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June, 1880.
SILVER-WHITE WOMAN."
145
charity,
THE SUTRA CALLED NGAN-SHIH-NIU, i.e." SILVER-WHITE WOMAN.” 1 [Translated from the Chinese, the second part of the Volume indicated by wax
(Buddhist Tripitaka). 1st Sutra.]
BY REV. S. BEAL, B.A. M HUS have I heard. On a certain occasion devour it. At this time the woman called
1 Bhagava was residing in the country of "Silver-colour" in haste addressed the mother, She-wei (Śrâvasti) in the garden of Jeta, the and said : "Sister! what are you going to do"? friend of the orphan, with 1250 great Bhikshus. She replied “I'am famished ! I have no life left
At this time the world-honoured one address in me! I have not what to eat! I must devour ed the Bhikshus in these words :-"Oh Bhik- my child !" Then Silver-colour asked her, sayshas ! if men only knew the merit (religious ing, "Sister! stop a while, this thing is impossimerit) of giving their goods or property in ble! Sister! is there not in all the house a morsel charity, and the reward (phala) of so doing as I of any food fit for you to eat ?” She replied at know the matter-so that at the time of eating, once : "Sister! I had at one time stores of whether it be the first or the last mouthful taken, food which I kept hoarded up with niggard this feeling of charity were always uppermost, care ! and therefore am I now left without a and if not present so as to make men ready morsel to eat." Then Silver-colour said: “Sister! to give all away, then no food were to be taken stop a while, I will run to my house and at all, [-then there would be great profit-). bring you some food." She replied: "Sister! At which time the world-honoured one uttered my ribs are breaking, my back is rending in the following verses :
twain, my heart is palpitating without a mo"If only men of every kind
ment's rest, the world seems all dark about me, Acted in accord with Buddha's words,
before my sister reaches her home I shall be And kept back somewhat from their food for dead!" Then Silver-colour thought thus with
herself: "If I take the child and go, then this Then the result would be a great reward. poor woman will perish; if I do not take it when But whether at the first monthful
I leave, she will devoar it-what expedient is Or at the last mouthful
there then by which I can save these two lives?" If charity be not uppermost in the mind,
She asked therefore: “Sister! is there a knife Then a man should not eat at all!"
in the house I can use?” She answered At this time the world-honoured one having “There is," and taking a knife she gave uttered these stanzas, addressed the Bhikshus, it to Silver-colour: whilst she on her part, and said :-Oh Bhikshus! at a certain time in holding the knife with her own hand, cut off numerable ages (kalpas) ago there was a certain her two breasts for the woman to eat; then Royal capital : the king of which was called addressing her, she said: "Here-eat these two Padma : there was a woman of that city called breasts of mine :" and when she had eaten "Silver-colour," who having all she required at them, Silver-colour again enquired—“Sister! home, went forth to visit other houses to see are you now satisfied ?” She replied “I am," how the occupants thereof were faring. Now Then Silver-colour continued : "Sister ! now this this woman was exceedingly beautiful, with all child redeemed with my own flesh is mine! I the distinguishing marks of loveliness, and her will take it, and keep it as my own, and in my body of a most dazzling whiteness [and hence own house feed it and nourish it as it requires." her name). At this time, approaching a certain Saying these words, the blood flowing down residence, she entered it, and having done so, over her person, and leaving its traces along she found within it & woman just delivered of the ground, shu departed and came to her house. her first-born child ; this child was very fair to Then her relations and friends beholding herthus, look upon, and of a colour surpassingly beautiful. flocked around, and asked her saying, "Who has And now she saw this newly-delivered woman done this?" Silver-colour replied "I with my Beize the child in her hand with a view to own hand have done it." Then they asked
Silver-White, or Silver-colour, is probably corruption would be from the last root to shine, from which comes or upponed derivation from Bivi, and this Satra is there a "white." fore the Northern form of the shiui Jataka. The derivation
