In the point of space below, Mah&pratibh&na, there are innumerable thousands of worlds Further on is the world called RatnavLmddha 2 , there is the Tath&gata named Prabhtitaratna, the Arhat, &c. This Lord of yore made this vow : Formerly, when following the course of a Bodhisattva, I have not arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment before I had heard this Dharmapary&ya of the Lotus of the True Law, serving for the instruction of Bodhi- sattvas. But from the moment that I had heard this Dharmaparydya of the Lotus of the True Law, I have become fully ripe for supreme, perfect enlightenment. Now, Mah&pratibh&na, that Lord Prabhdtaratna, the Tath&gata, &c, at the juncture of time when his complete extinction was to take place, announced in presence of the world, including the gods : After my complete extinction, monks, one Stflpa must be made of precious substances of this frame (or form) of the proper body of the Tath&- gata 8 ; the other Stflpas, again, should be made in dedication (or in reference) to me. Thereupon, Mah&pratibh&na, the Lord Prabhtitaratna, the TathS- gata, &c, pronounced this blessing : Let my Sttipa here, this Stflpa of my proper bodily frame (or form), arise wherever in any Buddha-field in the ten direc- tions of space, in all worlds, the Dharmaparydya of the Lotus of the True Law is propounded, and let
Var. lect. innumerable hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of worlds.
I. e. clear by jewels (stars), or, quite the reverse, cleared from jewels. Most probably, however, we have to take it in the former sense. The world so called is, apparently, the starry vault, beyond the atmosphere where the rainbow is glittering.
Asya Tath&gatatmabhavavigrahasya.
