This is the default header for all files in the database. Files which contain gaiji, however, have an additional CHARDECL section in the ENCODINGDESC below.
The project was conducted 2005-2008. Some minor revisions and additions were done in 2009.
All texts used with permission. Copyright for the Chinese text lies with the Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association (CBETA). Copyright for the Pāli text lies with the Vipassana Research Institute. Copyright for the Sanskrit text lies with Fumio Enomoto. Copyright for the English text lies with Marcus Bingenheimer. The Tibetan and Manchu texts are in the public realm. The digital edition itself is made available under the LGPL.
If Chinese, the text below is based on the Taishō text from the CBETA-Database
(Version Feb.2006). If Pāli, the text base is the VRI Chaṭṭa Saṅgāyana edition
(ver.3). If Sanskrit the text base is
This file has been created in the project "A Digital Comparative Edition of the Bieyi za ahan jing" conducted at the Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies 中華佛學研究所 and the Dharma Drum Buddhist College 法鼓佛教研修學院. The project was funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange 蔣經國國際學術交流基金會. The aim of the project was to produce a comparative digital edition and partial translation of the 364 sutras of the BZA and their parallels. In the original interface, the texts were kept in an eXist database and are realized via XQuery and XSLT as HTML for the online user. The project lasted from 2005-2009.
Changes from the respective text base are usually marked with a RESP="t.100" attribute on the containing elements
Value added:
BZA: New Punctuation. Markup of person and place names. Verse and prose. References to the print edition (Taishō). Corrected characters (according to CBETA).
ZA: New Punctuation. Verse and prose. References to the print edition (Taishō). Markup of person and place names.
Other Chinese: Parallel and not-parallel divisions regarding the BZA marked. Verse and Prose.
Pāli, Sanskrit, Tibetan & others: Parallel and not-parallel divisions regarding the BZA. Verse and Prose. Markup of person and place names. Variant readings.
Translation of BZA 042. First version published in
Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.
At that time the Buddha told the bhikkhus: “Long time ago Sakka Devānam Indo wanted to go for a ride and enjoy his park land. He ordered his charioteer Mātali: ‘Harness the thousand-horse chariot!’ Soon Mātali had harnessed the chariot, went to Sakka, and said to him: ‘The chariot is ready, we may leave whenever you please.’ Thereupon Sakka left the Vejayanta Palace and with folded hands paid obeisance facing west. When Mātali saw this, he generated surprise and fear, and dropped whip and reigns.
Sakka said: ‘What have you seen that you are so scared?’ Mātali said: ‘Maghavā! Husband of Suja! When I saw you with folded hands paying obeisance facing west, my mind became filled with fear and I dropped whip and reigns. All beings revere you; all the kings are completely under your rule. The four [Guardian] kings and the thirty-three gods, all respectfully revere you. Who then surpasses you in power, that you stand and pay obeisance with folded hands facing west?’ Sakka answered: ‘Everybody reveres me, like you say. [However,] what all devas and human beings respectfully venerate is the Sangha. I respectfully pay obeisance to the Sangha.’
Thereupon Mātali spoke a verse:
At that time Sakka Devānam Indo spoke a verse:
At that time Mātali spoke this verse:
Having spoken this verse, Sakka mounted the chariot and left.
Buddha told the monks: “Sakka is powerful among men and devas, if even he venerates the Sangha, how much more should you, oh monks, who have left home to study the way, venerate the Sangha.”
When the Buddha had finished, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and practiced accordingly.