Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/104

Rh and art meditating on the skilfulness of the leaders of the world, thou repeatest their teaching.

120. 'We also, being Buddhas, will make clear the highest word 1, divided into three parts; for men (occasionally) have low inclinations, and might per- chance from ignorance not believe (us, when we say), Ye shall become Buddhas.

121. 'Hence we will rouse many Bodhisattvas by the display of skilfulness and the encouraging of the wish of obtaining fruits/

122. And I was delighted to hear the sweet voice of the leaders of men ; in the exultation of my heart I said to the blessed saints, 'The words of the eminent sages are not spoken in vain.

123. 'I, too, will act according to the indications of the wise leaders of the world ; having myself been born in the midst of the degradation of creatures, I have known agitation in this dreadful world.'

124. When I had come to that conviction, O son of Siiri, I instantly went to Benares, where I skilfully preached the law to the five Solitaries 2, that law which is the base of final beatitude.

125. From that moment the wheel of my law has been moving 3, and the name of Nirv£#a made its appearance in the world, as well as the name of Arhat, of Dharma, and Sangha.

126. Many years have I preached and pointed to the Properly, the most lofty place; the word pa da in the text means place, spot, word, subject, &c.

Agnata-Kaujftfinya and the four others mentioned in the opening chapter.

In chap. VII we shall see that the wheel was put in motion at an inconceivably long period before, by the Tath&gata Mahibhj^na^ndn&bhibhfi.