(3) Buddha then said to Mahakasyapa : “ Go thou to Vimalakirti to inquire after his health.” Mahakasyapa replied to Buddha and said : “ O Blessed One, I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health. And why ? I remember once I was begging alms in a poor village, then Vimalakirti came to me and said: “Well, O Mahakasyapa, though thou possessest compassionate heart, yet thy compassion cannot be universal, because abandoning the rich thou seekest only the poor in thy begging of alms. O Mahakasyapa, thou shouldst abide in the way of sameness and beg alms of all, each in its turn. The begging of alms should be done not for the sake of merely bodily nourishment. Thou shouldst receive the rice-ball in order to break up the form of combination. Thou shouldst accept food not cherishing the thought of acceptance. Thou shouldst enter into a village as if it were deserted. Colours should be perceived as if by a blind man. Voice should be heard as if it were an echo. Odour should be perceived as if it were a wind. Taste should be tasted without being affected by taste. Thou shouldst regard all things as illusory, as destitute of selfness as well as otherness, as neither burning by themselves nor going to extinction. O Kasyapa, if thou, not abandoning the eightfold path of wrong-doing, enter into the eightfold emancipation, and not abandoning false forms enter into the true law, and give one dish of food to all beings and make offerings to all the Buddhas, and Holies then thou mayest take food. One who eats in such a manner neither with passions nor without them, is neither engaged in meditation nor awakened from it, abide neither in this world nor in Nirvana. In giving there are no merits, great or small, nor should the giver have any thought of gain or loss. ‘ This is the way of directly entering the path of Buddha and not that of the Sravakas. O Kasyapa, if thou eatest in such a manner thou partakest not in vain of others’ alms .’ When, O Blessed One, I heard these remarks, I felt that I had never heard the like before, then began deeply to revere all the Bodhisattvas and thought thus : ‘ Though still remaining as simple layman, yet such is his eloquence. Who [hearing him] cherishes not the thought of supreme enlightenment ? Since that time, I have never persuaded people to the practice of Sravakas or the Pratyeka-Buddhas. Therefore, I am not worthy to inquire after his health.”

(16) Then Vimalakirti spoke to those great Sravakas led by Sariputra and said: “ Sirs, eat of the food of Tathagata which has the flavour of immortality (amrta); it is born of the great compassion [of Tathagata]. Eat not with a divided mind, or it shall not be digested.” There were some Sravakas who thought to themselves: ‘ The food is but little, and would it be possible for each one in this great assembly to share it?”

(1) At that time Sariputra thought to himself: ‘ ‘ The meal time draws nigh; where should those Bodhisattvas take their meal?” Then Vimalakirti knowing his thought thus spoke to him: “The Eightfold Liberation is preached by Buddha and thou shouldst receive and practice it; why shouldst thou think of material food when thou desirest to hear the law ? But if thou wouldst eat, wait for a space, when I shall be able to obtain such food as thou hast never tasted before.”

(4) As it approached the hour for the morning meal, Lord Buddha, Honoured of the Worlds, attired himself in a mendicant’s robe, and bearing an alms-bowl in his hands, walked towards the great city of Shravasti, which he entered to beg for food. Within the city he proceeded from door to door, and received such donations as the good people severally bestowed. Concluding this religious exercise, the Lord Buddha returned to the grove of Jeta, and partook of the frugal meal received as alms. Thereafter he divested himself of his mendicant’s robe, laid aside the venerated alms-bowl, bathed his sacred feet, and accepted the honoured seat reserved for him by his disciples.

