Translated by Upasaka Chu Chan (John Blofeld)
Key'ed in from hardcopy by TY with permission from publisher
(Yan Boon Remembrance Commitee in Hong Kong)
Note: [] indicates comments by TY
THE SUTRA OF FORTY-TWO SECTIONS SPOKEN BY THE BUDDHA
Jointly translated in the Later Han Dynasty by the monks Kasyapa Matanga and Gobharana from Central India.
When the World Honored had become Enlightened, he reflected thus: "To abandon desire and rest in perfect quietude is the greatest of victories. To remain in a state of complete abstraction is to overcome the ways of all the evil ones." In the Royal Deer Park, he expounded the Doctrine of the Four Noble Truths, converting Kaundinya and four others, and thus manifesting the fruit of the Way. There were frequently monks who voiced their doubts and asked the Buddha to resolve them, so the World Honored taught and commanded them, until, one by one, they became Enlightened and, bringing their hands together in respectful agreement, prepared to follow the sacred commands.
1. The Buddha said: "Those who, taking leave of their families and adopting the homeless life, know the nature of their minds and reach to what is fundamental, thus breaking away (from the phenomenal and attaining to) the unphenomenal, are called Sramanas. They constantly observe the two hundred and fifty precepts, entering into and abiding in perfect quietude. By working their way through the four stages of progress, they become Arhans, who possess the powers of levitation and transformation, as well as the ability to prolong their lives for many aeons and to reside or move about anywhere in heaven or earth. Below them come the Anagamins, who at the end of a long life, ascend in spirit to the nineteen heavens and become Arhats. Then come the Sakridagamins who must ascend one step and be reborn once more before becoming Arhans. There are also the Srota-apanas who cannot become Arhans until they have passed through nine more rounds of birth and death [original Chinese text states seven, not nine]. One who has put an end to his longings and desires is like a man who, having no further use for his limbs (literal: having cut off his limbs), never uses them again."
2. The Sramana who, having left home, puts an end to his desires and drives away his longings, knowing the source of his own mind, penetrates to the profound principles of Buddhahood. He awakes to the non-phenomenal, clinging to nothing within and seeking for nothing from without. His mind is not shackled with dogmas, nor is he enmeshed by karma. Pondering nothing and doing nothing, practising nothing and manifesting nothing, without passing through all the successive stages, he (nevertheless) reaches the loftiest of all. This is what is meant by "The Way".
3. The Buddha said: "He who has shorn his locks and beard to become a Sramana and has accepted the Doctrine of the Way, abandons everything of worldly value and is satisfied by the food he obtained by begging, eating but once a day. If there is a tree under which to rest, he desires nothing else. Longings and desires are what make men stupid and darken their minds.
4. The Buddha said: "There are ten things by which beings do good and ten by which they do evil. What are they? Three are performed with the body, four with the mouth, and three with the mind. The (evils) performed with the body are killing, stealing and unchaste deeds; those with the mouth are duplicity, slandering, lying, and idle talk; those with the mind are covetousness, anger, and foolishness. These ten are not in keeping with the holy Way and are called the ten evil practices. Putting a stop to all of them is called performing the ten virtuous practices."
5. The Buddha said: "If a man has all kinds of faults and does not regret them, in the space of a single heartbeat retribution will suddenly fall upon him and, as water returning to the sea, will gradually become deeper and wider. (But), if a man has faults and, becoming aware of them, changes for the better, retribution will melt away into nothingness of its own accord, as the danger of a fever gradually abates once perspiration has set in.
6. The Buddha said: "If an evil man, on hearing of what is good, comes and creates a disturbance, you should hold your peace. You must not angrily unbraid him; then he who has come to curse you will merely harm himself."
7. The Buddha said: "There was one who heard that I uphold the Way and practise great benevolence and compassion. On this account, he came to sold me, but I remained silent and did not retort. When he had finished scolding me, I said: "Sir, if you treat another with courtesy and he does not accept it, does not the courtesy and he does not accept it, does not the courtesy rebound to you?" He replied that it does and I continued: 'Now you have just cursed me and I did not accept your curses, so the evil which you yourself did has now returned and fallen upon you. For a sound accords with the noise that produced it and the reflection accords with the form. In the end there will be no escape, so take care lest you do what is evil."
8. The Buddha said: "An evil man may wish to injure the Virtuous Ones and, raising his head, spit towards heaven, but the spittle, far from reaching heaven, will return and descend upon himself. An unruly wind may raise the dust, but the dust does not go elsewhere; it remains to contaminate the wind. Virtue cannot be destroyed, while evil inevitably destroys itself."
9. The Buddha said: "Listen avidly to and cherish the Way. The Way will certainly be hard to reach. Maintain your desire to accept it humbly, for the Way is mighty indeed."
10. The Buddha said: "Observe those who bestow (knowledge of) the Way. To help them is a great joy and many blessings can thus be obtained." A Sramana asked: "Is there any limit to such blessings?" The Buddha replied: "They are like the fire of a torch from which hundreds and thousands of people light their own torches. The (resulting) light eats up the darkness and that torch is the origin of it all. Such is the nature of those blessings."
11. The Buddha said: "To bestow food on a hundred bad men is not equal to bestowing food on one good one. Bestowing food on a thousand good men is not equal to bestowing food on one who observes the five precepts. Bestowing food on ten thousand who observe the five precepts is not equal to bestowing food on one Srota-apana. Bestowing food on a million Srota-apanas is not equal to bestowing food on one Sakrdagamin. Bestowing food on ten million Sakrdagamins is not equal to bestowing food on one Anagamin. Bestowing food on a hundred million Anagamins is not equal to bestowing food on one Arhan. Bestowing food on a thousand million Arhans is not equal to bestowing food on one Pratyeka Buddha. Bestowing food on ten thousand million Pratyeka Buddhas is not equal to bestowing food on one of the Buddhas of the Triple World. Bestowing food on a hundred thousand million Buddhas of the Triple World is not equal to bestowing food on one who ponders nothing, does nothing, practices nothing, and manifest nothing."
12. The Buddha said: "There are twenty things which are hard for human beings: "It is hard to practice charity when one is poor. "It is hard to study the Way when occupying a position of great authority. "It is hard to surrender life at the approach of inevitable death. "It is hard to get an opportunity of reading the sutras "It is hard to be born directly into Buddhist surroundings "It is hard to bear lust and desire (without yielding to them). "It is hard to see something attractive without desiring it. "It is hard to hard to bear insult without making an angry reply. "It is hard to have power and not to pay regard to it. "It is hard to come into contact with things and yet remain unaffected by them "It is hard to study widely and investigate everything thoroughly. "It is hard to overcome selfishness and sloth. "It is hard to avoid making light of not having studied (the Way) enough. "It is hard to keep the mind evenly balanced. "It is hard to refrain from defining things as being something or not being something. "It is hard to come into contact with clear perception (of the Way). "It is hard to perceive one's own nature and (through such perception) to study the Way. "It is hard to help others towards Enlightenment according to their various deeds. "It is hard to see the end (of the Way) without being moved. "It is hard to discard successfully (the shackles that bind us to the wheel of life and death) as opportunities present themselves.
13. A Sramana asked the Buddha: "By what method can we attain the knowledge of how to put a stop to life (in the phenomental sphere) and come in contact with the Way?" The Buddha answered: "By purifying the mind preserving the will (to struggle onwards) you can come in contact with the Way just as, when a mirror is wiped, the dust falls off and the brightness remains. By eliminating desires and seeking for nothing (else) you should be able to put a stop to life (in the phenomenal sphere)".
14. A Sramana asked the Buddha: "What is goodness and what is greatness?" The Buddha replied: "To follow the Way and hold to what is true is good. When the will is in conformity with the Way, that is greatness."
15. A Sramana asked the Buddha: "What is great power and what is the acme of brilliance?" The Buddha answered: "To be able to bear insult (without retort) implies great power. He that does not cherish cause for resentment, but remains calm and firm equally (under all circumstances), and who bears all things without indulging in abuse will certainly be honored by men. The acme of brilliance is reached when the mind is utterly purged of impurities and nothing false or foul remains (to besmirch) its purity. When there is nothing, from before the formation of heaven and earth until now or in any of the ten quarters of the universe which you have not seen, heard and understood; when you have attained to a knowledge of everything, that may be called brilliance."
