Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

154
DHAMMAPADA.
her there, and then he stabhed her, and afterwards killed
himself. The servants^ finding how the case stood, hastily
went to the man's rich relation and told him all the circumstances
; on this he came with all the people round
about, and seeing the sad sight he was filled with grief,
and finally buried them according to the fixed rules of
the country. Afterwards hearing of Buddha, and the
comfort which he was able to give by the preaching of
his word, he came with all his attendants to the place
where the -Master was, and told him of all the things that
had befallen him. On this Bu(|dha began the following
discourse :— " Lust and passion (angry passion) are the
constant miseries of the world. These are the causes of
all the unhappiness which befalls the foolish man. These
are the means by which the constant repetition of birth in
the different conditions of existence (the five ways) is
continued throughout the three worlds. If the sufferiags
of ages cannot bring men to repentance and amendment,'
how much less can we expect the fool now to become
wise, and shake off the poison of this lust.and covetous
longing,, which destroys his body and ruins his family
(clan), nay, which destroys and ruins the whole world—
and if this be So, how can we wonder at what has be-
fallen this man and his wife. Then the master added
these lines
:
" The fool self-bound by his covetousness, seeks
not to escape to that shore. Coveting wealth and
lustful indulgence, he destroys others and he is
self-destroyed. The lustful mind is the field, uxo-
riousness, ar^ger, delusion, are the fruits. There-
fore he who bestows charity on the non-worldly
man, obtains by so doing boundless happiness
(merit). Companions few and goods many/ the
merchant, timorous and anxious, given to covetous.
' This is a literal translation —I cannot render it otherwise.