrimage." 34 And Simha's heart was filled with joy. He said: "I have been told, Lord: 'The samana Gotama says: To me alone and to nobody else should gifts be given. My pupils alone and the pupils of no one else should receive offerings.' But the Blessed One exhorts me to give also to the Nigganthas. Well, Lord, we shall see what is seasonable. For the third time, Lord, I take refuge in the Blessed One, and in his Dharma, and in his fraternity." 35 LII. ALL EXISTENCE IS SPIRITUAL And there was an officer among the retinue of Simha who had heard of the discourses of the Blessed One, and there was some doubt left in his heart. 1 This man came to the Blessed One and said: "It is said, O Lord, that the samana Gotama denies the existence of the soul. Do they who say so speak the truth, or do they bear false witness against the Blessed One?" 2 And the Blessed One said: "There is a way in which those who say so are speaking truly of me; on the other hand, there is a way in which those who say so do not speak truly of me. 3 "The Tathagata teaches that there is no self. He who says that the soul is his self and that the self is the thinker of our thoughts and the actor of our deeds, teaches a wrong doctrine doctrine which leads to confusion and darkness. 4 "On the other hand, the Tathagata teaches that there is a mind. He who understands by soul mind, and says that mind exists, teaches the truth which leads to clearness and enlightenment." 5 The officer said: "Does, then, the Tathagata maintain that two things exist? that which we perceive with our senses and that which is mental?" 6 Said the Blessed One: "Verily, I say unto thee, thy mind is spiritual, but neither is the sense-perceived void of spirituality. The bodhi is eternal and it dominates all existence as the good law guiding all beings in their search for truth. It changes brute nature into mind, and there is no being that cannot be transformed into a vessel of truth." 7 LIII. IDENTITY AND NON-IDENTITY Kutadanta, the head of the Brahmans in the village of Danamati having approached the Blessed One respectfully, greeted him and said: "I am told, O samana, that thou art the Buddha, the Holy One, the All- knowing, the Lord of the World. But if thou wert the Buddha, wouldst thou not come like a king in all thy glory and power?" 1 Said the Blessed One: "Thine eyes are holden. If the eye of thy mind were undimmed thou couldst see the glory and the power of truth." 2 Said Kutadanta: "Show me the truth and I shall see it. But thy doctrine is without consistency. If it were consistent, it would stand; but as it is not, it will pass away." 3 The Blessed One replied: "The truth will never pass away." 4 Kutadanta said: "I am told that thou teachest the law, yet thou tearest down religion. Thy disciples despise rites and abandon immolation, but reverence for the gods can be shown only by sacrifices. The very nature of religion consists in worship and sacrifice." 5 Said the Buddha: "Greater than the immolation of bullocks is the sacrifice of self. He who offers to the gods his evil desires will see the uselessness of slaughtering animals at the altar. Blood has no cleansing power, but the eradication of lust will make the heart pure. Better than worshipping gods is obedience to the laws of righteousness." 6 Kutadanta, being of religious disposition and anxious about his fate after death, had sacrificed countless victims. Now he saw the folly of atonement by blood. Not yet satisfied, however, with the teachings of the Tathagata, Kutadanta continued: "Thou believest, O Master, that beings are reborn; that they migrate in the evolution of life; and that subject to the law of karma we must reap what we sow. Yet thou teachest the non-existence of the soul! Thy disciples praise utter self-extinction as the highest bliss of Nirvana. If I am merely a combination of the sankharas, my existence will cease when I die. If I am merely a compound of sensations and ideas and desires, wither can I go at the dissolution of the body?" 7 Said the Blessed One: "O Brahman, thou art religious and earnest. Thou art seriously concerned about thy soul. Yet is thy work in vain because thou art lacking in the one thing that is needful. 8 "There is rebirth of character, but no transmigration of a self. Thy thought-forms reappear, but there is no egoentity transferred. The stanza uttered by a teacher is reborn in the scholar who repeats the words. 9 "Only through ignorance and delusion do men indulge in the dream that their souls are separate and self-existent entities. 10 "Thy heart, O Brahman, is cleaving still to self; thou art anxious about heaven but thou seekest the pleasures of self in heaven, and thus thou canst not see the bliss of truth and the immortality of truth. 11 "Verily I say unto thee: The Blessed One has not come to teach death, but to teach life, and thou discernest not the nature of living and dying. 12 "This body will be dissolved and no amount of sacrifice will save it. Therefore, seek thou the life that is of the mind. Where self is, truth cannot be; yet when truth comes, self will disappear. Therefore, let thy mind rest in the truth; propagate the truth, put thy whole will in it, and let it spread. In the truth thou shalt live for ever. 13 "Self is death and truth is life. The cleaving to self is a perpetual dying, while moving in the truth is partaking of Nirvana which is life everlasting." 