English
There are these three causes; but the mind (chetani) is the prin- cipal root of all three. It is not wrong to say that k^ya- kanna and w^-karma, are the principal causes of demerit, or that mand-karma is the principal cause of merit. Of the &ve great sins for which the transgressor must suffer a whole kalpa in hell, four belong to the body ; and one (the causing of divi- sions among the priesthood) belongs to the speech ; and it is on this account that we hesitate not to say that the body and the speech are the principal causes of demerit. Again, one exercise of thought, in the performance of dhydna, secures prosperity for the space of 84,000 kalpas ; and one exercise of thought directed to the acquirement of rahatship secures nirwdna ; and we there- fore do not hesitate to say that the thoughts are the principal cause of merit." At the same time Budha declared the power of mand-karma in the production of demerit, inasmuch as it is the cause of scepticism ; and repeated a stanza in which it set forth that scepticism is the worst of all modes of demerit, and that it is therefore to be avoided. The same questions were t2 276 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. again asked by the tirttaka, before he retired from his interview with the sage, and the same answers were repeated. Just at the time that Dirggha-tapasa came to Niganthandtha, he was surrounded by his disciples, among whom was Up41i, who had arrived from his village of Balakal6naka with the offerings he was accustomed to present to his teacher. Niganthaniltha enquired of Dirggha-tapasa whence he came ; and when he told him that he had been speaking to Gdtama, and repeated the conversation that had taken place, he told his disciple that he had answered discreetly, that neither mand nor wak, but k4ya- danda was the greatest cause of sin. Updli, on hearing what had passed, said that he also would go and hold a controversy with Q6tama, " I will hold him," said he, " as a man who seises a sheep by its long hair, and it kicks and struggles, but cannot get away ; or as a toddy-drawer who takes the reticulated sub- stance he uses to strain his liquor, knocking it 6n the ground that it may be free from dirt ; or as a flax-dresser who takes his flax, soaks it in water three days, and then tosses it about right and left that it may be suited to his purpose ; or as an elephant sporting in a tank, that sends the water out of his trunk in all directions." Niganthanatha said it was a matter of little con- sequence who went to argue with Qotama, as any of them would be able to subdue him. Dirggha-tdpasa, however, warned Up41i of the danger he would incur by conversing with Gdtama, as he knew his artful method of gaining over persons to his opinion ; and though their teacher ridiculed his fears, he thrice entreated Up41i not to go. The warning was given in vain, as Up41i went to the wihdra, and made obeisance to Budha. All who ap- proached the teacher of the three worlds did him reverence ; some from respect to his office as teacher, and others because he was the son of a king. After Updli, whose reverence arose from the joy he experienced, asked Budha upon what subject he had con- versed with Dirggha-tdpasa, and he had informed him, Budha said, " If a sick disciple of your master, who, on account of his dis- ease, wished to drink cold water, from a fear of breaking the precepts you inculcate were, nevertheless, to refuse to drink if, and on that account die, where would he be re-bom ?" XJpali answered, ''In the Manassatya-16ka ; on account of having broken the mand-danda." The followers of Niganthanitha did not drink cold water at any time ; all the water that they drank VII. LEGENDS OF g6tAMA BUDHA. 277 was made warm ; because they thought that in small drops there are small worms, and in large drops large worms; even if a person's bile overflowed, he was not allowed to drink any water but warm, nor to wash his hands and feet in any other, though by so doing his disease became greater, and it was necessary for its removal that cold water should be used. When they could not procure warm water they drank rice gruel. Still, if they had a desire to drink cold water, though they neither asked for it nor made any movement to obtain it, they thereby became subject to be bom again ; though they kept the wak-danda and kdya-danda, these alone would not enable them to attain nir- w^a ; the mand-danda was broken, and they were therefore subject to future birth. It was thus evident that even according to their own rule, man6-danda was more powerful than the two other causes of sin. Budha : *' At first you said that kdya-danda was the greatest, it now appears that man6-danda is the gpreatest (as it was from this that the supposed tirttaka was bom in the d^wa-loka) ; these two declarations do not agree with each other." Up41i then thought thus : ** When a man is in a fit, there are no signs of breath, nor can he move his hands or feet : still it cannot be said he is dead so long as the hita, mind, is not destroyed ; it cannot be learnt from the body alone that he is dead : his death and the birth he receives afterwards are from the mind, thus man6 must be the greatest, and k4ya inferior.*' But in order that he might I'eceive further instruction from Budha, he re- peated his former declaration, that kdya-danda must be superior. Then Budha said : ** The tirttakas do not take life, nor cause others to take life, nor do they approve of those who take life ; they do not steal, nor cause others to steal, nor approve of those who steal ; they do not lie, nor cause others to lie, nor approve of those who lie ; they do not indulge in evil desire, nor cause others to indulge in evil desire, nor approve of those who indulge in evil desire. In these things we are agreed. But they say that in cold water, decayed wood, leaves and sugar there are worms ; now if any one crush an insect, when walking or from any similar cause, what will be the consequence, according to the teaching of Nighantanitha ?" TJpali : ''If he kills the in- sect unwittingly, the fault is small." Budha: "But if he is aware of what he is doing, what will be the consequence P" 278 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. Updli : " Then the fault will be great." Budha : " Think a little; this does not agree with what you said at the first." Upali was now convinced that the tirttakas were wrong ; but he did not declare his conviction, that he might learn more from the g^eat teacher. Bndha : *' This Ndlanda is a great ciiy ; in it are many horses, elephants, and men ; if a man were to take a sword, and say he would destroy all these at one blow, could he accomplish what he said?" IJpdU : ^'Even a thousand men could not do it ; how much less one !" Budha : " But could a sramana, or a brahman, who had the power of irdhi, do it ?" Updli : "A rishi could destroy forty or fifty such cities ; how much more, one !*' Again Up41i was convinced that the tenets of the tirttakas were wrong (as the power of man6 was thus dis- tinctly proved), but he continued to argue as if he were still on their side. After instances of the power of the rishis had been repeated, Upali declared that he had been convinced some time of the truth of Budha's doctrines, but that he appeared not to believe, that he might hear him deliver his arguments at greater length. Budha told him to ponder over the matter well ; that now, whilst he saw the Tat^gata he was on the side of the true dharmma, but that when he saw the tirttakas he might be drawn to their side ; and that therefore he must be careful. Upali said that it gave him pleasure to hear the sage speak thus, as when the - tirttakas gained a convert they instantly proclaimed it through the city, that such a king, or noble, had embraced their doctrines. Budha said further, that the house of Updli had been like a pool of water, free for all ; and that he must still con- tinue to assist all who came, even the tirttakas. Again Up&li expressed his satisfaction with what he heard, as the tirttakas forbade their followers to give to any but themselves, and for the third time, in honour of the three gems, took vefage in Budha ; after which the teacher declared to him the four great truths, and he entered the path sowan.