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

' Here it is, Master Kassapa. I have had friends, companions, kinsmen, men of the same blood as myself, who kept the precepts, abstaining from taking life ; from taking what was not given, from inchastity, lying speech and strong intoxicating liquors. They anon have fallen mortally ill ; and I, having told them how some samaras and brahmins say that, after such a life, one would be reborn in the communion of the Threeand-Thirty Gods, have asked them, if they were so reborn, to come and let me know that there was another world, birth other than of parents, and fruit and result of deeds well-done and ill-done. [327] They have promised to do so, but they have neither come and told me, nor sent a messenger. This, Master Kassapa, is evidence to me that not one of those things exists.'

ii. 'Well then, Prince, I will reply by asking you something, and do you answer as you think fit. That which, humanly speaking, is a century, this to the a a 2 o

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Three-and-Thirty Gods is one night and day. Of such a night thirty nights are the month — of such a month twelve months are the year — of such a year the celestial thousand years are the life-span of the Three-and-Thirty Gods. Those of whom you now speak will have attained rebirth into the communion of these Gods. If it should occur to them thus : — " Let us for two or three days indulge ourselves, surrounded by and steeped in the five pleasures of sense, and thereafter let us go and tell the chieftain Payasi that there is another world, rebirth other than of parents, and fruit and result of deeds well-done and ill-done" — would they then have come to you, and told you so ? '

' Certainly not, Master Kassapa ; for we should have been dead long before. But who lets Master Kassapa know all these things : — that there are Three-and- Thirty Gods, or that the Three-and-Thirty Gods live so many years ? We do not believe him when he says these things.' [328]

' That, Prince, is just as if there were a man born blind who could not see objects as dark or bright, as blue, yellow, red or brown ; who could not see things as smooth or rough, nor the stars, nor moon, nor sun. And he were to say : — " There are none of these things, nor any one capable of seeing them. I don't know them, I don't see them ; therefore they don't exist." Would one so speaking, speak rightly, Prince ? '

' Not so, Master Kassapa. The visual objects of which you speak do exist, and so does the faculty of seeing them. [329] To say " I don't know them, I don't see them ; therefore they don't exist" : that would not be speaking rightly.'

' But even so, methinks, do you, Prince, talk like the blind man in my parable when you say : — " But who lets Master Kassapa know that there are Threeand-Thirty Gods, or that the Three-and-Thirty Gods live so many years ? We do not believe him when he says these things." For, Prince, the other world is not, as you imagine, to be regarded with this fleshly eye.

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Those Wanderers and Brahmins who haunt the lonely and remote recesses of the forest, where noise, where sound there hardly is, they there abiding strenuous, ardent, aloof, purify the eye divine ; they by that purified eye divine, passing the vision of men, see both this world and that other world, and beings reborn not of parents. In this way, Prince, is the other world to be seen, and not, even as you imagine, by this fleshly eye. Let this be a proof to you that there is another world, that there are beings reborn not of parents, that there is fruit and result of deeds well-done and ill-done.'

12. 'Even though Master Kassapa says so, [330] yet it still appears to me that not one of these things exists.'

' Have you any further evidence, Prince ? '

' I have, Master Kassapa.'

'As how?'