16. Men who cherish longings and desires are those who have not perceived the Way. Just as, if clear water be stirred up with the hand, none of those looking into it will perceive their reflections, so men, in whose minds filth has been stirred up by longings and desires will not perceive the Way. You Sramanas must abandon longings and desires. When the filth of longing and desires has been entirely cleared away, then only will you be able to perceive the Way."
17. The Buddha said: "With those who have perceived the Way, it is thus. Just as, when one enters a dark house with a torch, the darkness is dissipated and only light remains, so, by studing the Way and perceiving the truth, ignorance is dissipated and insight remains forever."
18. The Buddha said: "My Doctrine implies thinking of that which is beyond thought, performing that which is beyond performance, speaking of that which is beyond words and practising that which is beyond practice. Those who can come up to this, progress, while the stupid regress. The way which can be express in words stops short; there is nothing which can be grasped. If you are wrong by so much as the thousandth part of a hair, you will lose (the Way) in a flash."
19. The Buddha said: "Regard heaven and earth and consider their impermanence. Regard the world and consider its impermanence. Regard the spiritual awakening as Bodhi. This sort of knowledge leads to speedy Enlightenment."
20. The Buddha said: "You should ponder on the fact that, though each of the four elements of which the body is made up has a name, none of them (constitute any part of) the real self. In fact, the self is non-existant, like a mirage."
21. The Buddha said: "There are people who, following the dictates of their feelings and desires, seek to make a name or themselves, but, by the time that name resounds, they are already dead. Those who hunger for a name that shall long be remembered in the world and who do not study the Way strive vainly and struggle for empty forms. Just as burning incese, though others perceive its pleasant smell, is itself being burnt up, so (desires) bring the danger of fire which can burn up your bodies in their train.
22. The Buddha said: "Wealth and beauty, to a man who will not relinquish them, are like a knife covered with honey which, even before he has had the pleasure of eating the honey, cuts the tongue of the child that licks it."
23. The Buddha said: "People who are tied to their wives, children, and homes are worse off than prisoners. A prisoner will be released sooner or later, but wives and children have no thought of betaking themselves off. Why fear to rid yourselves immediately of the longing for physical beauty? (Otherwise,) you are tamely submitting to the jaws of a tiger and deliberately allowing yourselves to drown in the quicksand into which you have fallen, thus meriting the name of 'simple fellows'. If you can reach the point (of abandoning such things), you will rise from the dust and become Arhans.
24. The Buddha said: "Of all longings and desires, there is none stronger than sex. Sex as a desire has no equal. Rely on the (universal) Oneness. No one under heaven is able to become a follower of the Way if he accepts dualism.
25. The Buddha said: "Those who (permit themselves) longings and desires are like a man who walks in the teeth of the wind carrying a torch. Inevitably, his hands will be burnt.
26. The gods bestowed the jade girl upon me, hoping to shake my determination. I said, 'O skin bag, full of every kind of filth! For what have you come here? Go! I do not need you.' Then the gods payed me profound reverence and, as they asked me to expound the Way, I enlightened them and they became Srota-apanas as a result."
27. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like a piece of wood in the water, which floats along, touching neither bank, and which is neither picked up by men, intercepted by the gods, hindered by floating scum, nor rots upon the way. I am prepared to undertake that such a piece of wood will certainly reach the sea. If those who study the Way are not misled by their feelings and desires, not disburbed by any sort of depravity, and, if they earnestly advance towards the unphenomenal, I am prepared to undertake that they will certainly attain to the Way."
28. The Buddha said: "Be careful not to depend on your own intelligence– it is not to be trusted. Take care not to come in contact with physical attractions– such contacts result in calamities. Only when you have reached the stage of Arhan can you depend on your own intelligence."
29. The Buddha said: "Take care to avoid looking on the beauty of women and do not converse with them. If you do (have occasion to) converse with them, control the thoughts which run through your minds. When I was a Sramana and came in contact with the impure world, I was like the lotus which remains unsullied by the mud (from which it grows). Think of old women as of you mothers, of those older than yourselves as of your elder sisters, of those younger than yourselves as of your younger sisters, and of very young ones as your daughters. Dwell on thoughts of Enlightenment and banish all evil ones."
30. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like straw which must be perserved from fire. A follower of the Way who experience desire must put a distance between himself and (object of his) desire."
31. The Buddha said: "There was one who indulged his sexual passions unceasingly but who wished, of his own accord, to put an end to his evil actions, I said to him: "To put a stop to these evil actions will not be so good as to put a stop to (the root of the evil) in your mind. The mind is like Kung Ts'ao. If Kung Ts'ao desists, his followers will stop also. If mental depravities continues, what is the use of putting an end to evil actions?' I then repeated this verse for him: 'Desire springs from your thoughts. Thought springs from discernment (of matter). When the two minds are both stilled, there is neither form nor action.' I added that this verse was first spoken by Kasyapa Buddha".
32. The Buddha said: "The sorrows of men comes from their longings and desires. Fear comes from these sorrows. If freedom from desire is attained, what (cause for) grief and fear will remain?
33. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like one who has to fight ten thousand and who, putting on his armor, steps out of the gate. His toughts may be timorous and his resolution weak, or he may (even) get halfway to the battle-ground and then turn around and flee. Again, he may join battle and be slain. On the other hand, he may gain the victory and return. The Sramana who studies the Way must have a resolute mind and zealously build up his courage, fearing nothing that lies before him and destroying all demons (of temptation that stand in his way), that he may obtain the fruit (of diligently studing) the Way."
34. One night, a Sramana was intoning "The Sutra of Teachings Bequeathed by Kasyapa Buddha." The sound of his voice was mournful, for he though repentantly of his back-slidings, born of desire. The Buddha asked him: "What did you do before you became a monk?" "I used to like playing the lute," he replied. "What happened," said the Buddha, "when you loosened the strings?" "They made no sound." "And when you pulled them taut?" "The sounds were brief." "And how was it when they were neither taut nor loose?" "Then all the sounds were normal" replied the Sraman. To this the Buddha said, "It is the same with a Sraman studing the Way. If his mind is properly adjusted, he can attain to it, but if he forces himself towards it, his mind will become weary and, on account of the weariness of his mind, his thoughts will become irritable. With such irritable thoughts, his actions will retrogress and, with such retrogression, evil will enter his mind. But if he studies quietly and happily, he will not lose the Way."
35. The Buddha said: "If a man smelts iron until all impurities have been eliminated (before proceeding to) make implements with it, the implements will be of fine quality. If one who studies the Way first purges his heart of all foul influences, his actions will then become pure."
36. The Buddha said: "It is hard for one to leave the grosser forms of incarnation and be born a human being. "It is hard for such a one to escape being a woman and be born a man. "It is hard for such a one to be born with all his organs in perfect condition. "It is hard for such a one to be born in China. "It is hard for such a one to be born directly into Buddhist surroundings. "It is hard for such a one to come in contact with the Way. "It is hard for such a one to cultivate faith in his mind. "It is hard for such a one to attain to the Bodhi-heart. "it is hard for such a one to attain to (the state where) nothing is practised and nothing manifested."
37. The Buddha said: "A desciple living thousands of miles away from me will, if he constantly cherishes and ponders on my precepts, attain the fruit (of studying) the Way: but one who is in immediate contact with me, though he sees me constantly, will ultimately fail to do so if he does not follow my precepts."
38. The Buddha said to a Sramana: "How long is the span of a man's life?" "It is but a few days," was the answer. The Buddha said: "You have not understood," and asked another Sramana, who replied: "It is (like) the time taken to eat(a single meal.") To this the Buddha replied in the same way and asked a third: "How long is the span of a man's life?" "It is (like) the time taken by (single) breath," was the reply. "Excellent," said the Buddha, "You understand the Way."
39. The Buddha said: "Those who study the Way of the Buddha should believe and follow all that is said by the Buddha. Just as, when you eat honey (you find that), every drop of it sweet, so it is with my words."
40. The Buddha said: "A Sramana studying the Way should not be as an ox turning the millstone which though it performs the necessary actions with its body, does not concentrate on them with its mind. If the Way is followed in the mind, of what use are actions?"
41. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like an ox bearing a heavy load and walking through deep mud. It feels so weary that it does not dare to look to left or right and, only on emerging from the mud, can it revive itself by resting. A Sramana should regard feelings and desires more seriously than (the ox regards) the mud. Only by controlling his mind and thinking of the Way can he avoid sorrow."
42. The Buddha said: "I look upon the state of kings and princes as upon the dust which blows through a crack. I look upon ornaments of gold and jewels as upon rubble. I look upon garments of finest silk as upon worn- out rags. I look upon a major chiliocosm as upon a small nut. I look upon the Anavatapta as upon oil for smearing the feet. (On the other hand), I look upon expedient methods (leading to the truth) as upon spending heaps of jewels. I look upon the supreme vehicle as upon a dream of abundant wealth. I look upon the Buddha's Way as upon all the splendors which confront the eye. I look upon dhyana meditation as upon the pillar of Mount Sumeru. I look upon Nirvana as upon waking at daybreak from a night's sleep. I look upon heresy erected as upon six dragons dancing. I look upon the universal, impartial attitude (of a Buddha) as upon the Absolute Reality. I look upon conversion (to the Way) as upon the changes undergone by a tree (due to the action of the) four seasons."
THE SUTRA OF FORTY-TWO CHAPTERS 1
HAVING attained Buddhahood, the World-honored One thought thus: "To be free from the passions and to be calm, this is the most excellent Way."
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He was absorbed in Great Meditation, 1 subdued all evil ones, and in Deer Park 2 caused to revolve the Wheel of Dharma, which was the Fourfold Truth, 3 and converted the five Bhikshus, 4 Kaudinya, etc., inducing them to attain Enlightenment. 5
Again, there were other Bhikshus who implored the Buddha to remove their doubts which they had concerning his doctrine. The World-honored One illumined all their minds through his authoritative teachings. The Bhikshus,
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joining their hands and reverentially bowing, followed his august instructions.
(1) The Buddha said: "Those who leave their parents, go out of the home, understand the mind, reach the source, and comprehend the immaterial, are called Çramana. 1
"Those who observe the two hundred and fifty precepts 2 of morality, who are pure and spotless in their behavior, and who exert themselves for the attainment of the four fruits of saintship, 3 are called Arhats.
"The Arhat is able to fly through space and assume different forms; his life is eternal, and there are times when he causes heaven and earth to quake. 4
"Next is the Anâgâmin. 5 At the end of his life, the spirit of the Anâgâmin ascends to the nineteenth heaven and obtains Arhatship.
"Next is the Skridâgâmin. 6 The Skridâgâmin
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ascends to the heavens [after his death], comes back to the earth once more, and then attains Arhatship.
"Next is the Srotaâpanna. 1 The Srotaâpanna dies seven times and is born seven times, when he finally attains Arhatship.
"By the severance of the passions is meant that like the limbs severed they are never again made use of."
(2) The Buddha said: "The homeless Çramana cuts off the passions, frees himself of attachments, understands the source of his own mind, penetrates the deepest doctrine of Buddha, and comprehends the Dharma which is immaterial. He has no prejudice in his heart, he has nothing to hanker after. He is not hampered by the thought of the Way, nor is he entangled in karma. No prejudice, no compulsion, no discipline, no enlightenment, and no going up through the grades, and yet in possession of all honors in itself,--this is called the Way."
(3) The Buddha said: "Those who shaving their heads and faces become Çramanas and who receive instruction in the Way, should surrender all worldly possessions and be contented with whatever they obtain by begging. 2 One meal a day and one lodging under a tree, and neither should be repeated. For what makes one stupid and irrational is attachments and the passions.
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(4) The Buddha said: "There are ten things considered good by all beings, and ten things evil. What are they? Three of them depend upon the body, four upon the mouth, and three upon thought.
"Three evil deeds depending upon the body are: killing, stealing, and committing adultery. The four depending upon the mouth are: slandering, cursing, lying, and flattery. The three depending upon thought are: envy, anger, and infatuation. All these things are against the Holy Way, and therefore they are evil.
"When these evils are not done, there are ten good deeds."
(5) The Buddha said: "If a man who has committed many a misdemeanor does not repent and cleanse his heart of the evil, retribution will come upon his person as sure as the streams run into the ocean which becomes ever deeper and wider.
"If a man who has committed a misdemeanor come to the knowledge of it, reform himself, and practise goodness, the force of retribution will gradually exhaust itself as a disease gradually loses its baneful influence when the patient perspires."
(6) The Buddha said: "When an evil-doer, seeing you practise goodness, comes and maliciously insults you, you should patiently endure it and not feel angry with him, for the evil-doer is insulting himself by trying to insult you."
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(7) The Buddha said: "Once a man came unto me and denounced me on account of my observing the Way and practising great lovingkindness. But I kept silent and did not answer him. The denunciation ceased. I then asked him, If you bring a present to your neighbor and he accepts it not, does the present come back to you?' The man replied, 'It will.' I said, 'You denounce me now, but as I accept it not, you must take the wrong deed back on your own person. It is like echo succeeding sound, it is like shadow following object; you never escape the effect of your own evil deeds. Be therefore mindful, and cease from doing evil.'"
(8) The Buddha said: "Evil-doers who denounce the wise resemble a person who spits against the sky; the spittle will never reach the sky, but comes down on himself. Evil-doers again resemble a man who stirs the dust against the wind; the dust is never raised without doing him injury. Thus, the wise will never be hurt, but the curse is sure to destroy the evil-doers themselves."
(9) The Buddha said: "If you endeavor to embrace the Way through much learning, the Way will not be understood. If you observe the Way with simplicity of heart, great indeed is this Way."
(10) The Buddha said: "Those who rejoice in seeing others observe the Way will obtain great blessing." A Çramana asked the Buddha,
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[paragraph continues] "Would this blessing ever be destroyed?" The Buddha said, "It is like a lighted torch whose flame can be distributed to ever so many other torches which people may bring along; and therewith they will cook food and dispel darkness, while the original torch itself remains burning ever the same It is even so with the bliss of the Way."
(11) The Buddha said: "It is better to feed one good man than to feed one hundred bad men. It is better to feed one who observes the five precepts of Buddha than to feed one thousand good men. It is better to feed one Srotaâpanna than to feed ten thousands of those who observe the five precepts of Buddha. It is better to feed one Skridâgâmin than to feed one million of Srotaâpannas. It is better to feed one Anâgâmin than to feed ten millions of Skridâgâmins. It is better to feed one Arhat than to feed one hundred millions of Anâgâmins. It is better to feed one Pratyekabuddha than to feed one billion of Arhats. It is better to feed one of the Buddhas, either of the present, or of the past, or of the future, than to feed ten billions of Pratyekabuddhas. It is better to feed one who is above knowledge, onesidedness, discipline, and enlightenment than to feed one hundred billions of Buddhas of the past, present, or future." 1
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(12) The Buddha said: "There are twenty difficult things to attain [or to accomplish] in this world: (1) It is difficult for the poor to practise charity; (2) It is difficult for the strong and rich to observe the Way; 1 (3) It is difficult to disregard life and go to certain death; (4) It is only a favored few that get acquainted with a Buddhist sutra; (5) It is by rare opportunity that a person is born in the age of Buddha; (6) It is difficult to conquer the passions, to suppress selfish desires; (7) It is difficult not to hanker after that which is agreeable; (8) It is difficult not to get into a passion when slighted; (9) It is difficult not to abuse one's authority; (10) It is difficult to be even-minded and simple-hearted in all one's dealings with others; (11) It is difficult to be thorough in learning and exhaustive in investigation; (12) It is difficult to subdue selfish pride; (13) It is difficult not to feel contempt toward the unlearned; (14) It is difficult to be one in knowledge and practice; (15) It is difficult not to express an opinion about others; 2 (16) It is by rare opportunity that one
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is introduced to a true spiritual teacher; (17) It is difficult to gain an insight into the nature of being and to practise the Way; (18) It is difficult to follow the steps of a savior; (19) It is difficult to be always the master of oneself; (20) It is difficult to understand thoroughly the Ways of Buddha."
