72 Quotations from original Sanscrit [Feb. 



der : — from the vija* of the letter Y, air s from that of the letter R, fire ; 

 from that of the letter V, or B, water, and from that of the letter L, 

 earth ; and from that of the letter S, Mount Sumerti. On the summit 

 of Sumer is a lotos of precious stones, and above the lotos, a moon 

 crescent, upon which sits, supremely exalted, Vajra Satwa. And as 

 all (other) things proceed from Swabhdva, as also does Vajra Satwa, 

 thence called the self-existentf. (Pujd hand.) 



3. All things and beings (in the versatile universe) which are alike 

 perishable, false as a dream, treacherous as a mirage, proceed, according 

 to some, from Swabhdva, (nature,) and according to others, from God, 

 (Isvjara ;) and hence it is said, that Swabhdva and Iswara are essentially 

 one, differing only in name J. (Ashta Sahasrika.) 



4. At the general dissolution of all things, the four elements shall 

 be absorbed in S any dkdr- Akdsh (sheer space) in this order : Earth 

 in water, water in fire, fire in air, and air in Akdsh, and Akdsh in 

 Sunydta, and Sunydta in Tathata^, and Tathata in Buddha, (which 

 Mahd Sunydta^) and Buddha in Bhdvana, and Bhdvana in Swabhdva. 

 And when existence is again envolved, each shall in the inverse order, 

 progress from the other. From that Swabhdva, which communicates 

 its property of infinity to Akdsh, proceeded into being, in Akdsh, the 

 letter A. and the rest of the letters ; and from the letters, Adi Buddha% 

 and the other Buddhas ; and from the Buddhas, the Bodhi-Satwas, and 

 from them the five elements, with their Vija Mantras. Such is the 

 Swabhdvika Sansdr; which Sansdr (universe) constantly revolves between 

 Pravritti and Nirvritti, like a potter's wheel. (Divya Avaddn.J 



* Root, radix, seed. 



f This may teach us caution in the interpretation of terms. I understand the 

 dogma to announce, that infinite intelligence is as much a part of the system of 

 nature as finite. The mystic allusion to the alphabet imports nothing more 

 than its being the indispensable instrument and means of knowledge or wisdom, 

 which the Buddhists believe man has the capacity of perfecting up to the stand- 

 ard of infinity. 



X See the note on No. 3, on the YatniJca system. 



§ Tathata, says the comment, is Satya Juyan ; and Bhdvana is Bhava or Satta, 

 i. e. sheer entity. 



|| See note on quotation 1 of the section A'di Buddha. 



^| Here again I might repeat the caution and remark at quotation 2. I have 

 elsewhere observed, that Swabhdvika texts, differently interpreted, form the basis 

 of the Aiswarika doctrine, as well as that the Buddhas of the Swdbhdvikas, who 

 derive their capacity of identifying themselves with the first cause from nature, 

 which is that cause, are as largely gifted as the Buddhas of the Aiswarikas, deriv- 

 ing the same capacity from A'di Buddha, who is that cause. See remarks on 

 Remusat apud Journal of Bengal Asiatic Society, Nos. 32, 33, and 34. 



