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THE THOUSANDS.
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109. He who always greets and constantly reveres the aged, four things will increase to him, viz. life, beauty, happiness, power.
110. But he who lives a hundred years, vicious and unrestrained, a life of one day is better if a man is virtuous and reflecting. .
111. And he who lives a hundred years, ignorant and unrestrained, a life of one day is better if a man is wise and reflecting.
112. And he who lives a hundred years, idle and weak, a life of one day is better if a man has attained firm strength.
113. And he who lives a hundred years, not seeing beginning and end, a life of one day is better if a man sees beginning and end.
114. And he who lives a hundred years, not seeing the immortal place, a life of one day is better if a man sees the immortal place.
115. And he who lives a hundred years, not seeing the highest law, a life of one day is better if a man sees the highest law.
109. Dr. Fausböll, in a most important note, called attention to the fact that the same verse, with slight variations, occurs in Manu.
We there read, II, 121: --- Abhivâdanasîlasya nityam vriddhopasevinah,
Katvâri sampravardhante ayur vidyâ yaso balam. Here the four things are, life, knowledge, glory, power.
In the Âpastamba-stras, I, 2, 5, 15, the reward promised for the same virtue is svargam ayus ka, "heaven and long life.' It seems, therefore, as if the original idea of this verse came from the Brahmans, and was afterwards adopted by the Buddhists. How largely it spread is shown by Dr. Fausböll from the Asiatic Researches, XX, p. 259, where the same verse of the Dhammapada is mentioned as being in use among the Buddhists of Siam.
112. On kusîto, see note to verse 7.
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