03) A monk asked the Buddha: "Under what conditions is it possible to come to the knowledge of the past and to understand the most supreme Way?" The Buddha said: "Those who are pure in heart and single in purpose are able to understand the most supreme Way. It is like polishing a mirror, which becomes bright when the dust is removed. Remove your passions, and have no hankering, and the past will be revealed unto you."
(14) A monk asked the Buddha: "What is good, and what is great?" The Buddha answered: "Good is to practise the Way and to follow the truth. Great is the heart that is in accord with the Way."
(15) A monk asked the Buddha: "What is most powerful, and what is most illuminating?" The Buddha said: "Meekness is most powerful, for it harbors no evil thoughts, and, moreover, it is restful and full of strength. As it is free from evils, it is sure to be honored by all. 1
"The most illuminating is a mind which is
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thoroughly cleansed of dirt, and which, remaining pure, retains no blemishes. From the time when there was yet no- heaven and earth till the present day, there is nothing in the ten quarters which is not seen, or known, or heard by such a mind, for it has gained all-knowledge, and for that reason it is called 'illuminating."'
(16) The Buddha said: "Those who have passions are never able to perceive the Way; for it is like stirring up clear water with hands; people may come there wishing to find a reflection of their faces, which, however, they will never see. A mind troubled and vexed with the passions is impure, and on that account it never sees the Way. O monks, do away with passions. When the dirt of passion is removed the Way will manifest itself."
(17) The Buddha said: "Seeing the Way is like going into a dark room with a torch; the darkness instantly departs, while the light alone remains. When the Way is attained and the truth is seen, ignorance vanishes and enlightenment abides forever."
(18) The Buddha said: "My doctrine is to think the thought that is unthinkable, to practise the deed that is not-doing, to speak the speech that is inexpressible, and to be trained in the discipline that is beyond discipline. Those who understand this are near, those who are confused are far. The Way is beyond words and expressions, is bound by nothing earthly. Lose
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sight of it to an inch, or miss it for a moment, and we are away from it forevermore."
(19) The Buddha said: "Look up to heaven and down on earth, and they will remind you of their impermanency. Look about the world, and it will remind you of its impermanency. But when you gain spiritual enlightenment, you shall then find wisdom. The knowledge thus attained leads you anon to the Way."
(20) The Buddha said: "You should think of the four elements 1 of which the body is composed. Each of them has its own name, and there is no such thing there known as ego. As there is really no ego, it is like unto a mirage." 2
(21) The Buddha said: "Moved by their selfish desires, people seek after fame and glory. But when they have acquired it, they are already stricken in years. If you hanker after worldly fame and practise not the Way, your labors are wrongfully applied and your energy is wasted. It is like unto burning an incense stick. However much its pleasing odor be admired, the fire that consumes is steadily burning up the stick."
(22) The Buddha said: "People cleave to their worldly possessions and selfish passions so
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blindly as to sacrifice their own lives for them. They are like a child who tries to eat a little, honey smeared on the edge of a knife. The amount is by no means sufficient to appease his appetite, but he runs the risk of wounding his tongue."
(23) The Buddha said: "Men are tied up to their families and possessions more helplessly than in a prison. There is an occasion for the prisoner to be released, but householders entertain no desire to be relieved from the ties of family. When a man's passion is aroused nothing prevents him from ruining himself. Even into the maws of a tiger will he jump. Those who are thus drowned in the filth of passion are called the ignorant. Those who are able to overcome it are saintly Arhats."
(24) The Buddha said: "There is nothing like lust. Lust may be said to be the most powerful passion. Fortunately, we have but one thing which is more powerful. If the thirst for truth were weaker than passion, how many of us in the world would be able to follow the way of righteous?"
(25) The Buddha. said: "Men who are addicted to the passions are like the torch-carrier running against the wind; his hands are sure to be burned."
(26) The Lord of Heaven offered a beautiful fairy to the Buddha, desiring to tempt him to the evil path, But the Buddha said, "Be gone.
p. 15
[paragraph continues] What use have I for the leather bag filled with filth which you have brought to me?" Then, the god reverently bowed and asked the Buddha about the essence of the Way, in which having been instructed by the Buddha, it is said, he attained the Srotaâpanna-fruit.
(2 7) The Buddha said: "Those who are following the Way should behave like a piece of timber which is drifting along a stream. If the log is neither held by the banks, nor seized by men, nor obstructed by the gods, nor kept in the whirlpool, nor itself goes to decay, I assure you that this log will finally reach the ocean. If monks walking on the Way are neither tempted by the passions, nor led astray by some evil influences, but steadily pursue their course for Nirvâna, I assure you that these monks will finally attain enlightenment."
(28) The Buddha said: "Rely not upon your own will. Your own will is not trustworthy. Guard yourselves against sensualism, for it surely leads to the path of evil. Your own will becomes trustworthy only when you have attained Arhatship."
(29) The Buddha said: "O monks, you should not see women. 1 [If you should have to see them], refrain from talking to them. [If you should have to talk], you should reflect in a right spirit: 'I am now a homeless mendicant. In the world of sin, I must behave myself like unto
p. 16
the lotus flower whose purity is not defiled by the mud. Old ones I will treat as my mother; elderly ones as elder sisters; younger ones as younger sisters; and little ones as daughters.' And in all this you should harbor no evil thoughts, but think of salvation."
(30) The Buddha said: "Those who walk in the Way should avoid sensualism as those who carry hay would avoid coming near the fire."
(31) The Buddha said: "There was once a man who, being in despair over his inability to control his passions, wished to mutilate himself. 1 The Buddha said to him: 'Better destroy your own evil thoughts than do harm to your own person. The mind is lord. When the lord himself is calmed the servants will of themselves be yielding. If your mind is not cleansed of evil passions, what avails it to mutilate yourself?"' Thereupon, the Buddha recited the gâthâ,
"Passions grow from the will, The will grows from thought and imagination: When both are calmed, There is neither sensualism nor transmigration."
The Buddha said, this gâthâ was taught before by Kâshyapabuddha.
(32) The Buddha said: "From the passions arise worry, and from worry arises fear. Away with the passions, and no fear, no worry."
(33) The Buddha said: Those who follow
p. 17
the Way are like unto warriors who fight single-handed with a multitude of foes. They may all go out of the fort in full armor; but among them are some who are faint-hearted, and some who go halfway and beat a retreat, and some who are killed in the affray, and some who come home victorious. O monks, if you desire to attain enlightenment, you should steadily walk in your Way, with a resolute heart, with courage, and should be fearless in whatever environment you may happen to be, and destroy every evil influence that you may come across; for thus you shall reach the goal."
(34) One night a monk was reciting a sutra bequeathed by Kâshyapabuddha. His tone was so mournful, and his voice so fainting, as if he were going out of existence. The Buddha asked the monk, "What was your occupation before you became a homeless monk? "Said the monk, "I was very fond of playing the guitar." The Buddha said, "How did you find it when the strings were too loose?" Said the monk, "No sound is possible." "How when the strings were too tight?" "They crack." "How when they were neither too tight nor too loose?" "Every note sounds in its proper tone." The Buddha then said to the monk, "Religious discipline is also like unto playing the guitar. When the mind is properly adjusted and quietly applied, the Way is attainable; but when you are too fervently bent on it, your body grows tired; and
p. 18
when your body is tired, your spirit becomes weary; when your spirit is weary, your discipline will relax; and with the relaxation of discipline there follows many an evil. Therefore, be calm and pure, and the Way will be gained."
(35) The Buddha said: "When a man makes utensils out of a metal which has been thoroughly cleansed of dross, the utensils will be excellent. You monks, who wish to follow the Way, make your own hearts clean from the dirt of evil passion, and your conduct will be unimpeachable."
(36) The Buddha said: "Even if one escapes from the evil creations, it is one's rare fortune to be born as a human being. Even if one be born as human, it is one's rare fortune to be born as a man and not a woman. 1 Even if one be born a man, it is one's rare fortune to be perfect in all the six senses. Even if he be perfect in all the six senses, it is his rare fortune to be born in the middle kingdom. Even if he be born in the middle kingdom, it is his rare fortune to be born in the time of a Buddha. Even if he be born in the time of a Buddha, it is his rare fortune to see the enlightened. Even if he be able to see the enlightened, it is his rare fortune to have his heart awakened in faith. Even if he have faith, it is his rare fortune to awaken the heart of intelligence. Even if he awakens the heart of intelligence, it is his rare fortune to
p. 19
realize a spiritual state which is above discipline and attainment."
