Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/135

Rh thou must fulfil the perfection of Almsgiving; for as a water- jar overturned discharges the water so that none remains, and cannot recover it, even so if thou, indifferent to wealth and fame, and wife and child, and goods great and small, give away to all who come and ask everything that they require till nought remains, thou shalt seat thyself at the foot of the tree of Bodhi and become a Buddha." With these words he strenuously resolved to attain the first perfection of Almsgiving. Therefore it is said,

125. Come, I will search the Buddha-making conditions, this way and that, Above and below, in all the ten directions, as far as the principles of things extend.

126. Then, as I made my search, I beheld the first Gift-perfection, The high road followed by former sages.

127. Do thou strenuously taking it upon thyself advance To this first perfection of almsgiving, if thou wilt attain Buddhaship.

128. As a brimming water-jar, overturned by any one. Discharges entirely all the water, and retains none within,

129. Even so, when thou seest any that ask, great, small, and middling, Do thou give away all in alms, as the water-jar overthrown.

But considering further, "There must be beside this other conditions that make a Buddha," and beholding the second Perfection of Moral Practice, he thought thus, "O wise Sumedha, from this day forth mayest thou fulfil the perfection of Morality; for as the Yak ox, regardless of his life, guards his bushy tail, even so thou shalt become Buddha, if from this day forward regardless of thy life thou keepest the moral precepts." And he strenuously resolved to attain the second perfection of Moral Practice. Therefore it is said,

130. For the conditions of a Buddha cannot be so few, Let me investigate the other conditions that bring Buddhaship to maturity.

131. Then investigating I beheld the second Perfection of Morality Practised and followed by former sages.