14 Kutadanta said: "Where, O venerable Master, is Nirvana?" 15 "Nirvana is wherever the precepts are obeyed," replied the Blessed One. 16 "Do I understand thee aright," rejoined the Brahman, "that Nirvana is not a place, and being nowhere it is without reality?" 17 "Thou dost not understand me aright," said the Blessed One, "Now listen and answer these questions: Where does the wind dwell?" 18 "Nowhere," was the reply. 19 Buddha retorted: "Then, sir, there is no such thing as wind." 20 Kutadanta made no reply; and the Blessed One asked again: "Answer me, O Brahman, where does wisdom dwell? Is wisdom a locality?" 21 "Wisdom has no alloted dwelling-place," replied Kutadanta. 22 Said the Blessed One: "Meanest thou that there is no wisdom, no enlightenment, no righteousness, and no salvation, because Nirvana is not a locality? As a great and mighty wind which passeth over the world in the heat of the day, so the Tathagata comes to blow over the minds of mankind with the breath of his love, so cool, so sweet, so calm, so delicate; and those tormented by fever assuage their suffering and rejoice at the refreshing breeze." 23 Said Kutadanta: "I feel, O Lord, that thou proclaimeat a great doctrine, but I cannot grasp it. Forbear with me that I ask again: Tell me, O Lord, if there be no atman, how can there be immortality? The activity of the mind passeth, and our thoughts are gone when we have done thinking." 24 Buddha replied?: "Our thinking is gone, but our thoughts continue. Reasoning ceases, but knowledge remains." 25 Said Kutadanta: "How is that? Is not reasoning and knowledge the same?" 26 The Blessed One explained the distinction by an illustration: "It is as when a man wants, during the night, to send a letter, and, after having his clerk called, has a lamp lit, and gets the letter written. Then, when that has been done, he extinguishes the lamp. But though the writting has been finished and the light has been put out the letter is still there. Thus does reasoning cease and knowledge remain; and in the same way mental activity ceases, but experience, wisdom, and all the fruits of our acts endure." 27 Kutadanta continued: "Tell me, O Lord, pray tell me, where, if the sankharas are dissolved, is the identity of my self. If my thoughts are propagated, and if my soul migrates, my thoughts cease to be my thoughts and my soul ceases to be my soul. Give me an illustration, but pray, O Lord, tell me, where is the identity of my self?" 28 Said the Blessed One: "Suppose a man were to light a lamp; would it burn the night through?" 29 "Yes, it might do so," was the reply. 30 "Now, is it the same flame that burns in the first watch of the night as in the second?" 31 Kutadanta hesitated. He thought "Yes, it is the same flame," but fearing the complications of a hidden meaning, and trying to be exact, he said: "No, it is not." 32 "Then," continued the Blessed One, "there are flames, one in the first watch and the other in the second watch." 33 "No, sir," said Kutadanta. "In one sense it is not the same flame, but in another sense it is the same flame. It burns the same kind of oil, it emits the same kind of light, and it serves the same purpose." 34 "Very well," said the Buddha, "and would you call those flames the same that have burned yesterday and are burning now in the same lamp, filled with the same kind of oil, illuminating the same room?" 35 "They may have been extinguished during the day," suggested Kutadanta. 36 Said the Blessed One: "Suppose the flame of the first watch had been extinguished during the second watch, would you call it the same if it burns again in the third watch?" 37 Replied Kutadanta: "In one sense it is a different flame, in another it is not." 38 The Tathagata asked again: "Has the time that elapsed during the extinction of the flame anything to do with its identity or non- identity?" 39 "No, sir," said the Brahman, "it has not. There is a difference and an identity, whether many years elapsed or only one second, and also whether the lamp has been extinguished in the meantime or not."40 "Well, then, we agree that the flame of to-day is in a certain sense the same as the flame of yersterday, and in another sense it is different at every moment. Moreover, the flames of the same kind, illuminating with equal power the same kind of rooms are in a certain sense the same." 41 "Yes, sir," replied Kutadanta. 42 The Blessed One continued: "Now, suppose there is a man who feels like thyself, thinks like thyself, and acts like thyself, is he not the same man as thou?" 43 "No, sir," interrupted Kutadanta. 44 Said the Buddha: "Dost thou deny that the same logic holds good for thyself that holds good for the things of the world?" 45 Kutadanta bethought himself and rejoined slowly: "No, I do not. The same logic holds good universally; but there is a peculiarity about my self which renders it altogether different from everything else and also from other selves. There may be another man who feels exactly like me, thinks like me, and acts like me; suppose even he had the same name and the same kind of possessions he would not be myself." 46 "True, Kutadanta," answered Buddha, "he would not be thyself. Now, tell me, is the person who goes to school one, and that same person when he has finished his schooling another? Is it one who commits a crime, another who is punished by having his hands and feet cut off?" 47 "They are the same," was the reply. 