The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If a disciple, having immeasurable spheres filled with the seven treasures,[1] bestowed these in the exercise of charity; and if a disciple, whether man or woman, having aspired to supreme spiritual wisdom, selected from this Scripture a stanza comprising four lines, then rigorously observed it, studied it, and diligently explained it to others; the cumulative merit of such a disciple would be relatively greater than the other.”
“In what attitude of mind should it be diligently explained to others?[2] Not assuming the permanency or the reality of earthly phenomena, but in the conscious blessedness of a mind at perfect rest.[3] And why? Because, the phenomena of life may be likened unto a dream, a phantasm, a bubble,[4] a shadow, the glistening dew, or lightning flash, and thus they ought to be contemplated.”
When the Lord Buddha concluded his enunciation of this Scripture,[5] the venerable Subhuti, the monks,[6] nuns, lay-brethren and sisters, all mortals, and the whole realm of spiritual beings, rejoiced exceedingly, and consecrated to its practice, they received it and departed.
[1] Gold, silver, pearls, coral, cornelian, glass, and crystal.
[2] “The wise man, the preacher, who wishes to expound this Sutra, must absolutely renounce falsehood, pride, calumny, and envy.... He is always sincere, mild, forbearing; ... he must feel affection for all beings who are striving for enlightenment ... they are greatly perverted in their minds, those beings who do not hear, nor perceive ... the mystery of the Tathagata. Nevertheless will I, who have attained this supreme, perfect knowledge, powerfully bend to it the mind of every one (Burnouf, par la force de mes facultés surnaturelles), whatever may be the position he occupies, and bring about that he accepts, understands, and arrives at full ripeness.”—Saddharma-Pundarika. H. Kern.
[3] “By contemplation are obtained those conditions through which is eventually gained that supreme calm, undecaying, immortal state, which is so hard to be reached.”—Buddha-Karita. E. B. Cowell.
“And in what way can the disciple ‘proclaim them generally?’ Simply by relying on no conditions or distinctions whatever; thus he will act without agitation or excitement. Wherefore the conclusion is this—that all things which admit of definition are as a dream, a phantom, a bubble, a shadow, as the dew and lightning flash. They ought to be regarded thus.”—Kin-Kong-King. Beal.
“And how should he explain it? As in the sky: stars, darkness, a lamp, a phantom, dew, a bubble, a dream, a flash of lightning, and a cloud—thus should we look upon the world (all that was made).”—The Vagrakkhedika. Max Müller.
[4] “Fa-Hien stayed at the dragon Vihara till after the summer retreat, and then, travelling to the south-east for seven Yojanas, he arrived at the city of Kanyakubja, lying along the Ganges.... At a distance from the city of six or seven Le, on the west, on the northern bank of the Ganges, is a place where Buddha preached the Law to his disciples. It has been handed down that his subjects of discourse were such as ‘The bitterness and vanity (of life), as impermanent and uncertain,’ and that ‘The body is as a “bubble” or foam on the water.’”—Travels of Fa-Hien. Legge.
[5] “Thus spake the Bhagavat enraptured; the elder Subhuti, and the friars, nuns, the faithful lay men and women, and the Bodhisattvas also, and the whole world of gods, men, evil spirits and fairies, praised the preaching of the Bhagavat.”—The Vagrakkhedika. Max Müller.