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VII, 3, 25
OF MILINDA THE KING.
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23. ‘And again, O king, as on the rock no seed will take root; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, never permit evil dispositions to take root in his mind. This, o king, is the third quality of rock that he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by Subhûti, the Elder : "When lustful thoughts arise within my heart,
Examining myself, alone I beat them down. Thou who'rt by lust excited, who by things That give offence, allowest of offence, Feeling bewildered when strange things occur, Thou shouldst retire far from the lonely woods. For they're the dwelling-place of men made pure, Austere in life, free from the stains of sin. Defile not that pure place. Leave thou the
woods ?." 24. [387] ‘And again, just as the rock rises aloft, just so should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, rise aloft through knowledge. This is the fourth quality of the rock he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods : “When the wise man by earnestness has driven
Vanity far away, the terraced heights Of wisdom doth he climb, and, free from care, Looks over the vain world, the careworn crowdAs he who standing on the mountain top Can watch his fellow-men still toiling on the
plain ?." 25. 'And again, O king, just as the rock cannot
1 Not traced as yet.
? This verse, not traced elsewhere as yet, is included in the Dhammapada collection as verse 28.
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