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III, 11.
THE REPLY TO BIMBASARA RÂGA.
121
'I fear birth, old age, disease, and death, and so I seek to find a sure mode of deliverance; I have put away thought of relatives and family affection, how is it possible then for me to return to the world (five desires) 835
And not to fear to revive the poisonous snake, (and after): the hail to be burned in the fierce fire; indeed I fear the objects of these several desires, this whirling in the stream (ofi life) troubles my heart, 836
These five desires, the inconstant thieves-steal ing from men their choicest treasures, making them unreal, false, and fickle-are like the man called up as an apparitions; 837
For a time the beholders are affected (by it), but it has no lasting hold upon the mind; so these five desires are the great obstacles, for ever disarranging the way of peace; 838
*If the joys of heaven are not worth having, how much less the desires common to men, begetting the thirst of wild love, and then lost in the enjoyment, 839
'As the fierce wind fans the fire, till the fuel be spent and the fire expires; of all unrighteous things in the world, there is nothing worse than the domain of the five desires; 840
'For all men maddened by the power of lust, giving themselves to pleasure, are dead to reason. The wise man fears these desires, he fears to fall into the way of unrighteousness; 841
* Like frozen hail and fierce burning fire. • Robbers of impermanency. * That is, are as unreal as an apparition,
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| SR No. | 007676 |
| Book Title | Text of Confucianism Part 02 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | James Legge |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1882 |
| Total Pages | 2405 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 43 MB |