Majjhima Nikāya II (Further Dialogues of the Buddha, vol. II: suttas 77-152)

conditions. [10] This is the second conviction which makes me esteemed . . . respect. (3) My disciples value supereminent intellect and believe that I have intellect and am endowed with all intellect in its perfection, and that it is unthinkable I should either not see in advance the future trend of an argument or fail to refute the unsound arguments of opponents. Knowing and seeing this, would my disciples interrupt discussion ? Nor, Udayi, do I seek instruction from my disciples ; it is they who seek instruction from me. All this breeds the third conviction which makes me esteemed , . . respect. (4) Fourthly, when my disciples are beset by 111 and spent with 111 in any particular shape, they come to question me on the Noble Truth of 111 ; — I tell them and win their hearts by my answers. The same takes place with the Noble Truths concerning the origin of 111, the cessation of 111, and the way leading to that cessation. This breeds the fourth conviction [11] which makes me esteemed . . . respect. (5) Fifthly, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the four starting-points for mustering up mindfulness. Herein, an Almsman dwells — as regards the body — in the realization of what the body is, in ardour, in self-awareness and in mindfulness, quit of all worldly distress of mind and body. He does the same with feelings, and with his heart, and with states of consciousness. — In this way many of my disciples have come to dwell in the attainment of intellect’s consummate perfection.

Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the four Right Struggles,— They resolve, they strive, they persevere, they exert and strain their heart for the fourfold purposes of {a) checking the rise of evil and wrong states of consciousness which have not yet arisen, (6) shedding evil and wrong states which have already arisen, (0 encouraging the rise of right states which have not yet arisen, and (d) ensuring that right states which are there already shall be stablished and ordered aright, multiplied, and developed, shall wax apace and grow to perfection. — In this way, too, many of my disciples have come to dwell in the attainment of intellect’s consummate perfection. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the Four Bases of Psychic Power, — resolve, exertion, heart, and investigation, each informed by the plastic forces of concentration and struggle. — In this way, too, . . . perfection. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the Five Faculties, — [12] faith, exertion, mindfulness, concentration, intellect, each leading on to tranquillity and to full enlightenment.— In this way, too, . . . perfection. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the Five Strengths, — the strengths of faith, of exertion, of mindfulness, of concentration, and of intellect, each leading on to tranquillity and to full enlightenment. — In this way, too,

. . . perfection. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,— mindfulness, research into the Doctrine, perseverance, zest, serenity, concentration, and the poise of indifference, each based on seclusion, passionlessness and cessation, and merging into Renunciation. In this way, too, . . . perfection. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the Noble Eightfold Path, — right outlook, right intention, right speech, right action, right mode of livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. — In this way, too, . . . perfection. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the Eight Deliverances. Conscious of his own bodily form, a man sees external forms ; — this is the first Deliverance. Inwardly un- 8 LX XVI I. MAHA-SAKULUDAYI-SUTTA. M. il 13. conscious of his own bodily form, he sees external forms ; — this is the second Deliverance. Appreciation of its goodliness is the third Deliverance. By passage wholly beyond [13] all perception of form, by extinction of perceptions of sensory reactions, by the ignoring of perceptions of multiplicity, the thought of space as infinite leads him to enter on, and abide in, the sphere of Infinite Space; — and this is the fourth Deliverance. By passage wholly beyond the sphere of infinite space, the thought of consciousness as infinite leads him to enter on, and abide in, the sphere of Infinite Consciousness ;

— and this is the fifth Deliverance. By passage wholly beyond the sphere of infinite consciousness, the thought of nothingness leads him to enter on, and abide in, the sphere of Naught ; — and this is the sixth Deliverance. By passage wholly beyond the sphere of Naught, he enters on, and abides in, the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception ; — and this is the seventh Deliverance. Lastly, by passage wholly beyond the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception, he enters on, and abides in, the cessation of the feeling of perceptions, which is the eighth Deliverance, — In this way, too, . . . perfection.

Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the eight Spheres of Mastery. Inwardly conscious of possessing bodily form, one individual sees outside himself forms, fair or foul, which are small ; these he masters so that he perceives he knows and sees them. — This is the first Sphere of Mastery. The second is when a man can say the like about external forms which are infinite. The third is when, being himself unconscious of his own bodily form, a man can say the like about small external objects ; and the fourth is when these external objects are infinite. Lost to all bodily fprm of his own, an individual sees external objects which are blue, blue in colour, blue to behold, blue of sheen, — Just as the flaxflower is blue, blue in colour, blue to behold, blue of sheen; or just as Benares muslin, with a finish on both front and back, is blue ... in sheen; — so blue are the external objects he sees ; these he masters so that he perceives that he knows and sees them. — This is the fifth [14] Sphere of Mastery. The sixth is when, lost to consciousness of any bodily form of his own, an individual sees external objects which are yellow, yellow in colour, yellow to behold, yellow of sheen, yellow as the Kannikara flower or the muslin of Benares is yellow. The seventh is when he sees red things, red as the bandhu-jivaka blossom or Benares muslin are red. Lastly, being inwardly unconscious of possessing bodily form, an individual sees things which are white, white in colour, white to behold, white in sheen, — white as the morning star or Benares muslin is white ; these he masters so that he perceives he knows and sees them. — In this way, too,

. . . perfect. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop the Ten Hypnotics. One individual perceives a plot of earth from above, from below, across, in unity, and infinite. Others do the same with water, fire, air, blue, yellow, red, and white, space and [15] consciousness. — In this way, too, . . . perfect. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way , whereby they develop the Four Ecstasies. Herein, an Almsman, divested of pleasures of sense and of wrong states of mind . . . (etc. as in Sutta 39, down to) . . . [16 and 17] not wrapped in pure and clean thoughts. — In this way, too, . . . perfect. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they comprehend that — This corporeal frame of mine is made up of the four Elements, starts from parents, is sustained by rice and other foods, is impermanent and subject to attrition, abrasion, erasion, dissolution and disruption ; and this consciousness of mine is tied and bound up therewith. It is just like a beautiful sparkling gem of the purest water and of eight facets, excellently cut, clear, translucent, flawless and excellent in every way, — through which there passes a blue, yellow, red, white, or yellowish thread.

Even as a man with eyes wherewith to see has only to take it in his hand to mark that it is such a gem and is on such a thread, — so have I shown my disciples the way whereby to have this comprehension of body and of consciousness. — In this way, too, . . . perfect. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they call into being out of this body another body of the mind’s creation, complete in all its limbs and members, and with transcendental faculties. It is just like a man who should draw a reed from its sheath — or a snake from its slough — or a sword from its scabbard, — recognizing that the reed, the snake, or the sword was one thing and the sheath, slough, or scabbard was another ; the one being drawn out of the other. [18] Just in the same way have I shown my disciples the way whereby they call into being . . . faculties. — In this way, too, . . . perfect. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they develop divers psychic powers, — from being one to become manifold, from being manifold to become one ; to become visible or invisible ; to pass at will through wall or fence or hill as if through air ; to pass in and out of the solid earth as if it were water ;

to walk on the water’s unbroken surface as if it were the solid earth ; to glide, as they sit serene, through the air like a winged bird ; to touch and to handle the sun and moon in their power and might ; and to extend the sovereignty of their bodies right up to the heavens of Brahma. Just as a skilful potter or his apprentice can make and fashion any shape he will out of prepared clay, or an ivory-worker out of ivory, or a goldsmith out of gold even so have I shown my disciples the way whereby they develop divers psychic powers . . . [19] heavens of Brahma. — In this way, too, . . . perfect.

Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby, with the Celestial Ear, which is pure and far surpasses the human ear, they hear twofold sounds, both the celestial and the human, whether far or near. Just as a mighty conch-blower can with ease make his M. ii. 20. THE KEY TO PUPILS* ESTEEM, I I blast heard in all the four directions, — so have I shown my disciples the way whereby ... far and near. — In this way, too, . . . perfect. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby their hearts read the hearts of others, — knowing the heart where passion dwells as passionate . . . (etc. as in Suit a 73) . . . the heart undelivered as undelivered. Just as a woman or man or lad young and dressy, — on surveying the reflection of their features in a bright, clean mirror or in a bowl of clean water, and on seeing reflected there a smut or a pimple— would know from the reflection either that there was a smut or a pimple there [20] or that there was none at all ; — just in the same way I have shown my disciples the way whereby their hearts ... as undelivered. — In this way, too, . . . perfect.

Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby they recall their divers existences in the past . . . (etc. as in Suita 4) ... in all their details and features. Just as if a man were to go from his own to a second village and thence to a third, returning thence to his own village, and were to bethink him on his return how, in the second and the third villages, he stood [21] and sat, talked and was silent ere he came back home again ; — even so have I shown my disciples the way whereby they recall ... in all their details and features. — In this way, too, . . . perfect. Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby, with the Eye Celestial, which is pure and far surpasses the human eye, they see creatures in act to pass hence and in act to re-appear elsewhere . . . (etc. as in Sutta 4) ... in states of bliss and in heaven. Thus do they with the Eye Celestial see creatures in act to pass hence and in act to re-appear elsewhere, — creatures lowly or debonair, fair or foul to view, happy and unhappy, all seen to be faring according to their deserts. It is just as if there were two houses with doors to them, and as if, from midway between them, a man with eyes to see were to behold people going in and coming out, and passing to and fro.

12 LX XVII. MAHA-SAKULUDAYI-SUTTA. M. ii. 22. Just in the same way have I shown ipy disciples the way whereby, with the Eye Celestial, . . . faring according to their deserts. — In this way, too, . . . perfect. [22] Moreover, I have shown my disciples the way whereby, by the eradication of the Cankers, they — here and now, of and by themselves — know, realize, enter on, and abide in that Deliverance of heart and mind in which Cankers are no more. Just as if on a mountain there were a lake with clear pellucid waters as of crystal, and a man with eyes to see were to observe, from the bank where he was standing, oysters and other shells, with gravel and pebbles and shoals of fish swimming about or lying up ; — just as such a man would recognize all he saw before him, even so have 1 shown my disciples the way whereby, by the eradication . . , Cankers are no more. — In this way, too, many of my disciples have come to dwell in the attainment of the intellect’s consummate perfection. And this is the fifth of the five convictions which make me esteemed and respected, venerated and adored by my disciples, who live with me on terms of esteem and respect.

Thus spoke the Lord, Glad at heart, the Wanderer Sakuludayi rejoiced in what the Lord had said. Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Savatthi in Jeta’s grove in Anathapiijdika’s pleasaunce, the Wanderer Uggahamana,1 whose mother was Samaija-Mandika, was living in Queen Mallika’s 1 Bu. says this was a nickname given him because he ‘was always learning/ his original name being Sumana ( = Felix). It may be that the first part of his mother’s name has been altered from Sumana to Samana (recluse), just as there is the further tendency to read -mundika for the second part so as to make her name mean ‘ shaveling'recluse ’ on familiar Pali analogy. M. ii. 33. THE SUCKLING. 1 3 pleasaunce, where the original Discussion Hall stood among the Diospyros trees ; [23] and with Uggahamana there was a great company of Wanderers numbering some three hundred. Now, Pancakanga the carpenter had left the city in the early morning to visit the Lord, when he bethought him that the hour was too early, because of the Lord’s private meditations and because it was not the right time to visit Almsmen when absorbed in thinking, for Almsmen are given to meditation and thought. So he thought he would go and see Uggahamana in Queen Mallikas pleasaunce, and thither he repaired. At the time Uggahamana was sitting with his great company of Wanderers, who were making a great noise .

