Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

64
DHAMMAPADA.
The mind is the origin of all that is ;
it is the mind
that commands, it is the mind that contrives. If in
the mind there are good thoughts, then the words
are good and the deeds good, and the happiness
which results from such conduct follows that man,
as the shadow accompanies the substance."
On hearing these words, the king and his ministers,
with countless others, were converted, and became dis-
ciples.
2. In days of old, at the back of the Gridhraldita moun-
tains, near E^jagriha, th^re was a village, of some seventy
or so families, all of them Brahmans. Buddha wishing to
convert these people, came to the place and sat down under
a tree. The people seeing the dignity of his presence, and
'Ihe glorious appearance of his body, flocked round' him, on
which he asked the Brahmans how long they had dwelt in
the mountain there, and what their occupation was. To
this they replied— "We have dwelt here duriag thirty
— :
generations past, and our occupation is to tend cattle."
On asking further as to their religious belief, they said
" We pay homage and sacrifice to the sun and moon, the
-rain (water), and fire, according to the several seasons. If
one of us dies, we assemble and pray that he may be born
in the heaven of Brahma, and so escape further trans-
migrations." Buddha replied to this— " This is not a safe
way, nor by it can you escape from the three evil ways of
further existence. The true way is to follow me, become
true ascetics, and practise complete self-composuxe with a
view to obtain Mvlna ;
" and then he added these lines
"They who consider truth as that which is un-
true,^ and regard that which is untrue as truth,
1 This oorresponds with V. iiof the P&li "saro"ia in agreement (but it
Pali. The Chinese " chin " is always may also correspond with " essentia."
used for "Truth," and, therefore, the F.)