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III, 5, 2.
THE BUDDHA PRE-EMINENT.
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Book III. CHAPTER 5. 1. The king said: 'Have you, Nagasena, seen the Buddha ?'
*No, Sire.' • Then have your teachers seen the Buddha ?'
No, Sire.' *Then, venerable Nagasena, there is no Buddha'!'
'But, great king, have you seen the river Uhâ in the Himalaya mountains ?' 'No, Sir.'
Or has your father seen it?' 'No, Sir.'
*Then, your Majesty, is there therefore no such river?'
'It is there. Though neither I nor my father has seen it, it is nevertheless there.'
Just so, great king, though neither I nor my teachers have seen the Blessed One, nevertheless there was such a person.'
Very good, Någasena !'
2. The king said: 'Is the Buddha, Nagasena, pre-eminent ?'
Yes, he is incomparable.'
But how do you know of one you have never seen that he is pre-eminent.'
"Now what do you think, O king ? They who have never seen the ocean would they know con
1 This dialogue is so far identical with VI, 1, 1. It is a kind of parody on Gotama's own argument about the Brahmans and Brahma ("Have they seen God,' &c.) in the Tevigga Sutta I, 12– 15, translated in my Buddhist Suttas,' pp. 172-174.
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