ut the result, when i navo you have named are not worthy the at those who follow them are like a ad without a guide—he can neither ring; how, then, can he go with any o doubts in the practice of religion. ngh I may not yet attain my end discipline, yet will I never return to Emmerse myself in the pollutions of t Lappiness can a pure-minded man then, again, you refer me to the hers, who returned to their homes litude. But in truth those kings heir religious life and search after erely after spiritual qualities, such knew nothing of the laws of selfnd therefore they went back. But of such cases, for I swear a great ll down to earth, let these snowy base, if I do not attain the end e True Law.' There is no room, t returning home, I would rather ▼ lake, than give up my aim and oath, got up from where he was ned his back on the messengers. rpose, raised their voices in re"Alas! alas!" and exclaiming mind and return with them. their entreaties they engaged rever he went, and watch him n yielding to their grief, they Royal Master's sorrow on hear1. And so the Gâtha saysresolution of the prince, eturn home, The Discussion v § 2. AND now Bôdhisatwa, leavir ther in the midst of their sorrow of Vâisali. Just before arriving towards it, dwelt a certain Rish called Alara, his family name bei brother who observed Bodhisatw spot, who, after seeing him, w having seen such a thing as he pairing to the place where his arriving, he exclaimed in the p severally by name-"Mitra m heart rejoice, give up your presen for the son of Sûddhôdana, the escape from sorrow and attain s bright and glorious as a golden beauty, his shoulders straight an reaching below his knees, under thousand-spoked wheel, his gait Ox-king, his body encircled with clad in a Kashya garment, his ap beyond measure, gradually he is us then strive to pay him due ho reverence." Then those Manavas sounded satwa reached the spot where Alara was; seeing whom the exclaimed in a loud voice-"Welcome! holy youth!" and so stood facing one another with some degree of uncertainty, Alara invited Bodhisatwa to sit down on a grass mat; as the says "The two looking at one another with great joy, Saluting each other with a sort of reserve, Were unable to speak one to the other, Till Alara requested him to sit down on the clean grass ma Then, Bodhisatwa being seated, Alara observed his person head to foot, and conceived great delight in his heart, and in diately addressed him in soft and courteous words -"Vener Gôtama! long ago I heard of your intention to resign the k dom, leave your home and become a recluse, to cast off the ti mels of love and affection even as the elephant breaks away f his bonds, and asserts his freedom. Even so! illustrious yo have you this day done. But, Gôtama! your conduct appear me somewhat singular. Other Kings have forsaken their Empi but only after a long course of enjoyment; but you, whilst ye tender age, are doing so. And yet the estate of Royalty is no thing to be despised; it was through the desire after this tha old time the Râja Teng-sing1 (Agrajâti ?), having obtained univer empire on earth, was translated to Heaven, and there shared w Sâkra the government of the Trâyastrinshas Heavens! but aft wards through coveteousness again fell down to earth; and so w Najasa Raja and others, all of whom appear to have lost th dignity through excessive coveteousness, which burns in ma heart like a fire burns in the midst of dry weeds; but with y there seems to be no such desire, for you have given up all, thou possessed of Royalty itself." To which Bodhisatwa replied, "Great Rishi! all these earth dignities appear to me unstable as the fruit of the plantain tre without any real substance or solidity; destined to destruction 1 Head-born, or, born from the excrescence at the top of the head. the above stanzas, suddenly Alara was; seeing whom the Rishi Welcome! holy youth!" and so they some degree of uncertainty, until down on a grass mat; as the Gâtha her with great joy, ort of reserve, the other, to it down on the clean grass mat." d, Alara observed his person from t delight in his heart, and immed courteous words-"Venerable ur intention to resign the kinga recluse, to cast off the tramthe elephant breaks away from m. Even so! illustrious youth, tama! your conduct appears gs have forsaken their Empires, yment; but you, whilst yet of the estate of Royalty is not a rh the desire after this that in ti?), having obtained universal [eaven, and there shared with trinshas Heavens! but afterll down to earth; and so with n appear to have lost their ness, which burns in man's f dry weeds; but with you u have given up all, though t Rishi! all these earthly fruit of the plantain tree, destined to destruction; e at the top of the head. To which Alara replied, "I p have a great destiny awaiting y be no ordinary one!" Then one of the Manava you into the following eulogy, his h reverence, as he addressed Bô wisdom as thine; in olden times worldly pleasures, have forsake ligious perfection in the solitu the vigor of your age, to give up and to prefer the harshness of a of wild beasts, and the unfettere And now Alara, addressing B seeking what way and in pursu your steps hither ?" Then Bodhisatwa replied-" with the chains of birth and dea free themselves, and therefore escape." Then Alara, having commen one of the youths who surroun Bodhisatwa, what had induced 1 his relations? 66 Simply becaus ship and kinship are destined to fore, he said, I search for that nent." (Then Alara pointed ou all human weakness and folly re ence, which, like a dragon, lurks good intention or virtuous effort assented. And afterwards Alâ own doctrine, showing that mer tion by some outward aim, as th false cry of the hunter, the mot and the fish by the bait.) [Kiouen XXI contains 6,65 § 1. IN this chapter Alara proceeds with the expla tion of his Religious system. Relying on the gene testimony of the Shasters, he instructs Bôdhisatwa t the first condition of all religious discipline is, t the life be strictly that of an ascetic-without a bodily indulgence, and the mind subjected to t strictest rules of thought and contemplation-th passing through various grades of abstraction, corr ponding to the different conditions of the inhabitar of the superimposed heavens, the full joy of comple Dhyâna is at length attained, and from that the co dition of Nirvâna. Thus, by the use of means, arrive at complete deliverance. Bôdhisatwa, having accepted the instruction of Ala so far, and himself arrived at the condition describe sought further from him something yet higher-f this deliverance seems imperfect because it is not fin —there is still a possibility of returning even from th condition and receiving life again; even as the see sown at an untimely season, may revive under certai conditions, although in the absence of those condition it appears to have ceased to be. So it is in the cas of this deliverance, there is still the idea of I-"I hav attained Nirvâna ;" and so long as this is the case, i is not final or lasting; just as in the case of burning proceeds with the explanan. Relying on the general e instructs Bodhisatwa that eligious discipline is, that an ascetic-without any e mind subjected to the and contemplation-thus les of abstraction, correslitions of the inhabitants the full joy of complete , and from that the con 7 the use of means, we d the instruction of Alara the condition described, ething yet higher—for et because it is not final eturning even from this ain; even as the seed y revive under certain nce of those conditions So it is in the case the idea of I—"I have as this is the case, In the case of burning it possibility of again becomi The discourse then proc power called self-existence possibility of creation. B by Isvara, because then th events, no causes of sorrow men would regard Isvara be no disputes about this exists or not-in short, i then all things must have have been no possibility of On this, Alara commend hisatwa, but deprecates fur that unless there be a pow of creating and sustaining blem of the source of e solved; for he said, either first-if Karma was not c ence of the body, then wh it? But if the body ex existed independently of have been a Creator. To which Bôdhisatwa you on this ground, but a the great mass of evil whi |