Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/450

 states, in the hells, the brute creation, Yamas realm, the Bodhisattva Mahisattva Gadgadasvara is a supporter. Even to the creatures in the gynæceums of this Saha-world has the Bodhisattva Mahisattva Gadgadasvara, after metamorphosing himself into a woman, preached this Dharmaparydya of the Lotus of the True Law. Verily, Padmarrt, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara is the supporter of the creatures living in this Saha-world K Under so many shapes, assumed at will, has the Bodhisattva Mahisattva Gadgadasvara preached this Dharma- parydya of the Lotus of the True Law to creatures. Yet, there is no diminution of wisdom, nor dimi- nution of magic power in that good man 2. So many, young man of good family, are the manifestations of knowledge by which this Bodhisattva Mahisattva Gadgadasvara has made himself known in this Saha- world. In other worlds also, similar to the sands of the river Ganges, he preaches the law, under the shape of a Bodhisattva to such as must be converted by a Bodhisattva ; under the shape of a disciple to such as must be converted by a disciple ; under the shape of a Pratyekabuddha to such as must be con- Vdyu, pr£«a, breath of life, is the supporter of creatures. Satpurusha; the real meaning is 'the existing spirit;' air, breath, life, which shows itself in a diversity of forms. That living breath is not only the supporter of creatures, but also a constant admonisher of the transitoriness of life, who addresses his call to young and old, sages and fools, &c. The important mystic rite of inspiration and expiration is described by Spence Hardy, Eastern Monachism, p. 267 ; no less value is attached to pr&fiayi ma in the Yoga system and in Indian mysticism in general ; see e. g. Yogasstra II, 49-51; Sarvadarsana-Sangraha, p. 175; the term pr£ny&ma not only denotes stopping of the breath, as the Dictionaries explain it, but also the regulation and measuring of the breath.