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Buddha said : Throughout an entire day's conduct to keep the thoughts steadily on Religion (Reason), and from this religious conduct to realise a deep principle of Faith ; this indeed is blessedness without measure ! 19. Buddha said : Never tire of self-reflection ; the four constituents (elements) in your body are merely names, and therefore without any personal reality. That which one calls " self" is but a passing guest, and its concerns all like the mirage of the desert. 20. Buddha said ; A man following the bent of his carnal desires, does in fact search after so many painted names (nicknames), and his case may be compared to the burning incense, the fragrance of which all men perceive, but in its burning it is self-consumed ; so the foolish man, coveting the toys (names) of passing life, and not looking after his 198 A CATENA OV BUDDHIST religious interests (reason), has to endure the misery of a vain search, and the repentance which must come afterwards. 21. Buddha said : A man who rudely grasps after wealth or pleasure^ is like a little child coveting honey cut with a knife; scarcely has he had one taste of its sweetness^ before he perceives tho pain of his wounded tongue. 22. Buddha said : A man bound by the silken cords of Love (I'elating to women and children) endures misery greater than that caused by the chains and bonds of the infernal lictors ; for these have a cause and a termination ; but the sensual passions_, though entailing the misery of the tiger's mouth {i. e, perdition) are yet so sweet that the heart ever clings to the recollection of them. What reprieve^ then, can there be to the punishment M^hich ensues ? 23. Buddha said : Of all the lusts and desires, there is none so powerful as sexual inclination. This is so strong that there is no other worth speaking of beyond it. Suppose there were two of the same character, then under the whole heaven no flesh could be saved, (or, be in possession of reason). 24. Buddha said : Lust and desire, in respect of a man, are like a person who takes a lighted torch and runs with it against the wind. Foolish man ! not letting go the torch you must needs have the pain of a burnt hand — and so with respect to the poison of covetousness, lust, anger, envy, foil}'-, and unbelief, these dwelling in a man, and not soon eradicated by the use of reason (Religion), the misery to the person concerned will be just like the self-inflicted pain on the hand of the foolish man bearing the torch. 25. A Deva once offered a woman of pleasure to Buddha, desiring to try his inclination, and so have proof of his religious principles (reason). Buddha said : " Every dung cart (weed bag) carries its own filth, but how comes it that yoit occupy yourself with such lewd (common) devices as these ? It is difficult to excite one to the commission of such deeds, whose very condition of entire disuse prevents SCRIPTURES FROM THE CHINESE. 199 any such gratification." The Deva overpowered with awe on this asked Buddha to explain the principle of his Relio-ion, on which Buddha entered on an inquiry which led to the conversion of the Deva and his arriving at the position of a Srotapanna. 96. Buddha said : Religious persons are like the wood that floats down the running stream of water^ touching neither the left nor the right bank ; not concerning them- selves with worldly matters, nor yet with those hidden things which relate to the worship of spirits ; nor yet standing still to rot in the middle of the revolving eddies, such persons I undertake shall enter the ocean. Men, engaged in religious exercises, not indulging the deceitful pleasures of sense, nor engrossed by the vain speculations of the different heretical schools ; earnestly progressing in the practice of true religion, without any unbelief or doubt, such men I declare shall be saved, (obtain reason). 27. Buddha addressed a Shaman thus: ^ Watch against unbelief ! You think and you keep thinking ! and yet in the end you cannot believe. Instead of this, however, be anxiously careful to keep away from worldly associations, which indeed are the true origin of misery, and occupy yourself with the thought, ' when I am a Rabat then I shall believe.'" 28. Buddha addressed all the Shamans — ' Guard against looking on a woman. If you see one let it be as though you saw her not, and be sure to have no conversation with her. But if you must needs speak to her, let it be with pure heart and upright conduct. Say to yourself — ' I am a Shaman, placed in this sinful world, let me be then as the spotless lily, unsoiled by the mud in which it grows.' Is she old ? regard her as your mother. Is she honorable ? regard her as your sister. Is she of small account ? regard her as a younger sister. Is she.- a child ? treat her reverently and with politeness. Above all consider well with yourself this truth, that you only see the external person (from head to foot)j but if you could only see within that body what 200 A CATENA OF BDDDHIST vileness and impurity ! persevere in such reflections as these, and your evil thouglits will disappear/' 29. Buddha said : A religious man, banishing sensual desires, ought to regard them as stubble, ready to be burned when the great fire comes at the end of the Kalpa. The religious man regarding lust and desire in this light will, perforce, put them away from him/ 30. Buddha said : A man (once) had grief because his lusts could not be appeased, and so he seated himself on some sharp knives, in order to free himself from the cause of his sin. Buddha addressed him and said : ' If you succeed in getting i-id of the external cause, this is not to be com- pared to getting rid of the lustful inclination. The heart is the busy contriver of these lusts ; compose the heart, and these evil thoughts will all be still. But if the wicked heart be not set at rest, what benefit will self-mutilation bring V Presently, on his death, Buddha said : ' So it is men com- monly think ! even as this deluded man !' 31. A certain lewd maiden had made an engagement to meet a man. At the appointed time she came not ; on which he repented of his sin, and said : ' Lust ! I know you ! You are but the offspring of my own thoughts ! Let me but stifle these thoughts, and at once I prevent you from being born!' Buddha going along the road, and hearing him speak thus, addressed the Shamans and said: 'I remember this as one of the verses of Kasyapa Tathagata, gone abroad into the world.' Buddha said : 'A man from lust and desire engenders sorrow, and from sorrow comes a guilty fear. Banish lust and there will be no sorrow, and if there is no sorrow (or, dejection), there will be no guilty fear.^^ 32. Buddha said: A man who is under the influence of reho-ious principle may be compared to a single warrior opposed to ten thousand in the fight. The well-armed and 1 Compare with this the corrcspoudiug sentiment found in the fourlli (•lia])tcr of INIalachi and tlie first vorse. - This pi'()l)ably is tiie gaLlui alluded to as having been uttered by Kasyapa liuddha. SCRIl'TURES FROM THE CHINESE. 201 disciplined soldier comes forth from the gate desiring to engage. The thought possesses him that his strength may fail, and he begins to withdraw ; but when half-way in his retreat he returns, and obstinately fights and falls in the accomplishment of victory; (or it may be rendered, ^'resolves to fight even to death.") Brought back to his country, how highly honoured is such a man ! The man who is able to govern his heart and keep it pure, and persevering against all obstacles advances onward, not entrapped by any enticing words of worldliness or folly ; this man, lust banished, vice destroyed, will obtain salvation (reason). 33. There was a Shaman who nightly recited the Scrip- tures with plaintive and husky voice, desiring to do penance for some thought of returning to sin. Buddha in a gentle voice addressed him thus : ' Tell me, my son, when you were living in the world, what did you practise yourself in learning V He replied, ' I was always playing on my lute.' Buddha said : 'And if the strings of your instrument were lax, what then V He replied, ' They would not sound.' ' And if they were too tight, what then V He replied, ' The sound would be too sharp.' ' But if they were tuned to a just medium, what then V He replied, ' All the sounds would then be harmonious and agreeable.