Page:Sacred Books of the Buddhists Vol 1.djvu/87

 plagues; and the necessity of death is a disturbance to the mind. From those evils I am resolved to save the creatures.'

Then Sakra, the Lord of the Devas, understanding that it was not his own celestial splendour that was claimed by the Bodhisattva, was set at rest, and as he was very pleased with that well-said sentence, he honoured it by exclaiming 'Very well!' and requested him to accept some boon.

13. 'Ascetic, Kâsyapa, for this right and well-said sentence I give thee some boon; choose then what thou desirest.'

The Bodhisattva, being not at all desirous of pleasures and rejoicings connected with existence, and thinking it painful even to ask for anything, since he had attained the state of contentment, said to Sakra:

14. 'If thou wishest to give me some boon, that may please me, I ask the foremost of the Devas this boon,

15. 'May that fire of covetousness, which after obtaining a beloved wife, children, power, riches more abundant than had been longed for, still goes on heating the mind of men never to be satisfied—may that fire never enter my heart!'

The propensity to contentment declared by this well-turned saying delighted Sakra in a still higher degree. He praised the Bodhisattva again, saying: 'Excellent, excellent!' and once more he urged him to choose some boon.

16. 'Muni, also for this right and well-said sentence I offer thee gladly as a present in return a second boon.'

Then the Bodhisattva, in order to show him the difficulty of getting rid entirely of the innate evil passions, preached him the Law once more under the guise of asking a boon,