. . (etc. as in Sutta 76, ad init.) ... do not make a noise ; here comes Pancakanga the carpenter, who is a disciple of the recluse Gotama and has been here all the time the white-robed lay disciples of Gotama have been at SavatthL These reverend men are lovers of silence and commend the silent; if he observes silence reigning in this gathering he may decide to approach. So they became silent, and the carpenter came up and, after exchanging civil greetings with [24] Uggahamana, took a seat to one side and was addressed by the Wanderer as follows

In my view, carpenter, four qualities characterize the triumphant recluse who is imbued with the right, who excels in the right, and has won all that is to be won. What are these four qualities ? — He does nothing evil, he says nothing evil, he thinks nothing evil, and he gets his living in no evil way. These are my four characteristics of the triumphant recluse. Expressing neither satisfaction nor disagreement with this pronouncement, Pancakanga got up and went away to tell the Lord, who, being duly told, said : — On Uggaham ana’s showing, carpenter, a tiny babe on its back is his triumphant recluse. For, as yet, the babe does not know what a body means, much less will it do evil with its body, beyond kicking about ; it does not know what speech is, much less will it say 14 LXXVIII. SAMAjNA-MAI^piKA-SUTTA, M. ii. 25. anything evil, beyond crying ; it does not know what thought is, beyond crowing with delight1; it does not know what a livelihood is, much less [25] will it get its living in an evil way, beyond sucking its mother. No, carpenter ; in my view, these four qualities do not characterize the triumphant recluse, but only define the tiny babe on its back.

In my view, Carpenter, there are ten qualities which characterize the triumphant recluse who is imbued with the right, excels in the right, and has won all that is to be won. I premise that there must be knowledge of what wrong conduct is, how it arises, how it is ended without leaving a vestige behind, and how a man walks so as to end it. There must be the like knowledge of right conduct and of wrong [26] and right thoughts. In what now does wrong conduct consist ? — In wrong actions, wrong speech, and , an evil mode of livelihood. — How do these arise ? From the heart, is the answer. — What is the heart ? The heart is manifold, complex, and diverse, tainted by emotions (sacitta), passion, ill-will, and density. — What becomes of wrong conduct when it ceases without leaving a vestige behind ? Why, when an Almsman, discarding wrong behaviour — of body — or of speech — or of mind — develops the corresponding right behaviour, and similarly discards a wicked mode of livelihood for the right mode. — How does he walk to end wrong conduct ? When he brings will to bear, puts forth endeavour and energy, struggles and strives heartily (i) to stop the rise of evil and wrong states of consciousness which have not yet arisen, (ii) to discard those which have already arisen, (iii) to breed right states not yet existing, and (iv) to stablish, clarify, multiply, enlarge, develop, and to perfect existing good states.

[27] In what does rectitude consist ?=r-In' right 1 Because of its iliemories of the heavens which it has recently left, says Bu. in a Wordsworthian mood. (It cries, he adds, because of its. memories- of purgatory.) actions, in right speech, and in blameless mode of livelihood. — How do these arise ? From the heart is the answer. — What is the heart? The heart is manifold, complex, and diverse. Rectitude arises from the heart which is void of passion, void of ill-will, and void of density.— What becomes of rectitude when it ceases without leaving a vestige behind. When an Almsman embodies virtue and not merely virtuous observances, by coming to know Deliverance of heart by mind aright so that (mere) rectitude ceases without leaving a vestige behind. — How does he walk to end rectitude ? When he brings will to bear . . . existing good states. What are wrong thoughts ? They are thoughts of pleasures of sense, malevolence, and cruelty. — How do these arise ? From perception, is the answer. — What is this perception? It is manifold, complex, and diverse, divided into perceptions of pleasure, of malevolence, and of cruelty. — How do these cease without leaving a vestige behind. Why, when divested of pleasures of sense, [28] an Almsman enters on, and abides in, the First Ecstasy. — How does he walk to end wrong thoughts ? Why, he brings his will to bear . . . existing good states.

What are right thoughts ? Thoughts of Renunciation, thoughts innocent of malevolence and of cruelty. — How do these arise? From perception, is the answer.— What is this perception ? — It is manifold, complex, and diverse, divided into perception of Renunciation, perception which is innocent of malevo^ lence, and perception which is innocent of cruelty. — How do these perceptions cease without leaving a vestige behind ? Why, when, rising above observation and reflection, ... an Almsman enters on, and abides in, the Second Ecstasy.— How does he walk to end right thoughts ? Why, he brings his will to bear ... existing good states. ■ • : What now, carpenter, are the ten qualities -which characterize the [29] triumphant recluse who is imbued with the right, excels in the right, and has won all 1 6 LXXVIII. SAMANA-M AN LUKA- SUTT A . M. 30. that is to be done? Why, when the Almsman is an adept in the Noble Eightfold Path, and in utter knowledge and in utter Deliverance ; — this makes the triumphant recluse. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart the carpenter Pancakanga rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Rajagaha in the Bamboo grove where the squirrels were fed, the Wanderer Sakuludayi was living with a great company of Wanderers in the Wanderers’ pleasaunce where the peacocks were fed Early in the morning, duly robed and bowl in hand, the Lord went into Rajagaha for alms . . . {etc. as in Sutta 77) . . . [30] you can easily gather that later on. When, sir, said the Wanderer, I am not in act to join my followers, they sit talking all manner of beastly talk ; but when I am approaching, they sit with their gaze fixed on me alone, to hear what Doctrine I shall expound. But when [31] the Lord approaches us, then both I and they all sit with gaze fixed on the Lord alone, to hear what Doctrine he will expound. m Be it yours, U dayi, to open against me. Of late, sir, there has been one who, professing to know and see everything, with nothing further to know and see, declares that, whether walking or standing still, whether asleep or awake, his ken and vision are always at the full. When I asked him a question about the past, he skipped from one thing to another and dismissed the matter, evincing irritation, bad temper and resentment. Thoughts of the Lord brought me satisfaction as I said to myself: — Ah, the

Lord, the Blessed One ! He knows aright these states of mind ! And who was that person ? It was Nataputta, sir, the Jain. If a man recalls his own past existences, from one onwards, in all their details and features, he either questions me or is by me questioned on the past, and either his exposition satisfies me or mine him. Or if a man, with the Eye Celestial which is pure and far surpasses the human eye, can observe creatures in act to pass hence and re-appear elsewhere according to their respective deserts, [82] he either questions me or is by me questioned on the past, and either his exposition satisfies me or mine him. But let past and future alone. I will preach the Doctrine to you : — If that is, this comes about ; the rise of that makes this arise ; if that is not, this comes not about ; the ceasing of that makes this cease. For my own part, sir, I cannot recall all that has happened to me in this present life, much less recall my past existences in all their details and features, as the Lord can. I cannot see a hobgoblin, much less can I see with the Eye Celestial — as the Lord can — creatures passing hence and reappearing elsewhere according to their respective deserts. And I am wholly at a loss to follow the Lord’s utterance about this and that. I should like to satisfy the Lord about our own tenets by an answer to a question.

What do your tenets say ? Our tenets say : — Here is perfection ; here is perfection ! What is this perfection? The perfection than which nothing is higher or more excellent. And what is this perfection than which nothing is higher or more excellent ? [33] The perfection than which nothing is higher or more excellent. This argument of yours, Udayi, would be protracted. You affirm perfection but never define it. It is just as 1 8 LXXIX. CULA-SAKULUDAYI-SUTTA. M. it 34> if a man were to say his longing and his heart s desire was for the belle of the land but were to confess, on being questioned, that he did not know what rank she belonged to ; or what her name was ; or what family she belonged to ; or whether she was tall, short, or middle-sized ; or whether she was black or brown or dusky ; or what village or township or city she be* longed to and, finally, that he did not know her nor had ever seen her. In such a case, does not the man s statement prove unhelpful ? Certainly, sir, it would be,— in such a case.

Just in the same way you affirm perfection but never define it. Even, sir, as a gem— bright and of the purest water, with eight facets, excellently cut, and strung on a yellow thread — shines ancf glitters and sparkles, with the like perfection shows the hale Self after death. Which think you shines and sparkles the most, — your gem [34] or the fire-fly of the night ? How does a lamp compare ? And a conflagration in the night ? And the morning stars, at dawn in a cloudless sky ? And the full moon in a clear sky at midnight ? [35] And the sun at his zenith at the end of the rains ? Further, it is within my personal cognizance, Udayi, that many, very many, deities are so luminous in themselves that they draw no light from sun or moon. Yet I do not speak of a perfection than which nothing is higher or more excellent, whereas you declare your .perfection to be less than, and inferior to, a fire-fly, but never define it. The Lord has settled it! The Blessed One has settled the question ! . What do you mean ? .. ..

M. ii. 36. ., SOrCALLED PERFECTION. ; 1 9 I mean that though our tenets say : Here is perfection, here is perfection, yet, when pressed, examined and questioned by the Lord concerning our tenets, we prove empty and vain and faulty. Tell me, Udayi ; is there a world of absolute bliss? Is there a sure way to realize it ? Our tenets so declare. What is that sure way to realize the world of absolute bliss ? Take a man who, putting from him all slaying, abstains from the taking of life ; who, putting from him the taking of things not given to him, abstains from such taking ; who, putting from him sensual misconduct, abstains therefrom ; [36] who, putting from him all lying, abstains from lies; or who practises some austerity he has vowed to observe. — This is the sure way to realize the world of absolute bliss. Do you think that, when the man puts from him ail slaying and abstains from the taking of life, his Self finds absolute bliss or bliss mingled with pain ? Bliss mingled with pain. And is the same true of all the other things you mentioned ?

Do you really think it is by mingled bliss and pain that the sure way to absolute bliss is found ? The Lord has settled it! The Blessed One has settled the question ! What do you mean? I mean that, though our tenets say there is a world of absolute bliss and a sure way to realize it, yet, when pressed, examined and questioned by the Lord concerning our tenets, we prove empty and vain and faulty. Now, is there, sir, a world of absolute bliss. Is there a sure way to realize it ? What is that sure way ? . Take the case* of an Almsman who develop? m succession the first three of the Ecstasies. —That is a sure way to realize the world of absolute bliss. That is not the sure way, sir, to realize the world of absolute bliss ; for that world would already have been realized. No, Udayi ; — only the sure way to realize it. At this point Sakuludayi’s following broke into tumult and uproar, shouting out that they were undone, they and their master too, for their knowledge ended here. Hushing his Wanderers to silence, Sakuludayi asked at what point the world of absolute bliss was actually realized.

When an Almsman enters on, and abides in, the Fourth Ecstasy, when he stands and talks and holds converse with the deities who have passed to a world of absolute bliss, then is that world actually realized. Is it in order to realize this world of absolute bliss that the Almsmen lead the higher life with the Lord ? No, Udayi ; there are other states of consciousness beyond and above that ; and it is in order to realize these that Almsmen lead the higher life with me. [38] What are they ? Take the case that there appears in the world a Truth-finder, Arahat all-enlightened, walking by knowledge, blessed, understanding all worlds, the matchless tamer of the human heart, teacher of gods and men, the Lord of enlightenment — etc. (i.e. as in Suita 27) — an Almsman, when he has put from him these Five Hindrances and has understood how the heart’s shortcomings weaken it, then, divested of pleasures of sense — etc. — he enters on, and abides in the First Ecstasy. — This is a state of consciousness beyond and above, for the realization of which Almsmen lead the higher life with me. Again, the Almsman enters on, and abides in, the Second Ecstasy, and then the Third, and then the Fourth. — This is a state . . . higher life with me.

With heart thus stedfast, thus clarified and purified . . . the Almsman ... (as in Suita 4) . . . successively (i) recalls his past existences, and (ii) observes with the Eye Celestial creatures passing from one M. ii. 39- SO-CALLED PERFECTION. 2 1 existence to the next. — Each of these two is a state . . . higher life with me. That same stedfast heart ... he next applies to the knowledge of Cankers. He comes to comprehend 111 as it really is, the rise of 111, the cessation of 111, and the course which leads to the cessation of 111. He comes to know Cankers as what they really are, [39], to know their rise, their cessation, and the course which leads to their cessation. When he knows and sees this, his heart is Delivered from the Canker of pleasures of sense, from the Canker of continuing existence, and from the Canker of ignorance ; and to him thus delivered comes the knowledge of his Deliverance in the conviction that rebirth is for him no more, that he has lived the highest life, that his task is done, and that now for him there is no more of what he has been. — This too is a state . . . higher life with me.

