Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

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INTRODUCTION. 21
379-
Rouse thyself by thyself, examine thyself by thyself,
thus self-protected and attentive wilt thou live happily,
Bhikshu
380.
For self is the lord of self, self is the refuge of self;
therefore curb thyself as the merchant curbs a good horse.
381.
The Bhikshu, full of delight, who is calm in the doc-
trine of Buddha, will reach the quiet place (Nirv§,ma),
cessation of natural desires, and happiness.
382.
He who, even as a young Bhikshu, applies himself to
the doctrine of Bfiddha, brightens up this world, like the
moon when free from clouds.
After looking through this extract, we cannot doubt the
fidelity of the Chinese version of Dhammapada,—and
this section is only a fair sample of the whole.
This also helps to clear the way to a fair estimate of the
value of Chinese Buddhist books generally.
The English version which follows is not made from
the Text we have just considered, but from another about
which I now proceed to speak. The "Fa-kheu-pi-ii,"!
—
i.e. parables connected with the book of scriptural texts
was translated by two Shamans of the western Tsin
dynasty (a.d. 265 to A.D. 313). As its name denotes, it
contains certain parables, or tales, connected with the verses
which follow them, and which prompted their delivery.
How far these tales are genuine may be difficult to determine.
Professor Max MiiRer has already observed that
^ In the " Chi-yuen-f3,-pao-kh^- (Dhammiipada), and it is explained
tnng-tsung-lu," Kionen X. fol. 1, this
work is quoted as " Fa-kheu-pen-mih
in the margin that the verses are
mere selections from the beginning
king," i.e., "beginnings and endings and conclusion of the original work,
from the book of scriptural tests"
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