(37) The Buddha said: "O children of Buddha! You are away from me ever so many thousand miles, but if you remember and think of my precepts, you shall surely gain the fruit of enlightenment. You may, standing by my side, see me alway, but if you observe not my precepts, you shall never gain enlightenment."
(38) The Buddha asked a monk, "How do you measure the length of a man's life?" The monk answered, "By days." The Buddha said, "You do not understand the Way."
The Buddha asked another monk, "How do you measure the length of a man's life?" The answered, "By the time that passes during a meal." The Buddha said, "You do not understand the way."
The Buddha asked a third monk, "How do you measure the length of a man's life?" The monk answered, "By the breath." The Buddha said, "Very well, you know the Way."
(39) The Buddha said, "Those who study the doctrine of the Buddhas will do well to believe and observe all that is taught by them. It is like unto honey; it is sweet within, it is sweet without, it is sweet throughout; so is the Buddhas' teaching."
(40) The Buddha said: "O monks, you must not walk on the Way as the ox that is attached to the wheel. His body moves, but his heart is
p. 20
not willing. But when your hearts are in accord with the Way, there is no need of troubling yourselves about your outward demeanor."
(41) The Buddha said: "Those who practise the Way might well follow the example of an ox that marches through the deep mire carrying a heavy load. He is tired, but his steady gaze, looking forward, will never relax until he come out of the mire, and it is only then that he takes a respite. O monks, remember that passions and sins are more than the filthy mire, and that you can escape misery only by earnestly and steadily thinking of the Way."
(42) The Buddha said: "I consider the dignities of kings and lords as a particle of dust that floats in the sunbeam. I consider the treasure of precious metals and stones as bricks and pebbles. I consider the gaudy dress of silks and brocades as a worn-out rag. I consider this universe as small as the holila (?) fruit. I consider the lake of Anavatapta as a drop of oil with which one smears the feet. I consider the various methods of salvation taught by the Buddhas as a treasure created by the imagination. I consider the transcendental doctrine of Buddhism as precious metal or priceless fabric seen in a dream. I consider the teaching of Buddhas as a flower before my eyes. I consider the practice of Dhyâna as a pillar supporting the Mount Sumeru. I consider Nirvâna as awakening from a day dream or nightmare. I consider the struggle
p. 21
between heterodox and orthodox as the antics of the six [mythical] dragons. I consider the doctrine of sameness as the absolute ground of reality. I consider all the religious works done for universal salvation as like the plants in the four seasons." Footnotes
3:1 This is the first Buddhist literature ever translated into the Chinese language. It was brought into China by the first missionaries from Central India, A. D. 67, who were specially invited by the Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty. Though some authorities think that the sutra existed in Sanskrit in the present Chinese form, the most probable fact is, as maintained by another authority, that the translators extracted all these passages from the different Buddhist canonical books which they brought along for their missionary purposes, and compiled them after the fashion of the Confucian Analects, beginning each chapter with the stereotyped "The Buddha said," which corresponds to the Confucian "The Master said." This was the most natural thing for the first Buddhist workers from India to do in the land of Confucianism.
The sutra, besides being a collection of moral and religious sayings of the Buddha, is interesting to us at least in the following two points: (1) It throws some light on the development which Buddhism made in India from the Parinirvâna of Buddha down to the times of these two translators; and (2) it allows us to see what the first Buddhist propagandists thought best to introduce, as the most essential p. 4 doctrines of their faith, among the people who had hitherto been educated mostly by the Confucians but partly by the Laotzeans.
The first translators did not think it wise to present their doctrine systematically by writing a discourse or a lengthy treatise, as they were wont to do in their native country, nor did they think it advisable to reproduce an entire sutra in the language of their newly adopted country. On the other hand, they culled Buddha's short sayings and dialogues from various sutras, imitating the general style of the Confucian sacred book Lun Yu. They must have thought that Buddhism, which has so many voluminous canonical books and deeply metaphysical treatises, would be best promulgated in China through an anthology, and not through an exact reproduction of the original texts. The present sutra is undoubtedly the result of these considerations, and on this account it must be said to be well suited for popular reading.
4:1 Cf. "The Practice of Dhyâna." (p. 146.)
4:2 "The Story of Deer Park" is told elsewhere. (p. 182.)
4:3 This is explained in the article entitled "The Wheel of the Good Law." (p. 101.)
4:4 Buddhist monks are called Bhikshus, literally "beggars."
4:5 What the Buddhists understand by Enlightenment is explained in the sermons. (See p. 132.)
5:1 Or Çramanera, from the root çram, "to exert oneself," "to make effort."
5:2 This is fully explained in the Vinaya texts in the Sacred Books of the East, Vols. XIII, XVII, XX.
5:3 The Arhats, the Anâgâmins, the Skridâgâmins, the Srotâpannas. These are explained below.
5:4 This and the following three passages seem to be a gloss, incorporated in the text later by a copyist. Arhat, according to the traditional Chinese interpretation, means "one who kills robbers," that is, the robbers of passion and prejudice.
5:5 Anâgâmin means "one who never returns." The nineteenth heaven is called Akanishtha, the highest in the world of form (rûpaloka).
5:6 Skridâgâmin means "one who comes back."
6:1 Srotaâpanna means "one who gets in the stream."
6:2 Cf. Luke, Xii, 33 et seq.
9:1 This seems to be a very sweeping assertion on the part of the Buddha, but the principle remains ever true. The p. 10 fundamental fact of the religious life is purity of heart. If there is a dark corner in your heart, all that you do is hypocrisy. When the Emperor Wu of Liang saw Bodhidharma, he asked the saint, "I have built so many monasteries, I have converted so many souls, I have copied so many sacred sutras; now what does Your Holiness think my merit will be?" To this, Bodhidharma made a curt response, "No merit whatever."
10:1 Cf. Matt. xix, 24.
10:2 Cf. Matt. vii, 1, 2.
11:1 Matt. V, 5
13:1 Earth, water, fire, and air.
13:2 A Japanese poet sings:
"When pulled together And bound, there stands A hut well thatched: But take it apart, And we have the wilderness eternal."
15:1 Matt. v, 28.
16:1 Matt. V, 29 and 30.
18:1 Cf. I Cor. xi, 3, 7, 8, 9.
THE SUTRA OF THE FORTY-TWO SECTIONS
p. 337 JOURNAL
OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.
[Old Series, Volume XIX] [London, Harrison and Sons] [1862] {Scanned and edited by Christopher M. Weimer, March 2002}
ART. XIV.--The Sutra of the Forty-two Sections, from the Chinese.--Translated by the REVEREND S. BEAL.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
THE ordinary account of the introduction of Buddhist books and tracts into China is the following:--
"In the fourth year of the reign of Ming-Ti,[1] of the Han dynasty, the Emperor dreamt that he saw a divine personage, with a body like gold, and six chang[2] in height, his head surrounded with brightness like the sun. Flying towards him, this Being entered his palace.
"Favourably impressed by what he had seen, the Emperor inquired of his ministers what the meaning of the dream might be; on which Fou-i, who was connected with the Board of Astronomical Calculations, replied:--'Your minister has heard that India possesses one who has arrived at perfect wisdom, and who is called Fo (Buddha). It must have been his body flying through space, and having a divine splendour, that was the origin of your dream.' The Emperor on this hastily dispatched the high military officer Tsai-In and the civil officers Wang-Tsiing and Tsin-King,[3] with others, amounting in all to eighteen persons, directing them to proceed to the country of the Tai-yue-chi (Getæ) and to Central India, and diligently seek after the law of Buddha.
"After eleven years, In and the others returned from India, having obtained the picture of Buddha, which King Yau-Chan[4] caused to be made, and also the classic of the Forty-two Sections. They were accompanied also, on their invitation, by the sramanas[5] Ma-Tang and Tchou-Fa-Lan, and so on the thirtieth day of the twelfth month they arrive at Lo-Yang.[6]
[1. A.D. 64.
2. 141 inches; .'. 6 chang = 846 inches, or about 70 feet.