Hereon, the Wanderer Sakuludayi said to the Lord : Wonderful, sir, wonderful! Just as a man might set upright again . . . (etc.) . . . and to his Confraternity. I ask to receive admission as a Pilgrim, with confirmation therein. Hereon, Sakuludayi’s company of Wanderers besought and implored him not to lead the higher life with the recluse Gotama ; not to come down from teacher to pupil, — from pitcher to pipkin. In such wise did the Wanderer Sakuludayi’ s company oppose his choice of the higher life under the Lord.

[40] Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Savatthi in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, the Wanderer Vekhanassa1 came to the Lord and after an exchange of courteous greetings took 1 Bu. says he was the teacher of the Sakuludayi of the previous Suttas. 2 2 LXXX. VEKHANASSA-SUTTA. M. ii. 41, 42. his stand to one side, exclaiming with deep emotion : Here is perfection ! here is perfection ! , , . Why do you say this ? What is this perfection ? The perfection than which nothing is higher or more excellent. What is the perfection than which nothing is higher or more excellent ? It is the perfection than which nothing is higher or more excellent. This argument of yours, Kaccana, would be protracted. You affirm . . . (etc. as at pp . 17 and rS supra) ... [41 and 42] inferior to a fire-fly, but never define it. Five strands, Kaccana, make up pleasures of sense, namely, visible shapes, sounds, odours, tastes and touch, [43] all of them pleasant and agreeable and delightful, all of them bound up with pleasure and exciting. The pleasure and satisfaction which they start is called sensuous pleasure, built up from the foregoing five, and culminating in that refinement of pleasure which is accounted the highest of all.

Here Vekhanassa said : — It is wonderful, sir, it is marvellous, how well put is your observation that pleasures of sense build up sensuous pleasure, culminating in that refinement of pleasure which is accounted the highest of all ! All this is hard for you to grasp, Kaccana, — you who hold different views and a different creed, who have a different objective, a different allegiance and a different teaching. But it would be known to those Almsmen who are Arahats, in whom Cankers are dead, who have greatly lived, whose task is done, who have cast off their burthen, who have won their weal, whose bonds are broken, who by utter Knowledge have won Deliverance. Here, in his annoyance- and rage, the Wanderer Vekhanassa, actually daring to flout and scoff at the Lord to his face, said to the Lord, with the idea that { the recluse Gotama ’ would be annoyed ;■ — So this is how some f recluses and brahmins/ knowing naught of what has been before and seeing nothing of what shall come hereafter, yet profess : Rebirth is now no more ; I have lived the highest life ; my task is done ; and now for me there is now no more of what I have been! These professions of theirs prove ridiculous, mere words, empty and without substance !

[44] Your censure is quite just, Kaccana, with regard to such recluses and brahmins as, knowing naught of what has been before and seeing nothing of what shall come hereafter, yet profess all this. But let us leave what has been and what will be hereafter. Let there come along a man of intelligence, guileless, honest and straightforward, who avers that he has a message to deliver and a Doctrine to preach, and that any man who walks according to that message will not be long ere of himself he will know and of himself will see ; for thereby comes release from the direst of bonds — namely ignorance. It is just like a tiny babe which cannot yet sit up and has fivefold swaddlings round its neck and is all bandages. If, as he grows and develops his faculties, those bandages are taken off, he would know that he was released and that his bandages were gone. It is just the same when a man of intelligence comes along, guileless . . . ignorance. Hereupon, the Wanderer Vekhanassa said to the Lord: — Wonderful, Gotama; wonderful 1—eU. — I ask the reverend Gotama to accept me as a lay-disciple who has found an abiding refuge from this day onwards.

[45] Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord with a large train of Almsmen was on an alms-pilgrimage in Kosala, he turned off the road and at a certain spot smiled. Thought the reverend Ananda : What is the cause, what are the reasons for the Lord s smiling , for, Truth-finders never smile without cause and reason. So, with one shoulder respectfully bared and with folded palms reverently extended towards.

the Lord, Ananda asked what made him smile, seeing that Truth-finders never smile without cause and reason. In bygone times, Ananda, a market-town stood here, named Vehalinga, opulent and wealthy, populous and thronged with folk ; and hard by lived Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened. Just here was his pleasaunce ; and on this very spot he sat preaching to his Confraternity, Spreading out his robe folded in four, Ananda said I beg the Lord to seat himself here, and then this spot will have been frequented by two Arahats allenlightened. Seating himself accordingly, the Lord addressed Ananda as follows Yes, Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all - enlightened, lived near the market - town of Vehalinga, and on this very spot he sat [46] preaching to his Confraternity. In the town there was a potter named Ghatlkara who ministered, more than anyone, to Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened ; and Ghatlkara had as his bosom-friend a young brahmin named Jotipala, whom he wanted to take to see Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened, as he much valued going there himself. A truce to this, my dear Ghatlkara, was the answer ; what is the good of seeing that shaveling of a recluse?

A second time and yet a third time did Ghatlkara renew his appeal, but only to get the same answer. So he then invited Jotipala to come with him to the river to bathe, taking with them their strings of red bath-balls to shampoo themselves with. Jotipala readily assenting, down the two went to the river to bathe, and here Ghatlkara, after mentioning that the Lord Kassapa’s pleasaunce was hard by, renewed his appeal to Jotipala, [47] repeating it thrice and thrice receiving the same refusal as before. Then, he made his appeal again, this time with a grip on Jotipala’s girdle ; but Jotipala shook his girdle free and again refused to come. At last, Ghatlkara seized Jotipala — whose hair was down after bathing — by the hair of his head and made a final appeal to him to come. Thought the young brahmin : — This is wonderful indeed and marvellous that this potter, my inferior in birth, should be impelled to seize me by the hair ; methinks this presages great things. So he said to the potter: — To this length do you go, friend Ghatlkara ? — Yes, to this length, friend Jotipala, so highly [48] do I value going to see Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened.

— Let go then, and we will start now. So to Kassapa the Lord the two went. On arrival, the potter after salutations took his seat to one side, as also did the young brahmin after exchange of civil greetings. Ghatlkara then presented his friend the young brahmin Jotipala, with the request that the Lord would instruct him in the Doctrine. Thereupon, by a discourse on the Doctrine, the Lord Kassapa instructed, roused, fired, and cheered them onwards, — after which the two thanked him with glad hearts, rose up, and took their leave with deep reverence. Said Jotipala to Ghatlkara : — Hearing this Doctrine, are you not for becoming a Pilgrim ? Do you not know, my dear Jotipala, that I have aged, blind parents to support ? Well, then, I will go from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim. So back the two went to Kassapa the Lord, [49] to whom, when after salutations they were both seated, Ghatlkara presented his friend for admission to the Order ; and Jotipala was admitted and confirmed of the following of Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened. Soon — about a fortnight after Jotipala’s confirmation — the Lord Kassapa, having stayed as long as he wanted at Vehalinga, proceeded on his tour towards Benares, where he resided in the Sages’ grove in the deer-park.

When it reached the ears of KikI, king of Kasi, that the Lord Kassapa had arrived there, he ordered his chariots so fair, so fair, to be got ready and in one of these drove in procession out of Benares in royal state to visit the Lord Kassapa. After riding in his chariot as far as the ground permitted, and then con- turning his way on foot, the king came to the Lord, whom he first saluted and then took a seat to one side, there to be instructed, roused, fired and cheered onwards by a discourse from the Lord Kassapa. The instruction over, the king invited the Lord, [50] with the Confraternity, to take his meal with him on the morrow. By silence the Lord gave assent, whereon the king rose and withdrew with deep reverence. When night was gone, the king ordered an excellent meal in his palace of food, both hard and soft, made of specially dried golden-rice without speck, and divers sauces and curries therewith. Then he ordered announcement to be made to Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened, that all was ready ; and in the forenoon, duly robed and bowl in hand, the Lord came to the palace and sat down on the seat set for him, with his Confraternity round him. Thereupon, with his own royal hands the king served that excellent meal to the Confraternity with the Buddha at its head, — without stint, till all had had their fill. The Lord’s meal over, the king took a low seat. to one side and invited the Lord to spend the rainy season at Benares, where the Confraternity would be ministered to as they had been that day.

Stay, sire ; I have already promised to be elsewhere for the rains. After repeating his invitation a second and yet a third time, and still being met by the same answer, the king [51], upset and pained by this refusal,, asked the Lord whether there was anyone who ministered more than himself. Yes, sire ; at Vehalinga there is a potter named Ghatikara who in his ministrations surpasses all others. Your Majesty was upset and pained by my refusal not so Ghatikara either now or any future time. He has found his refuge in the Buddha, the Doctrine, and the Confraternity ; he slays not ; he steals not ; no sensual misconduct is his ; he lies not ; he indulges not in arrack or spirits or strong drink ; perfect faith is his in the Buddha, the Doctrine, and the Confra- M. ii. $2. THE POTTER’S DEVOTION. 27 ternity ; his are the virtues dear to the Noble, No doubts cloud his beliefs concerning 111, the origin of 111, the cessation of 111, and the course which leads to the cessation of 111. Eating only one meal a day, he lives the higher life in virtue and .goodness. He has flung aside all jewels and golden ornaments ; no gold or silver has he. Neither with tool nor hand does he dig up1 ground, resting content for his material with the crumbling soil of a bank or with the earth scratched out by rats and dogs. Of his pots made therewith he bids folk take what they like in barter for rice or beans or pulse. He supports [52] his blind and aged parents. By destruction of the five bonds which tie men to this lower world, Ghatlkara is destined to translation hereafter to realms above, never to return thence to this world any more.

Once, sire, when I was at Vehalinga, I, early in the day, duly robed and bowl in hand, went to Ghatlkara’s parents and asked where their son was. Your ministrant, said they, is out ; take the rice from the pot and the curry from the dish. I did so and afterwards left. When Ghatlkara returned, and asked his parents who had gone off with the food, and was told that it was Kassapa the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened, his only thought was how great a thing, how very great a thing, that the Lord should repose such confidence in him 1 And gladness and satisfaction lasted on for a fortnight for him, and for a week for his parents. Precisely the same thing . happened another time when I had the junket from a pan with the curry from the dish . . . [53] week for his parents. Another time, when I was at this same Vehalinga, my hut let-thgjtajn in, and I told the Almsmen to go and see if there~lfcis any thatching material' at Ghatlkara’s dwelling. No, was their answer ; there is only the thatch on his'Awn roof.. Then go and strip it off, said I ; and they did so. The parents asked who \Jas stripping their thatch off

1 To avoid taking life, in* obtaining his potter’s earth. and received the answer that the hut of the Lord Kassapa was letting the rain in. Take it, sirs, said they ; take it, dear people. When the potter returned and on enquiry was told of all this, his only thought was how great . . . [54] week for his parents. For three whole months the dwelling stood bare to the heavens, and yet not a drop of rain came through ! — Such, sire, is Gha|;IkSra the potter. Said the king : — It is a great thing, sir, a verygreat thing indeed, for this potter to have such confidence reposed in him by the Lord. Then, Ananda, Kikf, king of KSsi, ordered five hundred cartloads of the choicest golden-rice, with curry-stuffs to match, to be despatched to the potter, to whom the king’s servants came with the royal present for acceptance accordingly. The king, was his response, Has much to do and look after; I have nothing to do with him. But, if you were to imagine, Ananda, that the young brahmin, J otipala, of those days was someone else, that would be erroneous ; — it was I myself who was J otipala then.

_ Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, the reverend Ananda rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was on an alms-pilgrimage in the Kuru country with a great company of Almsmen, he stayed at Thuliakotahita, which is a township of the Kurus. It came to the ears of the brahmin heads of houses there that the recluse Gotama, a Sakyan . . . (etc. as in Sutta 41) . . . [55] and others again in silence. When they were seated, the Lord instructed and roused them with a talk on the Doctrine, fired them and cheered them onwards. \ M. ii. 56. OF RENOUNCING THE WORLD. 29 Seated among them was a young man named Ratthapala, a scion of a leading family of the place, to whom this thought came : — So far as I understand the Doctrine which the Lord has preached, it is no easy matter for one who lives in a home to lead the higher life in all its fulness, purity, and perfection ; what if I were to cut off hair and beard, don the yellow robes and go forth from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim ! Having received their instruction from the Lord, the brahmin heads of houses of Thullakotthita gratefully thanked him, rose up [56] and departed with deep obeisance. They had not been gone long, when Ratthapala came up and after salutations told the Lord the thought which had come to him, and asked to be admitted to, and confirmed in, the Confraternity under the Lord.

Have you your parents’ consent for this step, Ratthapala ? Truth-finders do not admit those who have not their parents’ consent. That consent, sir, I will take steps to obtain, said the young man, who rising up and taking a reverential leave of the Lord, went off to his parents, told them his thoughts and asked their consent to his becoming a Pilgrim. The parents made answer as follows : — Dear Ratthapala, you are our only son, very dear to us and beloved; you live in comfort and have been brought up in comfort, with no experience at all of discomfort. [Go away; eat, [57] drink, enjoy yourself, and do good works in all happiness. We refuse our consent.] Your death would leave us desolate, with no pleasure left in life ; why, while we have you still, should we consent to your going forth from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim ? - . A second and yet a third time did Ratthapala repeat i The same story is told, in practically the same words, about Sudinna at Vinaya III, n-i5- 30 lxxxii. rattiiapJLla-sutta. M. ii. 58. his request, only to be met by the same refusal from his parents.

Failing thus to get his parents’ consent, the young man flung himself down on the bare ground, declaring that he would either die there or become a Pilgrim. [58] His parents entreated him to get up, while repeating their objections to his becoming a Pilgrim ; but the young man said not a word. A second and a third time they entreated him, but still he said not a word. [So the parents sought out Ratthapfila’s companions whom they told of all this and besought them to urge, as from themselves, what his parents had said to him.] [59] Thrice his companions appealed to him ; but still he said not a word. So his companions came to the parents with this report : — There on the bare ground he lies, declaring that he will either die there [60] or become a Pilgrim. If you refuse your consent, he will never get up alive. But, if you give your consent, you will see him when he has become a Pilgrim. Should he not like being a Pilgrim, what alternative will he have ? — Why, only to come back here. Do give your consent ! Yes, we consent ; — but when he is a Pilgrim, he must come and see us.

Off now went his companions to Ratthapala, whom they told that his parents gave their consent, but that when he was a Pilgrim he was to come and see them. Thereupon the young man arose and, when he had regained his strength, betook him to the Lord, and after salutations seated himself to one side, saying : — I have got my parents’ consent to my becoming a Pilgrim ; I ask the Lord to admit me. Admission and confirmation were granted him under the Lord; and some fortnight afterwards the Lord, having stayed at Thullakofrfchita as long as he wanted, proceeded on his alms-pilgrimage towards Savatthi, where [61] he took up his abode in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce. Dwelling alone and aloof, strenuous, ardent and purged of self, the reverend Ratthapala was not long before he won the prize in quest of which young men go forth from home to homelessness as Pilgrims, that prize of prizes which crowns the highest life ; — even this did he think out for himself, realize, enter on, and abide in, here and now ; and to him came the knowledge that for him rebirth was no more ; that he had lived the highest life ; that his task was done ; and that now for him there was no more of what he had been. Thus, the reverend Ratthapala was numbered among the Arahats.

Then, he went to the Lord and, seated to one side after salutations, said that, with the Lord’s permission, he wished to go and see his parents. Scanning with his own heart the thoughts of Ratthapala’s heart, and recognizing thereby that he was incapable of abandoning his training and reverting to the lower life of a layman, the Lord bade him go when he would. Hereupon, rising up and taking his leave of the Lord with deep reverence, Ratthapala, after duly putting away his bedding, set out, with his robe and bowl, on an almspilgrimage to Thullakotthita where he took up his abode in the deer-park of the Kuru king. ' Early next morning, duly robed and bowl in hand, he went into the town for alms and there, as he passed from house to house on his undiscriminating round, he came to his father’s house. Indoors, in the hall within the middle door, his father was having his hair combed and, seeing Ratij/hapala coming in the distance, he said . It was these shavelings of recluses who made a Pilgrim of my dear and beloved only son. [62] So at his own father’s house Ratthapala was given nothing, not even a refusal ; all he got was abuse.

At this moment a slave-girl of the family was about to throw away yesterday’s stale rice; and to her Ratthapala said:— If, sister, that is to be thrown away, put it in ray bowl here. As the girl was doing so, she recognized his hands and feet and voice, and, going straight to her mistress, cried out -Do you know, madam ? — The young master is back. If what you say is true, you are a slave no longer, said the mother, who hurried off to tell her husband that she heard their son was back. Ratthapala was eating that stale rice under the hedge when his father arrived, exclaiming : — Can it be, my dear son, that you are eating stale rice ? Should you not have come to your own house ? What house of our own, householder, can we have who are homeless, having gone forth from home to homelessness as Pilgrims ? I did come [68] to your house, — where I was given nothing, not even a refusal ; all I got was abuse. Come, my son ; let us go indoors. Not so, householder; I have finished my eating for to-day. Well then, my son, promise to take your meal here to-morrow.

By his silence the reverend Ratthapala gave consent. Noting this, the father went indoors, — where first he ordered great heaps of gold and bullion to be piled up under a covering of mats and then he told his daughters-in-law, who had been the reverend Ratthapala’s wives aforetime, to deck themselves out in all the finery their husband liked to see them in. When night had passed, the father, having ordered an excellent meal to be got ready in his house, told his son when 'it was ready. Thereupon, early that forenoon, the reverend Ratthapala, duly robed and bowl in hand, came and took the seat set for him. Hereupon, ordering the heap of treasure to be unveiled, the father said : — This is your mother’s fortune, that is your father’s, and that came from your grandfather. You have the wherewithal both to enjoy yourself and to do good works. Come, my son ; [64] abandon your training ; revert to the lower life of the layman ; enjoy your substance and do good works. If you will take my advice, householder, you will cart away all this heaped- up treasure and sink it in the middle of the Ganges. Arid why ? — Because thence you will only derive sorrow and lamentation, ills, pain of mind, pain of body, and tribulation.

M. ii. 65. OF RENOUNCING THE WORLD. 33 Clinging to his feet, the reverend Ratthapala’s whilom wives asked what like were the nymphs divine for whose sake he was leading the higher life. For the sake of no nymphs at all, sisters, said he. At hearing themselves called sisters, the ladies all fell to the ground in a faint. Said Ratthapala to his father : — If food is to be given, householder, give it ; trouble me not. The food is ready, my son ; begin ; — said the father as he served that excellent meal without stint till his son had had his fill. His meal over and done, the reverend Ratthapala uttered these verses, standing the while : — This pranked-out semblance view , this mass corrupt of sores and cares , which passes soon away . Come view this pranked-out frame with jewels dight , these bones skin-clad , which borrow charm from clothes; come view these henna! d feet , this powder d face . Delusions vain the fool may satisfy , but never him whose quest seeks goals Beyond. [65] Ah, braided hair l Ah, eyes by art enhanced! Delusions vain the fool may satisfy , but never him whose quest seeks goals Beyond. Adorned , this frame like rare pomander shows. Delusions vain the fool may satisfy , but never him whose quest seeks goals Beyond.

The trapper set his gin ; the stag it shunned : — First feed , then leave the trapper to his tears . * When, still standing, he had uttered, these verses, he departed to the deer-park of the Kuru king, where he sat down under a tree during the noontide heat. Now the king had given directions to his huntsman to tidy up the park against his coming to see it ; and the obedient huntsman was engaged on his task when he saw Ratthapala seated under his tree during the noontide heat, and reported to the king that the park Was in-order but that under a tree there was seated Ratthapala, the young gentleman of whom his majesty had often heard tell. Never mind about the park tori. 3 34 lxxxii. ratthapAla-sutta. M. ii. 66. day, said the king ; 1 will pay a call pn his reverence. Ordering, therefore, all the repast which had been prepared to be left behind, and his chariots, so fair, so fair, to be made ready, he mounted one of them and drove forth in procession in royal state out of the city to see Ratthapala. Riding as far as the ground was passable for his chariot and proceeding thence on foot with his princely train, the king came at last upon the reverend Ra^hap&la, whom, [66] after exchange of courteous greetings, the king — still standing-invited to be seated on a clump of flowers.

Nay, sire ; sit you there; I have got a seat. Seating himself on the seat indicated to him, the king said : — There are four kinds of loss, Ratthapala, which impel men to cut off hair and beard, don the yellow robes, and go forth from home to homelessness as Pilgrims, — namely, (i) old-age, (ii) failing health, (iii) impoverishment, and (iv) death of kinsfolk. (1) Take a man who, being aged and old, far advanced in life, stricken in years, and at the close of life, recognizes his position, and realizes the difficulty either of acquiring new wealth or of doing well with what he has got ; — so he decides to become a Pilgrim. This is known as the loss which old-age entails. But here are you in the prime of youth and early manhood, with a wealth of coal-black hair untouched by grey, and in all the beauty of your prime ; — not yours is the loss old-age entails. What have you known or seen or heard to make you turn Pilgrim ? (2) Or take a man who, being in ill-health or pain, or gravely ill, recognizes his position and realizes the difficulty either of acquiring new wealth or of doing well with what he has already ; [67] so he decides to become a Pilgrim. This is known as the loss which failing health entails. But here are you neither ill nor ailing, with a good digestion maintained by humours neither too hot nor too cold ; — not yours is the loss which failing health entails. What have you known or seen or heard to make you turn Pilgrim ?

M, ii. 68. OF RENOUNCING THE WORLD. 35 (3) Or take a man who, after being rich and wealthy and of great substance, and after gradually losing it, recognizes his position and realizes the difficulty either of acquiring new wealth or of doing well with what he has got j — so he decides to become a Pilgrim. This is known as the loss which impoverishment entails. But here are you, the heir, of a leading family in our .Thullakotthita ; — not yours is the loss which impoverishment entails. What have you known or seen or heard to make you turn Pilgrim? (4) Or, again, take a man who, after having had a host of friends and relations, and after having gradually lost them all, recognizes his position and realizes the difficulty either of acquiring new wealth or of doing well with what he has got ; — [68] so he decides to become a Pilgrim. This is known as the loss which kinsfolk’s death entails. But here are you with a host of friends and relations ; — not yours is the loss which kinsfolk’s death entails. What have you known or seen or heard to make you turn Pilgrim ?

I have gone forth, sire, from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim because I have known, seen, and heard the following four propositions enunciated by the Lord who knows and sees, the Arahat all-enlightened : — (i) The world is in continuaWlux and change ; (ii) The world is no protector or preserver ; (iii) The world owns nothing ; we must leave everything behind ; (iv) The world lacks and hankers, being enslaved to Craving. (i) When you say, sir, that the world is in continual flux and change, what might that mean ? When you were twenty, sire, or five and twenty, could you handle an elephant, a horse, a chariot, a bow and a sword ? Were you strong of leg and arm, a doughty warrior in the fight ? Indeed, I was: — at times inspired, you might say; I never met my match. Are you to-day what you were then, sire ? No, Ratthapala. I am old now and stricken in 36 LXXXII. ratthapAla-sutta. M. it. 70. years, — round eighty years of age ; — at times when I want to step in one direction, 1 step in another. It was this which the Lord meant when he said the world is in continual flux and change ; and it was this which I knew and saw and heard, and so became a Pilgrim.

