Cap. XXIX — The Dignity Appertaining to Complete Rest and Composure (Nirváṅa)
Subhúti, if there be a man who speaks of Tathágata as coming or going, as sitting or sleeping, this man understands not the secret of the system which I declare. For why? That which is Tathágata has no where whence to come, and no where whither he can go, and is therefore named “Tathágata.”
Cap. XXX.—The characteristic of the “One Harmonious Principle.”
Subhúti, if a disciple, male or female, were to divide as many great chiliocosms as, there are into small particles of dust, do you think that the whole mass of these particles would be numerous or not? Subhúti replied: Very numerous, world-honoured one! but yet if all these particles were such in reality, Buddha would not then have spoken of them in words. What then, if Buddha speaks of all these particles, then they are not really what they are called, it is but a mere name, world-honoured one! Tathágata speaks of the great chiliocosm, but this is nothing real—the term great chiliocosm is but a mere name. What then? if this universe be really something substantial, then it is but the characteristic17 of the “one great harmonious principle.”18 But Tathágata declares that this also is something unreal—it is only an empty name.
Subhúti, this characteristic of the one “harmonious principle,” is a thing which cannot be spoken of in words; it is only the vain philosophy of the world, which has grasped the idea of explaining this.
Cap. XXXI.—Thus there will be no more any acquired knowledge.
Subhúti, if a man say that Buddha declares that there is any such thing as a distinct knowledge of either of the four characteristics before named, do you think that this man properly explains the system I have now expounded?
No, world-honoured one! such a man would not properly explain this system, because Buddha declares that the knowledge of these characteristics is a knowledge of that which is not really existing, and therefore it is impossible.
Subhúti, the persons who aspire to the perfectly enlightened heart, ought to know accordingly that this is true with respect to all things, and thus prevent the exhibition of any characteristics on any point whatever.
Subhúti, these very characteristics of which we speak are after all no characteristics, but a mere name.
Cap. XXXII.—Every appearance is in fact unreal and false.
Subhúti, if there were a man who kept for charity enough of the seven precious substances to fill innumerable asankyas of worlds, and if there was a disciple, male or female, who aspired after the perfectly enlightened heart, and adopted this Sútra and arrived to (the observance of) the four canons, and carefully recited the various passages of the work and proclaimed them generally for the advantage of men, the happiness of this man would far exceed that of the other. And in what way can the disciple “proclaim them generally?” simply by relying on no conditions or distinctions whatever; thus he will act without agitation or excitement. Wherefore the conclusion is this—
That all things which admit of definition are as a dream, a phantom, a bubble, a shadow, as the dew and lightning flash. They ought to be regarded thus.
Buddha having uttered this Sútra, the venerable Subhúti, and all the Bhikshus and Bhikshunis, the lay-disciples, male and female, and all the devas and asuras, hearing the words thus spoken, were filled with joy, and believing they accepted them and departed.
Notes
1 This is the well-known phrase, “evam mayá śrutam,” concerning which Burnouf has a note (Lotus, p. 286). I will observe here that the phrase in question was probably introduced by the compilers of the Buddhist Sútras in order to give these writings the same degree of sanctity which belongs to the Bráhmaṅas and Mantras, as forming the “S’ruti,” or Sacred Revelation of the followers of the Vedas.—Vide Max Müller, Hist, of Sansc. Lit., p. 75.
2 For a full account of this garden, vide S. Hardy, M. of Bud., p. 218. [Hardy gives the name of the prince as “Jeta,” and the gardenia called “Jeta-vana.” Burnouf Int. 22.—Ed.]
3 Subhúti is in Chinese “Virtuous presence.”
4 Anuttara samyak sambodhi hṛdaya.
5 That is, the natural heart.
6 Vide Julien ii. 390.
7 These four distinctions (lakshaṅa) are constantly referred to in this Sútra as the “four Canons,” or “Rules.” The idea seems to be this: if a man so destroy all marks of his individual character as to act without any reference to himself, or men, or other states of being, or continuance in the condition of a living creature, then he has arrived at the desired state of non-individuality, and must be lost in the ocean of Universal Life. This is the Pari nirváṅa, the condition of absolute rest—the desired repose of the Buddhist disciple.
8 That is, the four rules of non-individuality.—Vide ante, cap. iii.
9 The latter portion of this cap. is very obscure. I offer this translation with diffidence.—S.B.
10 I adopt the word “Karma” from Spence Hardy; the Chinese (nieh) has a similar meaning.
11 The Chinese expression “Yih tsai fah,” (in the text) corresponds to “Yé dhammá” in the well-known Gáthá,—
“Yé dhammá hétuppabhawá,” etc.
vide Spence Hardy’s Manual of Buddhism, p. 196, and Jour. R.A.S., vol. xvi. p. 37.
12 Dharmadhdtu, i.e. “universally diffused essence,” called dharma.
13 Namely, the four distinctions constantly alluded to and explained in cap. iii.
14 The first distinction, viz., the mark or distinction by which a man is known or speaks of himself as an individual (Ego-ishness).
15 This chapter is obscure, it is one of pure negation.
16 Lakshaṅa.
17 Lakshaṅa.
18 That is, the one principle or essence which includes all else.