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8/3/2019 A Mi Tab Ha

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Amitabha, A Story of Buddhist Theology, by Paul Carus, [1906], at sacred

te!ts"com

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3ega4 Paul, Tre4ch, Trub4er 5 Co", -td"

[1906]


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Sca44ed, roofed a4d formatted by 7oh4 Bru4o %are at sacredte!ts"com,

August 800" This te!t is i4 the ublic domai4 i4 the *S because it :as

ublished rior to 198;"

Clic< to e4large

Co=er

Clic< to e4large

)ro4tisiece

Clic< to e4large

Title Page


te!ts"com

[" 1]


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T% &'+$/AT$&/"[>1]

Soo4 after the time of Aco


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$t :as i4 o4e of these =iharas i4 the mou4tai4s 4ear Purushautra, the rese4t

Pesha:ur, that Chara8] %e :as as yet little

ac?uai4ted :ith the sirit a4d urose of the i4stitutio4E but bei4g =ery serious

a4d de=outly religious, the youth had decided, for the sa


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the ase of the hall, @ust i4 the lace :here idol :orshiers :ould erect a4 altar

to their gods $t :as i4 imitatio4 of a tumulus desti4ed to recei=e some relic of

the re=ered teacher, a4d the ge4ius of the architect had artfully desig4ed the

co4structio4 of the ca=e so that the rays of the su4 fell uo4 the dagoba a4d

surrou4ded its mysterious rese4ce :ith a halo of light"

The mo4


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The4 the cha4ti4g bega4 agai4

2ast as the sea

&ur heart shall be,

A4d full of comassio4 a4d lo=e"

&ur thoughts shall soar [" 6]

)ore=ermore

%igh" li


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[" I]

as


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%a=i4g comleted the ceremo4y a4d ha=i4g recited the rules of the order

i4cludi4g the four great rohibitio4s, =iL", that a4 ordai4ed mo4< must abstai4

from car4al i4dulge4ce, from theft of a4y


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soul of the 4o=ice :as full of imatie4ce, dissatisfactio4, a4d e!citeme4t" The

life of a mo4< :as so diDere4t from :hat

[" 10]

he had e!ected a4d his dearest hoes fou4d 4o fulFlme4t"

CharaH]

But sometimes he :as startled a4d had diMculty i4 u4dersta4di4g the se4se"

%e :a4ted eace, 4ot tra4?uilisatio4E he :a4ted /ir=a4a, its bliss, a4d its

ful4ess, 4ot e!ti4ctio4" A4d yet sometimes it seemed as if the absolute

obliteratio4 of his acti=ity :ere e!ected of him


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[" 11]

2&4ly if li


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hat ambitio4 :as beami4g i4 the eyes of Chara9]

Chara


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his ambitio4, thi4


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their former homes had faded from the me4tal =isio4 of the rese4t ge4eratio4,

the a4cie4t deities of $4dia had 4ot gai4ed full recog4itio4" ish4u, Shi=a, a4d

$4dra aeared to them as the atro4s of co4?uered races a4d :ere therefore

deemed of i4ferior o:er" Amo4g the better educated %i4du eole

hilosohical ideas :ere sreadi4g a4d

[" 1H]

[aragrah co4ti4ues] Brahma :as re=ered as the Sureme Bei4g, the .reat,

the &m4iote4t, the &m4irese4t, as the AllCo4scious4ess a4d AllPerfectio4,

the Creator, the )ashio4er, the 'uler of the *4i=erse, a4d the All)ather of all

bei4gs" ith this .odidea of a4 allembraci4g erso4al deity Chara


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traces of this humor i4 the :all ai4ti4gs as :ell as the lege4ds of sai4ts, art

of :hich are reser=ed e=e4 today" /o: :he4 Chara


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4or graes, 4or ears, 4or ru4es, 4or ales, 4or omegra4ates, $ :a4t fruitN

)ruit $ :a4tfruit ure a4d u4deFled, 4ot a articular fruit, but fruit i4 ge4eralNK2

Said Chara


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Chara


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All further discussio4 ceased :he4 3e=addha sho:ed his readi4ess to tell the

story"


te!ts"com

[" 88]

3A++%AKS ST&'("