It is wonderful, sir, it is marvellous, how right in this the Lord was ; for, indeed, the world is in a continual flux and change. (2) Here in my own entourage there are elephants, horses, chariots, and footmen who, in our hour of need, would [70] rally in defence. When you say, sir, that the world is no protector or preserver, what might this mean ? Do you suffer from any chronic ailment, sire ? Yes, — from wind; and so badly that at times my court and kinsfolk, as they stand round me, think every moment I am going to expire. Can you tell them to ease your pain by parcelling it out among themselves? Or do you alone have to bear it ? I alone have to bear it, and cannot tell them to parcel it out among themselves so as to relieve me. It was this which the Lord meant when he said the world is no protector or preserver; and it was this which I knew and saw and heard, and so became a Pilgrim. ft is wonderful, it is marvellous, how right in this the Lord was ; for, indeed, the world is no protector or preserver.

(3) Here in my own possession I have a vast hoard of gold and silver. When you said that the world owns nothing and that we must leave everything behind, what might that mean ? Do you think, sire, that [71] it will be yours to calculate on continuing hereafter the gratification you now enjoy of the fivefold pleasures of sense ? Or, will others come into your belongings, while you pass away to fare according to your deserts ? I can calculate on no such continuance, Rat^hapala ; M. ii. 72. OF RENOUNCING THE WORLD. others will come into my belongings, while I shall pass away to fare according to my deserts. It was this which the Lord meant when he said that, the world owns nothing and that we must leave everything behind; and it was this which I knew and saw and heard and so became a Pilgrim. It is wonderful, it is marvellous, how right in this the Lord was ; for, indeed, the world owns nothing and we must leave everything behind. (4) When you said that the world lacks and hankers, being enslaved to Craving, what might that mean ? Is this Kuru country of yours prosperous, sire ?

Suppose a trustworthy and reliable man brought you from the east a report that there he had seen a great country rich and prosperous, populous and thronged with inhabitants ; abounding in elephants, horses, chariots and footmen ; rich in ivory, rich in silver and gold both raw and wrought, with women in abundance. Suppose, further, that the man estimated that you could conquer that country with such and such a force, and counselled you to conquer it accordingly.— What action would you take ? [72] I should conquer it and possess it. Suppose you received like reports about countries in the west, the north, and the south. What action would you take ? I should conquer them and possess them all. It was this which the Lord meant when he said that the world lacks and hankers, being enslaved to Craving ; and it was this which I knew and saw and heard, and so became a Pilgrim. It is wonderful, it is marvellous, how right in this the Lord was ; for, indeed, the world lacks and hankers, being enslaved to Craving. After saying this, the reverend Ratthapala went on to say ; — Rich men I see who , folly-led, neer give , but still amass , athirst for pleasures new.

The king whose conquests to the sea extend , for sway o^er empires overseas will pine . [73] Stilt craving , kings and subjects pass away ; lacking , lacking , they their bodies quit / never on earth can pleasure s maw be foil'd. Tearing their hair , kinsmen mourn their dead, wishing their own folk deathless ivere. In shroud \ the corpse they carry to the pyre ; and there, in that sole vestment , reft of all besides , he bums to ashes, hauled about with prongs \ No kin , no friends can save the dying man ; his heirs his substance take ; he passes hence to fare hereafter as his life desemed ’ - — sans wealthy sans wife , sans children, wealth, and realm. Wealth buys not length of days , nor staves off age. The ivise say life is brief, a fleeting 'flitx. One equal stroke strikes down both rich and poor, both wise and foolish. Fools in folly fall ; the wise without a tremor meet their stroke. More excellent than riches Wisdom proves , which here and now Perfection 's crown secures. If imperfections linger, error breeds misdeeds in life hereafter, high or low ; in transmigration' s round man whirls along from birth to birth, world still succeeding world ,

— both he and all his witless followers. [74] Like burglars caught in act of breaking in, so men — hereafter — expiate their crimes. The tempting charms of pleasure' s varied lure Churn up the heart to turmoil perilous. — This , sire , I saw, — and went on Pilgrimage. I saw how young and old, like fruit from tree, in mortal dissolution fall , — and went on Pilgrimage. The friar's life is best. Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Mithila in the Makhadeva mango-grove, at a certain spot there he smiled. Thought the reverend Ananda : — What is the cause (etc. as in S%itta 8 1 ) . . , cause and reason. In bygone times, Ananda, in this same Mithila there was a king named Makhadeva, a righteous monarch, an emperor stablished in righteousness, who dealt righteously with brahmins and householders in town and country, and observed the four holy-days of each month. [75] After many years, after many hundreds and thousands of years, this king told his barber to report when he found a grey hair in his head. Accordingly, when grey hairs had appeared, after many years, after many hundreds and thousands of years, the barber said to the king : — The messengers of the gods have come to your Majesty ; — grey hairs have appeared. Then, at the king’s bidding, the barber plucked out those grey hairs with tweezers and laid them on the outstretched palm of the king, who, having first rewarded the barber with a choice village, summoned his eldest son and said to him :

— The messengers of the gods have come to me ; — grey hairs have appeared. Of human pleasures I have had my fill ; and it is time now for me to seek pleasures celestial. Be it yours to rule this realm, while I, cutting off hair and beard, and donning the yellow robes, will go forth from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim. Whenever, in your turn, my son, you find grey hairs appearing, reward your barber with a village, hand over your sovereignty to your eldest son, cut off your hair and beard, don the yellow robes, and go forth from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim. See to it you maintain this high tradition, and do not prove the last of the line. When, among any two

persons, there is a break in a tradition so high, he who breaks it is the last of the line. Therefore, I enjoin you, my son, to maintain this high [76] tradition and not to prove the last of the line. Thereupon, King Makhadeva, after havina bestowed the village on his barber and after establishing his eldest son as king, here in this very Makhadeva mango-grove cut oft his hair and beard, donned the yellow robes, and went forth on Pilgrimage. • His radiant thoughts of love pervaded all four quarters of the world, pervaded the whole length and breadth of the world, above, below, around, everywhere, — with thoughts of love all-embracing and vast beyond measure, untinged by hate or ill-will. And as with thoughts of love, so too did he pervade the whole length and breadth of the world with thoughts of compassion and of sympathy and of poise. For eightyfour thousand years that king had enjoyed the pleasures of youth ; for a like term he was viceroy ; for a like term he reigned as king; and for a further eighty-four thousand years he lived the higher life as a Pilgrim in this grove, where he cultivated the four excellent states (brahma-vihara), so that at the body's dissolution after death he passed to the heavens of Brahma.

After many years, after many hundreds and thousands of years, King Makhadeva’ s son in turn told his barber to report when he found a grey hair . . . {etc., as above) . . . [77-78] he passed to the heavens of Brahma. And so in unbroken succession did not only the son but also the grandson and the later descendants of King Makhadeva, to the number of eighty-four thousand in all. The last of three kings so to do was.Nimi, a righteous monarch, an emperor stablished in righteousness who dealt righteously with brahmins and householders in town and country, and observed the four holy-days of each month. A time came when, as the Thirty-three gods were [79] met together in assembly in their Hall of Truth, M. ii. 80. OF MAINTAINING GREAT TRADITIONS. the talk turned on what a great thing it was, what a very great thing, for the people of Videha to have in Nimi a monarch of such signal righteousness; and Sakka, king of gods, asked the Thirty-three gods whether they would like to see King Nimi ; and they said they would. It was then the mid-month holy-day, and the king, having bathed, was seated, fasting, in the upper story of his gorgeous palace. As easily as a strong man could stretch out his arm or draw it back, Sakka vanished from the Thirty-three and appeared before King Nimi, saying : — It is a great thing for you, sire, a very great thing, that, as the thirty-three gods sat together in their Hall of Truth, they were saying how fortunate, how very fortunate, the people of Videha are to have in you a monarch of such signal righteousness ;

and they would like to see you. I will send a chariot drawn by a thousand steeds to fetch you ; get into it without any qualms. By his silence Nimi gave consent. Then Sakka bade his charioteer Matali yoke a thousand steeds to the chariot and go to the King Nimi with the message that it had been sent for him by Sakka, king of gods, and that the king was to get into that celestial [80] chariot without qualms. So be it, answered Matali obediently, and bore the message to Nimi, adding : By which route am I to conduct your majesty ? Shall it be by the route travelled by evildoers to reap the fruits of their evil-doing, or by the route of the righteous to reap the fruits of their righteousness ?

Take me by both routes, Matali, was the king’s answer. To the Hall of Truth in due course Matali brought the king, to whom, as he saw him coming some way off, Sakka said : — Draw near, sire ; welcome, sire ! The Thirty-three gods were talking of your signal righteousness, and wished to see you. Rejoice, sire, among the gods in heaven’s glories. Enough, your Excellency ! Let Matali take me home again, where I will deal righteously with my

brahmins and householders in town and country, and observe the four holy-days in each month. Sakka gave orders to Matali accordingly, and back in the chariot King Nimi was borne to Mithila, where he dealt righteously with his folk and [81] duly observed the holy-days of each month. After many years, after many hundreds and thousands of years, King Nimi in his turn told his barber to report when he found a grey hair . . . (etc., as above) , . , [82] he passed to the heavens of Brahma. Now King Nimi had a son named Ka Sra Janaka who did not go forth from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim, but broke that high tradition, and proved the last of the line. You may think, Ananda, that someone else was the King Makhadeva of those days who founded that high tradition ; but that would be an error. It was I myself who was then King Makhadeva ; and it was I who then founded that high tradition which later generations continued. That high tradition, however, conduces not to aversion, to passionlessness, to stilling, to peace, to illumination, to enlightenment, and to Nirvana, — but only to a future in the heavens of Brahma. Whereas the high tradition which I have now founded does so conduce ; for* it is the Noble Eightfold Path of right outlook, right aims, right speech, right action, right livelihood, [83] right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. — This is the high tradition which I have founded to-day. I enjoin you, Ananda, to continue this high tradition and not to prove the last of the line. When, among any two persons, there is a break in a tradition so high, he who breaks it is the last of the line. Therefore, I enjoin you, Ananda, to maintain this high tradition, and not to prove the last of the line.

Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart the reverend Ananda rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the reverend MahaKaccana was staying at Madhura in the Gunda grove, it reached the ears of Avanti-putta, King of Madhura, that there was staying in that grove the recluse Kaccana> whose reputation stood high in general report as being a learned and wise sage of much lore, a brilliant speaker and debater, an aged man and a saint (araha) such as it was good to go and see. So King Avantiputta, having commanded his chariots so fair, so fair, to be made ready, got into one of them and drove forth from Madhura in royal state with his princely train to see the reverend Maha-Kaccana. Driving as far as a chariot could go, and then proceeding on foot, the king came at last to Maha-Kaccana, [84] with whom he exchanged courteous greetings before seating himself to one side and saying: — Brahmins maintain, Kaccana, that they alone form the superior class, all other classes being inferior ; that brahmins alone form the white class, all other classes being black ; that purity resides in brahmins alone and not in non-brahmins ; and that brahmins are Brahma’s only legitimate sons, born from his mouth, offspring of his, creations of his, and his heirs. What do you say to that ?

It is an empty assertion, sire, as may be shown as follows : If a noble grows rich and wealthy, can he have as his servant another noble — or a brahmin, or a middle-class man, or a peasant — to get up early, to go late to bed, to minister assiduously and to study his master in word and deed ? Arid if, sire, it were a brahmin who had thriven, could he likewise have as his servant a brahmin, a middle-class man, a peasant, or [85 J a noble ? And if it were either a middle-class man or a peasant who had thriven, could he likewise have as his servant someone from any of the three other classes ? If this be so, sire, do you think all four classes are on precisely the same footing herein, or not ? Or how does it strike you ? Undoubtedly, if this be so, all four classes are on precisely the same footing, and I see no difference at all between them. The emptiness of the brahmin claim to superiority can also be shown in the following way : — If a noble kills, robs, fornicates, lies, slanders, is bitter of tongue, tattles, covets, harbours ill-will, and has a wrong outlook, — will he, after death at the body’s dissolution pass to a state of misery and woe or to purgatory ? Or will he not ? Or how does it strike you ?

