Page:Karl Gjellerup - The Pilgrim Kamanita - 1911.djvu/312

 But he now considered—

"During this new day also, perfect Buddhas are certain to appear who will declare the truth. And when these divinities I see around me now, hear the truth with regard to their salvation, and remember that in the earliest dawn of the universal day they saw a being who went away out of the universe, then the memory will redound to their advantage. 'Already one from our midst—as it were a part of ourselves—has preceded us on that road,' they will say to themselves, and that will conduce to their salvation. So that I shall help all in helping myself. For no one can, in truth, help himself without helping all."

Very soon, some of the stellar gods, and, by and by, more of these, began to notice that there was one among them who did not shine like the others, ever brighter, but who, on the contrary, lost in brilliance.

And they called to him—

"Ho, there, brother! Turn thy gaze upon the great hundred-thousand-fold Brahma in order that thou mayst recover brilliance and shine like us. For thou also, brother, art called to the bliss of reflecting the glory of the supreme god."

When the gods called to him thus, Kamanita neither looked nor listened.

And the gods who saw him grow ever paler were very greatly troubled about him, And they appealed to Brahma.

"Great Brahma, Our Light and Preserver, oh look upon this poor creature who is too weak to shine even as we, whose brilliance decreases always and does not increase! Oh give him of thy care, illumine, revivify him! For him also hast thou surely called to reflect in bliss thy divine glory."