A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s3.t1.140

v2.c19.s3.t1.140

A butcher throws before a dog tormented by hunger, a bare and fleshless bone with which he cannot satisfy his hunger—like such a bare bone are the sensual pleasures, full of torment and sufferings, out of which only evils arise. As a bird of prey pounces upon a piece of meat and other birds attack him and ill-treat him—so only suffering and evil arise from sensual pleasures. The sage shrinks back before sensual pleasures as from a pit filled with glowing coals. Sensual pleasures are like a beautiful dream vision, which vanishes when one awakes, like a borrowed treasure, on account of which one is envied by those who do not know that it is only borrowed. A man comes into a forest, sees a tree laden with fruit, and climbs up in order to eat till he is satisfied ; then a second man comes along, sees the same tree, and in order to gain possession of the fruit, sets about felling the tree : evil will befall the man up in the tree :—thus only suffering and torments and all kinds of evil arise from the gratification of sensual pleasures.