he fulfilled the three kinds of dána, viz., dána-páramitá, dánaupa-páramitá, and dána-paramartha-páramitá. 2. In the Bhusidatta birth, and in others of a similar description, he practised the síla-páramitá, or observance of the precepts, in the three degrees. 3. In the Chulla Suttasóma, and other similar births, he abandoned vast treasures of gold and silver, and numberless slaves, cattle, buffaloes, and other sources of wealth, and thus fulfilled the naiskrama-páramitá, which requires retirement from the world. 4. In the Sattubhatta, and other births, he revealed to others that which he saw with his divine eyes, and thus fulfilled the pragnyá- páramitá, or the virtue proceeding from wisdom. 5. In the Maha-janaka, and other births, he performed things exceedingly difficult to be done, thus fulfilling the wíryapáramitá, or the virtue proceeding from determined courage. 6. In the Kshántiwáda, and other births, he endured with an equal mind the opposition of unjust men, regarding it as if it were the prattle of a beloved child, thus observing the kshántipáramitá, or virtue proceeding from forbearance. 7. In the Maha Suttasóma, and other births, he spoke the words of truth, thus exercising the satta-páramitá, or virtue proceeding from truth. 8. In the Temé, and other births, he set his mind to that which is excellent, in the most resolute manner, never giving way to evil in the least possible degree; thus fulfilling the adishtána-páramitá, or the virtue proceeding from unalterable resolution. 9. In the Nigrodhaniga, and other births, he gave away that which he enjoyed to aid the necessities of others, and took upon himself the sorrows of others; thus observing the maitrí-páramitá, or the virtue proceeding from kindness and affection. 10. In the Sara, and other births, he regarded with an equal mind those who exercised upon him the most severe cruelties, and those who assisted him and were kind; thus fulfilling the upeksha-páramitá, or virtue proceeding from equanimity. All the páramitás were exercised in the three degrees; and the differences in question may be learnt from that which is said respecting dána. The giving of eyes, flesh, and blood, or that which belongs to the body, is the ordinary dána. The giving of children, wife, horses, slaves, cattle, buffaloes, lands, pearls, jewels, gold, and silver, or that which may be regarded as a possession, is the superior dána. And the giving of that which involves the loss of life, as the head upon which the royal crown has been placed, or the body, to feed lions, tigers, yakás, and rakshas, is the pre-eminent dána. The period required for the exercise of a páramitá is called bhúmi. Were a Bódhisat to shed one single drop of blood in a thousand births, he would shed more blood than there is water in a thousand oceans in the space of one páramitá-bhúmi. Were he, in the same number of births, to give a portion of his flesh only the size of the undu flower, he would, in one bhúmi, give more flesh than there is earth in a thousand worlds like our own. Were he, in as many births, once to give his head, he would, in one bhúmi, give as many heads as would form a heap higher than Méru. Were he, on a similar scale, once to give an eye, he would, in one bhúmi, give more eyes than there are stars in a thousand sakwalas. Were he to give one son bound by a withe, the whole of the withes would form a heap higher than Méru. Were any being to live successively through the age enjoyed in each of the déwa and brahma-lókas, though this period would amount to many millions of years, and more than two hundred thousand maha-kalpas, it would not be a longer space of time than is required for the fulfilling of a páramitá. The páramitábhúmi must therefore be a period inconceivably long. The Bodhisat is never born in any world above the Asanyasatyalóka. He avoids the déwa and brahma-lókas, because in these worlds he cannot further the accomplishment of his design; he never prolongs his stay in places of this description, but seeks continually for opportunities to carry his design into effect; and it is for this reason that of his own free will he passes away from these lokas, and is born in the world of men. Because of his merit, he might always be born in a déwa or brahma-lóka, but as in these places he cannot further the purposes of his great intention, he prefers being born in the world of men. Other beings must remain the appointed time in these worlds, there being no dangers or accidents by which their departure can be hastened; but as the Bódhisat cannot there perform the páramitás, he has the power to depart at his pleasure. For this purpose he lies down upon a couch, and resolves upon being born in this world; when his death takes place, and he receives birth in the place and manner upon which he had previously resolved. This kind of death is called adhimukti; and the power is possessed by none but those who are to become supreme Budhas. 66 There are some Bódhisats who practise the páramitás during four, and others during eight, or sixteen, asankya-kap-lakshas. There are some who excel in purity, and in them wisdom is less evident; others who excel in wisdom, and in them purity is less evident; and others who excel in determined courage, and in them purity and wisdom are less apparent. The three kinds of Bódhisats are distinguished by the names of ugghatitagnya, or 'he who attains quickly;" wipachitagnya, or "he who attains less quickly: and gneyya, or “he who attains least quickly." The Bodhisats who belong to the first division may attain rahatship on hearing four stanzas from a supreme Budha, and repeating them; and on the same day they might enter nirwána. Those of the second class must hear four stanzas from a supreme Budha, and ask their meaning, before they can have the power to attain rahatship; but on the same day they might enter nirwána. Those of the third class must hear four stanzas and hear them explained at length, before they can have the power to attain the rahatship; but on the same day they might enter nirwana. If there be any Bódhisat, any being looking forward to the reception of the supreme Budhaship, he must make no use of his power to become a rahat, but must continue to exercise the páramitás, that he may impart unto others the happiness of nirwána. After the assurance of the Budhaship has been received, were the Bodhisat to give the most valuable alms every day during many ages to hasten its reception, no effect of this kind would be produced. For this reason. When there is rice that is accustomed to ripen in three, four, or five months, no labour of the husbandman can accelerate the period of the harvest, however often he may water it, or whatever pains he may take; in like manner, the time for receiving the Budhaship cannot be hastened, whatever alms might be given for the purpose. There are eight qualifications that must be possessed by the being who receives the assurance of becoming a Budha. 