48 "Then sameness is constituted by continuity only?" asked the Tathagata. 49 "Not only by continuity," said Kutadanta, "but also and mainly by identity of character." 50 "Very well," concluded the Buddha, "then thou agreest that persons can be the same, in the same sense as two flames of the same kind are called the same; and thou must recognize that in this sense another man of the same character and product of the same karma is the same as thou." 51 "Well, I do." said the Brahman. 52 The Buddha continued: "And in this same sense alone art thou the same to-day as yesterday. Thy nature is not constituted by the matter of which thy body consists but by thy sankharas, the forms of the body, of sensations, of thoughts. Thy person is the combination of the sankharas. Wherever they are, thou art. Whithersoever they go, thou goest. Thus thou wilt recognize in a certain sense an identity of thy self, and in another sense a difference. But he who does not recognize the identity should deny all identity, and should say that the questioner is no longer the same person as he who a minute after receives the answer. Now condiser the continuation of thy personality, which is preserved in thy karma. Dost thou call it death and annihilation, or life and continued life?" 53 "I call it life and continued life," rejoined Kutadanta, "for it is the continuation of my existence, but I do not care for that kind of continuation. All I care for is the continuation of self in the other sense which makes of every man, whether identical with me or not, an altogether different person." 54 "Very well," said Buddha. "This is what thou desirest and this is the cleaving to self. This is thy error. All compound things are transitory: they grow and they decay. All compound things are subject to pain: they will be separated from what they love and be joined to what they abhor. All compound things lack a self, an atman, an ego." 55 "How is that?" asked Kutadanta. 56 "Where is thy self?" asked the Buddha. And when Kutadanta made no reply, he continued: "Thy self to which thou cleavest is a constant change. Years ago thou wast a small babe; then, thou wast a boy; then a youth, and now, thou art a man. Is there any identity of the babe and the man? There is an identity in a certain sense only. Indeed there is more identity between the flames of the first watch and the third watch, even though the lamp might have been extinguished during the second watch. Now which is thy true self, that of yesterday, that of to-day, or that of to-morrow, for the preservation of which thou clamourest?" 57 Kutadanta was bewildered. "Lord of the world," he said, "I see my error, but I am still confused." 58 The Tathagata continued: "It is by a process of evolution that sankharas come to be. There is no sankhara which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. Thy sankharas are the product of thy deeds in former existences. The combination of thy sankharas is thy self. Wheresoever they are impressed thither thy self migrates. In thy sankharas thou wilt continue to live and thou wilt reap in future existences the harvest sown now and in the past." 59 "Verily, O Lord," rejoined Kutadanta, "this is not a fair retribution. I cannot recognize the justice that others after me will reap what I am sowing now." 60 The Blessed One waited a moment and then replied: "Is all teaching in vain? Dost thou not understand that those others are thou thyself? Thou thyself wilt reap what thou sowest, not others. 61 "Think of a man who is ill-bred and destitute, suffering from the wretchedness of his condition. As a boy he was slothful and indolent, and when he grew up he had not learned a craft to earn a living. Wouldst thou say his misery is not the product of his own action, because the adult is no longer the same person as was the boy? 62 "Verily, I say unto thee: Not in the heavens, not in the midst of the sea, not if thou hidest thyself away in the clefts of the mountains, wilt thou find a place where thou canst escape the fruit of thine evil actions. 63 "At the same time thou art sure to receive the blessings of thy good actions. 64 "The man who has long been travelling and who returns home in safety, the welcome of kinsfold, friends, and acquaintances awaits. So, the fruits of his good works bid him welcome who has walked in the path of righteousness, when he passes over from the present life into the hereafter." 65 Kutadanta said: "I have faith in the glory and excellency of thy doctrines. My eye cannot as yet endure the light; but I now understand that there is no self, and the turh dawns upon me. Sacrifices cannot save, and invocations are idle talk. But how shall I find the path to life everlasting? I know all the Vedas by heart and have not found the truth." 66 Said the Buddha: "Learning is a good thing; but it availeth not. True wisdom can be acquired by practice only. Practise the truth that thy brother is the same as thou. Walk in the noble path of righteousness and thou wilt understand that while there is death in self, there is immortality in truth." 67 Said Kutadanta: "Let me take my refuge in the Blessed One, in the Dharma, and in the brotherhood. Accept me as thy disciple and let me partake of the bliss of immortality." 