Ch.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE ADVANTAGES OF A RELIGIOUS PREACHER.
The Lord
then addressed the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva
Satatasamitâbhiyukta (i.e. ever and constantly strenuous).
Any one, young man of good family, who shall keep, read,
teach, write this Dharmaparyâya or have it written, let
that person be a young man of good family or a young lady,
shall obtain eight hundred good qualities of the eye,
twelve hundred of the ean, eight hundred of the nose,
twelve hundred of the tongue, eight hundred of the body,
twelve hundred of the mind. By these many hundred good
qualities the whole of the six organs shall be perfect,
thoroughly perfect. By means of the natural, carnal eye
derived from his parents being perfect, he shall see the
whole triple universe, outwardly and inwardly, with its
mountains and woody thickets, down to the great hell Avîki
and up to the extremity of existence. All that he shall see
with his natural eye, as well as the creatures to be found
in it, and he shall know the fruit of their works.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following
stanzas:
1. Hear from me what good qualities shall belong to him who
unhesitatingly and undismayed shall preach this Sûtra to
the congregated assembly.
2. First, then, his eye (or, organ of vision) shall possess
eight hundred good qualities by which it shall be correct,
clear, and untroubled.
With the carnal eye derived from his parents he shall see
the whole world from within and without.
4. He shall see the Meru and Sumeru, all the horizon and
other mountains, as well as the seas.
5. He, the hero, sees all, downward to the Avîki and upward
to the extremity of existence. Such is his carnal eye.
6. But he has not yet got the divine eye, it having not yet
been produced in him; such as here described is the range
of his carnal eye.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the young man of good family
or the young lady who proclaims this Dharmaparyâya and
preaches it to others, is possessed of the twelve hundred
good qualities of the ear. The various sounds that are
uttered in the triple universe, downward to the great hell
Avîki and upward to the extremity of existence, within and
without, such as the sounds of horses, elephants, cows,
peasants, goats. cars; the sounds of weeping and wailing;
of horror, of conch-trumpets, bells, tymbals; of playing
and singing; of camels, of tigers; of women, men, boys,
girls; of righteousness (piety) and unrighteousness
(impiety); of pleasure and pain; of ignorant men and âryas;
pleasant and unpleasant sounds; sounds of gods, Nâgas,
goblins, Gandharvas, demons, Garudas, Kinnaras, great
serpents, men, and beings not human; of monks, disciples,
Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tathâgatas; as many
sounds as are uttered in the triple world, within and
without, all those he hears with his natural organ of
hearing when perfect. Still he does not enjoy the divine
ear, although he apprehends the sounds of those different
creatures, understands, discerns the sounds of those
different creatures, and when with his natural organ of
hearing he hears the sounds of those creatures, his ear is
not overpowered by any of those sounds. Such,
Satatasamitâbhiyukta, is the organ of hearing that the
Bodhisattva Mahâsattva acquires; yet he does not possess
the divine ear.
Thus spoke the Lord; thereafter he, the Sugata, the Master,
added:
7. The organ of hearing of such a person becomes (or, is)
cleared and perfect, though as yet it be natural; by it he
perceives the various sounds, without any exception, in
this world.
8. He perceives the sounds of elephants, horses, cars,
cows, goats, and sheep; of noisy kettle-drums, tabours,
lutes, flutes, Vallaki-lutes.
9. He can hear singing, lovely and sweet, and, at the same
time, is constant enough not to allow himself to be
beguiled by it; he perceives the sounds of kotis of men,
whatever and wherever they are speaking.
10. He, moreover, always hears the voice of gods and Nâgas;
he hears the tunes, sweet and affecting, of song, as well
as the voices of men and women, boys and girls.
11. He hears the cries of the denizens of mountains and
glens; the tender notes of Kalavinkas, cuckoos, pea fowls,
pheasants, and other birds.
12. He also (hears) the heart-rending cries of those who
are suffering pains in the hells, and the yells uttered by
the Spirits, vexed as they are by the difficulty to get
food;
13. Likewise the different cries produced by the demons and
the inhabitants of the ocean. All these sounds the preacher
is able to hear from his place on earth, without being
overpowered by them.
