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BUDDHIST PARALLELS
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303
DECEMBER, 1911.]
A Bhikshu who warns another should, Upâli, when he is abont to do so consider thus: "Am I pure in the conduct of my body, pure therein without a flaw, without a fleck? Is this quality found in me or is it not?" If, Upâli, the Bhiksha is not so, there will be some who will say to him:
Come, now, let your reverence continue still to train yourself in matters relating to the body "thus will they say. (The same exhortation is repeated separately with reference to speech and mind.)-Chullavagga: IX, 5, 1.
And was not Sâriputra the Elder, O king, the best man in the whole ten thousand world systems, the Teacher of the world, himself alone excepted? And he who through endless ages had heaped up merit and had been re-born in a Brâhman family, relinquished all the delights of the pleasures of senses, and gave up boundless wealth, to enter the Order according to the teaching of the Conqueror, and having restrained his actions, words and thoughts, by these thirteen vows, became in this life of such exalted virtue that he was the one who, after the Master, set rolling on the royal chariot-wheel of the Kingdom of Righteousness in the religion of Gotama, the Blessed One.-Milinda-Panha: end of Cb. IX.
Through the merits of good theories virtuous men who understand noble knowledge go to heavenly worlds from their self-restraint as regards body, speech and thought.-Buddhacharita: XVI, 25.
But all they who do good with their body, who do good with their voice, who do good with their mind, they love themselves. And although they should say thus: "We do not love ourselves," nevertheless they do love themselves. And why do I say so? Because, whatever a man would do to one whom he loved, that they do to themselves. Therefore they love themselves.Samyutta-Nikdya: iii, 1, 4.
Suppose, O Monks, one does evil with his body, does evil with his voice, does evil with his mind..... ...Anguttara-Nikaya: 111,85.
Permit me, Lord, give me absolution from all my faults committed in deed or word or thought.-Portion of Buddhist Confession.
So it appears, O Monks, that ye are distressed at, ashamed of, and loathe the idea of life in heavenly beauty, heavenly happiness, heavenly glory; that ye are distressed at, ashamed of, and loathe the idea of heavenly power. But much more, O Monks, should ye be distresed at, ashamed of, and loathe doing evil with the body... with the voice... with the mind.-AnguttaraVikdya :111, 18
As everything he did in thought, speech and action was purified by his love, most of the animals given to wickedness were like his pupils and friends.-Jatakamála: VI, 3.
But the lack of mercy is to men the cause of the greatest disturbance, as it corrupts the action of their minds, and words andbodies no less with respect to their families than to strangers.-Jatakamála: XXVI, 40.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought. It is founded on our thoughts; it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.-Dhammapada: 2.
From thought, I say, proceeds deed; after having thought, a man puts into effect a noble speech or act.-Anguttara-Nikdya: Vol. III, 415.
In deed was I well-behaved, so in words, so in thoughts; all thirst is finally quenched: extinguished I am; all put out.-Uttara's song: Therigatha.
Those who weary of the three perfections (pradhana) and their accompaniment, become hermits and (take up) cool dwelling places, their bodies, speech and minds all well controlled, knowing the proper way to comport themselves;-they are truly Bhikshus.-Buddhist sutras from the Tibetan, Ante, Vol. XII, p. 308.
