Page:Sacred Books of the Buddhists Vol 1.djvu/341

 not possess faith, still less righteousness. What will you do with holy texts ?'

This contempt roused the impatience of the son of Sudâsa. He answered : 'Do not speak so, sir.

50. “Where is that king, say, who does not kill with his bent bow in his park the mates of the hinds of the forest ? If I in a similar way kill men for my livelihood, I am the unjust one, so it is said, not those killers of deer!

The Bodhisattva spoke:

51. Neither do those stand on the ground of righteousness, whose bent bows are directed against the frightened and fleeing deer. But by far more reprehensible than those is a man-eater. Human beings, indeed, occupy by their birth the highest place (in the scale of creatures, and are not allowed to serve as food.'

Now, though the Bodhisattva had spoken very harsh words to the son of Sudâsa, the friendliness of his nature exercised such a power that it outweighed the ferocious nature of the man-eater. So he quietly heard this reproof, only he laughed aloud at it, then he spoke: 'Say, Sutasoma.

52. ‘After being released by me and having reached your home and lovely residence resplendent with the lustre of royalty, you came back to me. For this reason you are not skilled in political wisdom, I suppose.'

The Bodhisattva said: 'You are wrong. On the contrary, I am skilled in political wisdom, and therefore I do not put it into effect.

53. 'What, in truth, is the worth of skill in an art, resorting to which brings about the certain fall from righteousness without bringing about happiness ?

'Moreover, I tell you,

54. 'Those who are wise in directing their actions along the way of political wisdom, commonly get into calamities after death. Therefore I put aside the winding paths of artful politics and keeping my faith, came back.