(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! '

(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.

(6) Then he said: ' The boon acceptable to me is this: — Pray tell me the word which you spoke in the presence of the young man.'

(6) Then he addressed him with an invitation to remain. Not respecting the invitation to remain, the boy ran off. He went to his father. He said to him: 'Verily, aforetime you have spoken of me, Sir, as having been instructed! J 'Five questions a fellow of the princely class (rajanya- bandhu} has asked me. Not a single one of them do I know.' 'What are they?'

(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.

(6) Then he said: * Verily, Gautama, that is among divine boons. Mention [one] of human boons/

(15) Buddha again spoke to Indra, the king of deities, and said: “ Candracchatra the prince, having heard such doctrines as these from the Buddha Bhaishajyaraja, attained to acquiescence in meekness; then he having removed the jewelled raiment and ornaments from his body, offered them to Buddha and spoke to him saying: ‘ O Blessed One, after the complete passing of Tathagata I will pay homage to the law and protect the true law; I pray that thou through thy power, wouldst show me thy compassion and raise me that I may be able to repress the enmity of evil and realise the life of a Bodhisattva.’

(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.”

(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.”

(8) Then at that time the incarnate Bodhisattva ascended on high in the presence of the assembly, and every one in the assembly could see him. reach the country of Sarvagan-dhasugandha and greet that Buddha touching the feet with his bowed head and speak thus: “ Vimalakirti touching thy feet with his bowed head greets thee with all reverence and wishes to inquire whether thou art assailed with few ailings, few illnesses, and whether thy spirits are in good condition as ever. He prays thee to bestow upon him some portion of thy food if thou canst spare it, that he might perform a religious work in the Saha world, enabling all those who find pleasure in the inferior law only, to open their eyes to the great religion, thus helping to spread the fame of Tathagata throughout [the world].” The great men in that country having beheld this incarnate Bodhisattva praised him saying that they had never seen the like before, and asked the Buddha: “Whence cometh this superior man ? Where is the Saha world ? What does it mean to find pleasure only in the inferior law ?”

(2) Buddha then said to a young man called Prabhavyuha : “ Go thou to Vimalakirti to inquire after his health.” Prab-havyuha replied to Buddha and said : “ I am not worthy to go to inquire after his health. And why? I remember one day I was about to go out of the great city of Vaisali when Vimalakirti was about to enter into it. I asked him with bowed head. •' Sir, tell me whence hast thou come ? ’ He replied : ‘ I have come from the Bodhimandala, place of enligten-ment.’ I inquired : ‘ Where is the Bodhimandala ? ’ He replied : ‘ Sincere mind is the Bodhimandala as it is without falsehood. Activity is the Bodhimandala as it accomplishes all works. The deep mind is the Bodhimandala as it increases merits. The enlightened mind is the Bodhimandala as it is without errors. Charity is the Bodhimandala as it expects no rewards. Morality is the Bodhimandala as it fulfills all vows. Patience is the Bodhimandala as it knows no impediment in all beings. Diligence is the Bodhimandala as it is never slothful. Meditation is the Bodhimandala as it controls the mind. Wisdom is the Bodhimandala as it directly sees all things. Mercy is the Bodhimandala as it treats all beings with equality. Compassion is the Bodhimandala as it endures, exhaustion and pain. Joy is the Bodhimandala as it finds pleasure in the law. Impartiality is the Bodhimandala as it destroys both love and hatred. Supernatural power is the Bodhimandala as it is endowed with the six supernatural faculties. Emancipation is the Bodhimandala as it is able to turn away and and leave out. The Necessary Means is the Bodhimandala as it teaches all beings. The Fourfold Acceptance is the Bodhimandala as it embraces all beings. Much-hearing is the Bodhimandala as it practises 'what is heard. Self-control is the Bodhimandala as it rightly observes all things. The Thirty Seven Requisites for attaining supreme enlightenment are the Bodhimandala as they adorn the created things. The fourfold noble truth is the Bodhimandala as it never defrauds the world. The twelvefold chain of causation is the Bodhimandala as it repeats endlessly beginning with ignorance till we come to old age and death. Passions are the Bodhimandala as it knows them to be realities. All beings are the Bodhimandala as it knows them to be selfless. All things are the Bodhimandala as it knows them to be empty. Vanquishing the Evil Ones is the Bodhimandala as it is immovable. The three states of existence are the Bodhimandala as they have no fixed abodes for beings. Roaring like a- lion is the Bodhimandala as it knows no fears. The [ten] powers, the [fourfold] fearlessness, and the [eighteen] special faculties— they are the Bodhimandala as they are without faults. The threefold knowledge is the Bodhimandala as it is without obstacles. Knowing all things with one thought is the Bodhimandala as it attains to omniscience. Thus O noble youth, thou shouldst know that all actions of a Bodhisattva who teaches all beings in accordance with all the Paramitas even to the raising and putting down of his feet should be known as coming from Bodhimandala and abiding in the law’ of Buddha. “ When he had preached this doctrine, five hundred gods all cherished the thought of supreme enlightenment. Therefore I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health.”

(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:

(4) Janaka, [king] of Videha, was seated. Yajnavalkya came up. To him he said: 'Yajnavalkya, for what purpose have you come? Because you desire cattle or subtle disputations?' ' Indeed, for both, your Majesty/ he said.

