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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> - 156<br />

98. ‘This is not the way to passionlessness, n<strong>or</strong> to perfect knowledge,<br />

n<strong>or</strong> to liberation; that was certainly the true way which I found at the<br />

root <strong>of</strong> the Jambu tree.<br />

99. ‘But that cannot be attained <strong>by</strong> one who has lost his strength’, – so<br />

resuming his care f<strong>or</strong> his body, he next pondered thus, how best to<br />

increase his bodily vigour:<br />

100. ‘Wearied with hunger, thirst, and fatigue, with his mind no<br />

longer self-possessed through fatigue, how should one who is not<br />

absolutely calm reach the end which is to be attained <strong>by</strong> his mind?<br />

101. ‘True calm is properly obtained <strong>by</strong> the constant satisfaction <strong>of</strong><br />

the senses; the mind’s self-possession is only obtained <strong>by</strong> the senses<br />

being perfectly satisfied.<br />

102. ‘True meditation is produced in him whose mind is self-possessed<br />

and at rest, – to him whose thoughts are engaged in meditation the<br />

exercise <strong>of</strong> perfect contemplation begins at once.<br />

103. ‘By contemplation are obtained those conditions through which is<br />

eventually gained that supreme calm, undecaying, imm<strong>or</strong>tal state,<br />

which is so hard to be reached.’<br />

104. Having thus resolved, ‘this means is based upon eating food,’ the<br />

wise seer <strong>of</strong> unbounded wisdom, having made up his mind to accept<br />

the continuance <strong>of</strong> life,

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