66 after some reflection, answered thus-" I have long known t racter of a father's affection, and I am sure of Suddhôdana very great love for me, his son; but then I tremble to think miseries of old age, renewed birth, disease, and death, whic soon destroy this body! and if possible I desire above all th find a way of deliverance from these evils, and therefore left my friends and my home, and forsaken my kin with to search after the perfect possession of Supreme Wisdom. If you tell me that my father's grief arises from his great me, this consideration has no power to change my convictio this is just like a man seeing in a dream his friends all tog and when awaking finding them all gone again; a wise man r his friends and relatives just as fellow travellers, each one along the same road, soon to be separated as each goes to h place. And if you speak to me about a fit time and an unfi for becoming a recluse, my answer is that the Demon Death nothing of one time or the other, but is busy gathering his vict all times. I wish, therefore, at once to seek escape from the of birth and death, disease, and old age, and have no leisure t sider whether this be the right time or not." And then b tinued "As to what my father requests that I should retu be anointed King of his Empire, let my father strive earne put away the thought of my ever becoming his successor; truth I desire to escape from, rather than to be bound by, fetters of kingship and relationship, I seek deliverance fro such ties. For to seek such things is like the conduct foolish man who eats some delicious food (not thinking poison it contains)." And so the Gâtha says— “Like a house of gold filled with fire, Or sweet food concealing poison, Or a lake covered with flowers, hiding a dragon, 1 That is, his foster-mother, Mahâprajâpati. ejoice again. To whom Bodhisatwa, thus-"I have long known the chaand I am sure of Suddhôdana Raja's ; but then I tremble to think of the rth, disease, and death, which shall possible I desire above all things to n these evils, and therefore I have and forsaken my kin with a view ession of Supreme Wisdom. r's grief arises from his great love to Ower to change my conviction; for n a dream his friends all together, all gone again; a wise man regards s fellow travellers, each one going separated as each goes to his own about a fit time and an unfit time er is that the Demon Death knows but is busy gathering his victims at nce to seek escape from the power ld age, and have no leisure to contime or not." And then he conequests that I should return and father strive earnestly to let my er becoming his successor; for in ther than to be bound by, these hip, I seek deliverance from all Engs is like the conduct of the cious food (not thinking of the Gâtha says and I am searching for enduring jo shall I then return? Will the mar vomited it up, return to the temp has escaped from the burning hou flames? Neither would any but th the world, return to its unsatisf Gâtha says "As a man who has escaped from Afterwards in a moment resolv So is he who having left his ho Goes back from the solitude of And then he proceeded to say-“ ing those Kings who my Royal Fat even whilst holding their sovereig impossible to conjoin the cares of quietude of the man who seeks de patible, even as fire and water canno as Heaven and earth; it is impossi of sensual pleasures with the attain of soul. And it was for this cause their kingdoms to seek deliverance, held and the other obtained. So, t in my search, and never more to merely worldly pleasures, or even to Father's Empire." Then the two messengers, having of Bôdhisatwa, still urged their re his home, in the following wordsresolution to search after Supreme commendable one, but under the pre ation of your Royal father's grief, to continue the quest, in contradic this is not right; and so the Gâtha "There is profit in seeking out at is no discordance between searching after religious truth continuing in the world. For to give up a certainty for an tainty, to seek the fruit without being sure about the way work of no wise man. For in the Siddha 1 there are various o as to the real existence of a future state or not-great doub over the subject. If, then, there should be no future con what advantage will it be to give up the certain possession present. Again, there are others who say, it is certain that present condition there is both good and evil, and therefore future also the same confusion will exist, and therefore deavour by religious discipline to attain deliverance from an necessity, is merely foolish. For surely if things shape them under the influences of an inevitable fate, to attempt to avo necessity, or to escape from the conditions of it, is futile. A again, whilst the embryo is in the womb, the different mem the feet, hands, bones, etc., with the hair and nails-are a cessively formed of themselves under the direction of fixed and so, again, a man thus perfected in his body, returns to deca destruction, and then to restoration and perfection, under the tion of laws equally fixed; and so it is one of the old Books sa "Who is it gives the sharpness to the thorn, Or who is it paints the varied plumage of the bird ?' 