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

activities of life 1, the renunciation of all substrata of rebirth, the destruction of craving, the death of passion, quietude of heart, Nirvana. And if I were now to teach the Truth, and other men did not acknowledge it to me, that would be wearisome to me, that would be hurtful to me."

2. ' And then verily, brethren, to Vipassi the Exalted One, Arahant, Buddha Supreme were revealed on the spur of the moment2 these verses unheard of before: — " This that through many toils I've won — Enough ! why should I make it known ? By folk with lust and hate consumed Not this the Truth that can be grasped ! Against the stream of common thought, Deep, subtle, difficult, delicate, Unseen 'twill be by passion's slaves Cloaked in the murk of ignorance 3." ' In these words, brethren, pondering over the matter, did the heart of Vipassi incline to be averse from exertion and not to preach the Truth. Thereupon to one of the Great Brahmas \ when he became aware in thought of the thoughts of Vipassi, [37] this occurred : — " Alas ! the world will perish ! Utterly alas ! will the world perish, now that the heart of Vipassi the Exalted One, Arahant, Buddha Supreme, inclines to be averse from exertion and not towards preaching the Truth ! "

1 i.e. of the sankharas of actions, speech and thoughts. 'When Nirvana is reached,' says the Cy., ' all their diffusions are calmed. So too all cravings are destroyed, all evil passions are quenched, all suffering ceases.' For Buddhaghosa, Vipassi's ' Truth ' is the calm and detachment of the intellectually and ethically free man.

2 Anacchariya, i. e. anu-acchar-iya, instantaneous; analogous to the Greek dm x/jojw, and similar to the later iv dro/xui of the New Testament (i Cor. xv. 52). The expression is frequently used of the Buddha's similes.

3 Ignorance, not explicit in the text, is usually symbolized by darkness— tamokkhandho — and is so referred to in the Cy.

4 ' Although merely referred to,' says the Cy., ' as one among them, he is to be understood as the chief Great-Brahma in this universe.' But the title of Sahampati, given in the Vinaya and Majjhima versions, seems to be a later gloss.

D. ii. 38. THE SUBLIME STORY. 3 I

3. ' Then, brethren, did that Great Brahma, like a strong man stretching" his bent arm out, or drawingback his outstretched arm, vanish from the Brahma world and appear before Vipassi. And the Great Brahma, brethren, draping his outer robe over one shoulder and stooping his right knee to the ground, raised his joined hands towards Vipassi the Exalted One, the Arahant, the Buddha Supreme and said : — " Lord ! may the Exalted One preach the Truth ! May the Welcome One preach the Truth ! There are beings whose eyes are hardly dimmed by dust, they are perishing from not hearing the Truth ; they will come to be knowers of the Truth."

4. ' At these words, brethren, Vipassi the Exalted One, Arahant, Buddha Supreme, spoke thus to the Great Brahma : — " To me too, O Brahma, did it occur : — ' What if I now were to preach the Truth ? But I judged that the world was not fit for it, would not acknowledge it ; and that that would be wearisome for me, hurtful for me ' . . . [3s] And so, O Brahma, pondering over the matter, my heart inclined to be averse from exertion, and not towards preaching the Truth."

5. ' But this Great Brahma, brethren, addressed
Vipassi a second time . . .

6. ' . . . and again a third time, saying : — " Lord ! let the Exalted One preach the Truth ! Let the Welcome One preach the Truth ! There are beings whose eyes are but hardly dimmed with dust ; they are perishing from not hearing the Truth ; they will come to be knowers of the Truth ! "