Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/214

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166
SADDHARMA-PUNDARÎKA.
vii.


33. It was deprived of the most high of men; hell was prevailing and the celestial bodies constantly went on waning during eighty hundred complete Æons.

34. But now he has appeared, owing to our good works, who is (our) eye, refuge, resting-place[1], protection, father, and kinsman[2]; he, the benign and bounteous one, the King of the law.

After the great Brahma-angels, monks, had celebrated the Lord Mahâbhiâânâbhibhû, the Tathâgata, &c., face to face, with these seasonable stanzas, they besought him: May the Lord move forward the wheel of the law! [as above till both gods and men.]

Thereupon, monks, those fifty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Brahma-angels addressed the Lord, with one voice, in common chorus, with the following stanzas:

35. Move forward the exalted wheel, O great ascetic! reveal the law in all directions; deliver all beings oppressed with suffering[3]; produce amongst mortals gladness and joy!

36. Let them by hearing the law partake of enlightenment and reach divine places. Let all shake off their demon body and be peaceful, meek, and at ease[4].


    the Buddha has been absent for a kalpa, such a kalpa=mahâkalpa contains 4 asaṅkhyeya-kalpas; each asahkhyeya-kalpa has 20 intermediate kalpas; hence a mahâkalpa=80 intermediate kalpas.

  1. Lena, Sansk. layana. In Burnouf's translation we find this word rendered by appui.
  2. The sun is lokabandhu, the kinsman and friend of the world, of mankind.
  3. Or relieve all beings oppressed with toil.
  4. It is not easy to say what is really meant by those divine