Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 21.djvu/281

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decorated with a network of little bells^[1], showing a checker board divided by gold threads into eight compartments, devoid of villages, towns, boroughs, provinces, kingdoms, and royal capitals, without Kâla-mountain, without the mountains Mukilinda and great Mukilinda, without a mount Sumeru, without a Kakravâla (i. e. horizon) and great Kakravâla (i. e. extended horizon), without other principal mountains, without great oceans, without rivers and great rivers, without bodies of gods, men, and demons, without hells, without brute creation, without a kingdom of Yama. For it must be understood that at that period all beings in any of the six states of existence in this world had been removed to other worlds, with the exception of those who were assembled at that congregation^[2]. Then it was that those Lords, those Buddhas, attended by one or two satellites, arrived at this Saha-world and went one after the other to occupy their place close to the foot of a jewel tree. Each of the jewel trees was five hundred yoganas in height, had boughs, leaves, foliage, and circumference in proportion^[3], and was provided with blossoms and fruits. At the foot of each jewel tree stood prepared a throne, five yoganas in height, and adorned with magnificent jewels. Each Tathâgata went to occupy his throne and sat on it cross-legged. And so all the Tathâgatas of the whole sphere sat cross-legged at the foot of the jewel trees.

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1. Kaṅkanîgâlâlaṅkrita.
2. The hells at least, which are places of darkness, could not be present when the stars are shining brightly.
3. My MSS. read pañkayoganasatâny ukkaistvenâbhût, anupûrvasâkhâpatrapalâsaparinâhah. In the sequel we meet with another reading agreeing with Burnouf's.