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BOOK 2, LECTURE 7.
421
please explain it to me so as it has been taught (by the Tirthakara).' And the Venerable Gautama spoke thus to Udaka, the son of Pêdhâla : "Well, long-lived one, I shall see about it, when I have heard and understood (your question).” And U daka, the son of Pêdhâla, spoke thus to the Venerable Gautama : (5)
O long-lived Gautama, there are Nirgrantha Sramanas, called Kumâraputras, who profess your creed; they make a zealous' householder, a follower of the Sramanas, renounce injury to movable beings except on the order (from an established authority), as the householder caused one of the captured thieves to be set free 2. Those who make this renunciation, make a bad renunciation; those who cause this renunciation to be made, cause a bad renunciation to be made; in causing another to make this renunciation, they annul their own allegation 3. Why do I say this? Beings belong to the Circle of Births; though they be (now) immovable beings, they will (some time) become movable ones, or though they be (now) movable beings, they will become immovable ones; when they leave the bodies
1 Uvasampanna.
2 These words seem to refer to an apologue told by the commentator : King Ratnasêkhara of Ratnapura, once making a pleasure trip, issued an order that nobody should remain in the town. Six brothers disobeyed, were brought before the king, and sentenced to death. Their father in vain implored the king to spare them, or to spare five, four, three, two of his sons. At last the king consented to pardon the eldest son, at which the old father rejoiced.—The six sons are likened to the six classes of living beings. As a householder cannot altogether abstain from injuring them, as monks do, he is content to abstain from injuring movable beings or animals.
s Viz. that by abstaining from slaughter of living beings they kill no living beings.