68 LIV. THE BUDDHA OMNIPRESENT And the Blessed One thus addressed the brethren: 1 "Those only who do not believe, call me Gotama, but you call me the Buddha, the Blessed One, the Teacher. And this is right, for I have in this life entered Nirvana, while the life of Gortama has been extinguished. 2 "Self has disappeared and the truth has taken its abode in me. This body of mine is Gotama's body and it will be dissolved in due time, and after its dissolution no one, neither God nor man, will see Gotama again. But the truth remains. The Buddha will not die; the Buddha will continue to live in the holy body of the law. 3 "The extinction of the Blessed One will be by that passing away in which nothing remains that could tend to the formation of another self. Nor will it be possible to point out the Blessed One as being here or there. But it will be like a flame in a great body of blazing fire. That flame has ceased; it has vanished and it cannot be said that it is here or there. In the body of the Dharma, however, the Blessed One can be pointed out; for the Dharma has been preached by the Blessed One. 4 "Ye are my children, I am your father; through me have ye been released from your sufferings. 5 "I myself having reached the other shore, help others to cross the stream; I myself having attained salvation, am a saviour of others; being comforted, I comfort others and lead them to the place of refuge. 6 "I shall fill with joy all the beings whose limbs languish; I shall give happiness to those who are dying from distress; I shall extend to them succour and deliverance. 7 "I was born into the world as the king of truth for the salvation of the world. 8 "The subject on which I meditate is truth. The practice to which I devote myself is truth. The topic of my conversation is truth. My thoughts are always in the truth. For lo! my self has become the truth. 9 "Whosoever comprehendeth the truth will see the Blessed One, for the truth has been preached by the Blessed One." 10 LV. ONE ESSENCE, ONE LAW, ONE AIM And the Tathagata addressed the venerable Kassapa, to dispel the uncertainty and doubt of his mind, and he said: 1 "All things are made of one essence, yet things are different according to the forms which they assume under different impressions. As they form themselves so they act, and as they act so they are. 2 "It is, Kassapa, as if a potter made different vessels out of the same clay. Some of these pots are to contain sugar, others rice, others curds and milk; others still are vessels of impurity. There is no diversity in the clay used; the diversity of the pots is only due to the moulding hands of the potter who shapes them for the various uses that circumstances may require. 3 "And as all things originate from one essence, so they are developing according to one law and they are destined to one aim which is Nirvana. 4 "Nirvana comes to thee, Kassapa, when thou understandest thoroughly, and when thou livest according to thy understanding, that all things are of one essence and that there is but one law. Hence, there is but one Nirvana as there is but one truth, not two or three.5 "And the Tathagata is the same unto all beings, differing in his attitude only in so far as all beings are different. 6 "The Tathagata recreates the whole world like a cloud shedding its waters without distinction. He has the same sentiments for the high as for the low, for the wise as for the ignorant, for the noble-minded as for the immoral. 7 "The great cloud full of rain comes up in this wide universe covering all countries and oceans to pour down its rain everywhere, over all grasses, shrubs, trees of various species, families of plants of different names growing on the earth, on the hills, on the mountains, or in the valleys. 8 "Then, Kassapa, the grasses, shrubs, herbs and wild trees suck the water emitted from that great cloud which is all of one essence and has been abundantly poured down; and they will, according to their nature, acquire a proportionate development, shooting up and producing blossoms and their fruits in season. 9 "Rooted in one and the same soil, all those families of plants and germs are quickened by water of the same essence. 10 "The Tathagata, however, O Kassapa, knows the law whose essence is salvation, and whose end is the peace of Nirvana. He is the same to all, and yet knowing the requirements of every single being, he does not reveal himself to all alike. He does not impart to them at once the fulness of omniscience, but pays attention to the disposition of various beings." 11 LVI. THE LESSON GIVEN TO RAHULA Before Rahula, the son of Gotama Siddhattha and Yasodhara, attained to the enlightenment of true wisdom, his conduct was not always marked by a love of truth, and the Blessed One sent him to a distant vihara to govern his mind and to guard his tongue. 1 After some time the Blessed One repaired to the place, and Rahula was filled with joy. 2 And the Blessed One ordered the boy to bring him a basin of water and to wash his feet, and Rahula obeyed. 3 When Rahula had washed the Tathagata's feet, the Blessed One asked: "Is the water now fit for drinking?" 4 "No, my Lord," replied the boy, "the water is defiled." 