VIII
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Soothill, William Edward and Kumārajīva
Leaving his seat, the disciple Purna now prostrates himself before the Buddha, then rises and gazes transfixed upon his honoured countenance. Thereupon the Buddha praises Purna as the greatest of his preachers, not only in this world, but in many previous existences under many Buddhas. He foretells that when he has accomplished his course he will become the Buddha Radiance-of-the-Law, whose land will consist of “the seven precious things”, “its ground level as the palm of the hand, free from hills and valleys, runnels and ditches”. In its sky, “men and gods will meet and behold each other. There will be no evil ways, and no womankind, for all living beings will be born by transformation and have no carnal passion. They will attain to great transcendent powers; their bodies will emit rays of light; they will fly anywhere at will”. Their food will be Joy-in-the-Law, and Gladness-in-Meditation. His domain will be Excellent-Purity and his kalpa Jewel-Radiance.
In the verse section occur the following lines:
“Bhikshus! Attentively listen to me!
The Way my Buddha-son has walked,
Through studying well expediency,
Surpasses all conception far.
Knowing all beings enjoy mere trifles
And are afraid of the greater wisdom,
The Bodhisattvas, therefore, become
Sravakas or Pratyekabuddhas.
By numberless expedient methods
All kinds of beings they then convert,
Saying: ‘We are only Sravakas,
Far removed from Buddhahood.’
Innumerable beings they thus release,
Each completing his varied course;
Even the lax and low-disposed
Become Buddhas by gradual stage.
Hiding their Bodhisattva-deeds,
Externally they are as Sravakas;
With few desires, disliking mortal life,
They truly purify their Buddha-land,
Appearing possessed of human passions
And seeming to hold heretical views.
Thus do my disciples
Tactfully save all beings.
If I fully explained
Their varied transformations,
Beings who heard of them
Would be perplexed and puzzled.
. . . . .
Their meat is joy in the Law
And pleasure in meditation,
With never a thought of other;
No womankind will be there,
Nor any evil ways.
My disciple Bhikshu Purna,
His merits all complete,
Shall gain this pure land
Where the wise and the sage abound.