Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

( S3 )
SECTION V.
CAEEFUL OBSERVANCE OF MORAL DUTIES.
I. About forty or fifty li to the south of Benares there
was formerly a mountain in which five Shamans dwelt,
practising religious discipline. Every morning they used
to leave their abode and go a-begging for their food, and
then return to the mountain, sometimes, however, not till
late in the evening, after which they gave themselves up
to strict meditation. And yet, though years had passed
by, they had not attained to Eeason (B&dhi). Buddha,
pitying their condition, transformed himself into a religious
man, and going to their abode, asked them, saying. Have
you attained the object of your religious exercises or not ?
And then the ascetics explained that, although they had
strictly adhered to the rules of their profession, and daily
practised self-denial and meditation, yet they had failed
to arrive at the end, i.e., true peace and rest. On this, the
stranger desired them to remaia in their abode on the
morrow, and let him bring them their food, and so rest
themselves awhile ; and so for several successive days he
supplied their wants, whilst they were on their part filled
with satisfaction, and enabled to rise above the mere formal
attention to duty ; and then the stranger added these
lines, and said
:
"The Bhikshu, who adheres to the strict rules
of a religious life, who guards and controls all his
senses, takes his food in moderation, sleeps accord-
ing to necessity, by these rules subduing his mind,