3. Vide Kang-Hi, sub voce.
4. Oudayana, vid. Julian, sub voce.
5. Matáñga, vid. Lalita Vistara, xvii. n.
6. Honan-fou, the eastern capital, built by the first emperor of the East. Han dynasty, A.D. 26.]
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"Then the Emperor began to question Matáñga in this wise:--'When the King of the Law (Buddha-Dhármavadya) was born, why did he not assume his apparitional form in this country?' To which the priest replied, 'The country of Ka-pi-lo[1] is the centre of the Great Chiliocosm. All the Buddhas of the three ages, therefore, were born there, and, moreover, the Devas, Dragons, and Kwai-shin[2] above all things desire that they may be born in that country, and practise the law of Buddha, in order that by its transforming influence they may obtain complete intelligence; for when born in other places no influence of this sort can be exerted, and so the Buddhas never appear elsewhere. But although this is the case, yet the brightness of his doctrine reaches to other parts, so that for a period of 500, nay, of 1,000 years,[3] those without, having holy men (or sages) preaching to them the traditional doctrine of Buddha, may obtain transformation.'
"The Emperor believing this testimony, and approving it, at once ordered a temple to be founded outside the western gate of the city (of Lo-Yang), and called it the Temple of the White Horse, where they reverently placed the image of Buddha for worship; and also he ordered a likeness of Buddha to be set up at the Tsing-leung-toi,[4] or the Southern Palace, as well as over the chief gate of the city (of Lo-) Yang, that both the ministers and people might see and reverence it."
This account may be also found briefly given at the end of the book itself (i.e., of the Forty-two Sections).
It is also alluded to by Abel Rémusat ("Foe-Koue-Ki,"[3] p. 44); by M. Forceaux ("Lalita Vist.," p. xvii. n.), and by M. Huc ("Travels in Tartary," &c., vol. ii., p. 78).We may therefore take for granted that this Sutra of Forty-two Sections, or Divisions, is the first work on the subject translated into Chinese.
This is, indeed, no proof of the absolute age of the work itself, nor of its authenticity; yet, from internal evidence it would seem to be of an earlier date, and not the Sutras known as those of the "Great Vehicle" (Mahayana). Its style is simple, its object to enforce the moral precepts of the Buddhist religion, its method natural and uniform. Yet, as there is no evidence that this work is known in the
[1. Kapilavastu.
2. i.e., restless spirits.
3. Confer {Greek: oi eksw}. Col iv. {Greek: k.t.l}.
4. Called by Rémusat "Tour de la Pureté." Fo-Koue-Ki, p. 44.]
p. 339
southern school of Buddhism, we cannot venture to place it among the earliest productions of that religion; and as in the first section there is a distinct mention of the Two Hundred and Fifty Rules (i.e., of the Pratimoksha), it must be later than that work at any rate. On the whole, considering that it was brought to China A.D. 64, and must have had considerable notoriety in order to have attracted the attention of the mission from the court, we may at any rate assume that it is as old as our era, if not of an earlier date.
The present version was made in the "Sin-chow" year of the Emperor Keën-lung, i.e., A.D. 1721, by a priest (Koue-sse) Chang-Ka, and is the one generally used in China.
THE SUTRA OF THE FORTY-TWO SECTIONS.
At this time, the world-honoured one having perfected reason, considered thus in his mind:--"The banishment of lust (or desire), resulting in a state of perfect rest and quietness, this is the very first and most excellent standing ground, the great means of subduing all the wiles of Mara (or of overcoming all the followers of Mara or the way of Mara)." So now he began to turn the wheel of the law for the purpose of giving deliverance to all men (or all sentient beings) in the midst of the garden of the park of deer (Mrigadava, Jul. sub voce); and (particularly) on account of Chin-ju and his four companions (viz. A.swajit, Bhadrika Mahanama, Da.sabala Kachyaha, and the one mentioned, i.e. Ajuata Kanudenya, vid. Jul. ii. 364, n.) did he turn the wheel of the law of the four great truths (arya satyani, vid. Jul. ii. 443), and so enabled them to arrive at the accomplishment of the paths. It was then that those Bikshus who had any doubts as to what had been spoken, requested Buddha to confirm their faith and confidence in his doctrine; on which the world-honoured one proceeded to instruct and answer them, opening their understanding on every point, as each one stood, with closed hands, in a reverent posture, attentively listening to, and receiving the instruction of their master. At this time the world-honoured one spoke this exact Sutra, containing forty-two sections.
1. "Buddha said: The man who leaves his family, quits his p. 340 house, enters on the study of supreme reason, searches out the deepest principle of his mind to understand the law which adroits of no active exertion,--this man is called a sramana . Such an one, ever practising the 250 rules (the rules for monks contained in the book of the "four divisions"), following in the four paths, aspiring to and attaining a state of perfect rest and purity, completes in himself the condition of a arhat.
2. Buddha said: The arhat is able to fly, to change his appearance, to fix the years of his life, to shake heaven and earth. The successive steps (towards this condition) are: (Anagami), which is the condition that allows a man at the end of his life to mount in soul above the nineteen heavens, and in that region of bliss to attain the condition of arhat; next (is the condition) of (Sakradagami), in which after one birth and death more, a man becomes an arhat: next (is the condition of) srota-apana), in which, after seven births and deaths more, a man may obtain the state of a arhat. These are they who have entirely cut off their passions of love and desire, which like severed branches of the tree are now useless (and dead).
3. Buddha said: The sramana, who has left his family, separated himself from lust, banished his sensual affections, examined the true source of his individual mind, searched out the hidden wisdom of Buddha, understood the unselfish nature of the Buddhist religion, who finds nothing within to obtain, or without to seek after, whose heart is not too much attached to the pursuit of reason (or the accomplishment of the paths), nor yet involved in the web of Karma (i.e.--the cause which is followed by an effect--as the life of a tree by the fruit), in whom there is all absence of all unquiet thought, an absence of all active exertion, an absence of an anxious preparation, an absence of an fixed direction of purpose, who without passing through the successive stages of advance has yet attained the highest personal accomplishment of being --to attain this state is (indeed well) named: "to accomplish reason."
4. Buddha said: He who shaves his head and beard in order to become a sramana and receive the law of Buddha, (must) forego all worldly wealth, and beg a sufficiency of food for his support, eating one meal in the middle of the day, and occupying one abode beneath a tree, and desire nothing more! That which causes a man to become foolish and blind, is nothing more than lust and desire!
5. Buddha said: Living creatures by ten things attain virtue, p. 341 and by ten things become vile; what are these ten things? There are three pertaining to the body, four to the mouth, three to the thoughts; the three pertaining to the body are the slaughter of living creatures, theft, lust; the four belonging to the mouth are double-tongueness, slandering, lying, hypocrisy (or glozy conversation); the three evils of the thought are envy, anger, and wandering thoughts (chi). Disbelief in the three precious ones is the true source of all this evil. But the yan-po-sat (upasamandi) who observes the five rules untiringly, and advances to the ten, he must obtain reason.
6. Buddha said: A man guilty of many crimes, not repenting himself, does but confirm the sinful principle within his heart, and necessitate his return to the world in a bodily form, just as the water returns to the sea. But when he has personally fulfilled, as far as possible in his circumstances, the destruction and relinquishment of evil, understanding the character of sin, avoiding crime, doing what is right,--this man, the power of guilt destroyed, may obtain reason.
7. Buddha said: A man foolishly stating or considering that I do that which is not right, will obtain no other refutation from me but that which proceeds from the exercise of my four qualities of love (?), so the more evil he brings against me, the more good will proceed from me; the influence of this resting on me, the effect of that returning to him. A foolish man once hearing Buddha explaining this doctrine came and blamed him on account of it. Buddha was silent and answered not, pitying the folly of the man which caused him to act thus. At length, when he ceased, Buddha asked, saying, When one man (an inferior) visits another as a matter of politeness, and finds him away from home, what is the expression used to him who pays the visit? They say "chi kwai." [This passage is very difficult, perhaps a better translation would be this: "What is the polite expression to use to an inferior who, in paying a visit or making a present to another, has not observed the rules of propriety? They say 'keep--return' (i.e. do not trouble yourself, allow me to return you your own)."] So now this follower of mine abusing me, I decline also to receive his abuse, and so it will return to himself, a source of misery. For as sound belongs to the drum, and shadow to the substance, so does misery attach itself to the evil doer.
