Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

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SECTION III.
THE DISCIPLE, OR " SBiVAKA."
I. Once on a time in ^r§,vasti there was a certain housewife,
poor though she was, who had no religious principle, and
was without faith. Buddha seeing her condition was
moved with pity. He saw that, whenever his followers
went begging through the city, they met with nothing
hut abuse at the door of this woman's house. On a Shaman
expostulating with her, on the ground that he only sought
alms as a religious d,uty, she said," If you were dying I would
give you nothing, much less now that you are hale and
well." On this the Shaman, standing before her, assumed
the condition of one who was really dead. The various
functions of his body ceased, and from his mouth and
nose crept in and out the hateful insects that accompany
death. On seeing this ghastly sight, the woman fell down
in a swoon, and so remained. Meanwhile the Shaman, by his
spiritual power, transported himself thence a few lis, and,
sitting beneath a tree, composed himself to contemplation.
Meantime the husband of the woman returning, and finding
his wife in the condition related, inquired the reason of
it, on which she replied that she had been frightened by a
rascally Shaman. On this the husband in a rage seized
his bow and his sword, and set out to pursue and avenge
hjmself on the mendicant. Coming to where he was, the
Shaman, by his spiritual power, surrounded himself with a
wall, through which there were gates of approach, but all
were closed. The incensed husband, being unable to get
g,t the mendicant, asked him to open the gates ; on which
he replied, " Lay aside your bow and your sword and you