Such a noble will pass to a doom of misery and woe or to purgatory. This is my view, and this is what I have heard from saintly men (arahatam). Quite right ; your view is right and you have been told aright by saintly men. Pray, would the like doom await a brahmin, or middle-class man, or peasant of like disposition ? Quite right. But, if this be so, sire, do you think all four classes are on precisely the same footing herein, or not ? Or how does it strike you ? [87] Undoubtedly, if this be so, all four classes are on precisely the same footing, and I see no difference between them. Another way to demonstrate the emptiness of the brahmin claim is as follows : — If a noble abstains from killing and robbing and so forth, will he at death pass to bliss in heaven, or not ? Or how does it strike you ? At death he will pass to bliss in heaven. This is my view, and this is what I have heard from saintly men. Quite right. And would the same apply to a brahmin or to a middle-class man or to a peasant ?

Quite right. But, if these be so, sire, do you think all four classes are on precisely the same footing herein, or not ? Or how does it strike you ? [88] Undoubtedly, if this be so, all four classes are on precisely the same footing herein, and I see no difference between them. The emptiness of the brahmin claim can further be demonstrated as follows : — If a noble is a burglar, thief, housebreaker, footpad or adulterer, and if your people catch him and haul the malefactor before you for sentence, what would you do to him ? I should put him to death or confiscate his goods or banish him or otherwise deal with him as circumstances required. For the noble is now merged in the malefactor. Would the same apply to a malefactor from any of the three other classes ? If this be so, sire, are all four classes on precisely the same footing herein, or not ? Or how does it strike you ? Undoubtedly, if this be so, all four classes are on precisely the same footing herein, and I see no difference between them. The emptiness of the brahmin claim is also apparent from the following : — If a noble cuts off hair and beard, dons the yellow robe, and goes forth from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim, abstaining from killing and stealing and lying, eating but one meal a day, and living the higher life in virtue and goodness, — what would you do to him ?

I would salute him, or rise to meet him, or invite him to be seated, or would ask him to accept robes, alms, bedding and medicines, or would extend to him the defence, protection and safeguards which are his due. For, the noble is now merged in the recluse.. Would the same reception be extended to Pilgrims from the three other classes ? 4 6 LXXXIV. MADHURA-SUTTA. xM. ii, 90. If this be so, sire, are all four classes on precisely the same footing herein, or not ? Or how does it strike you ? Undoubtedly, if this be so, all four classes are on precisely the same footing herein, and I see no difference between them. [90] Hereupon, Avanti-putta, King of Madhura, said to the reverend Maha-Kaccana : — Wonderful, wonderful ! Just as a man might set upright again . , . even so, in many a figure, has Kaccana expounded the Doctrine. To him I come as my refuge, and to his Doctrine, and to his Confraternity, asking him to accept as his follower me who have found an abiding refuge from this time forth while life shall last. Come not to me, sire, as your refuge ! Find your refuge, as I have found mine, in none but the Lord,

Where is the present abode of that Lord, the Arahat all-enlightened ? He has passed away. If I could but hear him within a distance of ten leagues from here, ten leagues would I travel to visit him ; yes, I would travel, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or a hundred leagues to visit that Lord, the Arahat allenlightened. But, since he has passed away, to him, even though he have passed away, do I come as my refuge, and to his Doctrine, and to his Confraternity, I ask Kaccana to accept as (the Lord’s) follower me who have found an abiding refuge from this time forth while life shall last. [91] Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying in the Bhagga country at Sumsumara-gira in the Bhesakala grove, in the deer-park there, Prince Bodhi’s palace, called the Lotus, had just been finished but had not as yet been inhabited by recluse, brahmin, or any person. Said the prince to a young brahmin named Sanjika-putta : — Go to the Lord and in my name bow your head at his feet, ask after his health and invite him to be so good as to take his meal with me to-morrow and to bring his Confraternity with him* The message was delivered to the Lord who, by silence, signified acceptance, — as was duly reported to the prince.

[92] When night had passed, the prince, having ordered an excellent meal to be got ready in his palace and a carpeting of white cloth to be laid to the foot of the stairs of the Lotus palace, told the young brahmin to announce to the Lord that all was ready. This was done ; and early that day the Lord, duly robed and bowl in hand, came to the palace where the prince was awaiting him, outside the portals. Seeing the Lord approaching, the prince advanced and saluted him and moved in his train towards the palace. At the foot of the stairs the Lord stood still. Said the prince : — I beg the Lord to step up on the carpeting ; I beg the Blessed One to do this, — to my abiding weal and welfare. But the Lord kept silent. A second time did the prince appeal, and still the Lord kept silent. A third time he appealed, and now the Lord looked towards Anapda, who [93] asked that the carpeting should be rolled up and removed, for, the Lord would not tread upon carpeting of cloth underfoot, as the Truth-finder is looking towards those that shall follow hereafter. So the prince ordered the carpeting to be rolled up and removed, after which he ordered seats to be set out upstairs in the palace, and the Lord, proceeding upstairs, sat down on the seat set for him, with the Confraternity. With his own hands the prince served that excellent meal without stint to the Confraternity with the Buddha at its head till all had had their fill. The Lord’s meal over and done, Prince Bodhi, seating himself on a low seat to one side, said to the Lord ; — My view, sir, is that true Weal must be sought not through things pleasant but through things unpleasant.

LX XXV. BODHI-RAJAKUMARA-SUTTA. M. ii. 94. In days gone by, prince, I too held the same view, — in the days before my enlightenment, when as yet I was but a Bodhisatta without full enlightenment. Time was when, being quite young — with a wealth of coal-black hair untouched by grey, and in all the beauty of my early prime — despite the wishes of my parents who wept and lamented, I cut off hair and beard, donned the yellow robes, and went forth from home to homelessness as a Pilgrim. A Pilgrim now, in quest of the Good and in search for the road to that utter peace which is beyond all compare, I came to Alara Kalama . . . (etc. as in Sutta 26) . . . So there I sat me down, needing nothing more for my striving. Spontaneously, there came to me three similitudes till then unknown. Just as there might be a green, sappy stick flung into the water . . . (etc. as in Sutta 36) . . . purged of self. I have won, thought I, this Doctrine . . . (etc. as in Sutta 36) . . . [94] I succeeded in convincing those five Almsmen. I instructed . . . that prize of prizes in quest of which young men go forth from home to homelessness as Pilgrims.

And how long, sir, would it take an Almsman, with the Truth-finder as his guide, to win this prize of prizes ? I must ask you in turn, prince, a question, which please answer as you see fit. Are you expert in riding and driving elephants ? Suppose a man came to learn the art from you, as knowing all about it. Suppose now he lacked confidence and therefore failed where confidence was essential ; and lacked health and strength and therefore failed where health and strength were essential ; and was dishonest and crooked in his ways and therefore failed where honesty and straightforwardness were essential ; and was inert and therefore failed where resolution was essential ; and lacked wits and therefore failed where wits were essential. — Could he learn from you how to ride and drive an elephant ? Any one of these shortcomings, sir, would be fatal to his ever learning, not to speak of the whole five of them together. Now suppose a man came [95] to be taught, who had confidence and therefore could succeed where confidence was essential ; who had also health and strength, honesty and straightforwardness, resolution, and wits and therefore could succeed where these several qualities were respectively essential. — Could he learn from you how to ride and drive an elephant ?

Any one of these qualifications would ensure his learning, — not to speak of the whole five of them together. It is just the same with the five qualities for striving after the truth. — (i) An Almsman has confidence, is confident, is sure of the Truth-finder’s enlightenment, namely that his Lord, Arahat all-enlightened, walks by knowledge, is blessed, understands all worlds, and is the matchless tamer of the human heart, teacher of gods and men, the Lord of Enlightenment ; (ii) he has health and strength, having a good digestion maintained by humours neither too hot nor too cold but medium and apt for the struggle ; (iii) he is not dishonest nor underhand, but reveals his true nature to his master or to sage brethren in the higher life ; (iv) he is resolute, ever discarding wrong states of mind and fostering right states, ever staunch and stout of purpose, persistent in right mindedness ; and (v) fie has a wit that pierces through the rise and fall 7 of things, that is noble and penetrating, that leads to/the utter destruction of 111. With these five qualities/sire, an Almsman who has the Truth-finder as his /guide will win this prize of prizes [96] — in seven / years. Nay, waive seven years ; he will succeed within six, five, four, three, or two years, or in a single year ; or in seven, six, five, four, three, or two months, or in a single month or half a month ; or even in/ as many days or a single day. Nay, waive a whole <^ay ; — why, with these five qualities within him, ana with the Truth-finder as his guide, an Almsman, If instructed

at sunset, will master it all by dawn, or, if instructed at dawn, will master it all by sunset. Said the prince to the Lord : — What a Buddha ! What a Doctrine ! What an exposition of Doctrine 1 — when an Almsman, if instructed at sunset, can master it all by dawn, or, if instructed at dawn, can master it all by sunset. Here the young brahmin Safijik&-putta observed to the prince that, though he had testified thus, yet he had not gone on to say that he sought as a refuge the Lord and his Doctrine and his Confraternity. Say not so, my friend ; say not so ; for, l have heard from the lips of my lady mother how, [97] when once the Lord was staying at Kosambi in the Ghosita pleasaunce, she, being then pregnant, came to the Lord, saluted him, and took a seat to one side, saying : — Be it a boy or be it a girl that I carry in my womb, my child unborn seeks refuge with the Lord and his Doctrine and his Confraternity ; and I ask the Lord to accept the child as a follower who has found an abiding refuge from this time forth while life lasts.

Another time, when the Lord was staying here in this Bhagga country at Sumsum&ra-gira, in the Bhesakala grove in the deer-park there, my nurse carried me to the Lord and, standing before him, said : — Here is Prince Bodhi who seeks refuge with the Lord and his Doctrine and his Confraternity. Now, in person, for the third time I seek such refuge and ask the Lord to accept me as a follower who has found an abiding refuge while life lasts. Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Savatthl in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, there was, in the realm conquered by Pasenadi, king of Kosaia, a robber named Anguli- M. ii. 98. THE BANDIT’S CONVERSION. 5 1 mala, a ruffian whose hands were red with blood, who was always killing' and wounding, and showed no mercy to any living creature. Because of him, what had been villages were villages no more, what had been townships [98] were townships no more, and what had been countrysides were countrysides no more. From every human being whom he slew, he took a finger to make him a necklace (and so got his name of ‘Necklace of fingers ’).

In the morning early, the Lord, duly robed and bowl in hand, went into the city for alms and on his return after his meal first put away his bedding and then, with robes and bowl, set out on his journey to find the robber Angulimala. Seeing him journeying thither, neatherds, goatherds, ploughmen and wayfarers called out : — Don’t go that way, recluse ! It will take you to the robber named Angulimala, a ruffian . . . make him a necklace. Why, even when ten, twenty, thirty or forty people band themselves together to travel this road, the whole company falls into the robber’s hands ! Thus they ; but, without a word, the Lord held on his way. A second time, and yet a third time these neatherds and the rest repeated their warning ; but still, without a word, the Lord held on his way. From some way off the robber saw the Lord coming and marvelled exceedingly that, where even companies of ten to [99] fifty travellers all fell into his hands, this solitary recluse should seem to be forcing his way alone ; and the robber was minded to slay f this recluse.’ So, armed with sword and buckler, and with his bow and quiver, the robber followed up the Lord’s trail. Hereupon, the Lord manifested his psychic powers so that, while he himself was proceeding at his wonted pace, the robber, for all his efforts, could not catch him up. Thought the robber : — This Is a wonderful and marvellous thing! Heretofore, I could always overtake an elephant, or horse, or carriage, or deer, when going full speed ; and yet here

am I unable, despite all my efforts, to overtake this recluse while he proceeds at his wonted pace. So he stopped and shouted to the Lord to stop. I have stopped, Angulimala; you stop too. Thought the robber : — These Sakyan recluses speak truth and are true to their word. Y et here is this recluse who, while he still walks on, says he has stopped and bids me stop too : I had better ask him about it. So the robber addressed the Lord in these lines : You who profess to stop , still march ahead; /, who have stopped , am told by you I've not ; — Explain how you have stopped while I have not . Fes, I have stopped; for , never violence do I to any ; — life you still destroy. — Thus I have stopped indeed , but you stop not ! [100] At last this sage revered has tracked me down ! And now at last thy hallow'd tUterance makes me for ever evil deeds renounce ! He spoke , and into deep abyss his arms the robber fltmg : low at the Master's feet he craved admission to the Brotherhood .

