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(3) But those who, carping at this, My teaching, practise it not, — know them as deluded in all knowledge, as senseless men doomed to destruction.

(86) But those who, when the law has been well preached to them, follow the law, will pass across the dominion of death, however difficult to overcome.

(3) “O Maitreya, there are two ways by which novices among Bodhisattvas may fail to attain to the conviction in this profound doctrine. What are they? First, when they hear this scripture which has never been heard before, they may fear and doubt that they may not be able to follow it, and not believing it they may slander it saying : I have never heard the like before; whence comes it? Secondly, although they may hold and explain this profound scripture, yet they are not intimate with it, nor do they honour it, nor do they revere it, but often do they find fault with it. Those who behave either in one way or in the other should be known as novices among Bodhisattvas; they harm themselves and can never conquer their minds in the profound doctrine. “

(3) Now through those means he brought on himself sickness. And there came to inquire after him countless visitors headed by kings, great ministers, wealthy householders, lay-disciples, Brahman princes and other high officials. Then Vimalakirti taking the opportunity of his sickness, preached to any one who came to him, and said : “ Come, ye gentlemen, the human body is transient, weak, impotent, frail, and mortal; never trustworthy, because it suffers when attacked by disease; ye gentlemen, an intelligent man never places his trust in such a thing; it is like a bubble that soon bursts. It is like a mirage which appears because of a thirsty desire. It is like a plantain tree which is hollow inside. It is like a phantom caused by a conjurer. It is like a dream giving false ideas. It is like a shadow which is produced by Karma. It is like an echo which is produced by various relations. It is like a floating cloud which changes and vanishes. It is like the lightning which instantly comes and goes. It has no power as the earth has none. It has no individuality as the fire has none. It has no durability as the wind has none. It has no personality as the water has none. It is not real and the four elements are its house. It is empty 'when freed from the false idea of me and mine. It has no consciousness as there is none in grasses, trees, bricks or stones. It is impotent as it is revolved by the power of the wind. It is impure and full of filthiness. It is false and will be reduced to nothingness, in spite of bathing, clothing or nourishment. It is a calamity and subject to a hundred and one diseases. It is like a dry well threatened by decay. It is transient and surely to die. It is like a poisonous snake or the hateful enemies or the deserted village as it is composed of the (five) Skandhas, the (twelve) Ayatanas and the (eighteen) Dhatus.

(4) Consequently, therefore, though disease, and accident, and what is most terrible of all, death, come upon the Gnostic, he remains inflexible in soul, -knowing that all such things are a necessity of creation, and that, also by the power of God, they become the medicine of salvation, benefiting by discipline those who are difficult to reform; allotted according to desert, by Providence, which is truly good.

(19) “ Who but the foolish, ignorant, and unintelligent, hearing such excellent teachings as these, cherish not the thought of supreme enlightenment?”

(7) Naturally, however, they are present at the things now done, being clearly taught by seeing both the fearlessness of death amongst us, and the last honour of the saints extolled from the unfailing Oracles, and that the sufferings threatened to the unholy like themselves will be endless; for it will perhaps be profitable for them to have seen him, who has religiously finished his course, reverently proclaimed by the public proclamation of the Leitourgoi, as being certainly companion of the Saints for ever. And, perchance, even they will come to the like aspiration, and will be taught from the science of the Liturgy, that the consummation in Christ is blessed indeed.

(13) Yet others, not knowing thus, worship, having heard from others; they, too, cross beyond death, adhering to what they heard.

(4) And when a man falls ill, then those who sit round him, say, 'Do you know me? Do you know me?' As long as he has not departed from this body, he knows them.

(5) Those, then, are to be believed, who hold firmly to the truth. And we may broadly make use of this reply, and say to them, that physicians holding opposite opinions according to their own schools, yet equally in point of fact treat patients. Does one, then, who is ill in body and needing treatment, not have recourse to a physician, on account of the different schools in medicine?

(51) Very much; for they know the Way of Life, and know how they should rise from the Fall: But if any will lie still, then he must be thrown into the Ditch, and there must perish with all the wicked Heathens.

(4) But to those miserable men, witness to the Lord by blood seems a most violent death, not knowing that such a gate of death is the beginning of the true life; and they will understand neither the honours after death, which belong to those who have lived holily, nor the punishments of those who have lived unrighteously and impurely? I do not say only from our Scriptures (for almost all the commandments indicate them); but they will not even hear their own discourses.

(28) Again, a Bodhisattva who is sick should cherish such thoughts as these. This sickness of mine is neither real nor existent and the sickness of all beings is also neither real nor existent. When he thinks thus, if he cherished a compassion born of passion, it should be abandoned. And why ? Exterminating all passions which are like external dusts a Bodhisattva should awake great compassion. So far as the compassion born of passion is concerned, there is in his mind abhorence of birth and death. If he is free from [passion] there is no more abhorence. And whatever birth he may undergo he is never affected by his passion. As his birth is free from bondage he is able to preach the law to all beings and make them free; as Buddha taught: it is untrue to say that one who is bound can make another free from his bondage. It is true to say that one who is not bound can free another from his bondage.

(25) When the cause of sickness is known then he should abandon all the thoughts both of Self and beings, and cherish the thought of objectivity. He should dwell upon such thoughts as these : ‘the body consists of several constituent parts combined together. When it is produced, it is objects only that are produced; and when it perishes it is objects only that perish. Again, those constituent parts are strangers to one another; when they are produced, they do not say: [we are produced], and when they perish they do not say: [they perish]. “Then again he should abandon even the thought of objectivity and dwell upon such thoughts as these: ‘the thought of objectivity is also an error, and this error is a great calamity; it should be removed; how should it be removed? Free thyself from the ideas of me and mine. How the ideas of me and mine be removed? It means to remove two things. What is meant by being removed from two things? Think neither things within nor without and live the life of equity. How is [the thought of] equity to be dwelt upon? There is equity in self. There is equity in Nirvāna. And why? Both self and Nirvāna are empty. Why are they empty? They are empty because they are mere names. These two things have no definite nature. If a Bodhisattva would attain to this equity there would be no more sickness but that of emptiness; and this emptiness is also empty.