spicy-breathing air.  Thus all these countless sorts of creatures, wishing to destroy the Bodhisattva, unable to remove him from the spot, were with their own weapons wounded.  Now Mara had an aunt-attendant whose name was Ma-kia-ka-li, who held a skull-dish in her hands, and stood in front of Bodhisattva, and with every kind of winsome gesture, tempted to lust the Bodhisattva.  So all these followers of Mara, possessed of every demon-body form, united in discordant uproar, hoping to terrify Bodhisattva; but not a hair of his was moved, and Mara’s host was filled with sorrow.  Then in the air the crowd of angels, their forms invisible, raised their voices, saying:  “Behold the great Muni; his mind unmoved by any feeling of resentment, whilst all that wicked Mara race, besotted, are vainly bent on his destruction; let go your foul and murderous thoughts against that silent Muni, calmly seated!  You cannot with a breath move the Sumeru mountain.  Fire may freeze, water may burn, the roughened earth may grow soft and pliant, but ye cannot hurt the Bodhisattva!  Through ages past disciplined by suffering.  Bodhisattva rightly trained in thought, ever advancing in the use of ‘means,’ pure and illustrious for wisdom, loving and merciful to all.  These four conspicuous virtues cannot with him be rent asunder, so as to make it hard or doubtful whether he gain the highest wisdom.  For as the thousand rays of yonder sun must drown the darkness of the world, or as the boring wood must kindle fire, or as the earth deep-dug gives water, so he who perseveres in the ‘right means,’ by seeking thus, will find.  The world without instruction, poisoned by lust and hate and ignorance; because he pitied ‘flesh,’ so circumstanced, he sought on their account the joy of wisdom.  Why then would you molest and hinder one who seeks to banish sorrow from the world?  The ignorance that everywhere prevails is due to false pernicious books, and therefore Bodhisattva, walking uprightly, would lead and draw men after him.  To obscure and blind the great world-leader, this undertaking is impossible, for ’tis as though in the Great Desert a man would purposely mislead the merchant-guide.  So ‘all flesh’ having fallen into darkness, ignorant of where they are going, for their sakes he would light the lamp of wisdom; say then! why would you extinguish it?  All flesh engulfed and overwhelmed in the great sea of birth and death, this one prepares the boat of wisdom; say then! why destroy and sink it?  Patience is the sprouting of religion, firmness its root, good conduct is the flower, the enlightened heart the boughs and branches.  Wisdom supreme the entire tree, the ‘transcendent law’ the fruit, its shade protects all living things; say then! why would you cut it down?  Lust, hate, and ignorance, are the rack and bolt, the yoke placed on the shoulder of the world; through ages long he has practised austerities to rescue men from these their fetters.  He now shall certainly attain his end, sitting on this right-established throne; as all the previous Buddhas, firm and compact like a diamond.  Though all the earth were moved and shaken, yet would this place be fixed and stable; him, thus fixed and well assured, think not that you can overturn.  Bring down and moderate your mind’s desire, banish these high and envious thoughts, prepare yourselves for right reflection, be patient in your services.”