(9) Buddha then said to Rahula; “ Go thou to Vimalakirti to inquire after his health.” Rahula replied to Buddha and said : “ O Blessed One, I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health. And why ? I remember one day the sons of the wealthy householders of Vaisali came to me with bowed heads and questioned me : ‘ Well, O Rahula, thou art the only son of Buddha who has relinquished the throne of a Cakravartin king and hast renounced the world for the purpose of attaining enlightenment. Now tell us what are the advantages of renunciation according to the doctrine.’ “At that time Vimalakirti came to me and said: ‘Well, O Rahula, thou shouldst not preach to them the advantages of renunciation. And why ? Not to have any advantages or merits — this is renunciation. It is a created thing of which we can speak as having any advantages or merits; but renunciation is an uncreated thing, and in an uncreated thing, there are neither advantages nor merits to talk about. O Rahula, renunciation is neither this nor that nor between. It is beyond the sixty-two heresies. It abides in Nirvana attained by the intelligent only. It is walked by the saints alone. If you could subdue evil ones, transcend the five paths of existence, purify the five sights, acquire the five powers, establish the five faculties, were not annoyed by outside things; if you could deliver one from all kinds of wickedness, crush all the heresies, go beyond the unsubstantiality of names, be emerged from muddy pollution; if you were without attachment, free from the idea of possession, free from clinging, not disturbed, and could feel inward joy, watch over others, abide in contemplation, and keep yourself away from all faults : — if you could do these, then you would be said to have true renunciation.’ “ Vimalakirti then spoke to the sons of the wealthy householders and said : ‘ Ye shall practise renunciation according to the true law. And why ? Buddha is seldom seen in this world.’ The sons of the wealthy householders said : ‘ O Sir, we have heard that Buddha said that if it were not permitted by parents no one could renounce the world.’ Vimalakirti said : ‘ Well, yet if ye cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment this is renunciation, this is perfect fulfilment. At that time thirty-two sons of the wealthy householders all cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment. Therefore, I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health.”

(70) Let a fool month after month eat his food (like an ascetic) with the tip of a blade of Kusa grass, yet he is not worth the sixteenth particle of those who have well weighed the law.

(6) He said: * You should know me, my dear, as such, that whatsoever I myself know, I have told all to you. But, come! Let us go there and take up studentship.' e Go yourself, Sir.' So Gautama went forth to where [the place] of Pravahana Jaibali was. He brought him a seat, and had water brought; so he made him a respectful welcome. Then he said to him: £A boon we offer to the honorable Gautama! '

(17) They declare that worship to be Tâmasic which is contrary to the ordinances, in which no food is distributed, which is devoid of mantras and gifts, and which is devoid of faith.

(4) Buddha then said to Subhuti: “ Go thou to Vimalakirti to inquire after his health.” Subhuti replied to Buddha and said : “ O Blessed One, I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health. And why ? I remember one day I went into his house begging an alms. Then Vimalakirti taking the bowl from me and having filled it with boiled rice, said to me : Well, O Subhuti, if a man is able to see sameness in food he will see sameness in everything too. If a man sees sameness in everything, he sees sameness in food too. By begging an alms in this manner he is able to take food. ‘ If, O Subhuti, thou be above lust, anger, or ignorance, without extirpating them; if thou assume an absolute form without destroying the body; if thou attain to intelligence and emancipation without exterminating ignorance and desire; if thou obtain emancipation of the five unpardonable sins in spite of being in a state neither released nor bound; if thou never see the four noble truths and yet remain not blind to them; if thou attain to the result of full enlightenment without going above thy mortal nature ; if thou be neither a common being nor a no-common being; if thou be neither a saint nor a no-saint; if thou be endowed with things yet transcend their nature, — then thou canst take this food. ‘ O Subhuti, if thou seest not Buddha, hearest not his doctrine, but dost follow the six teachers of heresy such as Purana-Easyapa, Maskari-Gosariputra, Sanjya-Vairatiputra, Ajita-Kesakambala, Earakuda-Eatayana, and Nirgrantha-Jnati-putra, making them thy teachers, entering into their orders, following what they erroneously teach, then thou wouldst be able to take this food. ‘ O Subhuti, if thou followest heresy and arrivest not at the other shore ; if thou abidest with the eight difficulties and never strivest to be free from them; if thou caressest passions and keepest thyself away from impure objects ; — then thou obtainest the Samadhi of non-resistance, and all beings will also obtain the Samadhi. One who gives alms to thee never makes for himself a heap of merit; one who offers food to thee enters the three unhappy regions. If thou shouldst make thyself a friend of all passions helping all the evil ones ; if thou renderest thyself entirely identical with all the evils and all the passions ; if thou cherishest a hostile heart against all beings ; and abusest all the Buddhas and their doctrines; if thou shouldst never enter into the order and never enter into Nirvana; — if thou shouldst be thus, then thou wouldst be able to take this food.’ “Then, O World-honoured One, hearing these words I remained stupefied, not understanding what was meant and not knowing what answer to make ; but silently leaving my bowl I was about to depart from his house, when Vimalakirti said : ‘Well, O Subhuti, take thy bowl and fear not. What thinkest thou if a phantom being produced by Tathagata spoke those words "? Is there any fear in thy mind ? ’ I replied : ‘ Nay.’ Vimalakirti said : ‘ All things are of illusory character. Thou needest have no fear. And why ? All things are never above such illusory nature. An intelligent man never adheres to words; therefore he has no fears. And why ? The nature of words is not characterised by such words as being or non-being. [When this is understood,] there is emancipation, and emancipation manifests itself in all things.’ “ When Vimalakirti spoke thus, two hundred deities attained to the pure-eye of the law. Therefore, I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health.”

