ssuaging medicaments, the benevolent
lord, on whom had been showered the prime of gifts and
applauses, remained unattached to them all, like water on a
lotus leaf; and the report of his greatness as the
venerable, the absolute Buddha, the learned and
well-behaved, the god of happy exit, the great knower of
worlds, the valiant, the all-controlling charioteer, the
teacher of gods and men, the quinocular lord Buddha fully
manifest, spread far and wide in the world. And Bhagavat,
having by his own power acquired all knowledge regarding
this world and the next, comprising devas, maras, brahmyas
(followers of Brahma), _s_rama_n_as, and brahma_n_as, as
subjects, that is both gods and men, sojourned here,
imparting instructions in the true religion, and expounding
the principles of a brahma_k_arya, full and complete in its
nature, holy in its import, pure and immaculate in its
character, auspicious is its beginning, auspicious its
middle, auspicious its end.'

[Footnote 58: The advantages to be derived from these Chinese
translations have been pointed out by M. Stanislas Julien. The
analytical structure of that language imparts to Chinese translations
the character almost of a gloss; and though we need not follow
implicitly the interpretations of the Sanskrit originals, adopted by
the Chinese translators, still their antiquity would naturally impart
to them a considerable value and interest. The following specimens
were kindly communicated to me by M. Stanislas Julien:

'Je ne sais si je vous ai communique autrefois les curieux
passages qui suivent: On lit dans le Lotus francais, p. 271,
l. 14, C'est que c'est une chose difficile a rencontrer que
la naissance d'un bouddha, aussi difficile a rencontrer que
la fleur de l'Udumbara, que l'introduction du col d'une
tortue dans l'ouverture d'un joug forme par le grand ocean.

'Il y a en chinois: un bouddha est difficile a rencontrer,
comme les fleurs Udumbara et Palaca; et en outre comme si
une tortue borgne voulait rencontrer un trou dans un bois
flottant (litt. le trou d'un bois flottant).

'Lotus francais, p. 39, l. 110 (les creatures), enchainees
par la concupiscence comme par la queue du Yak,
perpetuellement aveuglees en ce monde par les desirs, elles
ne cherchent pas le Buddha.

'Il y a en chinois: Profondement a