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VAJRA CHEHEDIKA
PRAJNAPARAMITA
SUTRA
OF
GAUTAMA
THE
BUDDHA
THUS HAVE I HEARD AT ONE TIME.
THE LORD DWELT AT SRAVASTI.
EARLY IN THE MORNING THE LORD DRESSED,
PUT ON HIS CLOAK, TOOK HIS BOWL,
AND ENTERED THE GREAT CITY OF SRAVASTI
TO COLLECT ALMS.
WHEN HE HAD EATEN AND RETURNED
FROM HIS ROUND, THE LORD PUT AWAY
HIS BOWL AND CLOAK, WASHED HIS FEET,
AND SAT DOWN ON THE SEAT ARRANGED FOR HIM,
CROSSING HIS LEGS, HOLDING HIS BODY UPRIGHT, AND
MINDFULLY FIXING HIS ATTENTION IN FRONT OF HIM.
THEN MANY MONKS APPROACHED TO WHERE
THE LORD WAS, SALUTED HIS FEET WITH
THEIR HEADS, THRICE WALKED ROUND HIM
TO THE RIGHT, AND SAT DOWN ON ONE SIDE.
AT THAT TIME THE VENERABLE SUBHUTI
CAME TO THAT ASSEMBLY, AND SAT DOWN.
THEN HE ROSE FROM HIS SEAT,
PUT HIS UPPER ROBE OVER ONE SHOULDER,
PLACED HIS RIGHT KNEE ON THE GROUND,
BENT FORTH HIS FOLDED HANDS TOWARDS
THE LORD, AND SAID TO THE LORD:
'IT IS WONDERFUL, O LORD,
IT IS EXCEEDINGLY WONDERFUL, O WELL-GONE,
HOW MUCH THE BODHISATTVAS,
THE GREAT BEINGS, HAVE BEEN HELPED
WITH THE GREATEST HELP BY THE TATHAGATA.
HOW THEN, O LORD, SHOULD ONE WHO HAS
SET OUT IN THE BODHISATTVA-VEHICLE,
STAND, HOW PROGRESS,
HOW CONTROL THE THOUGHTS?'
AFTER THESE WORDS THE LORD SAID TO SUBHUTI:
'THEREFORE, SUBHUTI, LISTEN WELL,
AND ATTENTIVELY!'
SOMEONE WHO HAS SET OUT IN THE VEHICLE
OF A BODHISATTVA SHOULD PRODUCE
A THOUGHT IN THIS MANNER:
'AS MANY BEINGS AS THERE ARE
IN THE UNIVERSE OF BEINGS,
COMPREHENDED UNDER THE TERM "BEINGS",
ALL THESE I MUST LEAD TO NIRVANA,
INTO THAT REALM OF NIRVANA
WHICH LEAVES NOTHING BEHIND.
AND YET, ALTHOUGH INNUMERABLE BEINGS
HAVE THUS BEEN LED TO NIRVANA,
NO BEING AT ALL HAS BEEN LED TO NIRVANA.'
AND WHY?
IF IN A BODHISATTVA THE NOTION
OF A "BEING" SHOULD TAKE PLACE,
HE COULD NOT BE CALLED A BODHI-BEING.
AND WHY?
HE IS NOT
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