Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

34
DHAMMAPADA.
one by one. "SuoV' he added, "is the fate of all that
lives ; it is thus it flourishes for a moment and then dies."
On this upwards of two hundred of the hearers obtained
spiritual powers,^ and became Eahats."
4. On one occasion when Buddha was residing at
Sr§,vasti, in the Garden of An&,thapindada,^ a certain
Brahniach§,rin,* who had lost an only daughter, about
fourteen or fifteen years of age, very beautiful and much
beloved, being nearly deprived of reason through grief,
having heard tidings of the wisdom of the holy one
(Buddha), came to him where he was, and laid bare the
cause of his unhappiness, on which the teacher took up
his discourse, and said
—
" There are four things in the world, Brahmach^rin!
which cannot permanently last, and what
are the four ? Thinking we have obtained some-
thing that will last, it must needs be we find that
it will not continue. Being rich^ it must needs be
poverty will come. Being united and agreed,
there will be division and separation. Being
strong and hale, yet there will come death." And
then the Honoured of the world added these lines
" That which appears permanent will perish ; that
which is high will be brought low ; where there is
agreement, there will come division; and where
there is birth, there will be death."
1 Miraouloua power, or, the power with those found fn the south. (Comto
work miracles. pare the Chinese copy of Mah&vastu,
2 As is well known this person K. 6.)
bought for Buddha a site near ' The word " Brahmach9,rin" oocur-
Srivasti, on which the celebrated ring throughout this work corre-
Jetavana Vihara was built. There spends to the "Brahmana" of the
are full accounts in the Chinese Southern version.
Canon of his history, which agree
—