8. Buddha said: A wicked man who abuses the good one, is like one looking upwards and spitting against heaven; his spittle does not soil the heavens, but returns on himself. Or, when the p. 342 wind is contrary, like one who aims dust at another, the dust does but return against him who threw it. You cannot injure the good man, the misery will devolve on yourself.
9. Buddha said: A man who distributes alms from a principle of private affection or violent pity, has not much merit; but he who bestows alms with no private end, but from fealty to the principle of supreme reason, his merit is great indeed! So he who beholds another engaged in almsgiving, and from a principle of reason approves of what he does, and rejoices at it, this man shall also share in the merit of the action itself. It may be asked if the merit of the first is hereby decreased? Buddha (in answer to this) says, Like as many men lighting a fire for cooking rice from one torch, diminish not the light of that one, so is it in this case of merit.
10. Buddha said: To feed a hundred learned men is not equal in point of merit to feeding one virtuous man; feeding a thousand virtuous men is not equal in merit to feeding one man who keeps the five precepts; feeding ten thousand such is not equal in merit to feeding one Sz'-to-hom (Sakradagami); feeding ten million such is not equal to feeding one Oh-na-hom (anagami); the merit of feeding one hundred million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Rahat; the merit of feeding ten thousand million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Pi-chi [Pasé, (Pratyeka)] Buddha; and the merit of feeding one hundred thousand million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Buddha, and learning to pray to Buddha, desiring him to save mankind. The merit of feeding virtuous men is much greater indeed than the matters which occupy the attention of mere worldly wise men; and the matters of heaven and earth, spirits and demons, are not equal in point of importance to the reverence due to parents; our parents are indeed the most divine of all the gods.
11. Buddha said: There are twenty difficult things in the world, viz.: being poor to be charitable; being rich and noble, to learn supreme wisdom; to risk one's life and yet escape death; to gain sight of the Buddhist scriptures; to be born in the age of a Buddha (or, in the world of a Buddha); to repress lust and banish desire; to see an agreeable object and not covet it; having power, not to be supercilious; not to be angry when insulted; to be passive amidst all worldly influences; to understand completely the end of learning; not to despise the ignorant; to eradicate selfishness; to unite virtuous conduct with learning; to observe one's nature, and at the same time pursue the study of supreme reason; having p. 343 attained one's end, not to be moved (by exultation); to explain satisfactorily the nature of final deliverance; to pass through various forms of being to deliver men; to have a heart enlightened and unmoved in action; to avoid positive and disputatious assertions.
12. There was a sramana who asked Buddha "By what influences is supreme reason engendered, and what are its characteristics?" Buddha replied: "Supreme wisdom has no form or qualities; so that to seek a knowledge of it is profitless. If you desire to possess it, guard well your mind (or active powers of will) and conduct. It may be compared to the polishing of a mirror; the dust and dirt disappearing, the brightness of the mirror is at once produced; so it embraces in itself, as it were, the power of beholding that which has form; so separate (yourself) from lust, guard well the passionless (empty) nature of your mind, then you will perceive reason and understand its characteristics."
13. Buddha said: What is active virtue but to practise the dictates of reason? What is morality (or virtue), but the highest agreement of the will with the requirements of reason? What is magnanimity, but the untiring exercise of patience under injury? He who bravely bears injury undeserved is a man indeed! And what is a sage (or the wisdom of a sage) but a man whose heart is enlightened and free from stain, all evil conduct destroyed, calm and pure within, without blemish? To combine a complete knowledge of what was before either heaven or earth existed with what happens to-day, a knowledge of the universe when as yet nothing existed, so that there is nothing unknown, unseen, unheard,--to possess this transcendant knowledge is true enlightenment.
14. Buddha said: A man who cherishes his passions, unable to discern (the beauty of) supreme reason is like (a vase of) impure water in which objects of variegated colours are placed; (such a vase) being shaken up with violence, men coming and looking over the water can perceive none of the objects which ought to be reflected in it. So in the heart lust and passion cause obscurity, so that supreme reason is darkened and hid. But if a man gradually understands and repents of his sins, growing in knowledge, the foul water, losing its obscurity, will become pure, and calm, and clear, reflecting in itself the forms around. So fire placed under a pot, the water in it boiling and bubbling, nothing within it below the surface can be perceived;--so the three moral evils which naturally rage in the heart, causing the five chenk (skandha) to combine with that which is without, in the end p. 344 reason is obscured. It is by the banishment, therefore, of these influences that our spiritual nature is perceived; we leave the trammels of life and death, and ascend up to the land of all the Buddhas, where virtue and reason abide.
15. Buddha said: A man who cultivates supreme reason is like one who takes a burning torch and enters a dark house; the darkness which dwelt within is immediately dissipated, and lo! light ensues! He who still continues the pursuit of wisdom, and fathoms the systems of true philosophy,--his follies and mistakes all destroyed, there must be perfect illumination!
16. Buddha said: In religious exercises, in conduct, in language, even in philosophizing, I never forget (the necessity of founding all on the basis of) supreme reason.
17. Buddha said: To behold heaven and earth, and reflect on their impermanency, so also the mountains and rivers, and all created things, the changes and productions of nature, all fleeting and impermanent; but the heart, relying on this as constant, how quickly reason may be attained!
18. Buddha said: During an entire day to reflect and act according to the dictates of supreme reason, and in the end to obtain the root of firm faith,--this happiness is indeed immeasurable!
19. Buddha said: Never tire of reflecting on that which is yourself! Remember that the four elements composing your body, which are sometimes considered as real existences, are, in fact, all mere names, without personality, and that the so-called "I" is but a passing guest, a thing of a moment; all things around us are only illusions!
20. Buddha said: A man following the dictates of his passions, seeking those so-called sweets of indulgence (flowers), is just like the burning incense, the fragrance of which men may perceive, but the incense itself in those very fumes is self-consumed! So the foolish man, exalting the character of the vulgar enjoyments found in selfish pleasures, and not guarding the treasure of his reason,--the only true source of happiness,--endures both the misery of his past gratification (i.e., of its being passed) and also the bitterness of after repentance!
21. Buddha said: The man who rudely grasps after wealth or pleasure, is like a child seizing a knife (to cut honey),--the sweet delight of the first taste of the honey is scarcely lost before he perceives the pain of his tongue cut with the knife!
22. Buddha said: The man enthralled by the deceitful pleasures of concupiscence (marriage), suffers misery greater than the collars p. 345 and chains which bind the inmates of the infernal regions; for from these pains there is remittance, but the desire for the indulgence of sensual passion (wifeage), though it have the misery of the tiger's mouth, still, by its sweetness of appearance, fascinates the heart. The guilt of such indulgence, how can it be remitted?
23. Buddha said: Of all the passions (lit., lusts and desires) the greatest is love of women. Besides this,--so great is it,--there is no other. Were there two of the same sort, no mortal would be able to attain supreme reason.
24. Buddha said: Passion governing a man is like one seizing a torch and rushing with it alight against the wind. The foolish man who does not drop it must have the pain of a burnt hand. So the poisonous root of covetousness, lust, anger, envy, planted in the body of the foolish man, and not early overpowered by the exercise of reason, must necessarily bring calamity and woe, as the hand of this foolish man who desires to carry the torch is burnt.
25. On a certain occasion a Deva presented a woman of pleasure to Buddha, desiring to tempt him. Buddha thought, I will display the wisdom of Buddha (to this being.) So he said, "For weeds and filth there is a receptacle! What then would you do? Why talk to me of such foolish vulgar things (as sensual desires)? Surely it would be difficult to excite passion in one who has for ever banished the means (tung) by which these things are gratified." The Deva, overpowered with awe, reverently desired Buddha to explain the subject of supreme reason, which doing, he immediately became a Su-to-hun (Sowan).
26. Buddha said: Those who practise the acquirement of supreme reason are like a piece of wood which floats down with the tide of a stream, neither touching the left bank nor the right, not detained by any worldly scheme nor misled by spiritual theories (that which concerns spirits, i.e., hope of attaining the condition of a Deva), nor caught in the whirl of the tide to stop and rot;--I will secure that this man enters the sea! So the man who practises reason, not held by the hallucinations of passion, nor the false notions which distinguish the wicked,--this man progressing and banishing doubt, shall under my protection arrive at supreme wisdom.
