Miscellaneous Topics – 2344
planes of existence in all the infinite world-elements, and not the slightest
destruction can mar this vision.
4. The Perfectly Self-Awakened One, endowed with the six exalted
qualities, also counted in eight ways, well-possessed of these three special
attributes, has all bodily actions, in all postures and movements, preceded
by four kinds of full comprehension, and all the bodily actions closely
follow the guidance of the fourfold comprehension.
5. All his verbal actions, all his utterances, are preceded by the four kinds
of full comprehension, and all the verbal actions closely follow the
guidance of the fourfold comprehension.
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6. All his mental actions, all his thoughts, are preceded by the four kinds
of full comprehension, and all the mental actions follow the guidance of
the fourfold comprehension.
7. The Perfectly Self-Awakened One, endowed with the six exalted
qualities, also counted in eight ways, well-possessed of these six exclusive
attributes, is never lacking, not having the slightest decline in the earnest
desire that had arisen in him since his time as Bodhisatta Sumedha, to
ferry across the floundering multitudes to the safe shore of Nibbāna, and
in the will to achieve noble things beneficial to himself and to others,
which is the exalted quality of accomplishment (
kāma
) itself.
8. His teaching, which has the sole object of liberating all deserving beings
from the suffering round of existences, never falls short of the avowed
objective.
9. His effort, which is rightly directed in three ways: the dauntless
determination as Bodhisatta in being prepared to traverse an ocean of
burning coals or of sharp stakes, laid over the entire surface of the
universe which is 3,610,350 leagues wide, for the sake of attaining
Buddhahood, which is the exalted quality of making effort (
payatta
) itself;
the exclusive Buddha-knowledge consisting in the fourfold right efforts
and the will to accomplish the five routine tasks set for himself every day,
never shows the slightest decline.
10. His concentration in two aspects: the inherent firmness of mind that
withstands the eight kinds of worldly conditions or vicissitudes that may
befall him from any quarter, like Mount Meru withstands stormy winds
that blow from the eight directions; the absorption power (
appanā-