2There :as a riest i4 Be4ares, a ma4 of Brahma4 caste, lear4ed i4 all the:isdom of the edas, 4ot of the commo4 tye of riests but a4 ho4est searcher

after truth" %e lo4ged for eace of heart a4d :as a4!ious to reach /ir=a4aE yet

he could 4ot u4dersta4d ho: it :as ossible i4 the Oesh to attai4 erfect

tra4?uillity, for life is restless a4d i4 4o4e of the four states of aggregatio4 ca4

that calm4ess be fou4d :hich is the co4ditio4 of the blissful state" So, this

riest thought to himself KBefore $ ca4 ma


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4ear to :here the four great


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[" 8H]

of Brahma :ere, a4d ha=i4g dra:4 4ear, he sa


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2he4 he had thus so


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o=erheard by a4y of the gods, sa


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here Fre a4d earth 4o footi4g F4dJ [" ;0]

here disaear all mi4e a4d thi4e,

.ood, bad, lo4g, short, a4d coarse a4d F4e,

A4d :here do 4ame a4d form both cease

To F4d i4 4othi4g4ess releaseJ2

2KThe a4s:er, ho:e=er, is this

2KTis i4 the realm of radia4ce bright,

$4=isible, eter4al light,

A4d i4F4ite, a state of mi4d,

There :ater, earth, a4d Fre, a4d :i4d,

A4d eleme4ts of a4y


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the Blessed &4e, the Teacher of gods a4d me4E a4d li11]

The you4g 4o=ice se4t his days i4 study a4d his 4ights i4 doubt" %e follo:ed

:ith i4terest the recitatio4s of his i4structor o4 the hilosohy of the

4lighte4ed &4eE he e4@oyed the birthstories of Bodhisatt=a a4d the arables of

the master :ith their moral alicatio4s, but :he4 he retired i4 the e=e4i4g or

:as other:ise left to his o:4 thoughts he bega4 to o4der o4 the useless4ess

of the hermitKs life a4d lo4ged to retur4 to the :orld :ith its temtatio4s a4d

struggles, its =ictories a4d defeats, its leasures a4d ai4s, its hoes a4d fears"

%e e4@oyed the solitude of the forest, but he bega4 to thi4< that the

restless4ess of the :orld could oDer him more eace of mi4d tha4 the

i4acti=ity of a mo4


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the time bega4 to ha4g hea=y o4 his ha4ds, a4d he felt that the religious

discourses :ere becomi4g tedious"

ee


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The brethre4 reso4ded, sayi4g 2e are here to liste4 a4d :ill co4sider the

?uestio4s u4ctiliously"2

The sea


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2e4erable father, a4d ye, re=ere4d sirs $ feel guilty of ha=i4g i4fri4ged o4 o4e

of the great rohibitio4s" $ am as a alm tree, the to of :hich has bee4

destroyed" $ am bro


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a4d a heretic :al


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:as certai4ly 4ot a crime" At last the abbot addressed Subhuti, Chara


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[" G1]

:hich he accused himself a4d if so :hat should he do to restore his good

sta4di4g a4d set himself aright i4 the BrotherhoodJ

The4 Subhuti arose a4d said 2Chara


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The regard i4 :hich Chara


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the


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The 4ight :as dar


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you4g ma4 as his best discile, the ri4ce had u4bou4ded co4Fde4ce i4 the

medical s


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dig4ity of the


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3$/. 3A/$S%3A"

+uri4g the rearatio4s for :ar agai4st #agadha there came tidi4gs from the

Parthia4 fro4tier that the troos of .a4dhara had gai4ed a decisi=e =ictory

:hich, ho:e=er, :as dearly bought, for the


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at last co=eri4g his eyes :ith his ha4d, he bega4 to sob li


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roblems of my soul settled by of #agadha, the great hilosoher a4d sai4t

:ho is said to u4dersta4d the doctri4e of the Blessed &4e, the Buddha"2

2hat is the roblem that oresses youJ2 i4?uired 3i4g 3a4ish


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better tha4 to li=e defeated"K[>1;] $ a:o


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[" H]

[aragrah co4ti4ues] Tathagata face to faceE that $ could go to him for

e4lighte4me4t, that $ could lear4 the truth so as to :al< o4 the right ath a4d

F4d eace of soul i4 the tribulatio4s of life" Si4ce the -ord Buddha is 4o lo4ger

:al


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Such :as 3a4ish


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by his reti4ue" %e :as co4ducted i4to the rese4ce of 3a4ish


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a4d shouldst thou co4dem4 me to die, $ shall die i44oce4t to be rebor4 i4 a

haier state u4der more ausicious co4ditio4s" The -ord Buddha be raisedN2

3a4ish


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)or aye e4dure"2[>1G]

