Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

J So
DHAMMAPADA.
a desire to save alms, used to order his servant to shut
his door and fasten his windows whenever he took his
meals, so that no beggar should molest him with his im-
portunities. And so no religious person (Shaman) could
ever gain admittance, or stand in the presence of this
Brahman. One day having desired his wife to kill a fowl
and make a highly savoury dish of the same, . they both
sat down together to eat it, the doors and the windows
having first been closed—and between them theh? little
child, into whose mouth they both occasionally put scraps
- of the savoury dish. Now Buddha, knowing that there was
a capacity for conversion in this man's case, transformed
himself into the appearance of a Shaman, and waiting tUl
the master of the house had finished his meal he placed him-
self before his chair, or seat, and recited the usual formula.
" He who givds little or much (or he who gives a little of his
abundance) in charity, lays up for himself a great reward."
The Brahman, raising his head and seeing the Shaman (as
it seemed), began to abuse him and said, " You call your-
self a religious mendicant, do you? and yet have no
better manners than this, to force yourself into my pre-
sence when at my meals with my family ? " To which he
replied, " It is you, my lord, who ought to be ashamed
I need not feel shame for begging as a mendicant." The
Brahman then replied— " And what shame should I feel
for eating thus with my wife in comfort ? " " You, my
lord, who have killed your father, and married your
mother, and thus involved yourself in family disgrace, and
feel no shame, nevertheless upbraid me and would put me
to shame for begging a little food," and then he recited
the following verses :
—
"As the sprouting creeper which is not cut oflF'
(at the root), such is the case of the man who, with
covetous desire, partakes of food ; ever cherishing
evil thoughts and multiplying family discords
(tombs), such is the constant employment of the
—