1. He must be a man, and not a déwa. It is therefore requisite that the Bodhisat continually keep the ten precepts, that he may have the merit to be born as a man. 2. He must be a male, and not a female; and therefore the Bodhisat must avoid all sins that would cause him to be born as a woman. 3. He must have the merit that would enable him to become a rahat; all evil desire must be destroyed. 4. There must be the opportunity of offering to a supreme Budha, in whom also firm faith must be exercised. 5. There must be the abandonment of the world, and the Bódhisat must become an ascetic. 6. He must possess the virtue derived from the practice of dhyána and other similar exercises, nor can the assurance be received by one that is unjust or wicked. 7. He must firmly believe that the Budha with whom he communicates is free from sorrow, and that he himself will possess the same power; and he must enquire at what period he will receive the Budhaship. 8. He must exercise a firm determination to become a Budha; and were he even told that in order to obtain its exalted rank he must endure the pains of hell during four asankya-kap-lakshas, he must be willing to suffer all this for its sake. In the time of Dipankara Budha, Gótama Bódhisat might have attained nirwána, but that he might save countless beings from the woes of repeated birth, he voluntarily chose to continue in existence during the period that would elapse before he could become a Budha, the design he had formed being constantly kept in view, until the whole of the páramitás were fulfilled. There is nothing in all existence to which the páramitás that he accomplished can be compared. When any of these four things are taken, the earth, the ocean, the stars, or Méru, it is like saying that the king of the garundas is larger than a snipe; now the king is 150 yojanas in height. There are some persons who, on hearing of the afflictions of the Bodhisat, might suppose that his sufferings are excessive; but in reality his enjoyment preponderates. Were a kalpa to be divided into eight parts, to other beings there is enjoyment in seven parts, and in one part suffering; but to the Bodhisat there is enjoyment throughout the whole of the eight parts. The attainment of the Budhaship is like the ascent of a man to the top of a tree, in order that he may gather of its fruit; the choice of the fruit is before him, and he can take that which is ripest and best. There are thirteen advantages that the Bodhisat enjoys: 1. He is never born in any of the eight great hells; all other beings receive this birth, but the Bódhisats never. 2. He is never born in the Lókántarika hell. 3. He is never born in the Nijhámatanhá préta world. 4. He never receives the Khuppipása préta birth, though all other beings endure it. 5. He never receives the Kálahanjanaka préta birth, though all other beings are subject to it. 6. He is never born as any kind of vermin; he is never a louse, bug, ant, or worm; all other beings receive these births, but the Bodhisat is never born less than a snipe; nor is he ever born as a serpent or as any other animal of a similar species. 7. He is never born blind, dumb, deaf, a cripple, or leprous. 8. He is never born as a female.. 9. He is never born as one of doubtful sex. 10. He never commits any of the five great sins. 11. He is never born in an arúpa world, as in those states there is no acquisition of merit. 12. There are other states of existence in which he is not born, as the prince never defiles his caste by entering the dwellings of common men. 13. He is never a sceptic. These advantages are enjoyed by the Bodhisats from the time that they resolve upon the exercise of the páramitás. Though the giving of their heads and of their children are in themselves sacrifices most painful, the pain is overpowered by the joy which is felt when looking forward to the greatness of the reward. From the time when Gótama Bódhisat received the assurance that he would become a Budha, throughout the whole of his various births, his mind was ever inclined towards merit and averse to demerit. When thoughts of demerit arose, his mind was agitated, like a feather thrown into the fire; but towards merit his mind was enlarged, like a broad canopy of cloth or like pure sesamum oil spread out on the surface of a placid lake. He was never indolent or fearful, but at all times exercised the most determined resolution; no other being, whether it be Maha Brahma, Vishnu, Iswara, or any other déwa, had the power to exhibit an equal courage. We will record an instance. At a certain time Gótama Bódhisat was born as a squirrel, on account of some demerit of a former age. In the forest he was attentive to his young ones, providing for them all that was necessary; but a fearful storm arose, and the rivers overflowed their banks, so that the tree in which he had built * It is said (Journ. Bengal As. Soc. 1835), that in the island of Rambree, near the coast of Arrakan, there are the remains of Budhist temples, in which are relics of Gótama, such as the hair, feathers, bones, &c., of the several creatures whose form he assumed previous to his becoming a man; but according to the Singhalese authors these relics must have perished many hundred of thousands of years ago. |