)illed :ith admiratio4 of SubahuKs fortitude, 3a4ish


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te!ts"com

[" 66]

ACA.%&S%A"

BuddhaKs birthday :as celebrated :ith greater re@oici4g tha4 usual i4 the year

follo:i4g


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established, commerce a4d trade Oourished, a4d .ree< scultors Ooc


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[aragrah co4ti4ues] /o dislay of arms :as made but multitudes of eaceful

citiLe4s hailed the t:o rulers a4d blessed the mag4a4imity of the hero of

.a4dhara"

he4 the rocessio4 halted, 3a4ish


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2.ood, my frie4d,2 relied 3a4ish


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[" I8]

A#$TAB%A"

&4e e=e4i4g :he4 3i4g 3a4ish


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source of i4F4ite light, or by some other 4ame" $t is the 4orm of all 4ature

i4=ol=i4g the bliss of good4ess a4d the curse of :ro4g doi4g accordi4g to

irrefragable causatio4"2

2Accordi4gly, a ma4 is 4ot a Buddha by birth, but he ca4 become a Buddha by

attai4i4g to Buddhahood,2 said the 1H] Sha


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2But e!iste4ce,2 re@oi4ed Chara


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2The -ord so


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[" I9]

the siritual, is coarse a4d mar


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a4d host are still my debtor" Si4ce Ac=aghosha o4 accou4t of his age F4ds

himself u4able to follo: me to .a4dhara, you are i4 duty bou4d to rocure a4

accetable substitute" /o:, there is a :a= of settli4g your obligatio4s to me,

a4d that could be do4e if your daughter, the Pri4cess Bhadracri :ould co4se4t

to accet my ha4d a4d accoma4y me to .a4dhara as my :ife a4d ?uee4N2

[" 1]

2#y august frie4d,2 relied the


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&4e day Subahu :as detai4ed by imorta4t aDairs of state, a4d :he4 he made

his aeara4ce i4 the accustomed circle of his hilosohical frie4ds, he :as so

full of distress as to be almost beyo4d the o:er of seech"

2#y royal frie4d,2 said 3a4ish


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3a4ish


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2This is the :ay to the hall :here my frie4ds are assembled,2 said the rime

mi4ister, a4d sho:ed the


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.a4dhara should forth:ith be li1I]

/ot yet, ho:e=er, had the ice of site a4d ill :ill e4tirely melted from the

hostile hearts of his e4emiesE a4d 4ot yet :as his reti4ue stro4g e4ough to

ma


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co4Fde4ce he gai4ed by his tale4ts a4d reliability" Thus he became 3i4g

BrahmadattaKs erso4al atte4da4t"

3i4g 3a4ish1]

he4 the


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The rime mi4ister :as o=er:helmed" %e fell uo4 his


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te!ts"com

[" 9;]

T% #A/AT$/. T$.'"

Protestatio4s of Fdelity a4d admiratio4 greeted 3i4g 3a4ish


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the :orld that :e are =alia4t soldiers a4d good hu4ters"2

A4d they recei=ed ermissio4 to be the foremost i4 the hu4t, a4d after a hasty

rearatio4 they set out the same e=e4i4g, but the t:o


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[" 96]

ha=i4g fashio4ed themsel=es u4der the i4Oue4ce of circumsta4ces"

2By Amitabha all bei4gs are merely educated i4 the school of life" Some ha=e

gai4ed more i4sight tha4 others" Some lo=e the light, others hate it" Some rise

to the ure heights of Buddhahood, a4d others gro=el i4 the dust to ta


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2e are 4ot creatures of Amitabha, :e are creatures of our o:4 ma80]

2As< thy o:4 self, :hether thou art because thou :ast created by some

e!tra4eous o:erE or co4trari:ise :hether it is 4ot truer to say that thou art

because thou dost :ill thy o:4 e!iste4ce" =ery ma4 is :hat he :ills to be"

2Thou hast become :hat thou art of 4ecessity accordi4g to the 4orms that

co4stitute the 4ature of Amitabha" But thou gre:est to be :hat thou art

because thou :a4tedst to become such"

