CHAPTER II.SKILFULNESSThe Lord then rose with recollection and consciousness from his meditation, and forthwith addressed the venerable Sariputra: The Buddha knowledge, Sariputra, is profound, difficult to understand, difficult to comprehend. It is difficult for all disciples and Pratyekabuddhas to fathom the knowledge arrived at by the Tathagatas, &c., and that, Sariputra, because the Tathagatas have worshipped many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Buddhas; because they have fulfilled their course for supreme, complete enlightenment, during many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of ons; because they have wandered far, displaying energy and possessed of wonderful and marvellous properties; possessed of properties difficult to understand; because they have found out things difficult to understand.The mystery of the Tathagatas, &c., is difficult to understand, Sariputra, because when they explain the laws (or phenomena, things) that have their causes in themselves they do so by means of skilfulness, by the display of knowledge, by arguments, reasons, fundamental ideas, interpretations, and suggestions. By a variety of skilfulness they are able to release creatures that are attached to one point or another. The Tathagatas, &c., Sariputra, have acquired the highest perfection in skilfulness and the display of knowledge; they are endowed with wonderful properties, such as the display of free and unchecked knowledge; the powers; the absence of hesitation; the independent conditions; the strength of the organs; the constituents of Bodhi; the contemplations; emancipations; meditations; the degrees of concentration of mind. The Tathagatas, &c., Sariputra, are able to expound various things and have something wonderful and marvellous. Enough, Sariputra, let it suffice to say, that the Tathagatas, &c., have something extremely wonderful, Sariputra. None but a Tathagatha, Sariputra, can impart to a Tathagata those laws which the Tathagata knows. And all laws, Sariputra, are taught by the Tathagata, and by him alone; no one but he knows all laws, what they are, how they are, like what they are, of what characteristics and of what nature they are.And on that occasion, to set forth the same subject more copiously, the Lord uttered the following stanzas:1. Innumerable are the great heroes in the world that embraces gods and men; the totality of creatures is unable to completely know the leaders.2. None can know their powers and states of emancipation, their absence of hesitation and Buddha properties, such as they are.3. Of yore have I followed in presence of kotis of Buddhas the good course which is profound, subtle, difficult to understand, and most difficult to find.4. After pursuing that career during an inconceivable number of kotis of ons, I have on the terrace of enlightenment discovered the fruit thereof.5. And therefore I recognise, like the other chiefs of the world, how it is, like what it is, and what are its characteristics.6. It is impossible to explain it; it is unutterable; nor is there such a being in the world.7. To whom this law could be explained or who would be able to understand it when explained, with the exception of the Bodhisattvas, those who are firm in resolve.8. As to the disciples of the Knower of the world,