The Gospel of Buddha

Preface

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The Gospel of Buddha

Name and Form

On one occasion the Blessed One entered the assembly hall
and the brethren hushed their conversation. [1]

When they had greeted him with clasped hands,
they sat down and became composed.
Then the Blessed One said:
"Your minds are inflamed with intense interest;
what was the topic of your discussion?" [2]

And Sariputta rose and spake:
"World-honoured master, we were discussing the nature of man's own existence.
We were trying to grasp the mixture of our own being which is called Name and Form.
Every human being consists of conformations,
and there are three groups which are not corporeal.
They are sensation, perception, and the dispositions,
all three constitute consciousness
and mind, being comprised under the term Name.
And there are four elements, the earthly element,
the watery element, the fiery element, and the gaseous element,
and these four elements constitute man's bodily form,
being held together so that this machine moves like a puppet.
How does this name and form endure and how can it live?" [3]

Said the Blessed One:
"Life is instantaneous and living is dying.
Just as a chariot-wheel in rolling
rolls only at one point of the tire,
and in resting rests only at one point;
in exactly the same way, the life of a living being
lasts only for the period of one thought.
As soon as that thought has ceased
the being is said to have ceased. [4]

"As it has been said:
'The being of a past momemt of thought has lived,
but does not live, nor will it live.
The being of a future moment of thought will live,
but has not lived, nor does it live.
The being of the present moment of thought does live,
but has not lived, nor will it live.'" [5]

"As to Name and Form we must understand how they interact.
Name has no power of its own, nor can it go on of its own impulse,
either to eat, or to drink, or to utter sounds, or to make a movement.
Form also is without power and cannot go on of its own impulse.
It has no desire to eat, or to drink, or to utter sounds, or to make a movement.
But Form goes on when supported by Name,
and Name when supported by Form.
When Name has a desire to eat, or to drink,
or to utter sounds, or to make a movement,
then Form eats, drinks, utters sounds, makes a movement. [6]

"It is as if two men, the one blind from birth
and the other a cripple, were desirous of going travelling,
and the man blind from birth were to say to the cripple as follows:
'See here! I am able to use my legs,
but I have no eyes with which to see the rough
and the smooth places in the road.' [7]

"And the cripple were to say to the man blind from birth as follows:
'See here! I am able to use my eyes,
but I have no legs with which to go forward and back.' [8]

"And the man blind from birth, pleased and delighted,
were to mount the cripple on his shoulders.
And the cripple sitting on the shoulders of the man blind from birth
were to direct him, saying:
'Leave the left and go to the right;
leave the right and go the left.' [9]

"Here the man blind from birth is without power of his own, and weak,
and cannot go of his own impulse or might.
The cripple also is without power of his own, and weak,
and cannot go of his own impulse or might.
Yet when they mutually support one another
it is not impossible for them to go. [10]

"In exactly the same way Name is without power of its own,
and cannot spring up of its own might, nor perform this or that action.
Form also is without power of its own, and cannot spring up of its own might,
nor perform this or that action.
Yet when they mutually support one another
it is not impossible for them to spring up and go on. [11]

"There is no material that exists for the production of Name and Form;
and when Name and Form cease, they do no go anywhither in space.
After Name and Form have ceased,
they do not exist anywhere in the shape of heaped-up music material.
Thus when a lute is played upon, there is no previous store of sound;
and when the music ceases it does not go any whither in space.
When it has ceased, it exists nowhere in a stored-up state.
Having previously been non-existent,
it came into existence on account of the structure
and stem of the lute and the exertions of the performer;
and as it came into existence so it passes away.
In exactly the same way, all the elements of being,
both corporeal and non-corporeal
come into existence after having previously been non-existent;
and having come into existence pass away. [12]

"There is not a self residing in Name and Form,
but the co-operation of the conformations
produce what people call a man. [13]