2/o: if a4 $sh=ara had created thee, thou :ouldst 4ot ha=e the feeli4g of

freedom that thou 4o: hast, but thou :ouldst feel li


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for :hat authority has a4y o4e to comma4d his brother bei4gsJ The Tathagata

re=ealed to us the e=ils of life, a4d :hat eole call the te4 comma4dme4ts

are the te4 :ays oi4ted out by the Tathagata ho: to a=oid the te4 e=ils" %e

:ho does 4ot ta


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hile 3i4g 3a4ish


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[" 10;]

riests may i4 their o:4 :ay do good ser=ice to the eole"2

A4d there :as a Brahma4 rese4t, o4e of 3i4g SubahuKs cou4cilors, :ho :as

leased :ith Ac=aghoshaKs remar< a4d e!ressed his aro=al of the ri4cile

of toleratio4 :hich the great emeror Aco


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Said the Brahma4 2$ for o4e do 4ot belie=e that $sh=ara, or Brahma, or

:hate=er you may call .od, is a erso4 such as :e are" %e is a higher


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method of sal=atio4 co4sists i4 adoratio4, :orshi, a4d rayer"2 $t is a doctri4e

for childre4, a4d though the :ords of their theory are highsou4di4g they are

4ot the truth but a mere shado: of the truthE a4d i4 this se4se the Tathagata

comared them to the mo4


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2e 88] The hilosohers, scie4tists, oets, of the future,

the thi4


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T% PA'AB- &) T% -P%A/T"

Ac=aghosha sa: that e=ery eye :as i4te4t uo4 him, a4d so he told the story

of the :hite leha4t" %e said

2There :as a 4oble a4d mighty eleha4t, a4 eleha4t :hite i4 color, :ith a

stro4g tru4< a4d lo4g tus


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[" 118]

formed schools a4d sects a4d factio4s a4d beha=ed i4 e!actly the same :ay asyou see the riests of the diDere4t creeds beha=e" But the master of the 4oble,

mighty eleha4t 8;]

> > >

he4 Ac=aghosha had F4ished the arable of the 4oble a4d mighty eleha4t,

the t:o


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2Behold the hero of the dayN2 said Chara8G]


te!ts"com

[" 11H]


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T% +&*B- ++$/."

Chara


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he4 the marriage ceremo4y :as o=er a feast :as sread at the royal alace,

a4d 3i4g 3a4ish


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2Bright shi4eth the su4 i4 his sle4dor by day

A4d bright the moo4Ks radia4ce by 4ight,

Bright shi4eth the hero i4 battle array,

A4d the sage i4 his thought shi4eth bright"

But by day a4d by 4ight, 4o4e so glorious so bright

As -ord Buddha, the source of all siritual light"2

Amitabha, A Story of Buddhist Theology, by Paul Carus, [1906], at sacredte!ts"com

[" 119]

/&TS"

Page Qage 1R"

[1]1 )or details of the abba@@a or i4itiatio4 a4d the uasamada orordi4atio4 see #aha=agga, Frst


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[8]8 The time of our story is the Ffth ce4tury after the BuddhaKs e4lighte4me4t,

:hich correso4ds to the Frst ce4tury of the Christia4 era"

Page Qage 6R"

[;]; Cf" KBuddhist Cha4ts a4d Processio4s,2 7our4al of the Buddhist Te!t Society

of $4dia, ol" $$$, Part $$"

Page Qage 10R"

[G]G +hammaada, 81"

[H]H +hammaada, 88;"

Page Qage 11R"

[6]6 +hammaada, 1;G"

[I]I +hammaada, ;1;"

[] +hammaada, 8HE 8G0"

Page Qage 18R"

[9]9 +hammaada, 8HG"

Page Qage ;1R"


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[10]10 3e=addhaKs story is a4 abbre=iated accou4t of a4 a4cie4t Buddhist Pali

te!t" The =erses as :ell as other details are almost literally tra4slated" Cf"

%e4ry arre4Ks Buddhism i4 Tra4slatio4s, " ;0;1;"

[" 180]

Page Qage ;8R"

[11]11 *osatha, or co4fessio4, :as held regularly o4 the days of the full a4d

the 4e: moo4" )or a detailed accou4t of the ceremo4y see #aha=agga, seco4d

3ha4dha


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[1H]1H Cf" T" SuLu


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Page Qage 106R"

[81]81 The simile of the bli4d leader of the bli4d occurs i4 the same co44ectio4i4 the Te=i@@a Sutta, 1H"

Page Qage 10R"

[88]88 )or the details of Ac=aghoshaKs doctri4e of the trile asect of the

highest truth so similar to the Christia4 tri4ity as the 3aya i"e", body or

erso4ality of 1 the good la:, 8 tra4sformatio4, ; bliss, see T" SuLu


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