Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

SIMPLE FAJTH. .
51
over, I asked the men if it was deep, and whether J could
not cross over without a boat. On which they said, ' Oh
yes ! you can cross without fear.' On this I walked over,
because I believed. Simply this and nothing more enabled
me to do so." On this Buddha said : " It is weU spoken
well spoken. Faith like yours alone can save the world
from the yawning gulf of continual birth and death ; such .
faith alone can enable them to walk across dryshod (to the
other shore)," and then he added these Unes
"Faith can cross the flood, even as the master
of the ship (steers his bark across the sea) ; ever ad-
vancing in the conquest of sorrow, wisdom lands us
on yonder shore. The wise man who lives by faith,
in virtue of his holy life, enjoys unselfish 1 bliss,
and casts ofi" all shackles. Faith lays hold of true
wisdom (or finds the path) ; Religion leads to deliverance
from death ; from hearing comes know-
ledge, which brings with it enlightenment; faith,
with obedience (moral conduct), is the path of wis-
dom :
firmly persevering in this, a man finds escape
from pain, and is thtis able to pass over and escape
the gulf of destruction."
Hearing these w-ords, these villagers were filled with
joy, and embracing the five rules, were enabled to believe
on Buddha.
2. When Buddha was living in the world there was a
certain nobleman called Su-lo-to (^raddha?), of great
wealth, who from a principle of faith had resolved to
entertain Buddha and his disciples on the eighth day of
every month in Lent {i.e., the months of rain) ; but on
these occasions none of his sons or grandsons ever made
their appearance, being engrossed in other matters. At
^ Wou-wei
:
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