(1) Upon that occasion, the venerable Subhuti occupied a place in the midst of the assembly. Rising from his seat, with cloak arranged in such manner that his right shoulder was disclosed, Subhuti knelt upon his right knee, then pressing together the palms of his hands, he respectfully raised them towards Lord Buddha, saying: “Thou art of transcendent wisdom, Honoured of the Worlds! With wonderful solicitude, Thou dost preserve in the faith, and instruct in the Law, this illustrious assembly of enlightened disciples. Honoured of the Worlds! if a good disciple, whether man or woman, seeks to obtain supreme spiritual wisdom, what immutable Law shall sustain the mind of that disciple, and bring into subjection every inordinate desire?”

(10) Nakiketas said: 'O Death, as the first of the three boons I choose that Gautama, my father, be pacified, kind, and free from anger towards me; and that he may know me and greet me, when I shall have been dismissed by thee.'

(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.

(10) He asked: ‘What is the homage of the law?’ The deity replied: ‘Thou hadst better go to the Tathagata Baishajyaraja to inquire concerning this matter; he would fully tell thee what is meant by the homage to the law.’

(1) Buddha then. said to Maitreya Bodhisattva : “ Go thou to Vimalakirti and inquire after his health.” Maitreya 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 was preaching on the life at the Never-Returning Stage to the god-king and his kinsmen of the Tushita heaven. Then Vimalakirti came to me and said : “ O Maitreya, the Blessed One assured thee that thou shouldst' obtain supreme enlightenment after only one birth; now. tell me what birth does that assurance refer to. Does it belong to the past, or to the future, or the present ? If it be of the past, it is already past. If it be of future, it is not yet come. If it be of present, it never abides. It is taught by Buddha : O Bhikshus, at this very moment ye are being born and growing old and dying. If the assurance be of no-birth, no-birth is of the true order, and in the true order there is neither the assurance of enlightenment nor even the supreme enlightenment itself. O Maitreya, how canst thou obtain thy assurance in one birth ? Didst thou obtain the assurance at the birth of Suchness or at its extinction ? It thou didst obtain the assurance at the birth of Suchness, Suchness has no birth. If thou didst obtain the assurance at its extinction, Suchness has no extinction. All beings are of Suchness. All things too are of Suchness. All the sages and worthy men are of Suchness, Even Maitreya thyself is of Suchness. If thou art capable of obtaining the assurance, all beings too should be capable of obtaining the assurance. “ And why ? Suchness is one and not divisible nor is it differentiated. If thou O Maitreya, canst attain to the supreme enlightenment, all beings too can attain to it. And why ? All beings have the nature of enlightenment. If thou, O Maitreya, canst attain to Nirvana, all beings too can attain to it. And why ? All the Buddhas know that all beings have ultimately the nature of tranquility, that is Nirvana, and are never to be annihilated again. Therefore, O Maitreya, thou shouldst not tempt those gods with thy doctrine. In reality, there is none cherishing the thought of supreme enlightenment, nor is there none who retreats. O Maitreya, thou shouldst strive to make those gods abandon the false idea that there is Bodhi distinct by itself. And why ? Bodhi can not be obtained by the body or the mind. Tranquility is Bodhi as in it all things are tranquilised. Not-seeing is Bodhi as it is beyond all relations. Not-working is Bodhi as it is beyond thought. To cut is Bodhi as it exterminates all heresies. To separate is Bodhi as it is free from all false ideas. To prevent is Bodhi as it prevents all desires from rising. Not-entering is Bodhi as it is free from covetousness. Accordance is Bodhi as it is in accord with the truth. To abide is Bodhi as it abides in the nature of things. To reach is Bodhi as it reaches the ultimate. Non-duality is Bodhi as it is separated from consciousness and its object. Equality is Bodhi as it is equal to the sky. An uncreate is Bodhi as there is neither birth nor death. Knowledge is Bodhi as it understands the mental dispositions of all beings. Not-coming-in-contact is Bodhi as it is not to be known by any senses. Non-union is Bodhi as it is detached from the influence of passion. Non-abiding is Bodhi as it is without figure or form. Unreality of name is Bodhi as names are empty. Being like a phantom is Bodhi as it is far above grasping and abandonment. Not being disturbed is Bodhi as it is eternal calm. Serenity is Bodhi as it is pure in nature. Non-grasping is Bodhi as it is far above all attachments. The absence of difference is Bodhi as all things are same. The incomparability is Bodhi as it is beyond analogy. Subtility is Bodhi as all things are unknowable. “ O Blessed One, when Vimalakirti preached this doctrine, two hundred gods attained to the acquiescence in the eternal law. Therefore I am not worthy to go and inquire after his health.”

(11) Then Candracchatra the prince having gone to the Tathagata Bhaishajyaraja, greeted him touching his feet with bowed head, seated on one side and asked the Buddha: ‘O Blessed One, of all homages homage to the law is most excellent; what is meant by the homage to the law?’ ‘‘

(7) Then Vimalakirti, without raising himself from his seat, manifested in the presence of the assembly an incarnate Bodhisattva, whose form, splendour, and dignity were magnificent, far surpassing any in the assembly. He then spoke to the Bodhisattva and said: “ Go thou there in the quarters on high, beyond the Buddha-countries exceeding even in number the sands of forty-two Ganga rivers, to the country named Sarvagandhasugandha, where a Buddha named Gandhakuta now dwells, seated at table to take refreshments together with the Bodhisattvas, and on thy arrival tell him these words of mine saying: ‘Vimalakirti touching thy feet with his bowed head greets thee with all reverence and wishes to inquire whether thou art assailed with few ailings, few illnesses, and whether thy spirits are in good condition as ever. He prays that thou bestow upon him a portion of thy food if thou canst spare it, that he might perform a religious work in the Saha world, enabling all those who find pleasure in the inferior law only, to open their eyes to the great religion, thus helping to spread the fame of Tathagata throughout [the world].’ ”