Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

2 The legendary age of humans at the time of Vipassi was 80,000
years, so that we may reckon 1000 of his years as one of ours.
When this legend is afterwards related of Gotama Buddha (in the
Nidanakatha), he is said to have reached his majority (sixteen years)
when the drives begin.

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' " But why is he called aged ? "

• " He is called aged, my lord, because he has not much longer to live."

1 " But then, good charioteer, am I too subject to old age, one who has not got past old age ? "

1 " You, my lord, and we too, we all are of a kind to grow old, we have not got past old age."

1 " Why then, good charioteer, enough of the park for to-day ! Drive me back hence to my rooms 1."

1 " Yea, my lord," answered the charioteer, and drove him back. And he, brethren, going to his rooms sat brooding sorrowful and depressed, thinking : — " Shame then verily be upon this thing called birth, since to one born old age shows itself like that ! "

3. ' Thereupon Bandhuman raja, brethren, sent for the charioteer and asked him : — " Well, good charioteer, did the boy take pleasure in the park ? was he pleased with it ? "

'"No, my lord, he was not."

' " What then did he see on his drive ? "

[23] ' [And the charioteer told the raja all.]

4. ' Then the raja, brethren, thought thus : — " We must not have Vipassi declining to rule. We must not have him going forth from the House into the Homeless state. We must not let what the brahmin soothsayers spoke of come true."

' So, that these things might not come to pass, he let the youth be still more surrounded by sensuous pleasures. And thus Vipassi continued to live amidst the pleasures of sense.

5. ' Now after many years, many centuries, many thousands of years had passed by, the young lord Vipassi, brethren, again bade his charioteer make ready, and drove forth as once before 2.

6. [24] ' And Vipassi, brethren, saw as he was driving

1 Ante pur am, or harem. Tradition adds that he 'dismissed his womenfolk, and sat alone in his bedchamber, pierced in heart by this first dart.'

2 Text repeats in full as in § 1 .

C 2

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to the park, a sick man, suffering and very ill, fallen and weltering in his own water, by some being lifted up, by others being dressed. Seeing this, Vipassi asked, " That man, good charioteer, what has he done that his eyes are not like others' eyes, nor his voice like the voice of other men ? "

' " He is what is called ill, my lord."

' " But what is meant by ' ill ' ? "

' " It means, my lord, that he will hardly recover from his illness."

' " But am I too then, good charioteer, subject to fall ill ; have not I got out of reach of illness ? "

' " You, my lord, and we too, we all are subject to fall ill, we have not got beyond the reach of illness."

' " Why then, good charioteer, enough of the park for to-day ! Drive me back hence to my rooms." " Yea, my lord," answered the charioteer, and drove him back. And he, brethren, going to his rooms sat brooding sorrowful and depressed, thinking : — " Shame then verily be upon this thing called birth, since to one born decay shows itself like that, disease shows itself like that."

7. 'Thereupon Bandhuman raja, brethren, sent for the charioteer and asked him : — " Well, good charioteer, did the young lord take pleasure in the park and was he pleased with it ? "

' " No, my lord, he was not."

' " What did he see then on his drive ? "

'[And the charioteer told the raja all.]

8. [25] ' Then the raja, brethren, thought thus : — " We must not have Vipassi declining to rule ; we must not have him going forth from the House to the Homeless state ; we must not let what the brahmin soothsayers spoke of come true."

' So, that these things might not come to pass, he let the young man be still more abundantly surrounded by sensuous pleasures. And thus Vipassi continued to live amidst the pleasures of sense.

9. ' Now once again after many years . . . the young lord Vipassi . . . drove forth.

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10. ' And he saw, brethren, as he was driving to the park, a great concourse of people clad in garments of different colours constructing a funeral pyre. And seeing them he asked his charioteer : — " Why now are all those people come together in garments of different colours, and making that pile ? "