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ARDHA-MAGADHT BEADER
as the ocean to swim by means of the arms, or like a sword-edge to walk upon. To Niggantha friars, child, it is not allowed to eat or drink fare prepared specially for themi, nor purchased fare, nor fare specially set aside, nor fare specially cooked, nor famine-food', nor rain.food, nor forest-food?, nor food of sickness3 ; por fare of roots, of bulbs, of fruits, of seeds, or of green vegetables. You, child, are wonted to comfort, and not to discomfort ; you cannot duly bear cold, heat, hunger, thirst, the diverse distempers and diseases of wind, gall, and slime, or of the combined humours, the various harins of the sense-organs4, the twenty-two vexations and sufferings as they arise. Therefore, child, enjoy the human pleasures and afterwards you can enter the Order.
33. Then Prince Meha, thus bidden by his parents said to them, “It is really so, as you tell me, father and mother. In sooth, father and mother, the Niggantha doctrine is hard to observe for feeble and fearful persons that cling to this world, and thirst not for the world beyond, for the vulgar folk ; but for the valiant man there is naught hard therein to do, Therefore, I desire (down to) to enter the Order.
34. Then the parents of Prince Meha said to him, “Child, we wish to see you in royal state for but one day."
1. i. e., Food distributed in time of famine. 2. Food that one takes with one's self on a journey where
more food is not available. 3. Food distributed at recovery from sickness. 4. TAHUT.
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