The Buddha , sage compassionate , the guide of gods and men , said: 1 Almsman, follow me ’ ; and A Imsman on that summons he became ! With Angulimala as his Almsman in attendance, the Lord now proceeded on his way to the pleasaunce in Savatthi. At this very time the portals of the king’s inner palace were beset by a huge crowd loudly shouting that in the realm he had conquered there was a robber named Augulimala, a ruffian . . . make him a necklace. Suppress him, sire, they cried. In the morning early Pasenadi, king of Kosala, with five hundred horse, left the city for the pleasaunce, and, after driving as far as the ground was passable for his carriage, proceeded thence on foot to the Lord and [101] after greetings took a seat to one side, thus to be addressed by the Lord ; — What is the matter, sire? Is there trouble with Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha, or with the Licchavis of Vesali or with any other hostile powers ? No trouble at all of that sort, sir. In my realms there is a robber named Angulimala . . . make him a necklace ; and I shall never suppress him.

If now, sire, you were to see Angulimala with his hair and beard off, in the yellow robes, as a Pilgrim who kills not, steals not, lies not, eats but one meal a day, and leads the higher life in virtue and goodness,— what would you do to him ? Sir, I would salute him, or rise to meet him, or would invite him to be seated, or invite him to accept robes and other requisites, or I would extend to him the defence, protection and safeguards which are his due. But how could the sway of such virtue ever extend to one so wicked and depraved ? At that moment the reverend Angulimala was seated quite close to the Lord, who, stretching forth his right arm, said : — This, sire, is Angulimala ! Hereat the king in his alarm became dumbfounded, with every hair of his body standing erect. Seeing this, the Lord said: — Fear not, sire; fear not; there is no cause for fear here. So the king’s fears [102] and alarms abated ; and across to the reverend Angulimala he went, saying : Is your reverence indeed Angulimala ? What, sir, was your father’s family, and your mother’s ?

My father was a Gagga, sire, and my mother a Mantani. Be of good cheer, Gagga Mantani-putta ; I will take care to supply you with all requisites. Now at the time the reverend Angulimala was resident in the wilds, subsisting on alms, and wearing clothes from the dust-heap not exceeding three in number. So he declined the king’s offer on the ground that he had already got his full three robes. Then the king went across to the Lord and after salutations seated himself to one side, saying It is wonderful, sir, it is marvellous, what a tamer of the untamed the Lord is, how he quells the unquelled, and how he calms the uncalmed! Here is one whom I could not subdue with cudgel and sword ; but without either cudgel or sword the Lord has subdued him ! And now, sir, I must be going, for I have much to do and attend to. When your majesty pleases. Then, rising from his seat, the king saluted the Lord with deep reverence and withdrew. Early one morning the reverend Angulimala, duly robed and bowl in hand, went into SavatthI for alms and there, in the course of his round for alms, saw a woman in difficult and protracted labour. The sight [103] brought him the thought how foul humanity was. After his meal he came back to the Lord to tell what he had seen and what he had thought,

* Go back then to the city, said the Lord, and say to the woman : — From my birth onwards, sister, 1 am not aware that, wittingly, I have ever robbed of life aught that lives ; may this my solemn protestation bring weal to you and weal to your child unborn ! But that, sir, would be a deliberate lie ; for, 1 have wittingly taken many a life. Go back then to the city, said the Lord, and say to the woman : — From my Noble Birth onwards, sister, I am not aware . . . child unborn ! Obediently, he went back to the woman to make this solemn protestation ; and all went well with mother and child. Ere long, the reverend Angulimala, dwelling alone and aloof, strenuous ardent and purged of self, won the prize in quest of which young men go forth from home to homelessness as Pilgrims, that prize of prizes which crowns the highest life ; — even this did he, here and now, think out for himself, realize, enter on, and abide in ; and to him came the conviction : Rebirth is no more ; I have lived the highest life ; my task is done ; and now [104] for me there is no more of what I have been 1 Thus the reverend! Angulimala was numbered among the Arahats.

M. ii. 105. THE BANDIT’S CONVERSION. 55 In the morning early, when, duly robed and bowl in hand, Angulimala had gone into SavatthI for alms, he was hit by a clod flung by one man, by a club flung by a second and by a potsherd flung by a third, so that it was with a broken head streaming with blood, with his bowl smashed, and with his cloak in tatters, that he presented himself before the Lord. Seeing him drawing near, the Lord said to Angulimala : — Endure it all, brahmin ; endure it all. What you are suffering now is the harvest of past deeds which might, otherwise have kept you in the torments of purgatory for many a year, yea, for hundreds and thousands of years. As he realized in solitary meditation the bliss of his Deliverance, the reverend Angulimala now burst into this heartfelt utterance : — Whoso shows zeal, \ where zeal was none , whoso with virtue clokes his past, whoso in youth to Buddha cleaves , — he, like the moon, floods earth with light . My foes , this gospel hear, this creed embrace, and follow wisdoms sons who cleave to it.

[105] Love s message, meek forbearance , hear, my foes , — in season hear, and let your lives conform. He who has garner d Peace , harms neither me nor any man, but shields both weak and strong. 1 Ditchers guide rills ; his shaft the fletcher shapes ; joiners shape wood ; — but sages shape themselves. Constraining goad, compelling lash tames some ; — with neither club nor sword our Saint tamed me. My name is 1 Harmless,' though / harmful was; bnt rightly now I'm named, for I harm none. As 1 Finger- Necklace', I a bandit lived, and whirled down Stream, till He brought me to Land. As * Finger- Necklace,' I was steeped in blood; saved now, no tethers bind me still to life. My whilom guilt, with all its heritage 1 These verses, of— I think— later date, include a repetition of Pilinda Vaccha’s verses from Theragatha, p. 2. 56 LXXXVI. ANGULIM&LA-SUTTA. M. It 106. of future woe , has found its outcome here ; — of my estate I'm lord ; no debt I owe. Insensate folly ne'er can rise to zeal, that zeal which wisdoms priceless treasure is. Forget not zeal in pleasure s hot pursuit ; for , zeal by Ecstasy to bliss attains.

In blessing came , and still abides , my Call when 'mong the warring creeds I chose the best. In blessing came , and still abides , my Call; * — the threefold lore is mine ; I've lived His creed. [106] Thus have I heard. Once while the Lord was staying at Savatthl in J eta’s grove in Anathapincjika’s pleasaunce, the darling only son of a certain householder died, and the loss made the father neglect his business and his meals ; he was always going to the charnel ground, wailing aloud : — Where are you, my son ? Where are you ? To this bereaved father, when he had come and taken his seat to one side after due salutations, the Lord said : — You are not yourself ; your mind is all awry. How could my mind not be awry, sir, when I have lost my darling only son ? His death has made me neglect my business and my meals ; time and again I go to the charnel ground, wailing aloud : — Where are you, my son ? Where are you ? Yes, householder; our dear ones bring sorrow and lamentation, pain, suffering, and tribulation.

Who, sir, can entertain such a view ? Nay, our dear ones are a joy and happiness to us ! And with these words the householder, rejecting the Lord’s pronouncement, indignantly got up and departed. Hard by, there were a number of gamblers having a game with the dice ; and to them came the house- M. ii. 107, TULLIUS REI AFFECT US. holder with his story of [107] how he had related his sorrows to the recluse Gotama, how he had been received, and how he had indignantly departed. You were quite right, said the gamblers ; for, our dear ones are indeed a joy and happiness to us. So the householder felt he had got the gamblers on his side. Now all this, in due course, penetrated to the private apartments of the royal palace, where the king told Qdeen Mallika that ‘her recluse Gotama’ had stated that our dear ones bring sorrow and lamentation, pain, suffering, and tribulation. Well, sire, if the Lord said so, so it is. Just as a pupil accepts all his master tells him, saying ‘ So it is, sir ; so it is,’ — just in the same way, Mallika, you accept all the recluse Gotama says,

[108] ‘If the Lord said so; so it is.^„ and begone ! ' Then the queen Mali-jangha to go to the Lord to bow his head at the Lord’s , £^t^SSirr^rh^as\ane after his health, to enquire ne had really said what was attributed to him. And be careful, she added, to tell me exactly what the Lord answers ; for, Truth-finders never tell an untruth. In obedience to the queen’s commands, the brahmin went off and duly asked the Lord whether he had really said so. Yes, brahmin ; — our dear ones do bring sorrow and lamentation, pain, suffering, and tribulation. Here is a proof. Once on a time, here in Savatthl, a woman’s mother died and the daughter, crazed and beside herself, went about from street to street and from crossroads to cross-roads, saying : — Have you seen my mother? Have you seen my mother ? [109] Another proof is a woman of Savatthl who lost her father — a brother — a sister — a son — a daughter — a husband. Crazed and beside herself, the woman went about from street to street and from cross-roads to cross-roads, asking if anyone had seen the deaf- one she had lost.

LX XX VII. piya-jXtika-sutta. Another proof is a man of Savatthi who lost his mother — his father — a brother — a sister — a son — a daughter — a wife. Crazed and beside himself the man went about from street to street and from cross-roads to cross-roads, asking if anyone had seen the dear one he had lost. Another proof is the Savatthi woman who visited her own people’s home ; and they wanted to take her from her husband and marry her to someone else whom she did not like. She told her husband about this i whereupon he cut her in two [110] and then killed himself, so that they might both die together. All this the brahmin duly reported to the queen, tc went away to the king with the question * — Are you « Stre, of your only dailgh^rr , the princess happened to your Vajlri, would you feel JMuatxv** %mer. and tribulatlch? sorrow and 4 *ing, and tribulation ? “'"If anything happenefF#^^;> «uld make a great difference to my life. How. feeling sorrow and lamentation, pain, suffering, Well, that is what was meant by the Lo?4 .who knows and sees, the Arahat all-enlightened, when he declared that our dear ones bring sorrow and lamentado? oain, suffering and- tabulation.

Are you fond, sire, of your queen Vasabha ? — ‘-*- Yes, I am. {Repeat as above.) Are you fond, sire, of -Vidudabha, your general? [Ill] Yes, I am. {Repeat as above.) Are you fond, sire, of me ? Yes, I am. {Repeat as above.) Are you fond, sire, of the people of Kasi and Kosala ? Yes, I am. It is my sovereignty over them which clothes me in Benares muslins and* gives me my garlands, perfumes and unguents. If anything happened to them, would you feel sorrow and lamentation, pain, suffering, and tribulation. If anything happened to them, it would make a M. ii. 1 12. great difference — how could it be otherwise? — to my own life. Well, that, sire, is what was meant by the Lord who know and sees, the Arahat all-enlightened, when he declared that our dear ones bring sorrow and lamentation, pain, suffering, and tribulation. It is wonderful, Mallika, it is marvellous, how [112] the Lord’s insight penetrates and discerns. Bring me water for ablution, Mallika. Thereafter, Pasenacli, king of Kosala, rose up, reverently bared one shoulder, and, with folded palms stretched out to where the Lord was, thrice burst forth with — All honour to the Lord, Arahat allenlightened !

