Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/382

 alms to myriads of kotis of beings, whom I have herebefore indicated by way of comparison ; all of them he satisfies during eighty years.

4. Then seeing that old age has approached for them, that their brow is wrinkled and their head grey (he thinks): Alas, how all beings come to decay! Let me therefore admonish them by (speaking of) the law.

5. He teaches them the law here on earth and points to the state of Nirvâna hereafter. 'All existences ' (he says) 'are like a mirage; hasten to become disgusted with all existence.'

6. All creatures, by hearing the law from that charitable person, become at once Arhats, free from imperfections, and living their last life.

7. Much more merit than by that person will be acquired by him who through unbroken tradition shall hear were it but a single stanza and joyfully receive it. The mass of merit of the former is not even so much as a small particle of the latter's.

8. So great will be one s merit, endless, immeasurable, owing to ones hearing merely a single stanza, in regular tradition; how much more then if one hears from face to face!

9. And if somebody exhorts were it but a single creature and says : Go, hear the law, for this Stitra is rare in many myriads of kotis of Æons;

10. And if the creature so exhorted should hear the Sûtra even for a moment, hark what fruit is to result from that action. He shall never have a mouth disease;