Questions of King Milinda Part 02

SR No.: 007682
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 2240
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 38 MB

Page 1795

PT. II. SECT. v.
THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-SZE.
315
7. When Yâo was ruling the world, Po-khăng Zzekâo 1 was appointed by him prince of one of the states. From Yâo (afterwards) the throne passed to Shun, and from Shun (again) to Yü; and (then) Pokhăng Zze-kâo resigned his principality and began to cultivate the ground. Yü went to see him, and found him ploughing in the open country. Hurrying to him, and bowing low in acknowledgment of his superiority, Yü then stood up, and asked him, saying, 'Formerly, when Yâo was ruling the world, you, Sir, were appointed prince of a state. He gave his sovereignty to Shun, and Shun gave his to me, when you, Sir, resigned your dignity, and are (now) ploughing (here) ;-I venture to ask the reason of your conduct. 3ze-kâo said, 'When Yão ruled the world, the people stimulated one another (to what was right) without his offering them rewards, and stood in awe (of doing wrong) without his threatening them with punishments. Now you employ both rewards and punishments, and the people notwithstanding are not good. Their virtue will from this time decay; punishments will from this time prevail; the disorder of future ages will from this time begin. Why do you, my master, not go away, and not interrupt my work ?' With this he resumed his ploughing with his head bent down, and did not (again) look round.
8. In the Grand Beginning of all things) there was nothing in all the vacancy of space; there was nothing that could be named? It was in this state
1 Some legends say that this Po-khăng Zze-kâo was a pre-incarnation of Lâo-zze; but this paragraph is like the last, and cannot be received as genuine.
2 This sentence is differently understood, according as it is
rosa
.
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