1. Mañgusrî, the prince royal, said to the Lord: It is difficult, Lord, most difficult, what these Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas will attempt out of reverence for the Lord. How are these Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas to promulgate this Dharmaparyâya at the end of time, at the last period? Whereupon the Lord answered Mañgusrî, the prince royal: A Bodhisattva Mahâsattva, Mañgusrî, he who is to promulgate this Dharmaparyâya at the end of time, at the last period, must be firm in four things. In which things? The Bodhisattva Mahâsattva, Mañgusrî, must be firm in his conduct and proper sphere if he wishes to teach this Dharmaparyâya. And how, Mañgusrî, is a Bodhisattva Mahâsattva firm in his conduct and proper sphere? When the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva, Mañgusrî, is patient, meek, has reached the stage of meekness; when he is not rash, nor envious; when, moreover, Mañgusrî, he clings to no law whatever and sees the real character of the laws or things; when he is refraining from investigating and discussing these laws, Mañgusrî; that is called the conduct of a Bodhisattva Mahâsattva. And what is the proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahâsattva, Mañgusrî? When the Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Mañgusrî, does not serve, not court, not wait upon kings; does not serve, not court, not wait upon princes; when he does not approach them; when he does not serve, not court, not wait upon persons of another sect, Karakas, Parivrâgakas, Âgîvakas, Nirgranthas Three kinds of mendicant friars not belonging to the Buddhist, nor to the Gaina persuasion, nor persons passionately fond of fine literature; when he does not serve, not court, not wait upon adepts at worldly spells, and votaries of a worldly philosophy, nor keep any intercourse with them; when he does not go to see Kândâlas, jugglers, vendors of pork, poulterers, deer-hunters, butchers, actors and dancers, wrestlers, nor resort to places whither others flock for amusement and sport; when he keeps no intercourse with them unless from time to time to preach the law to them when they come to him, and that freely; when he does not serve, not court, not wait upon monks, nuns, lay devotees, male and female, who are adherents of the vehicle of disciples, nor keep intercourse with them; when he does not come in contact with them at the place of promenade or in the monastery, unless from time to time to preach the law to them when they come to him, and even that freely. This, Mañgusrî, is the proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahâsattva. Again, Mañgusrî, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva does not take hold of some favourable opportunity or another to preach the law to females every now and anon, nor is he desirous of repeatedly seeing females; nor does he think it proper to visit families and then too often address a girl, virgin, or young wife, nor does he greet them too fondly in return. He does not preach the law to a hermaphrodite, keeps no intercourse with such a person, nor greets too friendly in return. He does not enter a house alone in order to receive alms, unless having the Tathâgata in his thoughts. And when he happens to preach the law to females, he does not do so by passionate attachment to the law, far less by passionate attachment to a woman. When he is preaching, he does not display his row of teeth, let alone a quick emotion on his physiognomy. He addresses no novice, male or female, no nun, no monk, no young boy, no young girl, nor enters upon a conversation with them; he shows no great readiness in answering their address, nor cares to give too frequent answers. This, Mañgusrî, is called the first proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva. Further, Mañgusrî, a Bodhisattva Mahâsattva looks upon all laws and things as void; he -sees them duly established, remaining unaltered, as they are in reality, not liable to be disturbed, not to be moved backward, unchangeable, existing in the highest sense of the word or in an absolute sense, having the nature of space, escaping explanation and expression by means of common speech, not born, composed and simple, aggregated and isolated, not expressible in words, independently established, manifesting themselves owing to a perversion of perception. In this way then, Mañgusrî, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva constantly views all laws, and if he abides in this course, he remains in his own sphere. This, Mañgusrî, is the second proper sphere of a Bodhisattva Mahâsattva. And in order to expound this matter in greater detail, the Lord uttered the following stanzas :

2. The Bodhisattva who, undaunted and unabashed, wishes to set forth this Sûtra in the dreadful period hereafter,

3. Must keep to his course of duty and proper sphere; he must be retired and pure, constantly avoid intercourse with kings and princes.

4. Nor should he keep up intercourse with king's servants, nor with Kândâlas, jugglers, and Tîrthikas in general.

5. He ought not to court conceited men, but catechise such as keep to the religion. He must also avoid such monks as follow the precepts of the Arhat of the Gainas, and immoral men.

6. He must be constant in avoiding a nun who is fond of banter and chatter; he must also avoid notoriously loose female lay devotees.

7. He should shun any intercourse with such female lay devotees as seek their highest happiness in this transient world. This is called the proper conduct of a Bodhisattva.

8. But when one comes to him to question him about the law for the sake of superior enlightenment, he should, at any time, speak freely, always firm and undaunted.

9. He should have no intercourse with women and hermaphrodites; he should also shun the young wives and girls in families.

10. He must never address them to ask after their health. He must also avoid intercourse with vendors of pork and mutton.

11. With any persons who slay animals of various kind for the sake of profit, and with such as sell meat he should avoid having any intercourse.

12. He must shun the society of whoremongers, players, musicians, wrestlers, and other people of that sort.

13. He should not frequent whores, nor other sensual persons; he must avoid any exchange of civility with them.

14. And when the sage has to preach for a woman, he should not enter into an apartment with her alone, nor stay to banter.

15. When he has often to enter a village in quest of food, he must have another monk with him or constantly think of the Buddha.

16. Herewith have I shown the first sphere of proper conduct. Wise are they who, keeping this Sqtra in memory, live according to it.

17. And when one observes no law at all, low, superior or mean, composed or uncomposed, real or not real;

18. When the wise man does not remark, 'This is a woman,' nor marks,'This is a man;' when in searching he finds no laws or things, because they have never existed;

19. This is called the observance of the Bodhisattvas in general. Now listen to me when I set forth what should be their proper sphere.

20. All laws i.e. the laws, the things have been declared to be non-existing, not appearing, not produced, void, immovable, everlasting; this is called the proper sphere of the wise.

21. They have been divided into existing and non-existing, real and unreal, by those who had wrong notions; other laws also, of permanency, of being produced, of birth from something already produced, are wrongly assumed.

22. Let the Bodhisattva be concentrated in mind, attentive, ever firm as the peak of Mount Sumeru, and in such a state of mind look upon all laws and things as having the nature of space i.e. as being void,

23. Permanently equal to space, without essence, immovable, without substantiality. These, indeed, are the laws, all and for ever. This is called the proper sphere of the wise.

24. The monk observing this rule of conduct given by me may, after my extinction, promulgate this Sûtra in the world, and shall feel no depression.

25. Let the sage first, for some time, coerce his thoughts, exercise meditation with complete absorption, and correctly perform all that is required for attaining spiritual insight, and then, after rising from his pious meditation, preach with unquailing mind.

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