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Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

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<strong>Buddha</strong>-<strong>carita</strong>, <strong>or</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 182<br />

71. Then the <strong>Buddha</strong>, mounted on a throne, up in the air to the height<br />

<strong>of</strong> seven palm-trees, addressed all those Nirmitā Bodhisattvāḥ,<br />

illumining their minds,<br />

72. ‘Ho! ho! listen ye to the w<strong>or</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> me who have now attained<br />

perfect knowledge; everything is achieved <strong>by</strong> merit<strong>or</strong>ious w<strong>or</strong>ks,<br />

theref<strong>or</strong>e as long as existence lasts acquire merit.<br />

73. ‘Since I ever acted as liberal, pure-hearted, patient, skilful, devoted<br />

to meditation and wisdom, – <strong>by</strong> these merit<strong>or</strong>ious w<strong>or</strong>ks I became a<br />

Bodhisattva.<br />

74. ‘After accomplishing in due <strong>or</strong>der the entire round <strong>of</strong> the<br />

preliminaries <strong>of</strong> perfect wisdom, – I have now attained that highest<br />

wisdom and I am become the All-wise Arhat and Jina.<br />

75. ‘My aspiration is thus fulfilled; this birth <strong>of</strong> mine has b<strong>or</strong>ne its<br />

fruit; the blessed and imm<strong>or</strong>tal knowledge which was attained <strong>by</strong><br />

f<strong>or</strong>mer <strong>Buddha</strong>s, is now mine.<br />

76. ‘As they through the good Law achieved the welfare <strong>of</strong> all beings,<br />

so also have I; all my sins are abolished, I am the destroyer <strong>of</strong> all<br />

pains.<br />

77. ‘Possessing a soul now <strong>of</strong> perfect purity, I urge all living beings to<br />

seek the abolition <strong>of</strong> w<strong>or</strong>ldly existence through the lamps <strong>of</strong> the Law.’<br />

Having w<strong>or</strong>shipped him as he thus addressed them, those sons <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Jinas disappeared.

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