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see a square hollow space — and I were to ask you, ' the square space that you see in this vessel, is it a permanent divi- sion of space or not ?' if it is a fixed and distinct allotment, then substitute a round vessel for the square one, and the space ought not to be round ; but if it is not a fixed shape, then, when you speak of the square space in a square vessel, there is a con- fusion of terms, for there is no such fixed thing as a square space. You say that you know not in what place to find the jast solution of the question under consideration — the nature of all solutions like these is the same as the use of the conventional word 'space' of which I have been speaking — how, then, can you speak of seeking it in a particixlar place ? 37. "Ananda, if you wish to arrive at a just apprehension of that which admits of no such limitation as round or square, then all you have to do is to dismiss the contraction of your idea to a square vessel, then the substantial character of space will be understood as that which admits of no such quality as round or square. How much rather, then, ought you to dismiss the idea of finding out the place where this quality of round space or square space dwells ? 38. "So it is when you ask how it is that on entering this Hall your sight becomes contracted, and on looking up to the Sun it becomes extended, so that you can see the vast vault of heaven ; and how, again, it is that the wall limits your view, but if a hole be made in it then your view is enlarged. I say so it is that this reasoning has no force. 39. " But all sentient creatures, from the very first, having been deceived by external objects, have lost their true Nature, and have been carried by things here and there, and therefore have got hold of this idea of seeing much and seeing little. 320 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST 40. "If, then, you are able to understand the real character of these external objects, then you become the same as Tathagata, your mind and body perfect, immoveably fixed, enabled to embrace in your grasp of mind the infinite worlds. 41. "Ananda addressed Buddha, saying: World-honoured! if this sight-power is the same as my mysterious Nature, then this Nature of mine ought to be before me ; and if this sight- power is the same as my true Nature, then what is my mind, so-called, and what my body ? For my present body and mind have evidently a true distinction, but that true Nature admits of no distinction or separation from my body. If, then, this true Nature is the same as my mind, I should certainly be able to see it ; but if I could see or recognise this Nature as my true self, then my body, on the other hand, would not be my true self And what would prevent the first difficulty which Tathagata named, that is, that external things ought to see me, as well as I see external things. Would that, of your great compassion, you would explain these difficulties. 42. " Buddha replied : Now what you say about the power of sio-ht being before you, this theory is out of the question ; for if your true power of sight is before you, then, as the subtle essence occupies a particular space, there can be no difiiculty at once in pointing to it. Suppose, then, as we now sit in the Jetavana, we see around us the groves of trees and the tanks, and the beautiful Hall in the midst, above us the Sun and Moon, before us the River Ganges, and you in front of my Lion throne ; with my finger I point out the natures of these vai-ious objects : that which affords the shade is the grove; that which causes the brio-htness is the sun ; that which breaks the view is the wall ; that which permits you to extend your view is the empty space, and so on down to the single shrub and tree ; — for all of these objects, whether great or small, might all be thus indicated. If then this sight-power dwells before you, you ought to be able with your hand, without any uncertainty (k'heo), to point out its true limits. What, then, is this sight-power? Ananda! if space is it, when you have completed an act of vision, then what is space ? If the objects around us be it, then, having completed an act of vision, what becomes of these objects ? and so on with the infinite varieties of objects around you, the same disproof holds good ; for, if any of these be your original and subtle sight- SCRIPTURES PROM THE CHINESE. 321 power, then when tliat power is used, tliey miist each of them disappear, whichever it be. 43. " Ananda said : I am now sitting in this storied-preaching hall, at a distance (my eyes) reach to the River Ganges ; above me are the sun and moon ; if I raise my hand, it is that which points ; directing my eyes, it is thus I behold ; pointing out all these things, it certainly is not these which see. World- honoured one ! It is according to what Buddha says — for if neither I, who have only arrived at imperfect knowledge, nor the Bodhisatwas, can discover in the various objects before us any sight-power, then, if all those things were removed, I conclude the sight-nature would remain the same. Buddha replied. True I True? 44. " Buddha again addressed Ananda and said : According to what you say, that, in the absence of any seeing-power, when all things are taken away, yet the seeing-nature remains, and that, tlierefore, the things which you now point at are not themselves possessed of any seeing-nature, I now again ask you, as you here sit with me in the Jetavana and behold the trees of the • garden and the stin and moon, etc., it is plain that as these ob- jects do not possess any sight-power, there can be no sight power given to you by the things which you point at. You must tell me, then, which it is amongst all these external objects which possesses the opposite power, viz., of resisting-sight (non-sight [fikin]). 45. " Ananda replied : Indeed, as I look round on this garden of Jeta, I cannot understand what to say about this opposition to sight, of which you speak ; — for what is it ; if the trees possess this attribute, how is it we see the trees ? but if, on the other hand, the trees are the means of seeing, then how are they called trees; and so we might go on with every object, as, for instance, space ; if space is possessed of this non-sight attribute, what is the meaning of the expression ' seeing space.' I conclude, there- fore, that amongst the infinite varieties of objects, there is not one that can be spoken of as ' opposed to sight.' Buddha said, Just so ! 46. "At this time the great congregation, exclusive of the Rahats, hearing Buddha's words became confused, being unable to follow out the mode of Buddha's argument from beginning to 322 A CATENA OV BUDDHIST end; and so were filled with anxiety because they had lost the clue. 47. " Tathagata, knowing the distracted condition in which their minds were thus placed, his heart moved with compassion, he desired to give rest and comfort to Ananda and the others, and to inspire them with the assurance that the Supreme Law- giver would not mislead his disciples, and that all he spoke must be True, not hke the four kinds of confused exposition about 'not dying,' uttered by Makhali, but plain and compre- hensible, if only carefully considered. 48. "At this time Manjusri, Dharma-rajah-putra, filled with compassion for the four classes of disciples, in the midst of the cono-regation arose, and, bowing his head down to Buddha's foot with closed hands and reverential mien, addressed Buddha thus : World-honoured one, — The members of this great congregation do not comprehend the illustrations of Tathagata, touching the two subjects of sight-power and immaterial existence, the argu- ment appears contradictory. 49. " World-honoured ! if these appearances which lie before us connected with matter and space are really visible, then thei'e is something we may rightly indicate as being distinguishable, or possessing the attribute of 'being visible;' but if they do not possess this quality, then we ought to say that these things are not visible by their absence from our sight. We, therefore, are uncertain where these theories may lead ; the congregation, therefore, has anxiety ; these contradictions may, pei-haps, loosen the former hold of faith ; — would, then, that Tathagata, out of his great compassion, would reconcile for us these apparent dis- crepancies, viz.