Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

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DHAAfMAPADA.
inherit one of these ten calamities—either a direct
visitation from Heaven (by fire, wind, or water)
or, if born, a deformed and diseased body ; or some
spontaneous fiery outbreak,^ or loss of reason, or
some false accusation'^ or some governmental diffi-
culty, or a gradual loss of worldly substance, or
alienation of relatives, or destruction of treasure
(crops or grain) by fire or lightning ; and when
dead,, a birth in hell. These are the ten."
The diseased monk hearing these words, convinced of
sin, turned to Buddha and did him reverence, on wMch
he arrived at the condition of a Eahat; and the Eing
also and bis followers, filled with joy, took on them the
five precepts, and entered the Paths.
2. In days of old, when Buddha was residing in the Jeta-
vana, at ^r§,vastl, and preachiag his doctrine for the benefit.,
of men and gods, there were in a country to the eastward',
called Uttaravati, a company of 5c3o Brahmans, who had
agreed to go together to the residence of a certain Nirgrantha
ascetic on the banks of the Ganges, who, by poK
luting bimself with dirt, &c., aspired to' the condition, of a.
Eishi. On their way they were overtaken in the desert,
with thirst. Seeing a tree, and hoping to find some human
habitation near, they hastened on to it, but when arrived
there they found no sign of life ; on this, they raised their
voices in lamentation. Suddenly from the tree they heard
the voice of the resident Spirit, who asked them why they
lamented so, and on hearing the reason, smpphed them to
the fuU with drink and meat. The Brahmans, ready to
start onward, asked the Spirit what had been his previous
history, that he was thus born ; on which he explained
that havmg gone to the assembly of priests in Sr^vastt
when Sudatta had bestowed the garden on Buddha, he
1 I cannot translate tliis passage aatisfaotorily.
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