5 Then the Blessed One said: "Now consider thine own case. Although thou art my son, and the grandchild of a king, although thou art a samana who has voluntarily given up everything, thou art unable to guard thy tongue from untruth, and thus defilest thou thy mind." 6 And when the water had been poured away, the Blessed One asked again: "Is this vessel now fit for holding water to drink?" 7 "No, my Lord," replied Rahula, "the vessel, too, has become unclean." 8 And the Blessed One said: "Now consider thine own case. Although thou wearest the yellow robe, art thou fit for any high purpose when thou hast become unclean like this vessel?" 9 Then the Blessed One, lifting up the empty basin and whirling it round, asked: "Art thou not afraid lest it should fall and break?" 10 "No, my Lord," replied Rahula, "the vessel is but cheap, and its loss will not amount too much." 11 "Now consider thine own case," said the Blessed One. "Thou art whirled about in endless eddies of transmigration, and as thy body is made of the same substance as other material things that will crumble to dust, there is no loss if it be broken. He who is given to speaking untruths is an object of contempt to the wise." 12 Rahula was filled with shame, and the Blessed One addressed him once more: "Listen, and I will tell thee a parable: 13 "There was a king who had a very powerful elephant, able to cope with five hundred ordinary elephants. When going to war, the elephant was armed with sharp swords on his tusks, with scythes on his shoulders, spears on his feet, and an iron ball at his tail. The elephant-master rejoiced to see the noble creature so well equipped, and, knowing that a slight wound by an arrow in the trunk would be fatal, he had taught the elephant to keep his trunk well coiled up. But during the battle the elephant stretched forth his trunk to seize a sword. His master was frightened and consulted with the king, and they decided that the elephant was no longer fit to be used in battle. 14 "O Rahula! if men would only guard their tongues all would be well! Be like the fighting who guards his trunk against the arrow that strikes in the center. 15 "By love of truth the sincere escape iniquity. Like the elephant well subdued and quiet, who permits the king to mount on his trunk, thus the man that reveres righteousness will endure faithfully throughout his life." 16 Rahula hearing these words was filled with deep sorrow; he never again gave any occasion for complaint, and forthwith he sanctified his life by earnest exertions. 17 LVII. THE SERMON ON ABUSE And the Blessed One observed the ways of society and noticed how much misery came from malignity and foolish offences done only to gratify vanity and self-seeking pride. 1 And the Buddha said: "If a man foolishly does me wrong, I will return to him the protection of my ungrudging love; the more evil comes from him, the more good shall go from me; the fragrance of goodness always comes to me, and the harmful air of evil goes to him." 2 A foolish man learning that the Buddha observed the principle of great love which commends the return of good for evil, came and abused him. The Buddha was silent, pitying his folly. 3 When the man had finished his abuse, the Buddha asked him, saying: "Son, if a man declined to accept a present made to him, to whom would it belong?" And he answered: "In that case it would belong to the man who offered it." 4 "My son," said the Buddha, "thou hast railed at me, but I decline to accept thy abuse, and request thee to keep it thyself. Will it not be a source of misery to thee? As the echo belongs to the sound, and the shadow to the substance, so misery will overtake the evil-doer without fail." 5 The abuser made no reply, and Buddha continued: 6 "A wicked man who reproaches a virtuous one is like one who loods up and spits at heaven; the spittle soils not the heaven, but comes back and defiles his own person. 7 "The slanderer is like one who flings dust at another when the wind is contrary; the dust does not but return on him who threw it. The virtuous man cannot be hurt and the misery that the other would inflict comes back on himself." 8 The abuser went away ashamed, but he came again and took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. 9 LVIII. THE BUDDHA REPLIES TO THE DEVA On a certain day when the Blessed One dwelt at Jetavana, the garden of Anathapindika, a celestial deva came to him in the shape of a Brahman whose countenance was bright and whose garmetnts were white like snow. The deva asked questions which the Blessed One answered. 1 The deva said: "What is the sharpest sword? What is the deadliest poison? What is the fiercest fire? What is the darkest night?" 2 The Blessed One replied: "A word spoken in wrath is the sharpest sword; covetousness is the deadliest poison; passion is the fiercest fire; ignorance is the darkest night." 3 The deva said: "Who gains the greatest benefit? Who loses most? Which armour is invulnerable? What is the best weapon?" 4 The Blessed One replied: "He is the greatest gainer who gives to others, and he loses most who greedily receives without gratitude. Patience is an invulnerable armour; wisdom is the best weapon." 5 The deva said: "Who is the most dangerous thief? What is the most precious treasure? Who is most successful in taking away by violence not only on earth, but also in heaven? What is the securest treasure- trove?" 6 The Blessed One replied: "Evil thought is the most dangerous thief; virtue is the most precious treasure. The mind takes possession of everything not only on earth, but also in heaven, and immortality is its securest treasure-trove." 