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xxxix hearing which being averse to the world, I entered the order. [ The continuation of the Main Story ]
Prince Simha then asked him to explain the nature of the world and its happiness and miseries and the nature of true Dharma. Dharmaghosa preached as follows:
The fare consists in fourfold ambulations viz. hell-life, lower animal-life, human life and celestial life. As to happiness and miseries, happiness is meagre. He then related, for the explanation of happiness and miseries, the following parable. (103. 10.) · [The Parable of a Man in the Well. ]
A poor man lost his way in a dreadful forest, and was soon chased by a furious elephant while in front, he was opposed by a dreadful demoness. To save himself, he fled towards a banyan tree but he could not climb it. Near by there was a well. He jumped in it and caught hold of the clump of reeds that grew on the side of the well. He perceived on the four sides of the well four serpents and at the bottom a huge python. At the root of the clump, two black and white mice were gnawing. The elephant not finding his
