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

[26] '"It is because some one, my lord, has ended his days."

4 " Then drive the carriage close to him who has ended his days."

' " Yea, my lord,'' answered the charioteer, and did so. And Vipassi saw the corpse of him who had ended his days and asked : — " What, good charioteer, is ending one's days ? "

1 " It means, my lord, that neither mother, nor father, nor other kinsfolk will see him any more, nor will he ever again see them."

'"But am I too then subject to death, have I not got beyond the reach of death ? Will neither the raja, nor the ranee, nor any other of my kin see me more, or I ever again see them ? "

' " You, my lord and we too, we all are subject to death, we have not passed beyond the reach of death. Neither the raja, nor the ranee, nor any other of your kin would see you any more, nor would you ever again see them."

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

' " Yea, my lord," replied 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 the decay of life, since disease, since death shows itself like that ! "

11-12. 'Thereupon Bandhuman raja, brethren, [questioned the charioteer as before [27], and as before let Vipassi be still more surrounded by sensuous enjoyments]. And thus Vipassi continued to live amidst the pleasures of sense.

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13. [28] ' Now once again after many years . . . the lord Vipassi . . . drove forth.

14. 'And he saw, brethren, as he was driving to the park, a shaven-headed man, a Wanderer, wearing the yellow robe. And seeing him he asked the charioteer : — " That man, good charioteer, what has he done, that his head is unlike other men's heads and his clothes too are unlike those of others ? "

' " That is what they call a Wanderer, because, my lord, he is one who has gone forth.''

' "What is that, to have gone forth ? "

1 " To have gone forth, my lord, means being thorough in the religious life, thorough in the peaceful life, thorough in good actions, thorough in meritorious conduct, thorough in harmlessness, thorough in kindness to all creatures."

' " Excellent indeed [29], friend charioteer, is what they call a Wanderer, since so thorough is his conduct in all those respects. Wherefore drive up to that fortho-one man."

' " Yea, my lord," replied the charioteer, and drove up to the Wanderer. Then Vipassi addressed him, saying : — " You, master, what have you done that your head is not as other men's heads, nor your clothes as those of other men ? "

' " I, my lord, am one who has gone forth."

' " What, master, does that mean ? "

' " It means, my lord, being thorough in the religious life, thorough in the peaceful life, thorough in good actions, thorough in meritorious conduct, thorough in harmlessness, thorough in kindness to all creatures."

' " Excellently indeed, master, are you said to have gone forth, since so thorough is your conduct in all those respects."

15. 'Then the lord Vipassi, brethren, bade his charioteer, saying : — " Come then, good charioteer, do you take the carriage and drive it hence back to my rooms. But I will even here cut off my hair, and don the yellow robe, and go forth from the House into the Homeless state."

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' " Yea, my lord," replied the charioteer, and drove back. But the lord Vipassi, there and then, cutting off his hair and donning the yellow robe, went forth from the House into the Homeless state.

16. 'Now at Bandhumati, brethren, the raja's seat, a great number of persons — some eighty-four thousand souls x — heard of what lord Vipassi had done, [30] and thought : — " Surely this is no ordinary religious rule, this is no common going forth, in that the lord Vipassi himself has had his head shaved and has donned the yellow robe and has gone forth from the House into the Homeless state. If the lord Vipassi has done this, why then should not we also ? " And they all had their heads shaved, and donned the yellow robes, and in imitation of Vipassi the Bodhisat they went forth from the House into the Homeless state. So Vipassi the Bodhisat went on his rounds through the villages, towns, and cities accompanied by that multitude.