7 The deva said: "What is attractive? What is disgusting? What is the most horrible pain? What is the greatest enjoyment?" 8 The Blessed One replied: "Good is attractive; evil is disgusting. A bad conscience is the most tormenting pain; deliverance is the height of bliss." 9 The deva asked: "What causes ruin in the world? What breaks off friendships? What is the most violent fever? Who is the best physician?" 10 The Blessed One replied: "Ignorance causes the ruin of the world. Envy and selfishness break off friendships. Hatred is the most violent fever, and the Buddha is the best physician." 11 The deva then asked and said: "Now I only have one doubt to be solved; pray, clear it away: What is it fire can neither burn, nor moisture corrode, nor wind crush down, but is able to reform the whole world?" 12 The Blessed One replied: "Blessing! Neither fire, nor moisture, nor wind can destroy the blessing of a good deed, and blessings reform the whole world." 13 The deva, having heard the words of the Blessed One, was full of exeeding joy. Clasping his hands, he bowed down before him in reverence, and disappeared suddenly from the presence of the Buddha.14 LIX. WORDS OF INSTRUCTION The Bhikkhus came to the Blessed One, and having suluted him with clasped hands they said: 1 "O Master, thou all-seeing one, we all wish to learn; our ears are ready to hear, thou art our teacher, thou art imcomparable. Cut off our doubt, inform us of the blessed Dharma, O thou of great understanding; speak in the midst of us, O thou who art all-seeing, as is the thousand-eyed Lord of the gods. 2 "We will ask the muni of great understanding, who has crossed the stream, gone to the other shore, is blessed and of a firm mind: How does a bhikkhu wander rightly in the world, after having gone out from his house and driven away desire?" 3 The Buddha said: 4 "Let the bhikkhus subdue his passion for human and celectial pleasures, then, having conquered existence, he will command the Dharma. Such a one will wander rightly in the world. 5 "He whose lusts have been destroyed, who is free from pride, who has overcome all the ways of passion, is subdued, perfectly happy, and of a firm mind. Such a one will wander rightly in the world. 6 "Faithful is he who is possessed of knowledge, seeing the way that leads to Nirvana; he who is not partisan; he who is pure and virtuous, and has removed the veil from his eyes. Such a one will wander rightly in the world." 7 Said the Bhikkhus: "Certainly, O Bhagavat, it is so: whichever bhikkhu lives in this way, subdued and having overcome all bonds, such a one will wander rightly in the world." 8 The Blessed One said: 9 "Whatever is to be done by him who aspires to attain the tranquillity of Nirvana let him be able and upright, conscientious and gentle, and not proud. 10 "Let a man's pleasure be the Dharma, let him delight in the Dharma, let him stand fast in the Dharma, let him know how to inquire into the Dharma, let him not raise any dispute that pollutes the Dharma, and let him spend his time in pondering on the well-spoken truths of the Dharma. 11 "A treasure that is laid up in a deep pit profits nothing and may easily be lost. The real treasure that is laid up through charity and piety, temperance, self-control, or deeds of merit, is hid secure and cannot pass away. It is never gained by despoiling or wronging others, and no thief can steal it. A man, when he dies, must leave the fleeting wealth of the world, but this treasure of virtuous acts he take with him. Let the wise do good deeds; they are a treasure that can never be lost." 12 And the bhikkhus praised the wisdom of the Tathagata: 13 "Thou hast passed beyond pain; thou art holy, O Enlightened One, we consider thee one who has destroyed his passions. Thou art glorious, thoughtful, and of great understanding. O thou who puttest an end to pain, thou hast carried us across our doubt. 14 "Because thou sawst our longing and carriedst us across our doubt, adoration be to thee, O muni, who has attained the highest good in the ways of wisdom. 15 "The doubt we had before, thou hast cleared away, O thou clearly- seeing one; surely thou art a great thinker, perfectly enlightened, there is no obstacle for thee. 16 "And all thy troubles are scattered and cut off; thou art calm, subdued, firm, truthful. 17 "Adoration be to thee, O noble sage, adoration be to thee, O thou best of beings; in the world of men and gods there is none equal to thee. 18 "Thou art the Buddha, thou art the Master, thou art the muni that conquers Mara; after having cut off desire thou hast crossed over and carriest this generation to the other shore." 19 LX. AMITABHA One of the disciples came to the Blessed One with a trembling heart and his mind full of doubt. And he asked the Blessed One: "O Buddha, our Lord and Master, why do we give up the pleasures of the world, if thou forbiddest us to work miracles and to attain the supernatural? Is not Amitabha, the infinite light of revelation, the source of innumerable miracles?" 1 And the Blessed One, seeing the anxiety of a truth-seeking mind, said: "O savaka, thou art a novice among the novices, and thou art swimming on the surface of samsara. How long will it take thee to grasp the truth? Thou hast not understood the words of the Tathagata. The law of karma is irrefragable, and supplications have no effect, for they are empty words." 