ON DEMEANOUR, at Savatthi unce, the reverend Ananda, d wl in hand, went in the morning ©5 'the Old Pleasaynce at the palace ptetlier. Just then, Pasenadi, king of was riding betimes out of town on his elephant, “Lotus when he saw Ananda coming. First assuring himself that it was indeed Ananda, by asking the noble lord Sirivaddha, the king sent a messenger with orders to bow down in his name at Ananda’s feet and to ask him, if he had nothing particular to do, to [113] be so good as to join him for a while. The message was duly delivered and Ananda by silence gave consent. Then the king rode on as far as there was good going for an elephant, proceeding thence on foot till he came up to Ananda, whom he saluted, standing to one side as he said : — If you have nothing particular to do, 6o LXXXVIII. BAHITIKA-SUTTA. ,M. ». 114* reverend Ananda, be so good as to come to the bank of the river Aciravatl. By silence Ananda gave consent and, proceeding thither, sat down on the seat awaiting him under a tree. The king rode on as far as there was good going for an elephant, proceeding thence on foot to Ananda, whom he saluted, standing the while as he said : — Be seated on this clump of flowers, your reverence.

Nay, sire ; be you seated ; I have got a seat of my own already. Seating himself on the seat awaiting him, the king asked Ananda whether the Lord would ever do what sage recluses and brahmins would condemn. [114] Would he ever say what they would condemn? Would he ever think what they would condemn ? It is wonderful, sir; it is marvellous! What I could not settle in a question, you have settled by your answer. When uninstructed fools praise or dispraise others without testing the evidence and without weighing their judgment, we do not hark back to that as final ; but we do, when the wise and instructed praise or- testing the evidence and weighing their judgment. Tell me now what behaviour— in act — or in word — or in thought — is condemned by sage recluses and brahmins ? The behaviour which is wrong, sire. What behaviour is wrong ? That which is blameworthy. What behaviour is blameworthy ? That which is malevolent. What behaviour is malevolent ? That which ripens into I1L And what behaviour ripens into 111 ? That behaviour, sire, which conduces to the harm either of one’s self or of others or of both together, wherein wrong states of consciousness wax apace while right states wane ; this is the kind of behaviour —

M. ii. 1 1 5. whether of act or of word or of thought — which is condemned by sage recluses and brahmins. [115] Does the Lord commend the discarding of each and every wrong state of consciousness, without reserve ? The Truth-finder, sire, has shed all wrong states and possesses every right one. Tell me now what behaviour — in act — or in word — or in thought — escapes condemnation by sage recluses and brahmins ? The behaviour which is right, sire. What behaviour is right ? That which is blameless. What behaviour is blameless ? That which is benevolent. What behaviour is benevolent ? That which ripens unto weal. What behaviour ripens unto weal ? That behaviour, sire, which conduces to the harm neither of one’s self nor of others nor of both together, wherein wrong states of consciousness wane while right states wax apace ; this is the kind of behaviour — whether of act or of word or of thought — which escapes condemnation by sage recluses and brahmins. [116] Does the Lord commend the acquisition of each and every right state of consciousness, without reserve ? The Truth-finder, sire, has shed every wrong state of consciousness and possesses every right one.

It is wonderful, sir, it is marvellous, how well you have put it, gratifying and delighting me so greatly that, if only it befitted your reverence to have my peerless elephant, you should have him, — or my peerless charger — or a choice village. Yet, I know none of these things would befit you. But here is a piece of foreign fabric, sixteen cubits long and eight broad, which was sent to me, mounted on a pole as a royal canopy, by the king of Magadha, Ajatasattu Videhiputta. Be so good, I beg, as to accept this. Nay, sire ; I have my full set of three robes. 62 Lxxxvnr, bahitiica-sutta. m. \l t \ 7. [117] You and I have seen how, when a storm has burst on the heights, this river Aciravati overflows in spate both its banks. In like manner, you will use this foreign fabric to make yourself a new set of robes, dividing up your old ones among your fellows in, the higher life, so that my gift, methinks, will have an overflow. Be so good, I beg, as to accept this. Ananda having taken the fabric, the king said he must now be going, as he had much to do and attend to.

At your majesty's pleasure, said Ananda. After expressing his satisfaction and thanks, the king rose up and with salutations took a reverential departure. The king had not been gone long before Ananda went his way to the Lord, to whom m due course he related all that had passed and handed over the foreign fabric. Said the Lord to the Almsmen : — It was a good thing, a very good thing, for King Pasenadi of Kosala to be privileged to see Ananda and commune with him. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Almsmen rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

[118] Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying in the Sakyan country, — Medatalumpa is a township of theirs — , Pasenadi, king of Kosala, who was at Nangaraka on some business or other, bade Digha Karayana get the carriages ready and drove out in royal state to see the beauties of the pleasaunce, riding as far as a carriage could go and proceeding thence on foot to the pleasaunce. As he walked up and down in the woods, the king observed delightful and attractive nooks at the foot of trees, peaceful and quiet, sheltered from winds, very haunts of solitude monuments of the doctrine. arid homes of meditation. The sight reminded him of the Lord and inspired the thought that this was the spot to commune with the Lord, Arahat all-enlightened. Imparting his thoughts to Dlgha Karayana, the king aSi^i_W 1(fre ^119J the Lord was then staying. Being u* tut i^-e WaS at Medatajumpa, the Sakyan township, the king asked how far away it was and was told that it was not far— only some three leagues— and that : , "f ,a<? tlrrJe enough left to get there that same day. \ Ordering the carriages to be got ready, the king drove out to Medatalumpa that same day, riding as far as the carriage could go and proceeding thence on foot to the pleasaunce. From a number of Almsmen, who " were. pacing to and fro in the open air, the king enquired the whereabouts of the Lord, whom he wished to see.

Yonder, sire, is his cell, with the door shut. If you : Wl11 g° silently and gently to the fore-court, and there ; cough and tap on the bolt, the Lord will open the door t to you. I and there the king handed his sword and . turban to Digha,— who realized that the king did not ™ant c.omPany> and that he ought to stop behind. ■; l he approached as directed and tapped on the ; bolt, whereupon the Lord opened the door, and the j king entering his cell, [120] bowed his head at the Lord s feet, which he covered with kisses and stroked, ™?ugaVe his name :“Pasenadi> king of Kosala. ..y and wherefore, sire, do you pay such respect to this body of mine and show me such marks of affection ? The conclusion with regard to the Lord which I have reached is that he is the all-enlightened Lord that he has well and truly preached his Doctrine, and that his Confraternity walks aright. On one side, I. see some recluses and brahmins walking in a restricted higher life for anything from ^ears or? e.nd> w^0’ dieir punctilio in bathing and anointing and braiding of hhir, indulge in the fivefold pleasures of sense to whiph they are

addicted. On the other side, I see Almsmen who all their lives long live the higher life in all its fulness and purity till their last breath is drawn ; nor do I find any higher life outside so full and pure. — This leads me to my conclusion with regard to the Lord jthat he is the all-enlightened Lord, that he has well and truly preached his Doctrine, and that his Confraternity walks aright. Moreover, there is always strife going on between kings, between nobles, between brahmins, between householders, between mother and son, between son and mother, between father and son, between son and father, between brother and brother, between brother and sister, between sister and brother, between companion and companion. But, here, I see Almsmen living in peace and concord, without strife, blending together like water and milk, and [121] gazing on one another with eyes of affection ; nor do I find such concord in any other body. This too leads me to my conclusion . . . walks aright. Again, as I move from one pleasaunce to another and from one close to another, I see there recluses and brahmins who are lean miserable creatures, illlooking and jaundiced, with their veins standing out like whipcord, by no means attractive to view, methinks. I wondered whether their vocation was irksome to them or whether they had privily committed some crime, that they should look like that. But when I asked them the reason, their only reply was 'that it ran in the family.

But, here, I see Almsmen joyous and joyful, elated and exultant, buoyant and cl eerful of mind, without a care or a worry, tranquil, subsisting on what others bestow, with hearts as free as wild creatures. Surely, thought I, it is because they find in the Lord’s teachings a high excellence not elsewhere discerned by them before, that they live a life so joyous and joyful . . . wild creatures. — This too leads me to my conclusion . . . walks aright.

Further, „as a Noble anointed king, [122] I have power to execute, or mulct, or banish the guilty according to their deserts; but while I am hearing a case, people interrupt the proceedings. To stop them I have to forbid interruptions while a case is on, and to tell them to wait till it is settled. Yes, I* have interruptions while hearing a case ; but, when I survey the Almsmen while the Lord is preaching to hundreds, of his followers at a time, not a voice is raised nor a cough heard. Once, while the Lord was so preaching, an Almsman who coughed was jogged by his neighbour's knee and told to keep quiet and not make a noise while their master the Lord was preaching the Doctrine. It is wonderful and marvellous, thought I to myself, how any body of men can be disciplined to such a pitch without constraint of cudgel or sword 1 I know no such discipline anywhere outside. — This too leads me to my conclusion * . . walks aright. Further, from the class of Nobles — or brahmins — or householders — or recluses and brahmins — there have come keen and tried disputants — verbal archers . . . {etc. as in Sutta 27) . . . [123] much less non-plus him, but actually become disciples of the Lord. And those who come to confront him from among recluses and brahmins actually ask to be allowed to go forth from home to homelessness as Pilgrims and the recluse Gotama admits them to his Confraternity . . . {etc. as in Sutta 27). . . . Now are we recluses, brahmins and saintly men indeed ! — This too leads me to my conclusion . . . walk aright.

Further, there are the carriage-builders Isidatta and Purana whom I support, who make my carriages, who owe to me their livelihood and the honours they enjoy. Withal, these men do not [124] serve me as wholeheartedly as they do the Lord. Time was when, being out with my troops on active service, I, to test these two, took up my quarters in a cramped little house, — where Isidatta and Purana, after spending the best part of the night in discussing the Doctrine, lay down to rest with their heads in the direction where^-they heard the Lord was, and only with their feet towards rhe. It is wonderful and marvellous, thought I to myself, that these two men who owe everything in the world to me, yet do not serve me as they serve the Lord. Surely, thought I, it is because these reverend men find in the Lord’s teachings a high excellence not elsewhere discerned by them before. — This too leads me to my conclusion . . . walks aright. Further, the Lord is a Noble like me, a Kosalan like me, and eighty years old like me ; and this in itself prompts me to pay such respect to the Lord and show him such marks of affection. But now I must be going ; I have much to do and attend to.

At your pleasure, sire. Rising up, Pasenadi, king of Kosala, saluted the Lord and with deep reverence withdrew. He had not been gone long when the Lord, addressing the Almsmen, said : — Before leaving, the king commended the Doctrine in monumental words. Learn and master those words, Almsmen ; [1 25] treasure them in your memories ; they are words of profit, fundamental to the higher life. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Almsmen rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Ujjunna in the deer-park of Kannakatthala, Pasenadi, king of Kosala, who was at Ujjunna on some business or other, sent a messenger to bow his head at the Lord’s feet as he asked in the king’s name after the Lord’s health, and to say that soon after his meal the king would come to see him. This message was duly delivered. On hearing of his projected visit, the two sisters, Queen Soma and Queen Sakula [126] came to the king in the refectory with the request that he would make — in their names — the like enquiry about the Lord’s health. M. ii. 127. OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPOTENCE. 67 On paying his visit after his meal, the king, after saluting the Lord, seated himself to one side and delivered the message sent by the two sisters. How comes it, sire, that they found no other messenger ? As they heard I was coming here to-day, they asked me to convey their enquiries in person. May good fortune attend them, sire! Then said the king : — I have heard it said that the recluse Gotama declares no recluse or brahmin can ever, in the plenitude of ken and vision, claim absolute knowledge and insight. [127] Now, is this witness true, — not misrepresenting the Lord and not misstating the gist of his doctrine ?