Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

86
DHAMMAPADA.
Buddha haying now ascended the dais, after having
washed his hands, lo ! the arm of Patisena, with the ahns-
dish in its hand, entered the room. Then the King, the
ministers, and all the assembly, seeing this sight, were
filled with astonishment, and said—"Ah! what arm is
this?" On which Buddha replied, "It is the arm of
Patisena, the mendicant. He has but just obtained en-
lightenment, and I desired him to bear* my alms-dish
behind me; but the porter has refused him admission,
and so his arm has appeared with my begging-dish in
the hand." On this he was admitted and entered the
assembly. Then Prasenajit, turning to Buddha,* said
" I hear that this Patisena is a man of small ability, and
knows only one G§,thS,, how, then, has he obtained the
supreme wisdom ? " To whom Buddha replied— " Learn-
ing' need not be much, conduct is the first- thing. This
Patisena has allowed the secret virtue of the words of this
one G§,tha to penetrate his spirit ; his body, mouth, and
thoughts have obtained perfect quietude ; for though a man
know ever so much, if his knowledge reaph not to his life,
to deliver him from the power which leads to destruction,
what benefit can all his learning be ? " and then Buddha
repeated the following stanzas
" Although^ a man can repeat a thousand stanzas
(sections), but understand not the meaning of the
lines he repeats, this is not equal to the repetition of
one sentence well understood, which is able when
heard to control thought. To repeat a thousand
words without understanding, what profit is there in
this ? But to understand one truth, and hearing it
to act accordingly, this is to find deliverance. A
man may be able to repeat many books, but if he
cannot explain them what profit is there in this 1
1 Compare these verses with 102 ss. of the Pali.
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