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310
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1883
It is not white, red, or such like, but faith, that is the most beautiful colour.
It is not worldliness, but application, that is the best and swiftest conveyance.
Contemplation and the practice of the Law is the best food, and has a sweeter aroma than boiled rice.
They who in the abode of the community are dispassionate, who are content with a single mat, come not back again (to this world), they are truly bhikshus.
They who, weary of the three perfections (pradhana) and their accompaniment, become hermits, and take up) cool dwelling places, their bodies, speech, and minds all well controlled, knowing the proper way to comport themselves, they are truly bhikshus.
Both of these kinds of bhikshus) arrive at the city of freedom, where they enjoy the perfect happiness of freedom.
He who scoffs at the alms-bowl and the other (possessions of a bhikshu), will be plunged in bell in molten bronze for four thousand kalpas.
To some morality (6tla) brings happiness, to others morality (i.e. the want of morality) is a source of suffering.
fle who has morality has the greatest blessing. He who acts against morality is in misery.
He who has brought himself to perfectly observe morality, the appearance of that man is beautiful.
He has nearly conquered, I consider, the man who has learnt morality; for in a single day he acquires an incalculable amount of merit, which vies with the fruit of enlightenment (bodhi).
He who convinces himself that he understands the spirit of the Law (lit. the sign of victory) of the Sagata, when he is not keeping the precepts of the Law, that man is only devoted to form (rupa);' that bhikkhu I consider like a mad bull held by a hair, or like one who drinks acids rather than sweets. That man sows in a single day innumerable seeds of wickedness, and does himself all kinds of injuries.
He who keeps not the bila precepts, who, though not keeping the precepte, (thinks) that he comprehends rightly the Law of the Sugata, who approves of the saying that one can hold on to form (rupa) and to a home (life), that man, not keeping the precepts, perceives not the characteristics that mark all worldly (existence) as essentially connected with sorrow; so all the utterances of that man are evil.
The live trunk of a tree can send forth shoots for a long time; so that man will talk for a long time the language of sin, and will greatly add to his wicked works.
Morality is the greatest happiness! Morality is the road to freedom! Morality is the field of perfection! Morality is the foundation of enlightenment! Morality is the chief of good things! Watch over morality as over the apple of your eye, for life is at stake! He who renounces it, unwise, foolish is he!
All things that are born have but a linited existence; but morality has no such future.?
Therefore, Upali and all you other disciples, watch well over these laws."
When the Blessed One had thus spoken, Up&li and the bhikshus greatly extolled his teaching. The sutra called Bhikshu prareju is finished.
2. MATTRIBHAVANA SÚTRA. In the language, of India, Maitribhavana sútra in the language of Bod, Byams-pa begompai mdo (the sútra on showing good will'). Glory to the blessed Triratna!
This discourse I once heard, while the Blessed One was stopping at Sravasti, at Jitavana, in the grove of Anathapindika. It happened that the Blessed One called the Bhikshus to him; and when they were in the presence of the lord Bhagavat, he spoke to them as follows:
"To thoroughly emancipate the mind, one must show good will; to steadfastly keep it in one's thought, one must show it to many: one must be dispassionate, one must make it a fundamental law, one must strictly adhere to it; to this accustom yourselves, devote yourselves.
There are eleven blessings (attached to good will) which I will explain. They are as follows: one sleeps peacefully, one awakes peacefully, one has no bad dreams, meri delight in him, supernatural beings delight in him, the gods protect him, fire or poison or the sword harm him not, his mind is always happy, his countenance is beaming, he will die with his mind at peace, through his righteous deeds he will be born in the world of Brahma.
Bhikshus, steadfastly keep the thought of good will in your minds, practise it, show it to many, be dispassionate, make it your fundamental law, strictly adhere to it, to this accustom yourselves, devote yourselves. These then are the eleven blessings
Gtso-bogeum : this most likely means Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, but in a very restricted sense. • They attain arhatahip or kissanirvana,
"If one has heard little, but does carefully observe the moral laws, he, because he honours the moral laws, is the best kind of hearer." --Udanavarga, xxii, 8.
• Cf. Dhammapada, v. 388.
? Or it may be rendered : "He who is born has a limited life, but he who observes the śfla precepte has no such future."
Taken from the Bkah-hgyur, xxvith vol. of the Mdo, f. 189,192.
