Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/137

Rh do thou from this day forth fulfil the perfection of Wisdom, avoiding no subject of knowledge, great, small, or middling, do thou approach all wise men and ask them questions; for as the mendicant friar on his begging rounds, avoiding none of the families, great and small, that he frequents, and wandering for alms from place to place, speedily gets food to support him, even so shalt thou, approaching all wise men, and asking them questions, become a Buddha." And he strenuously resolved to attain the fourth perfection of Wisdom. Therefore it is said,

140. For the conditions that make a Buddha cannot be so few, I will investigate the other conditions that bring Buddhaship to maturity.

141. Investigating then I beheld the fourth Perfection of Wisdom Practised and followed by former sages.

142. This fourth do thou strenuously undertake, And reach the perfection of wisdom, if thou wilt attain Buddhahood.

143. And as a monk on his begging rounds avoids no families, Either small, or great, or middling, and so obtains subsistence,

144. Even so thou, constantly questioning wise men. And reaching the perfection of wisdom, shalt attain supreme Buddhaship.

But considering further, "These cannot be the only Buddha-making conditions," and seeing the fifth Perfection of Exertion, he thought thus, "O wise Sumedha, do thou from this day forth fulfil the perfection of Exertion. As the lion, the king of beasts, in every action strenuously exerts himself, so if thou in all existences and in all thy acts art strenuous in exertion, and not a laggard, thou shalt become a Buddha." And he made a firm resolve to attain the fifth perfection of Exertion. Therefore it is said,

1 Lit. "not avoiding anything among things great, small, and middling.

2 After kiñci understand kulaṁ, as will be seen from v. 143.

3 Lit. in all postures, walking, standing, etc.