English
For not even a mustard seed-sized relic will perish in between, but they will show the glory of the Buddha's body seated in the Bodhi-mandala in the lotus position, and the twin miracle, then a flame will arise from the relic body and bring that body to a state of non-appearance, then the deities in the ten thousand world-systems, lamenting as on the day of final Nirvana, will depart after making offerings and honoring. This is called the disappearance of the relics. Of these five kinds of disappearances, the disappearance of the scriptures is the root. For while the scriptures exist, the attainment and so on are not considered destroyed, when they do not exist, they are destroyed. Just as while the letters written on a stone slab to indicate the treasure pot remain, the treasure pot is not considered destroyed, but when the letters are destroyed, it is destroyed, so should this be understood. As it was said – "As long as the discourses remain, As long as the Vinaya shines, So long will they see the light, As when the sun has risen. "When the discourses are gone, And the Vinaya is forgotten, There will be darkness in the world, As when the sun has set. "When the discourses are protected and exist, Practice is protected; The wise one established in practice, Does not fall away from security from bondage." Thus, among these five disappearances, the final one is to be understood as after the disappearance of the relics. But why do two Fully Enlightened Buddhas not arise simultaneously, unprecedentedly, and terminally? It would be pointless. For a single Fully Enlightened Buddha If in countless world-systems, there were potential disciples for all beings, in a single moment, with miracles, He could teach the Dhamma favorably to all, and guide them, let alone at different times. Therefore, the arising of many Fully Enlightened Buddhas at one time is pointless. Pointlessness, however, is known from the faults of lack of wonder, reverence, disagreement, and from the fault of the great earth's inability to support two Buddhas, causing scattering. But two Wheel-Turning Monarchs do not arise together in one world-system; only one arises. However, in different world-systems, many can arise together, it should be known. Here, "in one world-element" should be understood as meaning in one world-system. The interval between the unprecedented and the last appearance and disappearance of the Wheel Treasure should be known. And its disappearance occurs on the seventh day from the Wheel-Turning Monarch's death or renunciation, and from his power, the simultaneous non-arising of two together should be known. The rest is easily understood. The Power of Knowledge of Possibilities and Impossibilities is the first. In the second, "of undertakings of action" means of wholesome and unwholesome deeds done after undertaking, or action itself is the undertaking of action. "From the basis, from the cause" means from the condition and from the cause, which is the factor of cause. There, destination, basis, time, and effort are conditions for the result; action is the cause. From both of these, he knows action and its result as they actually are. How? The Blessed One knows that "for some, many evil deeds, obstructed by the attainment of destination, basis, time, and effort, do not ripen; coming to their fruition, they ripen. For some, many good deeds, obstructed by their failure, do not ripen; coming to their attainment, they ripen." There, failure of destination means the four woeful realms. Attainment of destination means the realms of humans and gods. "Basis" means the individual existence. Its success is called attainment, its failure is called failure. Attainment of time means the prosperous time known as the time of good kings and good humans. The opposite is called adversity of time. The proper application of that particular action is called success of application, and the improper application is called failure of application. For some, having arisen in the realms of gods, etc., by wholesome actions, only wholesome actions ripen, having reached that success of destiny. But unwholesome actions, obstructed by that success of destiny, cannot ripen there. Again, having arisen in the states of misery, such as hells, they ripen as they please, having reached that failure of destiny. But wholesome actions, obstructed by that failure of destiny, cannot ripen there. For some, endowed with a beautiful and pleasing body, even if they are slaves or of low birth, only wholesome actions ripen for them, having reached that success of body. For such a beautiful form, they place in high positions, such as ministers, thinking, "This is not suitable for defiled work." Even a candala of beautiful form they place in positions such as chief queen. But unwholesome actions, obstructed by that success of body, cannot ripen for them. Again, for those situated in failure of body, they ripen as they please. Even if born in royal families, etc., those of ugly form they place in low positions. For some, having arisen in the time of the first aeon, or of a wheel-turning monarch, or of Buddhas, in a time of good kings and humans, only wholesome actions ripen, having reached that success of time, not unwholesome ones. Again, for bad kings and humans, in a time of decline, they ripen, having reached that adversity of time, but not wholesome ones, because they are obstructed by that adversity of time. For some, endowed with blameless application of moral restraint, etc., and with skill in the application of weapons, etc., according to the place and time, whether blameworthy or blameless, only wholesome actions ripen, having reached that success of application, not unwholesome ones. Again, they ripen, having reached the opposite failure of application as stated above, but not wholesome ones, because they are obstructed by that. For in battles, etc., killing living beings... Even doing unwholesome deeds, they attain great fortune, such as the position of commander, relying solely on the accomplishment of various weapon skills and arts, but not relying on that unwholesomeness. Just as, doing wholesome deeds, such as giving and service, they encounter misfortune and disaster, relying on the failure of excessive effort, but not relying on that wholesomeness. Thus, with these four kinds of success and failure, the Blessed One truly understands the distinction between the ripening and non-ripening of wholesome and unwholesome deeds. This, in brief, is the explanation of the second power by way of analysis. Furthermore, for him: "There was action, there was result of action; there was action, there was no result of action; there was action, there is result of action; there was action, there is no result of action; there was action, there will be result of action; there was action, there will be no result of action; there is action, there is result of action; there is action, there is no result of action; there is action, there will be result of action; there is action, there will be no result of action; there will be action, there will be result of action; there will be action, there will be no result of action." By this method, stated in the Paṭisambhidā, the explanation should be understood. Therein, the action said to be accumulated in a past existence, having come upon a causal condition, gave its result right there. Referring to this, the first phrase is stated: "There was action, there was result of action." But of the many deeds in the past, such as those to be experienced in this very life, one to be experienced in this very life, having obtained a condition, gives its result, the rest are without result. One to be experienced in a subsequent existence, however, attracts rebirth, one immediately leads to rebirth in hell, the rest are without result. Of the eight attainments, one leads to arising in the Brahma world, the rest are without result. Referring to this, the second phrase is stated: "There was action, there was no result of action." That past action which now gives its result, referring to this is the third. That which is in the previous way. That which does not ripen, this refers to the fourth. That which will give result in the future, this refers to the fifth. That which does not ripen, this refers to the sixth. That karma which, being accumulated now, gives result right now, this refers to the seventh. That which does not ripen, this refers to the eighth. In this way, the meaning of the remaining terms should also be understood. "This is the Tathāgata's" means, through all these ways, the knowledge of knowing as it really is the differences in karma and the differences in result of past, future, and present. The second power. In the third, "leading everywhere" means leading to all destinations and not leading to any destination. "Practice" means path. "Knows as it really is" means, even among many people doing one unwholesome act together, such as killing, "this one's intention will lead to hell, this one's to the animal realm, this one's to the realm of ghosts; and even in hell, etc., it will give such and such a result in such and such a place; this one's cannot attract rebirth, for one who has been given rebirth by another karma, it will be a weak, supportive result." Or, among many doing one wholesome act together, such as giving, or establishing insight, "this one's intention will lead to the human realm, this one's to the deva realm; even there, it will give such and such a result; or this one's insight will produce one path, or two, or three, or four, with or without the discriminations, etc.; this one will not accomplish any penetration," and so on, in endless ways, he knows without error the practice leading everywhere, which is the wholesome and unwholesome that arises in even one object. The third power. In the fourth, "various elements" means many elements, such as the eye element, etc.