14. From where he is stationed here on the earth he also
hears the different and multifarious sounds through which
the inhabitants of the realm of brutes are conversing with
each other.
15. He apprehends all the sounds, without any exception,
whereby the numerous angels living in the Brahma-world, the
Akanishthas and Âbhâsvaras, call one another.
16. He likewise always hears the sound which the monks on
earth are raising when engaged in reading, and when
preaching the law to congregations, after having taken
orders under the command of the Sugatas.
17. And when the Bodhisattvas here on earth have a reading
together and raise their voices in the general synods, he
hears them severally.
18. The Bodhisattva who preaches this Stara shall, at one
time, also hear the perfect law 2 that the Lord Buddha, the
tamer of men, announces to the assemblies.
19. The numerous sounds produced by all beings in the
triple world, in this field, within and without, (downward)
to the Avîki and upward to the extremity of existence, are
heard by him.
20. (In short), he perceives the voices of all beings, his
ear being open. Being in the possession of his six senses,
he will discern the different sources (of sound), and that
while his organ of hearing is the natural one;
21. The divine ear is not yet operating in him; his ear
continues in its natural state. Such as here told are the
good qualities belonging to the wise man who shall be a
keeper of this Sûtra.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva
who keeps, proclaims, studies, writes this Dharmaparyâya
becomes possessed of a perfect organ of smell with eight
hundred good qualities. By means of that organ he smells
the different smells that are found in the triple world,
within and without, such as fetid smells, pleasant and
unpleasant smells, the fragrance of diverse flowers, as the
greatflowered jasmine, Arabian jasmine, Michelia Chainpaka,
trumpet-flower; likewise the different scents of aquatic
flowers, as the blue lotus, red lotus, white esculent
water-lily and white lotus. He smells the odour of fruits
and blossoms of various trees bearing fruits and blossoms,
such as sandal, Xanthochymus, Tabernæmontana, agallochum.
The manifold hundred-thousand mixtures of perfumes he
smells and discerns, without moving from his
standing-place. He smells the diverse smells of creatures,
as elephants, horses, cows, goats, beasts, as well as the
smell issuing from the body of various living beings in the
condition of brutes. He perceives the smells exhaled by the
body of women and men, of boys and girls. He smells, even
from a distance, the odour of grass, bushes, herbs, trees.
He perceives those smells such as they really are, and is
not surprised nor stunned by them. Staying on this very
earth he smells the odour of gods and the fragrance of
celestial flowers, such as Erythrina, Bauhinia, Mandârava
and great Mandârava, Mañgûsha and great Mañgûsha. He smells
the perfume of the divine powders of sandal and agallochum,
as well as that of the hundred-thousands of mixtures of
different divine flowers. He smells the odour exhaled by
the body of the gods, such as Indra, the chief of the gods,
and thereby knows whether (the god) is sporting, playing,
and enjoying himself in his palace Vaigayanta or is
speaking the law to the gods of paradise in the
assembly-hall of the gods, Sudharmâ, or is resorting to the
pleasure-park for sport. He smells the odour proceeding
from the body of the sundry other gods, as well as that
proceeding from the girls and wives of the gods, from the
youths and maidens amongst the gods, without being
surprised or stunned by those smells. He likewise smells
the odour exhaled by the bodies of all Devanikâyas,
Brahmakâyikas, and Mahâbrahmas. In the same manner he
perceives the smells coming from disciples,
Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tathâgatas. He smells
the odour arising from the seats of the Tathâgatas and so
discovers where those Tathâgatas, Arhats, &c. abide.
And by none of all those different smells is his organ of
smell hindered, impaired, or vexed; and, if required, he
may give an account of those smells to others without his
memory being impaired by it.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following
stanzas:
22. His organ of smell is quite correct, and he perceives
the manifold and various smells, good or bad, which exist
in this world;
23. The fragrance of the great-flowered jasmine, Arabian
jasmine, Xanthochymus, sandal, agallochum, of several
blossoms and fruits.
