English
When as yet there ■was no Sun, and mirror for the hand, there could then have certainly been no agreement or harmonious union ; and yet yon cannot say that fire is of no origin and is self-caused. 101. " It is simply because you do not yet understand that, in the midst of Tathagata's mysterious Being, the Nature of Fire is the same as the true basis of that which is called space, and the Nature of Space is the same as the true basis of Fire — un- moved and unconditioned — everywhere diffused ; according to the measure of each one's intelligence, so is this truth compre- hended. Ananda! you ought to know (or, it is plain, that), as in the single instance of a man taking a mirror, and using it, in that particular case fire is produced, so, if throughout the uni- verse the same thing were done, the same result would follow throughout the universe ; but it is only because of particular in- dividual Karma (works) that at present this effect is confined to particular bounds.^ 102. " It is the ignorance of the world, which speaks both of causal connection and a self-producing nature, etc. 103. " Ananda ! the nature of water is inconstant ; it flows into rivers, or it rests in lakes. Now, in the city of Sra {i.e., ' This means that the essence or recondite nature of fire is every- wliere diffused. l>ut it is only c<illed forth by particular agencies. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 337 Sravasti), the Rishi Kapila, and the Rishi Cbakra, and Padma and Asita also, all of them great sorcerers, when thej seek the essence of the Yin principle (i.e. water) to use with their mys- terious and magical potions — all these great teachers, I say, on the night of the full moon, taking a moon-speculum (fang- chii)! in their hands, draw down water from the midst of the moon, how then, considering this fact, do you say that the water is engendered in the speculum, or that it exists of itself in space, or that it comes from the moon ? Ananda ! if you say it comes from the moon, then surely all the trees and shrubs past which this water comes should be dripping and wet, and if this is the case, then why use the magic speculum ; if not, it is plain, at least, that the water comes not from the moon. 104. " If the water comes from the midst of the speculum, then there should ever be flowing water in its substance — why, then, wait till the full moon to draw the water out ? But, if you say this water comes from space, then it should have no limits, even as space has none, so that from man's abode, even up to Heaven, there should be moisture and wet ; and if so, pray what is the meaning of the expression — 'the products of water, dry land, and space.' You should consider, therefore, and conclude the rather, that the moon's brightness irradiates Heaven, the substance of the specu- lum, is in the hand, and the connection between the speculum and the water is an idea of man's own invention ; whence, then, comes the water ? It is plain that the speculum and the moon, separated as they are by such a distance, can have no harmonious union ; and at the same time we cannot say that this ' water essence' comes from nowhere, or is self-created; what, then, shall we say ? Simply this, that you still are ignorant of the mys- terious Being: of Tathao-ata, that in Him the Nature of the element water is the same as the true void of his substantial existence, and the Nature of this void is the same as the true substance of water. He has ever remained pure and unconditioned, free from change, every^v'here diffused, made plain to man according to circum- 1 Chandrakanta (Eitel). I observe that this writer restricts the sense of the Chinese ' ' chu" to a " pearl," but " chu" is constantly used for a mirror. Nor does it appear to be "a pearl from which moonbeams draw forth floods of water" {Handbook, p. 143), but "a mirror or pearl which draws forth water from the Moon." 338 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST stances, for if in one place by holding a speculum, in that one place water is seen, so in every place through the universe the same result would follow. Ouly it is confined now to one spot, because of the Kai'ma of men. 105. " All these ideas then arise, etc. 106. "Ananda! the Nature of wind is that it has no material basis, sometimes at rest, sometimes in motion, without stedfastness ; for instance, you always arrange your dress on entering the great assembly ; suppose, then, the corner of your Sanghati waves past a person as you walk, that person feels in his face a waft of air ; now tell me, whence comes this sense of wind, does it proceed from the corner of the Sanghati, or is it excited in space, or is it produced by that man's face ? Ananda ! if it is produced by the Sanghati, then (the substance of the one being the same as that of the other) you pat on and take oflT the wind, and when the wind flies out into another's face, then your Sanghati ought to fly with it, and so to be separated from your person. Again, I am now delivering the law, and in the midst of the congregation arranging my dress I have seated myself; you see my dress, where does the wind reside in it ? You cannot say that there is a secret receptacle for it in the midst of the robe. " But if you say the wind comes from space, then how is it that it is not excited except your dress moves ? The natui'e of space is constant and fixed, surely then the wind ought ever to be pro- duced ; at the time when there is no wind there should be an end of space, but what proof or assurance is there of this ? for if space be capable of birth and revival, then the thing is a mere name, and how then can the wind come from it ? But if you say that the wind originates itself as it blows on the face of the man, or that it comes from the face itself, then you ought to feel it blowing on your face, and your dress has clearly nothing to do with it. On the whole, you should consider and conclude that the arranging of the dress is your act, the face and so on is another man's, space is quiet and still, not liable to change or motion. From Avhat quarter, then, comes the motion of the wind ? In their nature wind and space are incapable of harmony and agreement. Nor can you say that the nature of wind is de- rived from itself, for this is but an excuse for your ignorance of the mysterious Nature of Tathagata, in which both wind and space are substantially one, etc. SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 339 107. [As before.] 108. " Ananda ! The nature of space^ is that it is without form. It is (the absence of) matter which makes it visible. For ex- ample, in this city of Sravasti, in some place far from the river, all the Tchatriyas and the Brahmans, and the Vaisyas, and the Sudras, the Po-lo-sui (? Parswakas), the Chandalas, founding new residencies immediately set about digging out the earth to make wells ; having dug out a foot of earth, there is then a foot of emptiness ; having dug out a fathom of earth, there is a fathom of emptiness, and so on, accoi-ding to the quantity of earth taken out. This emptiness then, does it come from the earth taken out, or from the act of excavation, or is it self-originated ? Ananda, if you say on the one hand that this emptiness has no cause, but is self-born, then, previous to the act of excavation, what is there to prevent this self forming energy exercising itself? How is it when you look down and consider you only see the great earth, but you cannot penetrate into the nature of this void ? But if you say it is because of the mould or earth coming out that this emptiness is seen, then, seeing the earth coming out of the hole, you ought to see the emptiness going in — what is true of the first must be true of the last; if, then, you really see the earth come out, and you say that this earth causes the emptiness, then surely you ought to see the emptiness enter into the place of the earth ! or if you cannot see this, at least you cannot attribute to the earth a causative power.