"Just as the word 'chariot'
is but a mode of expression for axle, wheels, the chariot-body
and other constituents in their proper combinations,
so a living being is the appearance of the groups
with the four elements as they are joined in a unit.
There is no self in the carriage
and there is no self in man. [14]

"O bhikkhus, this doctrine is sure and an eternal truth,
that there is no self outside of its parts.
This self of ours which constitutes Name and Form
is a combination of the groups with the four elements,
but there is no ego entity,
no self in itself. [15]

"Paradoxical though it may sound:
There is a path to walk on,
there is walking being done,
but there is no traveller.
There are deeds being done, but there is no doer.
There is a blowing of the air, but there is no wind that does the blowing.
The thought of self is an error
and all existences are hollow as the plantain tree
and as empty as twirling water bubbles. [16]

"Therefore, O bhikkhus,
as there is no self, there is no transmigration of a self;
but there are deeds and the continued effect of deeds.
There is rebirth of karma; there is reincarnation.
This rebirth, this reincarnation, this reappearance of the conformations
is continuous and depends on the law of cause and effect.
Just as a seal is impressed upon the wax
reproducing the configurations of its device,
so the thoughts of men, their characters, their aspirations
are impressed upon others in continuous transference
and continue their karma,
and good deeds will continue in blessings
while bad deeds will continue in curses. [17]

"There is no entity here that migrates,
no self is transfered from one place to another;
but here is a voice uttered here and the echo of it comes back.
The teacher pronounces a stanza and the disciple
who attentively listens to his teacher's instruction, repeats the stanza.
Thus the stanza is reborn in the mind of the disciple. [18]

"The body is a compound of perishable organs.
It is subject to decay;
and we should take care of it as of a wound or a sore;
we should attend to its needs
without being attached to it, or loving it. [19]

"The body is like a machine,
and there is no self in it that makes it walk or act,
but the thoughts of it, as the windy elements,
cause the machine to work. [20]

"The body moves about like a cart.
Therefore 'tis said: [21]

"As ships are by the wind impelled,
As arrows from their bowstrings speed,
So likewise when the body moves
The windy element must lead. [22]

"Machines are geared to work by ropes;
so too this body is, in fact,
Directed by a mental pull
Whene'er it stand or sit or act. [23]

"No independent self is here
That could intrinsic forces prove
To make man act without a cause,
To make him stand or walk or move. [24]

"He only who utterly abandons all thought of the ego
escapes the snares of the Evil One;
he is out of the reach of Mara. [25]

"Thus says the pleasure-promising tempter: [26]

"So long as to the things
Called 'mine' and 'I' and 'me'
Thine anxious heart still clings,
My snares thou canst not flee." [27]

"The faithful disciple replies: [28]

"Naught's mine and naught of me,
The self I do not mind!
Thus Mara, I tell thee
My path thou canst not find." [29]

"Dismiss the error of the self
and do not cling to possessions which are transient
but perform deeds that are good,
for deeds are enduring
and in deeds your karma continues. [30]

"Since then, O bhikkhus, there is no self,
there cannot be any after life of a self.
Therefore abandon all thought of self.
But since there are deeds and since deeds continue,
be careful with your deeds. [31]

"All beings have karma as their portion:
they are heirs of their karma;
they are sprung from their karma;
their karma is their kinsman;
their karma is their refuge;
karma allots beings to meanness or to greatness. [32]

"Assailed by death in life's last throes
On quitting all thy joys and woes
What is thine own, thy recompense?
What stays with thee when passing hence?
What like a shadow follows thee
And will Beyond thine heirloom be? [33]

"T'is deeds, thy deeds, both good and bad;
Naught else can after death be had.
Thy deeds are thine, thy recompense;
They are thine own when going hence;
They like a shadow follow thee
And will Beyond thine heirloom be. [34]

"Let all then here perform good deeds,
For future weal a treasure store;
There to reap crops from noble seeds,
A bliss increasing evermore." [35]

End Chapter 40

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