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Qfi 60 A CATENA OV BUDDHIST the way to the perfect and complete Nirvana of Tathagata him- self, causing us, who are as yet but partially advanced, to know how to overcome the former errors of our unenlightened heart, and by obtaining the Dharani which Budha possesses to enter on the condition of the boundless wisdom of Tathagata. " Having said this, he again humbly prostrated himself, and, standing with fixed heart in the assembly, awaited the Divine Revelation. 62. "At this time the world-honoured one, in compassion to the Pratyeka Buddhas and the Srilvakas, who had not yet com- pleted the self-reliant heart of Bodhi, and for the sake of those who should live hereafter posterior to the death of Buddha, in the time of the cessation of the Law,^ exciting his Heart to open out the Law of the Highest Yehicle and the excellent road of prepara- tion, thus addressed Ananda and the great congregation : Ye who are firmly fixed, to promote in yourselves the Heart of Bodhi, by means of the excellent Samadhi of Buddha Tathagata, which admits of no change or diminution, must first of all set your minds to understand two previous investigations with respect to the unenlightened heart (cho sin). 63. " Say, then, what are these investigations or principles ? Ananda ! the first is this, if you desire to leave the imperfect condition of a Sravaka, and prepare yourself for the condition (vehicle) of Bodhisativa, and enter on the position of Buddha's wisdom, you must investigate this question — is that which is called the cause of this acquisition different from the acquisition itself? 64. " Ananda ! it cannot be allowed that the ground cause through which we seek the imperishable and unconditioned state of Buddha, can be the perishable and conditioned heart which we call ours. 65. " In this investigation, therefore, you mast clearly under- stand that all mundane forms (fah ; dharma) which enter into the composition of the phsenomenal world are transitory and perishable. Ananda ! of all these forms which you see, of the fictile nature alluded to, what one is there not destructible ? They are all destined to be burned up ; but after their destruc- tion there is one thing that can never perish, and that is the ' Tlie period when there would be no Law, vide Lotus, 365. SCRIPTUBES FROM THE CHINESE. 361 void of space. VVliat is it, then ? This void is opposed to all fictile forms ; and from everlasting has been unchanged and is imperishable. 66. "All, therefore, belonging to yonrself connected with these elemental forms — such as your bones and flesh, which have the nature of earth, and your moistures, which partake of the nature of water, and your passions, and your breath — must carefully be divided and distinguished from the pure unchangeable Heart, which, as we have before proved, is universally diffused. Also, from the power that the eye possesses, i. e., the seeing-power, and the power of the ear, i. e., the hearing-power, and so on ; all which mixed with the five skhanda (yin) have resulted in the five intermixed confusions. Now what are these five confusions ? To use a comparison, they are the same as pure water in which earth or mud has been placed; that which was clear and pure, by the admix- ture of earth, becomes muddy and confused : so it is also in your case. 67. " For example, Anauda ! You look into space — your sight and space ai-e intermixed ; space, although it is visible, has no substantial existence ; your sight, although it is an active power, yet has no real intelligence of space : there is thus a confusion, and a false result is the consequence. This is the first confusion.^ 68. " So, again, your body coming in contact with any sub- stance, there results an act of sensation (vedana) ; the object being removed, the sensation is checked; this mutual action and reaction causes the second confusion. 69. "Again, in the mind there is recollection of a past cir- cumstance, acquaintance with a present one, anticipation of a future one ; these several relationships excite the knowledge known as " sanjnya" [i. e., knowledge arising from indications or signs (siang)] ; the objects being removed, there is nothing left to perceive ; the mind or intelligence being removed, there is no power of pei'ception : here, again, is a confusion. 70. " Again, as morning and evening continually succeed and reproduce one another, so you obtain the idea of desires bound up in the present world, bat in their consequences ever changing through countless worlds : the knowledge thus produced is another confusion. ' Called in the text the Kih (robber) confusion. 362 A CATENA OF BUDDHIST 71. "Again, your original power of seeing, hearing, etc., being one, but the countless descriptions of knowledge different, from this intermixture arises the confusion called Life confusion. 72. " Ananda ! if you desire to arrive at the condition of Buddha, these confusions and impurities must first be removed.^ 73. " By thus removing the imperfections, and returning to original purity, we lay a right foundation for arriving at Nirvana. 74. " Just as the impurities of water will subside when the vessel in which it is contained is kept in perfect rest ; so, in the case of the human agent, by rest we arrive at this first condition of escajie from the discomposing influences of the mind, and by further removing all self-complacency at arriving at this condi- tion, we effect the the enjoyment of Nirvana. 75. " The second investigation is this — to examine into the cause of these discomposing influences, to which v/e trace the prolific source of continual production. If the place or site of the inversion of right reason, by the influence of the false objects of sense and organs of sense, be not known, how can we speak of overcoming their influences and laying a foundation for arriving at the condition of Supreme Wisdom ? 76. " If a man does not know what it is binds him, how can he loose himself? You never heard of such a thing as binding space and letting it go. What then ? it is the so-called senses and objects of sense, that, like robbers, have come and stolen the precious possessions of your house and have forged the chains by which you are bound. 84. " Ananda ! if you wish to swim back against the stream of successive life and death, and to arrive at the very head of it, when there was neither life nor death, you should thoroughly in- vestigate these six caj)acities of sense — what is it that is per- ceived by contact ? and what is it that is meant by disconnection ? what is it we speak of as depth, and what as shallow ? what is it that is perfect and full, and what that is not so ? If you can only go back to the very first and arrive at a conviction that there was a period when there were no such false conditions of knowledge as these terms imply, then you will recognise the cause of the confusions of which I spoke, and the consequent errors that have arisen. ^ These sectious are not very intelligible. SCRIPTURES PROM THE CHINESE. * 363 85. " I now exhort you to enter in by this one way, to the thorough knowledge of Perfect Wisdom, and the perfect com- posure of the sis senses, 86. "Ananda said: What does the World-honoured one mean by stemming the tide of life and death, and so entering in by the one door to the deep knowledge and the composure of the six senses ? Buddha replied : -What, Ananda ! have you arrived at the condition of Srotapanna, and do you not yet know that the orip-in of error was in the wish to divide that which is of it- self perfect and indivisible, by admitting a ground of acquiring something not possessed ? How much more, now that this error has developed into various parts, may we not, by getting rid of the parts, go back to tlie original source of Number.^ 87. "Now, Ananda! regarding these six senses of yours — Are they a unity, or are they distinctly six ? If a unity, then your ear ought to see and your eye to hear, etc. But if you are certain that they are six, then let me ask which of them it is receives the words of the Excellent Law which I now deliver ? Ananda said : By using my ears I hear.