Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

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Si^CTION XXXIV.
THE SHAMAN (BHIKKHUVAGGO).
In days of old, when Buddha was residing in the Jetavana
VihS-ra, near Sr^vastl, preaching his doctrine for the
sake of Devas and men, there was a certain Bhikshu,
young in years, who used every morning to assume his
robe, and take his mendicant's staff and begging-dish, and
go through the streets of the town begging his food. On
the way there was a certain nobleman's garden, on the
outside part of which were sown. certain esculant plants,
and the ground guarded by a contrivance for discharging
arrows at whatever beast, or thief, came there to trespass
or steal. Moreover, as guardian of the ground, there was
a girl of tender age left, who used to warn travellers away
from the place if they had missed their way, or were likely
to trespass on the field without knowing the danger, lest
they should be shot.
Now it came to pass that on one occasion the Bhikshu,
having gone his round through the city, was returning
homewards, when,, on passing the spot, he heard the plaintive
alarm of the girl as she sang out to him to beware
and his passions being roused thereby, he thought to go
in and hold some conversation with her, and amuse himself.
While assaying to do this he was filled with sudden
fear, he let his staff fall, and his robes were disordered, and
his alms-dish disarranged ; when Buddha, by his divine
sight, seeing how the case stood, and that in a moment or
two the Bhikshu would be pierced by the arrows, and so
perish in his sin, transformed himself into a white-robed
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