Page:History of India Vol 1.djvu/375

Rh The virtuous and ascetic householder is recommended to take a vow of all these eight precepts, and to them two more are added: to abstain from dancing, music, singing, and stage plays, and to abstain from the use of gold and silver. These Ten Precepts are binding on Bhikkhus, as the Five Precepts are binding on all laymen.

To honour one's father and mother, and to follow an honourable trade, though not included in the Commandments, are duties enjoined upon all householders.

We now turn from Gautama's categories of duties to his precepts of benevolence and love, as when he taught:—

"Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time, hatred ceases by love; this is its nature.

"Let us live happily, not hating those who hate us. Among men who hate us, let us live free from hatred.

"Let one overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good. Let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth."

Parables were told to impress this great lesson on the followers of the gentle and pure-souled Gautama, and we will here narrate one of these parables as briefly as we can. Trying to heal contentions and differences among his followers, Buddha said:—

"In former times, Bhikkhus, there lived at Benares a king of the Kasis, Brahmadatta by name, wealthy, rich in treasures, rich in revenues, and rich in troops and vehicles, the lord over a great realm, with