74th Imperishable, Eloquence.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

What then is the imperishability of eloquence?

The eloquence in question is unhindered eloquence, uninterrupted eloquence, insuperable eloquence, unconfused eloquence, ready eloquence, eloquence full of joy, quick eloquence, unchangeable eloquence, sharp eloquence, immediate eloquence. [This is the essential character (lakṣaṇa) of the bodhisattva’s eloquence].

That eloquence of his is purified through the maturation of earlier actions, blessed by the Buddhas, adopted by the gods, free of faulty grammar, teaching the unfailing religion, going the way to extinction; thus he becomes perfected in eloquence.

That bodhisattva’s manifestations of eloquence in teaching prose and verses are as many as there are manifestations of forms; that bodhisattva’s manifestations of eloquence in explaining prose and verses are as many as there are words sounded. He does not entertain thought-constructions like: “I demonstrate this, I teach this”. But even though he is not conditioned by anything, to whatever assembly he goes, be it an assembly of aristocrats, be it an assembly of priests, be it an assembly of craftsmen, be it an assembly of house-owners, be it an assembly of ascetics, be it an assembly of the four protectors of the world, be it an assembly of the thirty-three gods, be it an assembly of the death-king, be it an assembly of the gods in the delightful heaven, be it an assembly of the gods who take delight in changing, be it an assembly of the gods powerful in changing into someone else, be it an assembly of the Evil One, be it an assembly of Brahmā, in all those assemblies his religious teachings appear clearly in accordance with the faith and abilities of all beings, by virtue of his effortlessness [of eloquence]. If he so wishes, he does not leave off even if another life elapses, or another world-age elapses, he teaches religion unhindered. And this teaching of religion of his succeeds, for the one who practises it, in truly bringing about the cessation of suffering [of beings].

This is called the bodhisattvas’ imperishable eloquence.

These, reverend Śāradvatīputra, are the bodhisattvas’ imperishable memory and eloquence.