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168
SADDHARMA-PUNDARÍKA.
VII.
world! Now first thou art seen 1; it is not easy to behold thee. As rare (or precious) as the flowers of the glomerated fig-tree is thine appearance, O Lord.
41. By thy power these aerial cars of ours are so uncommonly illumined now, O Leader. To show us thy favour accept them, O thou whose look pierces everywhere!
After the great Brahma-angels, monks, had celebrated the Lord Mahâbhigñagñânábhibha, the Tathagata, &c., face to face, with these seasonable stanzas, they besought him : May the Lord move forward the wheel of the law ! [as above till gods and men.].
Thereupon, monks, those fifty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Brahma-angels addressed the Lord, with one voice, in common chorus, with the following stanzas :
42. Preach the law, O Lord and Leader ! move forward the wheel of the law, make the drum of the law resound, and blow the conch-trumpet of the law.
43. Shed the rain of the true law over this world and proclaim the sweet-sounding good word; mani. fest the law required, save myriads of kotis of beings.
And the Lord, monks, silently intimated his assent to the Brahma-angels.
Repetition; the same occurred in the south-west, in the west, in the north-west, in the north, in the north-east, in the nadir.
Then, monks, the aerial cars of the Brahmaangels in the nadir ?, in those fifty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of spheres [&c., as above till
1 We must in thought add, in full glory, because we are at noontide.
* Yenâdhodigbhaga.
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