English
When it was gone a sweet creeper sprang up, which was somewhat like the cadamba, and in color, scent, savor, and taste, as the other foods before. The same experience was repeated, and the sweet creeper vanished away. Then they met together and lamented, saying : "Alas for us ! Alas ! the sweet creeper has failed us ! " Even now, when ' The word caste is simply color or complexion. ^ The word ' ' surpassing " is literally divine or angelic. As in the Old Testa- ment, this word is used to mean great or fine. '■* Here and in following paragraphs the exact phraseology of the preceding nar- rative is tediously repeated in the Pdli, but it is no part of a translator's business to perpetuate these mannerisms. Their use is to preserve the text from corrup- tion. 212 THE MONIST. men are touched by some divine catastrophe, they say the same : "Alas for us ! Alas, it has failed us !" They recall the very letter of the ancient primeval men, but know not the meaning thereof. Now, when the sweet creeper had gone from those people, a delicate rice appeared, without coating or husk, pure, sweet-scented, and with the fruit already winnowed. They fetched food at evening for supper, and in the morning it was ripe and grown again. They fetched food in the morning for breakfast, and at evening it was ripe and grown again. It was not known to fail. Then the people lived a long, long time, enjoying the delicate rice for their food and support; and so long as they did thus, mere coarseness entered more and more into their bodies and differences of caste arose. Then the organ of womanhood appeared in the woman and the organ of manhood in the man. And the woman offered to the man strong drink in excess, and the man unto the woman. And as they did so, passion arose, and suffering entered into their bodies. By reason of the suffering they indulged in the act of sex. Then, when people saw them in those days, indulging thus, some threw dust and others ashes, and others cow-dung, saying: "Perish, vile wench! Perish, vile wench ! " And again: "How can one being do such a thing unto another?" Even now, in some country places, when a murderess is being executed, some people throw dust, others ashes, and others cow-dung.* They recall the very letter of the an- cient primeval men, but know not the meaning thereof. O Vasetthi ! that was an impious practice in those days, but now it is a pious one. People who, in those days, indulged in the act of sex, were not allowed to return to town or village for two months and three. When those people had fallen into exceeding mischief in that impiety, they began to make houses, in order to hide the impiety. Then it occurred to some idle person : "Why should I be troubled to bring rice at evening for supper and at morning for breakfast? Suppose I now bring it only once every 'The Sanskrit here reads: "Monks, just as now, when a maiden is being married, they throw a stick or a clod," etc. This is doubtless the true sense, and the Peili is probably corrupt. A BUDDHIST GENESIS. 213 evening for breakfast." He accordingly did so, and then some one approached him and said : "Come, fellow-being ! let us go and bring some rice." "Enough, O fellow-being ! I only fetch rice once every even- ing for breakfast. " Thereupon that other, following his example, said: "It would be good indeed to bring the rice only once in two days." Just then some one else approached that person and asked him likewise to go for rice, and he gave the same answer as the first, whereupon the other, following his example, said: "It would be good indeed to bring the rice only once in four days." When another person invited the last one to. bring some, he was told about the four-day plan, and forthwith suggested once in eight days as enough. So soon as those people began to eat stored-up rice, then was the grain enveloped by the red coating and the husk ; no harvest was reaped ; failure ensued, and there were groves on groves of stand- ing rice. Then the people met together and lamented, saying: "Alas! Evil things have appeared among beings; for of yore we were mind-made, feeders on joy, self-radiant, traversing the sky and abiding in goodness, and so did we long remain. Then, after a vast period, arose the savory earth upon the water, and we ate thereof and lost our splendor, till moon and sun came forth, and stars and starry forms. So night and day, month and half-month and seasons yearly rolled, and we enjoyed the savory earth for long, until by the appearance among us of things wicked and demeritori- ous the savory earth did fail. Then the fine moss came round, and we lost it likewise ; and the sweet creeper and the huskless rice. The rice we gathered morn and even for our meals, a daily harvest ; failure was unknown ; and so we stayed for long, till for wicked and demeritorious things a coating and a husk did wrap the grain ; no harvest was there reaped ; failure ensued, and groves on groves are standing. Let us now divide the rice and set a boundary." So they divided the rice and a boundary did they set. Now a certain greedy person, while keeping his own share, took a share not given him, and enjoyed it. They arrested him 214 THE MONIST. and said : "Alas ! O being, thou hast done a wicked thing, in that thou hast, while keeping thine own share, taken and enjoyed a share ungiven. O being, thou shouldest not do thus." "Be it so," replied that being to the others. But a second time he stole likewise, and a third ; whereupon, after the same re- proof, some struck him with their hands, some with clods, and others with staves. And so theft came first to be known, and up- braiding, and lying, and violence. Then the best people met together, and lamented, saying : "Alas ! Evil things have appeared among beings, in that theft has come to be known, and upbraiding, and lying, and violence. Sup- pose we now elect one being and tell him : ' Do thou rebuke whom- soever is rightly deserving of rebuke, and upbraid or expel whom- soever is rightly deserving thereof; but we will provide for thy share of the rice.' " Thereupon the people approached a person who was finer, handsomer, pleasanter, and more commanding than the rest, and said: "Come, fellow-being! Rebuke whomsoever is rightly de- serving of rebuke, and upbraid or expel whomsoever is rightly de- serving thereof; but we will provide for your share of the rice." "Be it so," replied that person to the rest; and so he re- buked, upbraided, or expelled those rightly deserving thereof, while they provided for his share of the rice. Now because he was the great man elected by the race, there arose the first title' of "Great Elect." And because he was lord of the fields,^ there arose the second title of "Nobleman." And because he reconciles others by justice, there arose the third title of "King." Such was the origin of this circle of Nobles by an an- cient primeval title ; yea, and of those very people who, though different, are alike and not dissimilar, by virtue of justice, not by injustice. Justice, O Vasettha ! is best for the human race in this world and the next.^ [End of the Genesis document common to the Pali Aggafina-suttam and the Pra- krit Mahavastu.] ' "Title" is akkharam, the regular word for a letter of the alphabet. Its literal meaning is "imperishable." ^ There is here, and also in the words "reconcile" and "king," a punning ety- mology: " field " is khettam, and " nobleman " is Khaltiyo. " The closing passage about justice (or religion) is not in the Mahivastu, being part of the discussion about caste which is now resumed in the Pali dialogue. In like manner there is frequent divergence of words and sentences between the two recensions, but agreement in the main story.