English
Then that fire-worshipping ascetic, having completed his business in the country, approached his own hermitage; having approached, he said to that boy: 'Son, has your fire not gone out?' 'Here, father, While I was absorbed in play, the fire went out. Then it occurred to me: "My father indeed told me this: 'Son, you should tend the fire. And, son, let not your fire go out. And if your fire should go out, here is an axe, these pieces of wood, this fire-stick set; having produced fire, you should tend the fire.' Why don't I produce fire and tend the fire?" Then, son, I carved the fire-stick set with an axe – "Perhaps I might obtain fire." I did not obtain fire. I split the fire-stick set in two, in three, in four, in five, in ten, in a hundred, I made it into splinters, having made it into splinters, I pounded it in a mortar, having pounded it in a mortar, I winnowed it in a strong wind – "Perhaps I might obtain fire." I did not obtain fire. Then it occurred to that fire-worshipping ascetic: "How foolish and unskilled this boy is, how indeed can he seek fire in an improper way?" While he was watching, taking the fire-stick set, and producing fire, he said to that boy: "This is how, son, fire should be produced. Not like you, foolish and unskilled, seeking fire in an improper way." Just so, O prince, you, foolish and unskilled, will seek the other world in an improper way. Abandon, O prince, this evil view, abandon, O prince, this evil view, lest it be for your harm and suffering for a long time. 429. "Although Master Kassapa says this, yet I am unable to abandon this evil view. King Pasenadi of Kosala knows me, and so do other kings – 'Prince Pāyāsi is one who speaks thus, holds such a view – "There is no other world, there are no spontaneously arisen beings, there is no fruit or result of good and bad deeds."' If I, good Kassapa, abandon this evil view, then... My critics will say: ‘How foolishly the prince has gone forth, unwise, holding a wrong view.’ With what shall I carry it? With mud shall I carry it? With leaves shall I carry it? The simile of the two caravan leaders 430. “Then, prince, I will make a simile for you. By a simile, some discerning men understand the meaning of what is said. Once upon a time, prince, a great caravan of a thousand carts went from the eastern country to the western country. Wherever it went, grass, wood, water, and green leaves were quickly exhausted. In that caravan, there were two caravan leaders, one for five hundred carts, and one for five hundred carts. Then it occurred to those caravan leaders: ‘This great caravan has a thousand carts; wherever we go, grass, wood, water, and green leaves are quickly exhausted. What if we were to divide this caravan into two— five hundred carts on one side, five hundred carts on the other side?’ So they divided that caravan into two, five hundred carts on one side, five hundred carts on the other side. One caravan leader loaded much grass, wood, and water, and set the caravan in motion. After two or three days’ journey, that caravan saw a man black, red-eyed, with a quiver fastened, wearing a lotus garland, with wet clothes, wet hair, coming on the opposite path in a fine chariot with wheels smeared with mud. Having seen him, he said: ‘From where, good sir, do you come?’ ‘From such and such a country.’ ‘Where are you going?’ ‘To such and such a country.’ ‘Good sir, has a great rain fallen ahead in the wilderness?’ ‘Yes, good sir, a great rain has fallen ahead in the wilderness, the roads are watered, there is much grass, wood, and water. Throw away, good sirs, the old grass, wood, and water. with light carts, go quickly, quickly, lest the yokes be wearied.’ “Then that caravan leader addressed the merchants: ‘This man, sirs, says this: “In the desert ahead, a great rain has fallen, the paths are soaked with water, there is much grass and wood and water. Throw away, sirs, the old grass, wood, and water, with light carts, go quickly, quickly, lest the yokes be wearied.” Throw away, sirs, the old grass, wood, and water, with light carts, let the caravan proceed.’ ‘So be it, sir,’ those merchants, having assented to that caravan leader, threw away the old grass, wood, and water, and with light carts, let the caravan proceed. At the first camping place, they saw no grass or wood or water. At the second camping place… at the third camping place… at the fourth camping place… at the fifth camping place… at the sixth camping place… at the seventh camping place, they saw no grass or wood or water. All fell into ruin and disaster. And all the humans and animals who were in that caravan, that ogre, that non-human, devoured them all. Only bones remained. “When the second caravan leader knew: ‘That caravan, sirs, has now gone far,’ having loaded much grass and wood and water, he let the caravan proceed. After two or three days’ journey, that caravan saw a man, dark, with red eyes, with a quiver strapped on, wearing a garland of white water lilies, with wet clothes, wet hair, coming along the path in a fine chariot with wheels smeared with mud. Having seen him, he said this: ‘From where, sir, do you come?’ ‘From such-and-such a country.’ ‘Where will you go?’ ‘To such-and-such a country.’ ‘Is it true, sir, that in the desert ahead, a great rain has fallen?’ ‘Yes, sir, in the desert ahead, a great rain has fallen. The paths are soaked with water, there is much grass and wood and water. Throw away, O sirs, the old grass, wood, water, with light-laden carts go quickly, quickly, lest the yokes get tired. Then that caravan leader addressed the caravan-followers: ‘This man, sirs, says thus: In front, in the wilderness, a great rain has fallen, the roads are soaked with water, much grass, wood, and water are there. Throw away, sirs, the old grass, wood, and water, go quickly, quickly with light-laden carts; lest the yokes get tired.’ ‘This man, sirs, is neither our friend, nor a blood-relative, how can we go trusting him? You should not throw away the old grass, wood, and water, let the caravan proceed with the goods as they were brought. We will not throw away the old.’ ‘Yes, sirs,’ those caravan-followers replied to that caravan leader, and made the caravan proceed with the goods as they were brought. They did not see grass, wood, or water at the first camping place. Nor at the second camping place… nor at the third… nor at the fourth… nor at the fifth… nor at the sixth… nor at the seventh camping place did they see grass, wood, or water. And they saw that caravan fallen into misfortune and ruin. And of those who were in that caravan, whether humans or animals, they saw only their bones, devoured by that ogre, that non-human. Then that caravan leader addressed the caravan-followers: ‘Indeed, sirs, this caravan has fallen into misfortune and ruin, just as it was led by that foolish caravan leader. Therefore, sirs, throw away the goods of little value in our caravan, and take the goods of great value from this caravan.’ ‘Yes, sirs,’ those caravan-followers replied to that caravan leader, and throwing away the goods of little value in their own caravan, and taking the goods of great value from that caravan, they safely... They perished, just like that wise caravan leader. Just so, O prince, you, foolish and inexperienced, will fall into ruin and disaster, seeking the other world improperly, just like that former caravan leader. And those who will consider what you say worth listening to and believing, they too will fall into ruin and disaster, just like those merchants. Renounce this, O prince, this evil view; renounce this, O prince, this evil view. Let it not be for your harm and suffering for a long time." 431. "Although Master Kassapa says this, I am not able to renounce this evil view. King Pasenadi of Kosala knows me, and other kings know me too: 'Prince Payasi is one who speaks thus, holds such a view: "There is no other world... no result of good and bad deeds."' If I, good Kassapa, were to renounce this evil view, there would be those who would say of me: 'How foolish is Prince Payasi, inexperienced, holding a wrong view!' I will bear it with pride, I will bear it with conceit, I will bear it with stubbornness." Simile of the Dung-Carrier 432. "Then, O prince, I will make a simile for you. By a simile, some wise men understand the meaning of what is said. Formerly, O prince, a certain pig-herder went from his own village to another village. There he saw a great quantity of dry dung discarded. Seeing it, he thought: 'Here is a great quantity of dry dung discarded, and it is food for my pigs; why don't I carry this dry dung from here?' So, spreading out his outer robe, he gathered a great quantity of dry dung, tied it into a bundle, lifted it onto his head, and went on his way. On his way, a great unseasonal rain cloud poured down. He, dripping and flowing, smeared with dung up to his fingernails, continued carrying the load of dung. Him... The people, seeing him, said this: "Are you, friend, insane? Are you out of your mind? How is it that you, smeared with excrement up to your fingernails, carrying a load of excrement, will carry it, while it drips and flows?" "You, friends, are insane! You are out of your mind! For that is my pig's food!" Just so, O prince, you seem to me like the carrier of excrement. Abandon, O prince, that evil view. Abandon, O prince, that evil view. May it not be for your harm and suffering for a long time. 433. "Although Master Kassapa says so, still I am unable to abandon this evil view. King Pasenadi of Kosala knows me, and other kings know me: 'Payasi the prince is of such a speech, of such a view: "There is no other world... ...no result." ' If I, good Kassapa, were to abandon this evil view, there would be those who would say: 'How foolish is Payasi the prince, unwise, holding to a wrong grasp!' I will carry it with anger, I will carry it with malice, I will carry it with obstinacy."