24. He likewise perceives the smells exhaled by men, women,
boys, and girls, at a considerable distance, and by the
smell he knows where they are.
25. He recognises emperors, rulers of armies, governors of
provinces, as well as royal princes and ministers, and all
the ladies of the harem by their (peculiar) scent.
26. It is by the odour that the Bodhisattva discovers
sundry jewels of things, such as are found on the earth and
such as serve as jewels for women.
27. That Bodhisattva likewise knows by the odour the
various kinds of ornament that women use for their body,
robes, wreaths, and ointments.
28. The wise man who keeps this exalted Sûtra recognises,
by the power of a good-smelling organ, a woman standing,
sitting, or lying; he discovers wanton sport and magic
power.
29. He perceives at once where he stands, the fragrance of
scented oils, and the different odours of flowers and
fruits, and thereby knows from what source the odour
proceeds.
30. The discriminating man recognises by the odour the
numerous sandal-trees in full blossom in the glens of the
mountains, as well as all creatures dwelling there.
31. All the beings living within the compass of the horizon
or dwelling in the depth of the sea or in the bosom of the
earth the discriminating man knows how to distinguish from
the (peculiar) smell.
32. He discerns the gods and demons, and the daughters of
demons; he discovers the sports of demons and their luxury.
Such, indeed, is the power of his organ of smell.
33. By the smell he tracks the abodes of the quadrupeds in
the woods, lions, tigers, elephants, snakes, buffaloes,
cows, gayals.
34. He infers from the odour, whether the child that women,
languid from pregnancy, bear in the womb be a boy or a
girl.
35. He can discern if a woman is big with a dead child; he
discerns if she is subject to throes, and, further, if a
woman, the pains being removed, shall be delivered of a
healthy boy.
36. He guesses the various designs of men, he smells (so to
say) an air of design; he finds out the odour of
passionate, wicked, hypocritical, or quiet persons.
37. That Bodhisattva by the scent smells treasures hidden
in the ground, money, gold, bullion, silver, chests, and
metal pots.
38. Necklaces of two sorts, gems, pearls, nice priceless
jewels he knows by the scent, as well as things priceless
and brilliant in general.
39. That great man from his very place on earth smells the
flowers here above (in the sky) with the gods, such as
Mandâravas, Mañgûshakas, and those growing on the coral
tree.
40. By the power of his organ of smell he, without leaving
his stand on earth, perceives how and whose are the aerial
cars, of lofty, low, and middling size, and other brilliant
forms shooting (through the firmament).
41. He likewise finds out the paradise, the gods (in the
hall) of Sudharmâ and in the most glorious palace of
Vaigayanta, and the angels who there are diverting
themselves.
42. He perceives, here on earth, an air of them; by the
scent he knows the angels, and where each of them is
acting, standing, listening, or walking.
43. That Bodhisattva tracks by the scent the houris who are
decorated with many flowers, decked with wreaths and
ornaments and in full attire; he knows wherever they are
dallying or staying at the time.
44. By smell he apprehends the gods, Brahmas, and
Brahmakâyas moving on aerial cars aloft, upwards to the
extremity of existence; he knows whether they are absorbed
in meditation or have risen from it.
45. He perceives the Âbhâsvara angels falling (and
shooting) and appearing, even those that he never saw
before. Such is the organ of smell of the Bodhisattva who
keeps this Sûtra.
46. The Bodhisattva also recognises all monks under the
rule of the Sugata, who are strenuously engaged in their
walks and find their delight in their lessons and reading.
47. Intelligent as he is, he discerns those among the sons
of Gina who are disciples and those who used to live at the
foot of trees, and he knows that the monk so and so is
staying in such and such a place.
48. The Bodhisattva knows by the odour whether other
Bodhisattvas are of good memory, meditative, delighting in
their lessons and reading, and assiduous in preaching to
congregations.
49. In whatever point of space the Sugata, the great Seer,
so benign and bounteous, reveals the law in the midst of
the crowd of attending disciples, the Bodhisattva by the
odour recognises him as the Lord of the universe.