2 Said the disciple: "So sayest thou there are no miracles and wonderful things?" 3 And the Blessed One replied: 4 "Is it not a wonderful thing, mysterious and miraculous to the worldling, that a man who commits wrong can become a saint, that he who attains to true enlightenment will find the path of truth and abandon the evil ways of selfishness? 5 "The bhikkhu who renounces the transient pleasure of the world for the eternal bliss of holiness, performs the only miracle that can truly be called a miracle. 6 "A holy man changes the curses of karma into blessings. The desire to perform miracles arises either from covetousness or from vanity. 7 "That mendicant does right who does not think: 'People should salute me'; who, though despised by the world, yet cherishes no ill- will towards it. 8 "That mendicant does right to whom omens, meteors, dreams, and signs are things abolished; he is free from all their evils. 9 "Amitabha, the unbounded light, is the source of wisdom, of virtue, of Buddhahood. The deeds of sorcerers and miracle-mongers are frauds, but what is more wonderous, more mysterious, more miraculous than Amitabha?" 10 "But, Master," continued the savaka, "is the promise of the happy region vain talk and a myth?" 11 "What is this promise?" asked the Buddha; and the disciple replied: 12 "There is in the west a paradise called the Pure Land, exquisitely adorned with gold and silver and precious gems. There are pure waters with golden sands, surrounded by pleasant walks and covered with large lotus flowers. Joyous music is heard, and flowers rain down three times a day. There are singing birds whose harmonious notes proclaim the praises of religion, and in the minds of those who listen to their sweet sounds, remembrance arises of the Buddha, the law, and the brotherhood. No evil birth is possible there, and even the name of hell is unknown. He who fervently and with a pious mind repeats the words 'Amitabha Buddha' will be transported to the happy region of this pure land, and when death draws nigh, the Buddha, with a company of saintly followers, will stand before him, and there will be perfect tranquillity." 13 "In truth," said the Buddha, "there is such a happy paradise. But the country is spiritual and it is accessible only to those that are spiritual. Thou sayest it lies in the west. This means, look for it where he who enlightens the world resides. The sun sinks down and leaves us in utter darkness, the shades of night steal over us, and Mara, the evil one, buries our bodies in the grave. Sunset is nevertheless no extinction, there is boundless light and inexhaustible life." 14 "I understand," said the savaka, "that the story of the Western Paradise is not literally true." 15 "Thy description of paradise," the Buddha continues, "is beautiful; yet it is insufficient and does little justice to the glory of the pure land. The worldly can speak of it in a worldly way only; they use worldly similes and worldly words. But the pure land in which the pure live is more beautiful than thou canst say or imagine. 16 "However, the repetition of the name Amitabha Buddha is meritorious only if thou speak it with such a devout attitude of mind as will cleanse thy heart and attune thy will to do works of righteousness. He can only reach the happy land whose soul is filled with the infinite light of truth. He only can live and breathe in the spiritual atmosphere of the Western Paradise who has attained enlightenment. 17 "Verily I say unto thee, the Tathagata lives in the pure land of eternal bliss even now while he is still in the body; and the Tathagata preaches the law of religion unto thee and unto the whole world, so that thou and thy brehtren may attain the same peace and the same happiness." 18 Said the disciple: "Teach me, O Lord, the meditations to which I must devote myself in order to let my mind enter into the paradise of the pure land." 19 Buddha said: "There are five meditations. 20 "The first meditation is the meditation of love in which thou must so adjust thy heart that thou longest for the weal and welfare of all beings including the happiness of thine enemies. 21 "The second meditation is the meditation of pity, in which thou thinkest of all beings in distress, vividly representing in thine imagination their sorrows and anxieties so as to arouse a deep compassion for them in thy soul. 22 "The the third meditation is the meditation of joy in which thou thinkest of the prosperity of others and rejoicest with their rejoicings. 23 "The fourth meditation is the meditation on purity, in which thou considerest the evil consequences of corruption, the effects of wrongs and evils. How trivial is often the pleasure of the momemt and how fatal are its consequences! 24 "The fifth meditation is the meditation on serenity, in which thou risest above love and hate, tyranny and thraldom, wealth and want, and regardest thine own fate with impartial calmness and perfect tranquillity. 25 "A true follower of the Tathagata founds not his trust upon austerities or rituals but giving up the idea of self relies with his whole heart upon Amitabha, which is the unbounded light of truth." 