181. Even the gods envy those who are awakened and not forgetful, who are given to meditation, who are wise, and who delight in the repose of retirement (from the world). 182. Hard is the conception of men, hard is the life of mortals, hard is the hearing of the True Law, hard is the birth of the Awakened (the attainment of Buddhahood). 183. Not to commit any sin, to do good, and to purify one's mind, that is the teaching of the Awakened. 184. The Awakened call patience the highest penance, 6 (183.) This verse is again one of the most solemn verses among the Buddhists. According to Csoma de Körös, it ought to follow the famous Aryâ stanza, 'Ye dhammâ' ('Lotus,' p. 522), and serve as its complement. But though this may be the case in Tibet, it was not so originally. Burnouf has fully discussed the metre and meaning of our verse on pp. 527, 528 of his 'Lotus.' He prefers 'sakittaparidamanam,' which Csoma translated by "the mind must be brought under entire subjection" (svakittaparidamanam), and the late Dr. Mill by" proprii intellectus subjugatio." But his own MS. of the Mahâpadhâna sutta' gave likewise' sakittapariyodapanam,' and this is no doubt the correct reading. (See D'Alwis, ' Attanugaluvansa,' cxxix.) We found 'pariyodappeya' in verse 88, in the sense of freeing oneself from the troubles of thought. The only question is whether the root' dâ,' with the prepositions 'pari' and 'ava,' should be taken in the sense of cleansing oneself from, or cutting oneself out from. I prefer the former conception, the same which in Buddhist literature has given rise to the name Avadâna, a legend, originally a pure and virtuous act, an apίorea, afterwards a sacred story, and possibly a story the hearing of which purifies the mind. See Boehtlingk-Roth, s. v. 'avadâna.' long-suffering the highest Nirvâna; for he is not an anchorite (Pravragita) who strikes others, he is not an ascetic (Sramana) who insults others. 185. Not to blame, not to strike, to live restrained under the law, to be moderate in eating, to sleep and eat alone, and to dwell on the highest thoughts,-this is the teaching of the Awakened. 186. There is no satisfying lusts, even by a shower of gold pieces; he who knows that lusts have a short taste and cause pain, he is wise. 187. Even in heavenly pleasures he finds no satisfaction, the disciple who is fully awakened delights only in the destruction of all desires. (185.) Pâtimokkhe,' under the law, i.e. according to the law, the law which leads to Moksha,' or freedom. Prâtimoksha' is the title of the oldest collection of the moral laws of the Buddhists (Burnouf, Introduction, p. 300; Bigandet, 'The Life of Gaudama,' p. 439), and as it was common both to the Southern and the Northern Buddhists, pâtimokkhe' in our passage may possibly be meant, as Professor Weber suggests, as the title of that very collection. The commentator explains it by 'getthakasîla' and 'pâtimokkhasîla.' I take 'sayanâsam' for 'sayanâsanam;' see Mahâb. xii. 6684. In xii. 9978, however, we find also 'sayyâsane.' (187.) There is a curious similarity between this verse and verse 6503 (9919) of the Sântiparva: 'Yak ka kâmasukham loke, yak ka divyam mahat sukham, Trishnakshayasukhasyaite nârhatah shodasîm kalâm;' And whatever delight of love there is on earth, and whatever is the great delight in heaven, they are not worth the sixteenth part of the pleasure which springs from the destruction of all desires. 188. Men, driven by fear, go to many a refuge, to mountains and forests, to groves and sacred trees. 189. But that is not a safe refuge, that is not the best refuge; a man is not delivered from all pains after having gone to that refuge. 190. He who takes refuge with Buddha, the Law, and the Church; he who, with clear understanding, sees the four holy truths: 191. Viz. Pain, the origin of pain, the destruction of pain, and the eightfold holy way that leads to the quieting of pain;— 192. That is the safe refuge, that is the best refuge; having gone to that refuge, a man is delivered from all pain. (188-192.) These verses occur in Sanskrit in the 'Prâtihâryasûtra,' translated by Burnouf, Introduction, pp. 162–189; see p. 186. Burnouf translates 'rukkhaketyâni' by 'arbres consacrés ;' properly, sacred shrines under or near a tree. (190.) Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are called the 'Trisarana ' (cf. Burnouf, Introd. p. 630). The four holy truths are the four statements that there is pain in this world, that the source of pain is desire, that desire can be annihilated, that there is a way (shown by Buddha) by which the annihilation of all desires can be achieved, and freedom be obtained. That way consists of eight parts. (See Burnouf, Introduction, p. 630.) The eightfold way forms the subject of chapter xviii. (See also Chips from a German Workshop,' 2nd ed. vol. i. p. 251 seq.) h 193. A supernatural person is not easily found, he is not born everywhere. that race prospers. Wherever such a sage is born, 194. Happy is the arising of the Awakened, happy is the teaching of the True Law, happy is peace in the church, happy is the devotion of those who are at peace. 195, 196. He who pays homage to those who deserve homage, whether the awakened (Buddha) or their disciples, those who have overcome the host (of evils), and crossed the flood of sorrow, he who pays homage to such as have found deliverance and know no fear, his merit can never be measured by anybody. CHAPTER XV. HAPPINESS. 197. Let us live happily then, not hating those who hate us! let us dwell free from hatred among men who hate! 198. Let us live happily then, free from ailments among the ailing! let us dwell free from ailments among men who are ailing! 199.. Let us live happily then, free from greed among the greedy! let us dwell free from greed among men who are greedy! 200. Let us live happily then, though we call nothing (198.) The ailment here meant is moral rather than physical. Cf. Mahâbh. xii. 9924, samprasâuto nirâmayah;' 9925, 'yo "sauprânântiko rogas tâm trishnâm tyagatah sukham.' (200.) The words placed in the mouth of the king of Videha, while his residence Mithilâ was in flames, are curiously like our verse; cf. Mahâbh. xii. 9917, 'Susukham vata gîvâmi yasya me nâsti kimkana. |