50. Staying on earth, the Bodhisattva also perceives those
beings who hear the law and rejoice at it, and the whole
assembly of the Gina.
51. Such is the power of his organ of smell. Yet it is not
the divine organ he possesses, but (the natural one) prior
to the perfect, divine faculty of smell.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the young man of good family
or the young lady who keeps, teaches, proclaims, writes
this Dharmaparyâya shall have an organ of taste possessed
of twelve hundred good faculties of the tongue. All
flavours he takes on his tongue will yield a divine,
exquisite relish. And he tastes in such a way that he is
not to relish anything unpleasant; and even the unpleasant
flavours that are taken on his tongue will yield a divine
relish. And whatever he shall preach in the assembly, the
creatures will be satisfied by it; they will be content,
thoroughly content, filled with delight. A sweet, tender,
agreeable, deep voice goes out from him, an amiable voice
which goes to the heart, at which those creatures will be
ravished and charmed; and those to whom he preaches, after
having heard his sweet voice, so tender and melodious,
will, even (if they are) gods, be of opinion that they
ought to go and see, venerate, and serve him. And the
angels and houris will be of opinion, &c. The Indras,
Brahmas, and Brahmakayikas will be of opinion, &c. The
Nâgas and Nâga girls will be of opinion, &c. The demons
and their girls will be of opinion, &c. The Garudas and
their girls will be of opinion, &c. The Kinnaras and
their girls, the great serpents and their girls, the
goblins and their girls, the imps and their girls will be
of opinion that they ought to go and see, venerate, serve
him, and hear his sermon, and all will show him honour,
respect, esteem, worship, reverence, and veneration. Monks
and nuns, male and female lay devotees will likewise be
desirous of seeing him. Kings, royal pyinces, and grandees
(or ministers) will also be desirous of seeing him. Kings
ruling armies and emperors possessed of the seven
treasures, along with the princes royal, ministers, ladies
of the harem, and their retinue will be desirous of seeing
him and paying him their homage. So sweet will be the
speech delivered by that preacher, so truthful and
according to the teaching of the Tathâgata will be his
words. Others also, Brahmans and laymen, citizens and
peasants, will always and ever follow that preacher till
the end of life. Even the disciples of the Tathâgata will
be desirous of seeing him; likewise the Pratyekabuddhas and
the Lords Buddhas. And wherever that young man of good
family or young lady shall stay, there he (or she) will
preach, the face turned to the Tathâgata, and he (or she)
will be a worthy vessel of the Buddha-qualities. Such, so
pleasant, so deep will be the voice of the law going out
from him.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following
stanzas:
52. His organ of taste is most excellent, and he will never
relish anything of inferior flavour; the flavours are no
sooner put on his tongue than they become divine and
possessed of a divine taste.
53. He has a tender voice and delivers sweet words,
pleasant to hear, agreeable, charming; in the midst of the
assembly lie is used to speak with a melodious and deep
voice.
54. And whosoever hears him when he is delivering a sermon
with myriads of kotis of examples, feels a great joy and
shows him an immense veneration.
55. The gods, Nâgas, demons, and goblins always long to see
him, and respectfully listen to his preaching. All those
good qualities are his.
56. If he would, he might make his voice heard by the whole
of this world; his voice is (so) fine, sweet, deep, tender,
and winning.
57. The emperors on earth, along with their children and
wives, go to him with the purpose of honouring him, and
listen all the time to his sermon with joined hands.
58. He is constantly followed by goblins, crowds of Nâgas,
Gandharvas, imps, male and female, who honour, respect, and
worship him.
59. Brahma himself becomes his obedient servant; the gods
Îsvara and Mahesvara, as well as Indra and the numerous
heavenly nymphs, approach him.
