Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

.( 147 )
SECTION XXXII.
LUST (tANhIvAGGO).
I. In days of old when Buddha was residing in the Gri-
dhrak^ta mountain, near ESjagriha, preaching the inestimable
doctrine for the sake of angels and men, there was
a certain man who, having made up his mind to leave his
' family and become a recluse, came to the place where
Buddha was, and desired permission to enter the community
(church). On this Buddha required him (after
he had permitted him to become a disciple) to go sit
beneath a tree in the solitude, and give himself up to
meditation. On this the Shaman departed into the mountain
wild, more than a hundred lis from the Vih§,ra, and
there gave himself up to a solitary life. After three years
of self-denial, his heart being still unsubdued, he desired
to give up his profession and to return to his home again,
saying thus to himself, " This life of asceticism is troublesome
and painful, and not to be compared with the happi-
ness derived from domestic society. I will, therefore,
return to my wife and family and enjoy myself." On this
he made as though he would leave the mountain and return
home. Then Buddha, by his omniscience, seeing the con-
dition of this disciple, and knowing that he had a capa-
city for salvation, transformed himself into the form of a
Shaman, and went to meet him on the way. On encoun-
tering one another, the transformed Shaman addressed the
other and asked whence he came and whether he was
going. On this they agreed mutually to rest awhile and
sit down together on a convenient spot (Level ground)