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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> - 175<br />

24. ‘Even though powerless and helpless, oppressed <strong>by</strong> hunger, thirst,<br />

and fatigue, they are driven along as oxen and h<strong>or</strong>ses, their bodies<br />

wounded with goads.<br />

25. ‘They are driven along, when b<strong>or</strong>n as elephants, <strong>by</strong> weaker<br />

creatures than themselves f<strong>or</strong> all their strength, – their heads<br />

t<strong>or</strong>mented <strong>by</strong> the hook and their bodies kicked <strong>by</strong> foot and heel.<br />

26. ‘And with all these other miseries there is an especial misery<br />

arising from mutual enmity and from subjection to a master.<br />

27. ‘Air-dwellers are oppressed <strong>by</strong> air-dwellers, the denizens <strong>of</strong> water<br />

<strong>by</strong> the denizens <strong>of</strong> water, those that dwell on dry land are made to<br />

suffer <strong>by</strong> the dwellers on dry land in mutual hostility.<br />

28. ‘And others there are who, when b<strong>or</strong>n again, with their minds<br />

filled with envy, reap the miserable fruit <strong>of</strong> their actions in a w<strong>or</strong>ld <strong>of</strong><br />

the Pit<br />

29. ‘Having mouths as small as the eye <strong>of</strong> a needle and bellies as big<br />

as a mountain, these miserable wretches are t<strong>or</strong>tured with the pains <strong>of</strong><br />

hunger and thirst.<br />

30. ‘If a man only knew that such was the consequence <strong>of</strong> selfishness,<br />

he would always give to others even pieces <strong>of</strong> his own body like Śibi.<br />

31. ‘Rushing up filled with hope but held back <strong>by</strong> their f<strong>or</strong>mer deeds,<br />

they try in vain to eat anything large, however impure.

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