27. Buddha said to a sramana: Beware of placing trust in your thoughts, or they in the end will destroy the groundwork of all belief. Beware of mixing yourself up in worldly matters (? shik), for what are these but the cause of all misery? But the Rahat may trust his thoughts.
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28. Buddha thus addressed all the sramanas: Beware of looking on a woman! if you see one, let it be as seeing her not! Beware of words with a woman; but if you speak with one, with pure heart and upright intention say, "I am a sramana, necessarily in this impure world; but let me be as a lotus, which grows pure though in the mud." Is she old? Regard her as your mother. Is she honourable? Consider her as your elder sister. Is she of small account? Consider her as a younger sister. Is she a child? Treat her politely according to the usages of society. Above all, consider in your reasoning that what you see is only the external appearance, within that body what vileness and corruption! So, thinking thus, your evil thoughts will be all banished!
29. Buddha said: A man practising reason, and (wishful to) expel his lusts, ought to behold himself (or them ?) as stubble awaiting the fire which will come at the end of the world (Kalpa). He would then certainly be earnest in removing these desires and lusts.
30. Buddha said: There was a man (or there being a man) who, afflicted with sensual lusts which he could not repress, was sitting on sharp knives in order to destroy the members which ministered to his passion (or in order to eradicate his passions or senses); on which Buddha addressed him thus:--"If you should succeed in removing those lustful members, what is this in comparison with the removal of the (lustful) heart? It is the heart which is the workman (at the bottom of all); if you rightly compose this, then all these evil thoughts will be dissipated. But the heart not composed, what profit can arise from removing the member? What is this but mere bodily death?" Buddha said: So it is the world commonly mistakes on these matters.
31. There was a certain lewd woman who had made an engagement to meet a certain man. When she came not he began to repent himself (of his wickedness), and said: "Lust is but the offspring of my own thought. There being no thought, lust cannot be born." Buddha passing by and hearing this, said to the sramana: "I recollect this as a saying of Kasyapa Buddha, and it now has become common in the world." Buddha said: "Man by lustful desires engenders sorrow; from sorrow springs apprehension (of evil); there being no lust, then there is no sorrow and no apprehension."
32. Buddha said: A man practising reason (aiming at the attainment of supreme reason) may be compared to a single warrior fighting against ten thousand. Whilst other soldiers, armed for the battle, rush from the gate, desirous to fight, he yet fears in p. 347 his exhausted state that victory would be difficult, and so retreats from the field. When half way he returns to the conflict resolved to fight and die. This man, having attained the victory, and returning to his country, will (deservedly) be raised to high rank. So the man who is able to hold to the same mind, and, persevering against all obstacles, advances in his work (or profession), uninfluenced by any worldly follies or enticements, his evil desires destroyed, his wicked acts at an end, he must attain perfect wisdom.
33. There was a sramana who during a night kept reciting his prayers (the Sutra, or book containing the words of Buddha), the sound of his voice piteous, and worn with fatigue, desiring (by so doing) to bring himself to repent of his sinful thoughts (of returning to the world). Buddha addressing the sramana, said: "When you were living in the world as a member of a household, what was your particular pursuit?" He replied: "I was constantly practising the lute." Buddha said: "The strings being slack, what then?" He replied: "There would be no musical sound." "And the strings too tight, what then?" He said: "The sound would be over-sharp." "But if they were tuned to a just medium between the slack and over-tight, what then?" He replied: "All the sounds would be concordant and harmonious." Buddha addressed the sramana: "The way of supreme learning is even so. Only keep your heart in harmony and union, so you will attain perfect knowledge."
34. Buddha said: A man practising the attainment of reason is as the place where (or the mode in which) they found metals, gradually dropping down and separating from the dross; the vessel made from this will be good. The way of wisdom (in like manner, is) by gradually ridding away the corruption of the heart, with earnest perseverance to go on, and thus complete perfect knowledge. If any other way be tried, it is only the cause of weariness to the body, this causes vexation of mind, this transgression in life, and this is only to practise the way of the wicked (or, and this the accumulation of guilt).
35. Buddha said: A man who is aiming to attain supreme reason has many sorrows, like him that is not engaged in this pursuit; for, considering a man's experience from the time of his birth to his old age, from this period to the time of his sickness, and from this to his death,--what countless sorrows does he endure! But the heart laden with regrets, guilt stored up, endless life and death,--these sorrows how difficult to speak of!
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36. Buddha said: For a man to avoid the three evil ways of birth (viz., beast, demon, or in hell), and to be born a human being, is difficult; being so, to be born a man and not a woman, is difficult; being so, to have the six passions all well arranged (? to have perfect mind and body, "mens sana in corpora sano"), is difficult; being so, to be born in the middle country (India ?) is difficult; being so, to attain to the knowledge of Buddha's doctrine is difficult; being so, to become eminent in the knowledge of Buddha is difficult; being so, to be born in the family of a Bosat is difficult; being so, to be born in the age of a Buddha, and heartily to believe in the three precious ones (Buddha, the Law, and the Community) is difficult.
37. Buddha asked all the sramanas, "What is the time of a man's life (or in what does a man's life consist)?" One replied, "(in) a few days (only)." Buddha said, "Son, you are not yet able to attain supreme wisdom." Again he asked a single sramana the same question, who answered, "The time of a meal (or of taking a meal)." Buddha answered, "Son, you are not yet capable of attaining supreme reason." Again he asked the same question of another sramana, who replied, "Man's life is but a breath, a sigh!" Buddha answered, "Well said, son! you are able to speak of attaining supreme wisdom."
38. Buddha said: A disciple removed from me by a distance of several thousand lis, yet thinking on me and keeping my commandments (nim = observing by recollection), must in the end obtain supreme wisdom. Whilst another who dwells with me, and yet allows rebellious thoughts and does wickedly, he shall in the end not attain supreme reason. Truth of profession resides (or is exhibited) in correct conduct. If a man consorting with me does still not conform to my commandments in his conduct, what benefit will ten thousand precepts be to him?
39. Buddha said: A man who is practising the attainment of reason, is like one eating honey, which is sweet throughout. So my Scriptures (Sutras) are likewise sweet: the system advocated in them is altogether a source of pleasure. Those who practise it shall attain supreme knowledge.
40. Buddha said: A man practising the attainment of supreme wisdom, and able to extirpate the root of his lusts and desires, is like one who strikes the suspended gem. (The allusion is either to striking a temple bell, for the assembly or dispersion of the congregation, or it may be to the act of striking or grinding a substance in a mortar, ex. gr.). At every stroke the collection of people, p. 349 (or the compact substance), is broken up (i.e., for the purpose of resorting to worship). So when all a man's wicked desires are broken up and dispersed, he will attain supreme wisdom.
41. Buddha said: All the sramanas who are engaged in the practice of religion ought to regard themselves as oxen carrying loads, and going through the mud; tired with their burdens, they dare not look (or wander) an inch (the least portion) to the right or the left; desiring above all things to get out of the mud, they go straight on, in order that they may obtain some ease and repose themselves. So a sramana, regarding his lusts and passions as more troublesome than that mud, with a steadfast purpose bending his mind to (the attainment of) reason, will be able to avoid all sorrow.
42. Buddha said: I regard kings, princes, as to their dignities, only as patches of dust; gold, jewels, as to their value, only as clay fragments; dresses of silk and sarsnet, only as playthings (? pai-pak); the great chiliocosm as the letter 'a'; the four barren or weedy seas (? nan-shui) only as a miry road (?); the system of complete deliverance, only as a boat for carrying treasure; the highest vehicle (referring, probably, to the Mahayana), only as the gilt sheen of a dream; seeking the wisdom of Buddha only as a flower (which appears in fancy) before the eye; seeking any inferior standing ground, only as (su-ni-chiio ?); seeking Nirvana, as a dead sleep; arriving at rest, as the dancing of the six dragons (?); the state of perfect equanimity, as the one true standing point; the power of endless transformation, as the trees and flowers of the four seasons;--all these things are thus great in comparison only. To hear the law of Buddha is the chief source of joy.