60. And the Buddhas, benign and merciful for the world,
along with their disciples, hearing his voice, protect him
by showing their face, and feel satisfaction in hearing him
preaching.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva
who keeps, reads, promulgates, teaches, writes this
Dharmaparyâya shall have the eight hundred good qualities
of the body. It will be pure, and show a hue clear as the
lapis lazuli ; it will be pleasant to see for the
creatures. On that perfect body he will see the whole
triple universe; the beings who in the triple world
disappear and appear, who are low or lofty, of good or of
bad colour, in fortunate or in unfortunate condition, as
well as the beings dwelling within the circular plane of
the horizon and of the great horizon, on the chief
mountains Meru and Sumeru, and the beings dwelling below in
the Avîki and upwards to the extremity of existence; all of
them he will see on his own body. The disciples,
Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tathâgatas dwelling in
the triple universe, and the law taught by those Tathâgatas
and the beings serving the Tathâgatas, he will see all of
them on his own body, because he receives the proper body
of all those beings, and that on account of the perfectness
of his body.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following
stanzas:
61. His body becomes thoroughly pure, clear as if
consisting of lapis lazuli; he who keeps this sublime Sûtra
is always a pleasant sight for (all) creatures.
62. As on the surface of a mirror an image is seen, so on
his body this world. Being self-born, he sees no other
beings. Such is the perfectness of his body.
63. Indeed, all beings who are in this world, men, gods,
demons, goblins, the inhabitants of hell, the spirits, and
the brute creation are seen reflected on that body.
64. The aerial cars of the gods up to the extremity of
existence, the rocks, the ridge of the horizon, the
Himâlaya, Sumeru, and great Meru, all are seen on that
body.
65. He also sees the Buddhas on his body, along with the
disciples and other sons of Buddha; likewise the
Bodhisattvas who lead a solitary life, and those who preach
the law to congregations.
66. Such is the perfectness of his body, though he has not
yet obtained a divine body; the natural property of his
body is such.
Further, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva
who after the complete extinction of the Tathâgata keeps,
teaches, writes, reads this Dharmaparyâya shall have a
mental organ possessed of twelve hundred good qualities of
intellect. By this perfect mental organ he will, even if he
hears a single stanza, recognise its various meanings. By
fully comprehending the stanza he will find in it the text
to preach upon for a month, for four months, nay, for a
whole year. And the sermon he preaches will not fade from
his memory. The popular maxims of common life, whether
sayings or counsels, he will know how to reconcile with the
rules of the law. Whatever creatures of this triple
universe are subject to the mundane whirl, in any of the
six conditions of existence, he will know their thoughts,
doings, and movements. He will know and discern their
motions, purposes, and aims. Though he has not yet attained
the state of an Ârya, his intellectual organ will be
thoroughly perfect. And all he shall preach after having
pondered on the interpretation of the law will be really
true; he speaks what all Tathâgatas have spoken, all that
has been declared in the Sûtras of former Ginas.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following
stanzas:
67. His mental organ is perfect, lucid, right, and
untroubled. By it he finds out the various laws, low, high,
and mean.
68. On hearing the contents of a single stanza, the wise
man catches the manifold significations (hidden) in it, and
he is able for a month, four months, or even a year to go
on expounding both its conventional and its true sense.
69. And the beings living in this world, within or without,
gods, men, demons, goblins, Nâgas, brutes,
70. The beings stationed in any of the six conditions of
existence, all their thoughts the sage knows
instantaneously. These are the advantages of keeping this
Sûtra.
71. He also hears the holy sound of the law which the
Buddha, marked with a hundred blessed signs, preaches all
over the world, and he catches what the Buddha speaks.
72. He reflects much on the supreme law, and is in the wont
of constantly dilating upon it; he is never hesitating.
These are the advantages of keeping this Sûtra.
73. He knows the connections and knots; he discerns in all
laws contrarieties; he knows the meaning and the
interpretations, and expounds them according to his
knowledge.
74. The Sûtra which since so long a time has been expounded
by the ancient Masters of the world is the law which he,
never flinching, is always preaching in the assembly.
75. Such is the mental organ of him who keeps or reads this
Sûtra; he has not yet the knowledge of emancipation, but
one that precedes it.
76. He who keeps this Sûtra of the Sugata stands on the
stage of a master; he may preach to all creatures and is
skilful in kotis of interpretations.