(6) Buddha then said to Sudatta a son of a Wealthy merchant: “ Go thou to Vimalakirti to inquire after his health.” Sudatta replied to Buddha and said: “ I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health, and why ? I remember once at my father’s house, I performed a great charity festival for full seven days, offering food to all Sramanas, Brahmans and heretics as well as to the poor, the humble, the suffering, and beggars. When the period of seven days expired, Vimalakirti came into the assembly and said to me: ‘ O son of the wealthy merchant, the great charity festival should not be conducted in such a manner as thou hadst. Thou shouldst conduct a charity festival of spiritual gifts. What have we to do with the bestowal of material wealth ? ’ I inquired : ‘ Sir, What is the spiritual charity festival ? [He replied :] ‘ The spiritual charity festival is not in succession but all simultaneously. It is to look after the welfare of all beings at one and the same time. This is called the spiritual charity festival.’ ‘ What does it mean ? ’ ‘ For the sake of enlightenment thou shouldst cherish the thought of mercy. For the sake of salvation thou shouldst cherish the thought of great compassion. For the maintenance of the true law thou shouldst cherish the thought of joy. For the attainment of knowledge thou shouldst dwell in the thought of impartiality. Removing all covetousness, virtue of charity should be practised. To teach the trespassers of morality, rules of discipline should be observed. Possessing the doctrine of selflessness cherish the Kshanti Paramita. Being far above the forms of body and mind cherish the Virya Paramita. Obtaining the form of Bodhi cherish the Dhyana Paramita. Obtaining omniscience cherish the Prajna Paramita. Teaching beings [the thought of] emptiness should be cherished. Not abandoning the created things cherish [the thought of] formlessness. Manifesting human birth cherish [the thought of] non-action. For the maintenance of the true law, necessary means should be cherished. To save all beings cherish the four deeds of acceptance. To revere all beings cherish the means of removing arrogance. On the foundation of the body, life and wealth, the threefold law of permanency should be established. In the sixfold remembrance memory should be exercised. Cherish the sincere mind in the possession of the sixfold peace. Abide with the right living practising the true law. Be near to the intelligent and the holy with a pure and joyous mind. Cherish the thought of self-control without hating the wicked. Cherish the profound mind practising the way of mendicants. Cherish the thought of readiness to hear practising according to the doctrine. Establish the quiet hermitage there abiding in peace. Be seated in meditation following the wisdom of Buddha. Set up thy place of holy work liberating all beings from bondage. Accumulate merits being endowed with splendour and purifying the Buddha-land. Follow judgment knowing the thoughts of all beings and preaching the law according to each one’s need. Follow the discriminating intelligence knowing how all things being far beyond either giving or taking enter the domain of the one form. Bring forth all goodness exterminating all passion, every obstacle and all wickedness. Bring forth all causes which help the law of enlightenment possessing all intelligence and all goodness. O noble youth, thus is the ceremony of gifts of spiritual things. If a Bodhisattva performs the ceremony of gifts of spiritual things he is called a. great giver and he is also the cause of the merits of all the worlds.’ “ O Blessed One, when Vimalakirti had spoken thus, two hundred Brahmans all cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment. My mind then obtained purity, and praised him saying that I had never heard the like before, and bowed to him touching his feet, and took from my neck a necklace worth a hundred thousand [gold pieces J and presented it to him; but he would not accept it. Then I said : ‘ Sir, I pray only that thou wouldst accept my gift and do with it as thou pleasest. Vimalakirti then accepting the necklace, divided it into two parts, and offered one part to the meanest beggar in the assembly and the other to the Tathagata Durdharsha. All the assembly saw the Tathagata Durdharsha of the land of light, and also saw the necklace on that Buddha transformed into a jewelled terrace supported by four columns, and adorned on all sides and even transparent and visible. Then Vimalakirti manifesting this miraculous power said : ‘ When a giver with equanimity gives even to the meanest beggar, he is like the Tathagata himself, in his stock of merits there is no trace of discrimination, his great compassion is like [that of the Tathagata], and he expects no reward, then this is called the perfecting the spiritual gift.’ Then all in the city even to the meanest beggar seeing his miraculous power and hearing his speech awakened the thought of supreme enlightenment. Therefore I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health.” Thus all the Bodhisattvas each relating his story, praised the words of Vimalakirti, and declared themselves unworthy to go and inquire after his health.