26 The Blessed One after having explained his doctrine of Amitabha, the immeasurable light which makes him who receives it a Buddha, looked into the heart of his disciple and saw still some doubts and anxieties. And the Blessed One said: "Ask me, thy son, the questions which weigh upon thy soul." 27 And the disciple said: "Can a humble monk, by sanctifying himself, acquire the talents and supernatural wisdom called Abhinnyas and the supernatural powers called Iddhi? Show me the Iddhi-pada, the path to the highest wisdom? Open to me the Jhanas which are the means of acquiring samadhi, the fixity of mind which enraptures the soul." 28 And the Blessed One said: "Which are the Abhinnyas?" 29 The disciple replied: "There are six Abhinnyas: (1) The celestial eye; (2) the celestial ear; (3) the body at will or the power of transformation; (4) the knowledge of the destiny of former dwellings, so as to know former states of existence; (5) the faculty of reading the thoughts of others; and (6) the knowledge of comprehending the finality of the stream of life." 30 And the Blessed One replied: "These are wondrous things; but verily, every man can attain them. Consider the abilities of thine own mind; thou wert born about two hundred leagues from here and canst thou not in thy thought, in an instant travel to thy native place and remember the details of thy father's home? Seest thou not with thy mind's eye the roots of the tree which is shaken by the wind without being overthrown? Does not the collector of herbs see in his mental vision, whenever he pleases, any plant with its roots, its stems, its fruits, leaves, and even the uses to which it can be applied? Cannot the man who understands languages recall to his mind any word whenever he pleases, knowing its exact meaning and import? How much more does the Tathagata understand the nature of things; he looks into the hearts of men and reads their thoughts. He knows the evolution of beings and forsees their ends." 31 Said the disciple: "Then the Tathagata teaches that man can attain through the Jhanas the bliss of Abhinnya." 32 And the Blessed One asked in reply: "Which are the Jhanas through which man reaches Abhinnya?" 33 The disciple replied: "There are four Jhanas. The first Jhana is seclusion in which one must free his mind from sensuality; the second Jhana is a tranquillity of mind full of joy and gladness; the third Jhana is a taking delight in things spiritual; the fourth Jhana is a state of perfect purity and peace in which the mind is above all gladness and grief." 34 "Good, my son," enjoined the Blessed One: "Be sober and abandon wrong practices which serve only to stultify the mind." 35 Said the disciple: "Forbear with me, O Blessed One, for I have faith without understanding and I am seeking the truth. O Blessed One, O Tathagata, my Lord and Master, teach me the Iddhipada." 36 The Blessed One said: "There are four means by which Iddhi is acquired: (1) Prevent bad qualities from arising. (2) Put away bad qualities which have arisen. (3) Produce goodness that does not yet exist. (4) Increase goodness which already exists. - Search with sincerity, and persevere in the search. In the end thou wilt find the truth." 37 LXI. THE TEACHER UNKNOWN And the Blessed One said to Ananda: 1 "There are various kinds of assemblies, O Ananda; assemblies of nobles, of Brahmans, of householders, of bhikkhus and of other beings. When I used to enter an assembly, I always became, before I seated myself, in colour like unto the colour of my audience and in voice like unto their voice. I spoke unto them in their language and then with religious discourse, I instructed, quickened, and gladdened them. 2 My doctrine is like the ocean, having the same eight wonderful qualities. 3 "Both the ocean and my doctrine become gradually deeper. Both preserve their identity under all changes. Both cast out dead bodies upon the dry land. As the great rivers, when falling into the main, lose their names and are thenceforth reckoned as the great ocean, so all the castes, having renounced their lineage and entered the Sangha, become brethren and are reckoned the sons of Sakyamuni. The ocean is the goal of all streams and of the rain from the clouds, yet it is never overflowing and never emptied: so the Dharma is embraced by millions of people, yet it neither increases nor decreases. As the great ocean has only one taste, the taste of salt, so my doctrine has only one flavour, the flavour of emancipation. Both the ocean and the Dharma are full of gems and pearls and jewels, and both afford a dwelling-place for mighty beings. 4 "These are the eight wonderful qualities in which my doctrine resembles the ocean. 5 "My doctrine is pure and it makes no discrimination between noble and ignoble, rich and poor. 6 "My doctrine is like unto water which cleanses all without distinction. 7 "My doctrine is like unto fire which consumes all things that exist between heaven and earth, great and small. 8 "My doctrine is like unto the heavens, for there is room in it ample room for the reception of all, for men and women, boys and girls, the powerful and the lowly. 9 "But when I spoke, they knew me not and would say, 'Who may this be who thus speaks, a man or a god?' Then having instructed, quickened, and gladdened them with religious discourse, I would vanish away. But they knew me not, even when I vanished away." 10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PREFACE end of file