166.

Let no one forget his own duty for the sake of another's, however great; let a man, after he has discerned his own duty, be always attentive to his duty.

(166.) 'Attha,' lit. 'object,' must be taken in a moral sense, as 'duty' rather than as 'advantage.' The story which Buddhaghosha tells of the Thera Attadattha' gives a clue to the origin of some of his parables, which seem to have been invented to suit the text of the Dhammapada rather than vice verså. A similar case occurs in the commentary to verse 227.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE WORLD.

167.

Do not follow the evil law! Do not live on in thoughtlessness! Do not follow false doctrine! Be not a friend of the world.

168.

Rouse thyself! do not be idle! Follow the law of virtue ! The virtuous lives happily in this world and in the next.

169.

Follow the law of virtue; do not follow that of sin. The virtuous lives happily in this world and in the next.

170.

Look upon the world as a bubble, look upon it as a mirage the king of death does not see him who thus looks down upon the world.

171.

Come, look at this glittering world, like unto a royal chariot; the foolish are immersed in it, but the wise do not cling to it.

172.

He who formerly was reckless and afterwards be came sober, brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds.

173.

He whose evil deeds are covered by good deeds, brightens up this world, like the moon when freed from clouds.

174.

This world is dark, few only can see here; a few only go to heaven, like birds escaped from the net.

175.

The swans go on the path of the sun, they go through the ether by means of their miraculous power; the wise are led out of this world, when they have conquered Mâra and his train.

176.

If a man has transgressed one law, and speaks lies, and scoffs at another world, there is no evil he will not do.

177.

The uncharitable do not go to the world of the gods; fools only do not praise liberality; a wise man rejoices in liberality, and through it becomes blessed in the other world.

(175.) Hamsa' may be meant for the bird, whether flamingo, or swan, or ibis (see Hardy, Manual,' p. 17), but it may also, I believe, be taken in the sense of saint. As to 'iddhi,' magical power, i.e. riddhi,' see Burnouf, 'Lotus,' p. 310; Spence Hardy, 'Manual,' pp. 498 and 504; 'Legends,' pp. 55, 177. See note to verse 254.

178.

Better than sovereignty over the earth, better than going to heaven, better than lordship over all worlds, is the reward of the first step in holiness.

(178.) 'Sotâpatti,' the technical term for the first step in the path that leads to Nirvâna. There are four such steps, or stages, and on entering each, a man receives a new title :—

1. The 'Srota âpanna,' lit. he who has got into the stream. A man may have seven more births before he reaches the other shore, i.e.Nirvâna.'

2. Sakridâgâmin,' lit. he who comes back once, so called because, after having entered this stage, a man is born only once more among men or gods.

3. 'Anâgâmin,' lit. he who does not come back, so called because, after this stage, a man cannot be born again in a lower world, but can only enter a Brahman world before he reaches Nirvana.

4. Arhat,' the venerable, the perfect, who has reached the highest stage that can be reached, and from which Nirvâna is perceived (sukkhavipassanâ, 'Lotus,' p. 849). See Hardy, 'Eastern Monachism,' p. 280, Burnouf, Introduction, p. 209; Köppen, p. 398; D'Alwis, Attanugaluvansa, p. cxxiv.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE AWAKENED (BUDDHA).

179.

He whose conquest is not conquered again, whose conquest no one in this world escapes, by what path can you lead him, the Awakened, the Omniscient, into a wrong path?

180.

He whom no desire with its snares and poisons can lead astray, by what path can you lead him, the Awakened, the Omniscient, into a wrong path?

(179-180.) These two verses, though their general meaning seems clear, contain many difficulties which I do not at all pretend to solve. Buddha,' the Awakened, is to be taken as an appellative rather than as the proper name of the 'Buddha.' It means, anybody who has arrived at complete knowledge. 'Anantagokaram' I take in the sense of, possessed of unlimited knowledge. Apadam,' which Dr. Fausböl takes as an epithet of Buddha and translates by non investigabilis, I take as an accusative governed by 'nessatha,' and in the sense of wrong place (uppatha, v. 309, p. 396, 1. 2) or sin.

The second line of verse 179 is most difficult. The commentator seems to take it in the sense of " in whose conquest nothing is wanting," "who has conquered all sins and all passions.' In that case we should have to supply 'kileso' (mase.) or 'râgo,' or take 'koki' in the sense of any enemy. Cf. v. 105.