(3) He said to them: < Venerable Brahmans, let him of you who is the best Brahman drive away these cows/ Those Brahmans durst not. Then Yajnavalkya said to his pupil: ' Samasravas, my dear, drive them away.' He drove them away. The Brahmans were angry. ' How can he declare himself to be the best Brahman among us? ' Now there was Asvala, the Hotri-priest of Janaka, [king] of Videha. He asked him: < Yajfiavalkya, are you now the best Brahman among us? * He replied, < We give honor to the best Brahman. But we are really desirous of having those cows/ Thereupon Asvala, the Hotri-priest, began to question him.

(4) Yajnavalkya came to Janaka, [king] of Videha. He thought to himself: ' I will not talk/ 3 to refer to the supreme Soul. talk with him * (instead of the text as translated, sa mem net). But the historical But [once] l when Janaka, [king] of Videha, and Yajnavalkya were discussing together at an Agnihotra, Yajnavalkya granted the former a boon. He chose asking whatever question he wished. He granted it to him. So [now] the king, [speaking] first, asked him:

(8) 'A Brâhmana that dwells in the house of a foolish man without receiving food to eat, destroys his hopes and expectations, his possessions, his righteousness, his sacred and his good deeds, and all his sons and cattle.'

(18) Then that bowl of food satiated all the assembly, yet remained as before not in the least impaired in quantity. All those Bodhisattvas, Sravakas and deities who ate of this food were gratified in body and felt happy just as did those Bodhisattvas of the world called Sarvasukhamandita; and from all the pores of their skin an excellent fragrance issued forth which was as that from the trees in the world known as Sarvagandhasugandha.

(409) Him I call indeed a Brâhmana who takes nothing in the world that is not given him, be it long or short, small or large, good or bad.

(6) This, indeed, did Satyakama Jabala tell to his pupils, and say: ' Even if one should pour this on a dry stump, branches would be produced and leaves would spring forth/ One should not tell this to one who is not a son or to one who is not a pupil.

(366) A Bhikshu who, though he receives little, does not despise what he has received, even the gods will praise him, if his life is pure, and if he is not slothful.

(1) VÂGASRAVASA, desirous (of heavenly rewards), surrendered (at a sacrifice) all that he possessed. He had a son of the name of Nakiketas.

(6) Then he said: ' It is well known that I have a full share of gold, of cows and horses, of female slaves, of rugs, of apparel. l6l M Be not ungenerous toward me, Sir, In regard to that which is the abundant, the infinite, the unlimited/ 'Then, verily, 0 Gautama, you should seek in the usual manner.' 6 1 come to you, Sir, as a pupil! ' — with [this] word, verily, indeed, men aforetime came as pupils. — So with the acknow- ledgment of coming as a pupil he remained.

(3) Janaka, [king] of Videha, sacrificed with a sacrifice at which many presents were distributed. Brahmans of the Kurupaiicalas were gathered together there, In this Janaka of Videha there arose a desire to know which of these Brahmans was the most learned in scripture. He enclosed a thousand cows. To the horns of each ten padas [of gold] were bound.