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Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

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<strong>Buddha</strong>-<strong>carita</strong>, <strong>or</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 116<br />

45. F<strong>or</strong> what man <strong>of</strong> resolution and good family, having once gone to<br />

the f<strong>or</strong>est in the desire f<strong>or</strong> dharma, would cast <strong>of</strong>f the robe and, dead<br />

to shame, proceed to the city even <strong>of</strong> Puraṁdara?<br />

46. F<strong>or</strong> only the man, who from greed, delusion <strong>or</strong> fear, would take<br />

again the food he has vomited up, would from greed, delusion <strong>or</strong> fear,<br />

abondon the lusts <strong>of</strong> the flesh and then return to them.<br />

47. And the man who, after escaping with difficulty from a burning<br />

house, would enter that very house again, only he, after giving up the<br />

state <strong>of</strong> a householder, because he sees its dangers, would desire out <strong>of</strong><br />

delusion to assume it again.<br />

48. As f<strong>or</strong> the tradition that kings obtained final emancipation while<br />

remaining in their homes, this is not the case. How can the dharma <strong>of</strong><br />

salvation in which quietude predominates be reconciled with the<br />

dharma <strong>of</strong> kings in which severity <strong>of</strong> action predominates?<br />

49. If a king delights in quietude, his kingdom collapses; if his mind<br />

turns to his kingdom, his quietude is ruined. F<strong>or</strong> quietude and severity<br />

are incompatible, like the union <strong>of</strong> water which is cold and fire which<br />

is hot.<br />

50. Either theref<strong>or</strong>e these l<strong>or</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> the earth resolutely cast aside their<br />

kingdoms and obtained quietude, <strong>or</strong> stained <strong>by</strong> kingship, the claimed to<br />

have attained liberation on the ground that their senses were under<br />

control, but in fact only reached a state that was not final.

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