Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

ii6 DHAMMAPADA.
a tree, who conversed together thus : " What think you is
the greatest misery to bear in all the world ? '
" One said
the greatest misery in the world is lust ; another said the
greatest misery is hunger and thirst ; another said it was
anger ; another said it was fear. Whilst they were thus
disputing, without any hope of agreement, Buddha, know-
ing' the case, transported himself to the spot, and inquired
what their disputation was about. On this the Bhikshus,
having arisen and paid him homage, explained how the
case stood. On this the World-honoured explained that
they had not got to the bottoni of the matter, but that
the body itself was the greatest misery, for from the body
come§ the misery of hunger and thirst, cold and heat,
anger, and pride, and lust ; and therefore our aim should
be to get rid of the body, and thus attain the perfect rest
of Nirvlna. And then he added these stanzas :
" There ^ is no burning greater than lust ; there
is no distress (poison) worse than hate ; there is
no misery greater than this body ; there is no joy
like (its) destruction. Without accordance there
can be little joy ; small power of distinguishing
truth argues little wisdom ; by perceiving and
seeking for that which is truly great, by this means
alone one obtains perfect rest. Now I, the Honored
of the World, fully explain the character of
the sorrowless; I fully (am able) to deliver the
three worlds ; I alone (or by myself alone) have
overthrown the whole army of M4ra (the devil)."
Having uttered these words, Buddha explained how
that in ages gone by there was a certain Bhikshu pos-
sessed of the five supernatural powers (iddhi), who dwelt
in the mountains under a tree, practising austerities with
1 Compare ver. 202 of the PMi.
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