A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s3.t2.63

v2.c19.s3.t2.63

Sometimes the prose adopts a personal note, which is missing in the verses. Thus, in No. 30f., Buddha says that two things cause him pain, namely, when a man has done no good, and when a man has done evil; and that two things give him pleasure, namely, when a man has done no evil, and when a man has done good. But the verses say only that he who has done evil in deeds, words and thoughts, shall descend to hell after death, while the virtuous one, who does good in deeds, words and thoughts, shall go to heaven after death. In the prose of No. 92 Buddha says very beautifully: Even if a monk takes hold of the hem of my garment and follows me step by step, but at the same time is greedy, passionate, malicious, etc., he is still far from me and I far from him. But if a monk dwells a hundred miles distant from me and is not greedy, not passionate, not malicious, etc., he is near me and I am near him. Then come the feeble, commonplace verses, in which it is said that the greedy man, the evil-doer, the malcontent, is far removed from the sage, who has attained calmness; while the good man, the calm man, the selfless man, is very near to the good one, the calm one, the selfless one. It seems almost as if a commentator had here welded together two texts, the one in prose, the other