Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/100

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52
SADDHARMA-PUNDARÎKA.
ii.

flower, by drawing on a wall the images of the Sugatas, by doing worship were it even with distracted thoughts, one shall in course of time see kotis of Buddhas.

94. Those who, when in presence of a Stûpa, have offered their reverential salutation, be it in a complete form or by merely joining the hands; who, were it but for a single moment, bent their head or body;

95. And who at Stûpas containing relics have one single time said: Homage be to Buddha! albeit they did it with distracted thoughts, all have attained superior enlightenment.

96. The creatures who in the days of those Sugatas, whether already extinct[1] or still in existence, have heard no more than the name of the law, have all of them reached enlightenment.

97. Many kotis of future Buddhas beyond imagination and measure shall likewise reveal this device as Ginas and supreme Lords.

98. Endless shall be the skilfulness of these leaders of the world, by which they shall educate[2] kotis of beings to that Buddha-knowledge which is free from imperfection[3].


  1. Or, expired, and more grandly entered Nirvâna. The real meaning of the contents of stanza 74 seq. will be that all men who lived under past Sugatas, i.e. in past days, after doing acts of piety, have finished with reaching enlightenment, i.e. with dying.
  2. Vinayati, to train, educate, also means to carry away, remove.
  3. I.e. death. Such terms as perfect enlightenment, Buddha-knowledge, &c., when they are veiled or euphemistic expressions for death, may be compared with the phrase 'to see the truth,' which in some parts of Europe is quite common, especially among