2 It is necessity: it is not man's doing; and so in all other th it is not for us to desire perfection, it is all pre-arranged and And so the Gâtha says "Who is it sharpens the prickly point of the thorn? Who is it gives variety of colour to birds and beasts? 1 Siddanta, i. e., established truth, vide J. A. S. B., 1837, p. also Jut. ii, 72, n. 2 Vide Hodgson, Collected Essays, p. 107, § 9. 3 That is, Swabháva. As it seems to us, Holy Prince, there arching after religious truth and yet - to give up a certainty for an uncer out being sure about the way, is the he Siddha1 there are various opinions cure state or not-great doubts hang here should be no future condition, ive up the certain possession of the ers who say, it is certain that in the good and evil, and therefore in the n will exist, and therefore to ento attain deliverance from any such or surely if things shape themselves table fate, to attempt to avoid this conditions of it, is futile. And so, he womb, the different membersh the hair and nails-are all sucnder the direction of fixed laws; d in his body, returns to decay and on and perfection, under the direc it is one of the old Books saysss to the thorn, ed plumage of the bird?' ? ɔing; and so in all other things, y point of the thorn? our to birds and beasts? he working of destinyor his efforts.' vide J. A. S. B., 1837, p. 67; . 107, § 9. are others who say that things a tion; so we come into existence, a any choice or effort of our own, Again, there are others who say th Rishis in consequence of their fatl their ancestors and begetting the these cases there is no room for comes not from ourselves, but fi Thus it is all the old Books and S various sections (Siddha). If ther ance, seek it according to reason a old Books say, and so be directed, indisputable. Holy Prince! your cause of his love and affection to thus forsake him. Holy Prince ! palace that there will be any cause of an appearance of inconstancy. who had been in possession of r world returned again to its enjoym these are some of them, to wit, his kingdom and become a resider back in the midst of all his attenda Again, Ramaraja, provoked by wh left his mountain retreat, and can righteousness. Again, there was Vâisali, called Drûma, he also left govern his kingdom with justice. -Rishi Râja Sakriti, and Rigdev all these illustrious kings, after bec their homes. Let your Royal Hig do likewise, and come back to your "As the kings whom we have n Having left their wives, retire That is, a C attention of a wise man. But those who follow them are blind man going along the road without a guide—he can I tell what is right or what is wrong; how, then, can he go wi certainty. So is the man who doubts in the practice of re But my heart is fixed, and though I may not yet attain n till after long and wearisome discipline, yet will I never ret the pleasures of the world or immerse myself in the polluti sensual indulgences. For what happiness can a pure-minded (holy man) find in these. And then, again, you refer me t case of Ambarisa Râja, and others, who returned to their 1 after once beginning a life of solitude. But in truth those used no true discernment in their religious life and search deliverance. For they sought merely after spiritual qualities, as the Rishis possess; but they knew nothing of the laws of discipline and mortification. And therefore they went back. remind me, I pray you, no longer of such cases, for I swear a oath- Let the Sun and Moon fall down to earth, let these si mountains be removed from their base, if I do not attain the of my search, viz.-the pearl of the True Law.' There is no r therefore, for further parley about returning home, I would ra enter a burning furnace, or a fiery lake, than give up my aim go back." Bodhisatwa, having sworn this oath, got up from where he sitting, and, leaving the wood, turned his back on the messeng Then they, perceiving his fixed purpose, raised their voices in peated lamentations, continually exclaiming "Alas! alas!" vainly beseeching him to alter his mind and return with th At length seeing the uselessness of their entreaties they enga four men to follow Bôdhisatwa wherever he went, and watch from place to place. And then, again yielding to their grief, tl wept and lamented, to think of their Royal Master's sorrow on he ing the news of the prince's resolution. And so the Gâtha says Those two messengers knowing the resolution of the prince, That he was firmly resolved not to return home, 66 |