adhitiṣṭhati (420)

adhitiṣṭhati
Entry 420, Page 12, Col. 2

(aDitizWati, aDitizWati)
adhitiṣṭhati¦, also adhiṣṭhahati, °ṣṭhihati (and noun adhiṣṭhāna, q.v.; Pali adhitiṭṭhati, adhiṭṭhāna, in general in same meanings; previous translations of BHS vary widely and are hardly worth systematic quotation; very common is bless, which I think should be deleted, see below): (1) masters, controls, in normal Skt. (BR sthā with adhi 3, 4) and also BHS (exx. La Vallée Poussin, AbhidhK. vii.119 note 2, b); in BHS particularly takes possession or control of, MSV i.248.20 (sāptāhikaṃ), and ff.; Bhīk 15 a. 1 (the newly initiated nun says to her in- structress) samanvāhara upādhyāyike, aham…idaṃ cī- varaṃ saṃghāṭīm adhitiṣṭhāmi, I take (formal) possession of my nun's garments (similarly with other implements, below: Ridding p. 124 calls this rite benediction of the garments, etc.; but the nun is the only speaker; she would not ‘bless’ her own belongings!); in BHS (2) the power or control is usually supernatural or magical: adhitiṣṭhantu buddhā bhagavanto idaṃ paṭasūtram Mmk 56.12, let the Lord Buddhas exercize their supernatural power over (assume control of) this thread (Lalou, Icono- graphie p 20, occupent); in the sequel, favorable sounds show the performer that, adhiṣṭhitaṃ me buddhair… tat paṭasūtraṃ (17); he reflects, buddhānāṃ…adhiṣṭhā- nam etat (24), this is the controlling power of the B.; Laṅk [Page013-a+ 71] 100.6 ff., Bodhisattvas may be adhiṣṭhānadvayādhiṣṭhitāḥ, controlled by two supernatural powers (of Buddhas, cf. 11 buddhādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhitāḥ); these are (9) samādhisamā- pattyadhiṣṭhāna; the control that gives attainment of samā- dhis (cf. 12 samādhiṃ samāpadyante; to this verb samā- patti, q.v., is merely a noun of action; wrongly Suzuki), and sarvakāyamukhapāṇyabhiṣekādhiṣṭhāna, the control that comes from sprinkling by (the Buddha's) hands of the whole body and face (cf. 101.10--11); persons are said to be adhiṣṭhita, supernaturally controlled by Buddhas (may often be rendered inspired) SP 231.1; 238.2; 420.4; LV 275.2; Laṅk 4.13; cf. adhiṣṭhāna; this control often in- volves (3) magic transformation, and even the creation of magic appearances; not easily separated from the preced- ing; transitional is sarvabuddhādhiṣṭhito 'yaṃ…dharma- paryāyaḥ SP 288.13, it is under the supernatural control of all the Buddhas (hence marvelous effects for one who preaches it, as related above), with this cf. tasmāt tarhi …adhitiṣṭhāmīmaṃ dharmaparyāyaṃ asmiñ jambudvīpe SP 421.2, therefore I (lit. exercize supernatural power over this Dh., which however here seems to mean) make this Dh. appear in this J. (with magical effects, some mentioned above, some in the next sentence); from such passages as this and SP 384.3, below, La Vallée Poussin, AbhidhK., Index, and esp. vii.119, note 2, derives the supposed meaning faire durer, but in iii.31, note 2, quoting the vyākhyā, he translates adhitiṣṭhati bénit, whereas it means takes under control, assumes control of; the meaning bless, assumed by Burnouf and many others, rests on Tib. byin kyi rlabs, which to be sure often means bless, but acc. to Jäschke also create, change into; this kind of change by magical mastery or control need not be a blessing, cf. (tā jarājarjarā) adhyatiṣṭhat LV 378.17, he changed them (the daughters of Māra, by magic control) so as to be decrepit with age, and later, buddhasya yo hy adhiṣṭhānaṃ śaknuyāt kartum anyathā 379.3, (I see no one) who could alter a magic transformation of the Buddha; mahābrahmā imaṃ…lokadhātuṃ tat kṣaṇaṃ samam adhyatiṣṭhat, pāṇitalajātam…tṛṇair imaṃ…lokadhātuṃ saṃchādi- tam adhyatiṣṭhat LV 276.19 ff., the Great Brahmā magically mastered (and thereby changed) this entire world (so as to be) even, etc.,…covered with grass; in SP 384.3 (as he was about to die, Sadāparibhūta heard this sūtra; then, not dying after all,) adhiṣṭhihitvā ca sudīrgham āyuḥ, and having mastered, acquired, assumed by magic, very long life (he proceeded to proclaim this sūtra; similar passages are taken by La Vallée Poussin l.c. to mean faire durer); (Bhagavān…) jīvitasaṃskārān adhiṣṭhāya āyuḥsaṃ- skārān utsraṣṭum ārabdhaḥ. samanantarādhiṣṭhiteṣu jīvita- saṃskāreṣu (omens occurred) Divy 203.7--8 (in this phrase LaV-P, AbhidhK. ii.122. renders stabilisé; note the term vaśitva in the comm., l.c. 124 line 1; render controlling), see saṃskāra 2; buddhā bhagavantaḥ taṃ pṛthivī- pradeśaṃ vajramayam adhitiṣṭhanti sma LV 86.16--17, …magically made this spot of ground (where the young Bodhisattva took seven steps) hard as a diamond, so that it did not sink under his feet (N.B. they did not literally stand upon it; they were located sthitāḥ line 16, in the ten quarters); tatrāpi cātmānam adhiṣṭhahāmi, sarvāṃś ca sattvān ah[am] adhiṣṭhihāmi (so read, § 8.99) SP 323.13, there (having made it appear that I entered nirvāṇa, tho I did not) I make myself appear (create myself magically, cf. 316.1, s.v. adhiṣṭhāna 3), and I control all creatures (in next line, men of perverted minds were deluded and did not see me, tho I was standing right there); with SP 384.3 cf. Dbh 91.28 sarvasattvāṃś ca ākāṅkṣan yathābhiprāyaṃ rūpāśrayālaṃkṛtān adhitiṣṭhati; in this section adhitiṣṭhati occurs many times, beginning with 90.21--22 saṃkṣiptāyā lokadhātor vistīrṇatām adhitiṣṭhati, and means always (a Bodhisattva in the tenth stage) makes appear magically, either by transformation or creation; cf. in Pali Therag. [Page013-b+ 71] 1131 satthā ca me lokam imaṃ adhiṭṭhahi (aor.) aniccato… the Teacher made this world appear to me as impermanent (by his supernatural power, but this time without the usual connotation of magic or illusion); catvāri pātrāṇi pratigṛhyaikaṃ pātram adhitiṣṭheyam LV 384.4--5, accepting the four bowls I will change them magically into a single bowl, which he does; pratigṛhya caikaṃ pātram adhitiṣṭhati sma, adhimuktibalena 385.4 (see adhimukti 2 which in such passages = adhiṣṭhāna).

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