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## 254
**A Discourse on the Rejection of the Eager**
This thought occurred to him: "Just as a snake is killed by a Garuda, so too are all men bitten by the serpent of desire, and they are destined to be reborn in the lower realms." ||24||
In the meantime, a man named Nagadeva, a wise man, approached the sage. "O great man!" he said, "My son has become a serpent-charmer." ||25||
"He has died and been reborn as a serpent-charmer due to his past deeds," said the sage. "His name is Nagadatta, and he is endowed with good qualities." ||26||
"He is now living a life of austerity, and he has renounced his past life. He is handsome and has a beautiful voice." ||27||
"He does not indulge in worldly desires, but instead, he considers Dharma to be his only wealth. He is generous and kind, and he has renounced all other possessions." ||28||
"He has renounced his family and friends, and he has become a wandering ascetic. He has attained great wealth and prosperity through his austerities." ||29||
"He lives a pure and simple life, and he eats only the food that is offered to him. He eats only twice or thrice a day, and he eats only pure food." ||30||
"He lives in a forest, and he is a great ascetic. He lives for four months, then for two months, then for one month, and then he lives only on the food that he finds." ||31||
"He sees the suffering of the world, and he pities those who are bound by their karma. He sees the suffering of those who are caught in the cycle of birth and death." ||32||
"I, on the other hand, am weak and frail. I have been afflicted by many hardships. I eat only the food that is offered to me, and I live a life of poverty." ||33||
"If you are truly pure, then you should not live in this world, where you are constantly surrounded by the dirt and filth of karma. You should renounce your family and friends, and you should become a wandering ascetic." ||34||
"Where did you go, and how did you become so wise?" asked the man, his mind filled with wonder. "I am filled with awe at your wisdom. I am filled with wonder at your knowledge." ||35||
"The Garuda, the king of birds, has a strict rule: he will only eat those who have been given to him by the gods. He will never eat those who have not been given to him by the gods." ||36||
"The Garuda is a friend to all gods, and he is always obedient to them. He is a great ascetic, and he is always devoted to his dharma." ||37||
"The Garuda lives in the forest, and he is always surrounded by the gods. He is a great ascetic, and he is always devoted to his dharma." ||38||
"You have worshipped the gods of the three times, and you have renounced the world. You have become a great ascetic, and you have renounced the world. You have become a great ascetic, and you have renounced the world." ||39||
"I worship the Garuda of the mind, not the Garuda of the body. I know that you are the same as me. You are the same as me. You are the same as me." ||40||
"The Garuda of the body is a beggar, and he is always in need. He is always in need, and he is always in need." ||41||
"The mosquito says, 'I eat for the three times.'