🧚 Opening, part 14 · page 2

_24.91 Two Caravan-Leaders.92

_Be prudent!93

_A. Canonical version.94

Dīgha ii.95 342-346.96

In olden times a great caravan of a thousand carts went from the eastern country to the western country.97 Wherever it went, very quickly were consumed grass, sticks, water, and pot-herbs.98 Now over that caravan were two caravan-leaders, one over five hundred carts, one over five hundred carts.99 And to these caravan-leaders occurred the following thought: “This is a great caravan of a thousand carts.100 Wherever we go, very quickly are consumed grass, sticks, water, and pot-herbs.101 Suppose we were to divide this caravan into two caravans of five hundred carts each!”102 They divided that caravan into two caravans, one of five hundred carts, one of five hundred carts.103 One caravan-leader only loaded his carts with abundant grass and sticks and water, and started his caravan forward.104

Now when he had proceeded a journey of two or three days, that caravan-leader saw coming in the opposite direction in a chariot drawn by asses, a black man with bloodshot eyes, with ungirt quiver, wearing a garland of lilies, his garments wet, the hair of his head wet, the wheels of his chariot smeared with mud.105 Seeing, he said this: “Whence, sir, do you come?”106 “From such-and-such a country.”107 “Whither do you intend to go?”108 “To such-and-such a country.”109 “Evidently, sir, farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.”110 “Yes, indeed, sir.111 Farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.112 The roads are drenched with water; abundant are grass and sticks and water.113 Throw away, sir, the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly burdened carts go ever so quickly; do not overburden the conveyances.”114

Now that caravan-leader told his drivers what that man had said, and gave orders as follows: “Throw away the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly burdened carts start the caravan forward.”115 “Yes, sir,” said those drivers to that caravan-leader.116 And in obedience to his command they threw away the old grass, sticks, and water, and with lightly burdened carts started the caravan forward.117 Neither in the first stage of the journey, nor in the second, nor in the third, nor in the fourth, nor in the fifth, nor in the sixth, nor in the seventh, did they see grass or sticks or water; they all met destruction and death.118 And all that were in that caravan, whether men or beasts, did that ogre, that demon, devour, leaving only the bare bones.119

When the second caravan-leader knew, “It is now a long time since that caravan started out,” he loaded his carts with abundant grass and sticks and water, and started his caravan forward.120 Now when he had proceeded a journey of two or three days, this caravan-leader saw coming in the opposite direction in a chariot drawn by asses, a black man with bloodshot eyes, with ungirt quiver, wearing a garland of lilies, his garments wet, the hair of his head wet, the wheels of his chariot smeared with mud.121 Seeing, he said this: “Whence, sir, do you come?”122 “From such-and-such a country.”123 “Whither do you intend to go?”124 “To such-and-such a country.”125 “Evidently, sir, farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.”126 “Yes, indeed, sir.127 Farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.128 The roads are drenched with water; abundant are grass and sticks and water.129 Throw away, sir, the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly burdened carts go ever so quickly; do not overburden the conveyances.”130

Now that caravan-leader told his drivers what that man had said, adding: “This man surely is no friend of ours, no kinsman or blood-relative.131 How can we trust him on our journey?132 On no account must the old grass, sticks, and water, be thrown away.133 Start the caravan forward, leaving the things just as they are.134 I will not permit you to throw away the old.”135 “Yes, sir,” said those drivers to that caravan-leader.136 And in obedience to his command they started the caravan forward, leaving the things just as they were.137 Neither in the first stage of the journey, nor in the second, nor in the third, nor in the fourth, nor in the fifth, nor in the sixth, nor in the seventh, did they see grass or sticks or water; but they saw that caravan in destruction and ruin.138 And of those that were in that caravan, whether men or beasts, they saw only the bare bones, for they had been eaten by that ogre, by that demon.139

Thereupon that caravan-leader addressed his drivers: “This caravan here met destruction and ruin solely through the folly of that foolish caravan-leader who acted as its guide.140 Now then, throw away those wares in our own caravan which are of little worth, and take those wares in this other caravan which are of great worth.”141 “Yes, sir,” said those drivers to that caravan-leader.142 And in obedience to his command they threw away all those wares in their own caravan which were of little worth, and took those wares in that other caravan which were of great worth.143 And they passed in safety through that wilderness solely through the wisdom of that wise caravan-leader who acted as their guide.144

_B. Uncanonical version.145

Jātaka 1: i. 95-106.146

One day a wealthy merchant, accompanied by five hundred disciples of heretical teachers, went to Jetavana monastery, saluted the Exalted One, presented offerings, and sat down.147 Likewise did those disciples of heretical teachers salute the Teacher and sit down, close beside the merchant.148 And they gazed at the countenance of the Teacher, resplendent with the glory of the full moon; at his form, a form like that of Great Brahmā, adorned with the greater and lesser marks of beauty, encircled with a radiance a fathom deep; at the solid rays of a Buddha which issued from his body, forming, as it were, garland after garland and pair after pair.149

And to them the Teacher, as it were a young lion roaring the lion’s roar on a table-land in the Himālaya mountains, as it were a cloud thundering in the rainy season, as it were bringing down the Heavenly Ganges, as it were weaving a rope of jewels, with a voice like that of Great Brahmā, endowed with the Eight Excellences, captivating the ear, delighting the heart, preached a pleasing discourse on the Doctrine, diversified in divers ways.150

The heretics, after listening to the discourse of the Teacher, believed in their hearts, and rising from their seats, burst asunder the refuge of the heretical teachers and sought refuge in the Buddha.151 From that time on they regularly accompanied the merchant to the monastery with offerings, listened to the Doctrine, gave alms, kept the Precepts, observed Fast-day.152 Now the Exalted One departed from Sāvatthi and went back again to Rājagaha.153 When the Teacher departed, the heretics burst that refuge asunder, sought refuge once more in the heretical teachers, lapsed once more into their former position.154

When the Exalted One returned to Sāvatthi and learned what had happened, he said to those backsliders: “Laymen, in former times also men mistook for a refuge what was no refuge at all, grasped with the grasp of reason, with the grasp of contradiction, and in a wilderness haunted by demons came to a sorry end, becoming the food of ogres.155 But men who laid hold of Truth absolute, certain, consistent, obtained safety in that very wilderness.”156 Having so said, he became silent.157