XIV
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Soothill, William Edward and Kumārajīva
The great Bodhisattva Manjuśri now addresses the Buddha in praise of this vast concourse, which has pledged itself wholly and solely to The Lotus doctrine. He asks how they are to preach it in the evil age to come. Thereupon the Buddha lays down certain rules, which are styled the Four Methods.
The first is styled the Bodhisattva’s Sphere of Action and Intimacy; the second, that of a Serene Mind; the third, that of Thought towards Others; and the fourth, that of Charity and Compassion.
In the Sphere of Action and Intimacy, the bodhisattva “dwells in a state of patience, is gentle and agreeable, is neither hasty nor overbearing, and his mind is unperturbed; he has no active interest in affairs, but sees all things in their reality, and neither takes part in nor discusses them”. As to his intimates, he has no intimacy with kings, princes, ministers, and rulers; nor with heretics and naked fakirs; nor with authors of worldly books of prose or poetry; nor with pugilists, sportsmen and jugglers; nor with hunters, fishermen and butchers; nor with keepers of domestic animals for food. He may preach the Law to them when they seek him, expecting nothing in return. His objection to Hinayana is so strong that he will not consort with its disciples, nor speak to them, neither within nor without. If they should come to him, he preaches the Sutra to them.
He is strict in conduct towards women and girls. He should not “preach the Law to women, displaying an appearance capable of arousing passionate thoughts, nor have pleasure in seeing them; if he enters the homes of others, he does not converse with any girl, virgin, widow, and so forth, nor again does he become on friendly terms with any hermaphrodite; he does not enter the homes of others alone; if for some reason he must enter there alone, then with single mind he thinks on the Buddha; if he preaches the Law to women, he does not show his teeth in smiles, nor let his breast be seen; not even for the sake of the Law does he ever become intimate with them, how much less for other reasons. He takes no pleasure in keeping young pupils, sramaneras, and children; nor has he pleasure in being with them as teachers; but ever preferring meditation and seclusion, he cultivates and controls his mind. Manjuśri! This is termed the first Intimate Sphere of a Bodhisattva”.
His proper sphere of Intimacy is with things in their reality. He looks upon them as empty, void, unreal and thus sees them as they really are, “just like space, of the nature of nothingness, cut off from the course of all words and expressions, unborn, not coming forth, not arising, nameless, formless, really without existence, infinite, boundless, unimpeded, unrestrained, only existing in causation and brought into being through perceptive perversion.”
“If any Bodhisattva
In the future evil age
With fearlessness of mind
Desires to preach this Sutra,
Let him occupy his Sphere of Action
And his proper Sphere of Intimacy;
Ever avoiding kings,
And the sons of kings,
Ministers and rulers,
Brutal and dangerous performers.
. . . . .
Let him also not consort
With men of arrogance
Devoted to the study of the
Tripitaka of Hinayana.
. . . . .
Nor with female disciples
Fond of banter and laughter.
. . . . .
But if such people as these,
In goodness of their mind,
Come to the Bodhisattva
To hear the Buddha-Way
Then the Bodhisattva,
With fearless of mind,
Cherishing no expectation,
Should preach to them the Law.
. . . . .
If there should be any monk
Who, after my extinction,
Enters this Sphere of Action
And this Sphere of Intimacy,
When he preaches this Sutra,
He will be freed from timid weakness.
When this Bodhisattva