________________
IV, 1, 12.
HONOURS PAID TO THE BUDDHA.
147.
Then that saying of the sectarians that "an act done to him who accepts it not is empty and vain " turns out to be false. As that great and glorious fire was set alight, even so, great king, was the Blessed One set alight in the glory of his Buddhahood over the ten thousand world systems. As it went out, so has he passed away into that kind of passing away in which no root remains. As the fire, when gone out, accepted no supply of fuel, just so, and for the good of the world, has his accepting of gifts ceased and determined. As men, when the fire is out, and has no further means of burning, then by their own strength and effort, such as resides in individual men, twirl the fire-stick and produce fire, and do any work for which fire is required-so do gods and men, though a Tathâgata has passed away and no longer accepts their gifts, yet put up a house for the jewel treasure of his relics, and doing homage to the attainment of supreme good under the form of the jewel treasure of his wisdom, they attain to one or other of the three glorious states. [97] Therefore is it, great king, that acts done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not accepting them, are nevertheless of value and bear fruit.
12. 'Now hear, too, another reason for the same thing. Suppose, o king, there were to arise a great and mighty wind, and that then it were to die away. Would that wind acquiesce in being produced again ?'
'A wind that has died away can have no thought or idea of being reproduced. And why? Because the element wind is an unconscious thing.'
'Or even, O king, would the word "wind” bę
L2
Diglized by Google
