English
It has been declared by Budha that he who avoids the com- pany of the wise, and associates with the evil, will be bom in one of the four hells, and have no opportunity of entering the d^wa or brahma-16kas ; and even birth in the world of men cannot be attained by him without great difficulty. {Smgatd- wdda-sutra-sannS,) * This appears to refer to the dew. I have Bometimee, when paesing through the oigh grass that grows on the mountains of Ceylon, eajrly in the morning, been made as wet as if I had waded through a river. 494 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. 13. Places of Amtisement. There are six evil consequences that arise from frequenting places of amusement. The mind is ensnared by the following practices : — 1. Dancing. 2. Singing. 3. The beating of drums. 4. Gbunbling. 5. The clapping of hands. 6. The game of water- jars. Dancing, beating the drum, and singing are to be avoided ; also, the seeing others dance, and the listening wilHnglj to those who play or sing, But when dancing is seen, or music is heard^ without the consent of the mind, the precept is not broken ; nor when meeting persons in the way by chance who are dancing or playing ; and if the bana be chanted, or listened to when chanted by others, it is an act of merit. 14. The Parent and Child, It is right that children shoxdd respect their parents, and per- form all kinds of offices for them, even though they shoxdd have servants whom they could command to do all that they require. In the morning, if it be cold they are to collect fuel, and light a fire. In extreme age, if they become filthy in their habits, they are cheerfully to cleanse them, remembering how they them- selves were assisted by their parents, when they came polluted into the world. They are to wash the feet and hands of their parents, thinking how they themselves were washed when they were young. If attacked by any disease, they are to see that they have medicine provided, and to prepare for them gruel and suitable food. They are to see also that they have such clothing as they require, a bed upon which to lie, and a house in which to live. When needful, they are required, with their own hands, to rub their limbs with scented oil ; but they must not take life for them, nor steal for them, nor give them intoxicating liquors ; if so, all will be bom in hell. Were the child to place one parent upon one shoulder, and the other parent upon the other, and to carry them without ceasing for a hundred years, even this would be less than the assistance he has himself received. The man who gains a livelihood for his parents by honest means, is a g^reater being than a Chakrawartti. In a former age Mugalan, one of the two principal disciples of G6tama, caused the death of his parents, for which crime he was X. THE ETHICS OF BUDHiaM. 493 bom in hell, where he had to sufTer for maiij hundreds of thon- sands of ages. If a person possessed of so much merit had thus to suffer, great indeed must be the misery of an ordinary being, vhen guilty of bhe same offence. Were the murderer of his parents, in order to obtain release from the oonsequenoes of this crime, to fill the whole sakwala with golden d^Lgobas, or to present to the rahats an offering that would fill the entire sakwala, or to take hold of the robe of a Budha and never leave him, he would stUl be bom in hell. This is declared in the S&rasangraha. Among all who haye not attained the paths, there has been no one equal to the monaroh Aj^at, who, when he heard of the death of Budha, fainted three times, and was deprived of his senses. He it was who made a splendid receptacle for the dfi- positing of the sage's relics, and appointed Maha Kdsyapa and 500 rahats to assemble at the rock W6bh4ra, near Bajagaha, in order that they might declare authoritatiyely what were the sayings of Budha, what it was that was to be receiyed as belong- ing to the tun-pitaka. But even this king, when he died, was bom in hell, on account of the murder of his father. There ore fiye ways in which children should assist their parents: — 1. When their parents, who in their infancy gave them milk, and rendered them all needful assistance, are old, they should wash their feet, and do all similar olBces. 2. They must cultivate their fields. 3. They must see that their pro- perty is not wasted, in order that the respectability of the family may be kept up. 4. They must act according to the advice they give. 5. They must give alms in their name when they are dead. There are five ways in which parents should assist their children : — 1. They must prevent them from transgressing the precepts. 2. They must encourage them to do that which is right. 3. They must have them taught arithmetic and the other sciences. 4. They must provide the son with a beautiful wife, who has attained sixteen years of age. 5. They must give him a share of the wealth belonging to the family. {Singdhkodda-sutrct^ 496 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. 15. The Teacher and Scholar. It was ordained hj Gdtama, that the disciple Bhonld be in all respects obedient to the teacher, and render him all honour. When he rises in the morning he mnst place the teacher's san- dals, robe and tooth-cleaner in proper order, present kim with water that he maj wash, prepare a seat, and giro him rice-gmel from a clean vessel. All that is written in the Khandaka he mnst perform. The teacher may ask him whj he has come, and he mnst then inform him ; but if he does not make the enquiry , he mnst remain ten or fifteen days ; and when the teacher dis- misses him, he may respectfully ask leave to tell his wishes and wants. When he is told to come early in the morning, he must do so ; but if he is taken ill, he may go at any other hour and inform the teacher. There are fiye ways in which the scholar ought to honour the teacher: — 1. When the teacher approaches, he must rise to meet him ; if he has anything in his hand, he must ask permission to carry it for him ; and he must wash his feet. 2. Thrice every day he must go to him, and render such assistance as he may re- quire. 3. He must try to gain instruction from him by making enquiries, or he never can become properly learned. 4. He must bring water for the washing of his teacher's fsu^e, prepare the tooth-cleaner, and perform other similar offices. 5. Whatever he learns from the teacher, he must try to remember and put in practice. There are five ways in which the teacher ought to assist the scholar : — 1. He must teach him how to behave and how to eat, to avoid evil companions, and associate only with the good. 2. If the scholar pays attention, he must explain all things to him in a plain and intelligible manner. 3. What he has learnt from his own teacher, he must impart at length to his scholar. 4. He must tell the scholar that he is becoming as learned as himself, speaking to him in a friendly manner, that he may be encouraged. 5. He must teach him to please his parents by attention to his studies. There are twenty -five rules that the teacher must observe in reference to his scholar: — He must be coniinnally solicitous about his welfare ; appoint the relative portions of time in which he is to work, to rest, and to sleep ; when he is sick, he must see X. THE ETHICS OF BUDHISM. 497 whether or not he has such food as is proper for him ; encourage him to be faithful, perseyering, and erudite ; divide with him what he has received in the alms-bowl ; tell him not to be afraid ; know who are his associates, what places he frequents in the village, and how he behaves in the wihilra ; avoid conversing with him on frivolous subjects ; bear with him, and not be angry when he sees a trifling fault in his conduct ; impart to him in* stmction by the most excellent method ; teach him in the fullest mannei*, without abridgment, whether it be relative to science or religion ; try each fond endearment to induce him to learn, as with the heart of a father; with an enlarged mind teach him to respect the precepts and other excellent things ; subdue him to obedience, in order that he may excel ; instruct him in such a manner as to gain his affection ; when any calamity overtakes him, still retain him, without being displeased when he has some matter of his own to attend to ; and when he is in affliction, soothe his mind by the saying of bana. By attending to these rules the duty of the master to his scholar will be fulfilled. (^SingdldwddO'Sutra-scmne,) 16.