And now the kings addressed the Brahman thus: "You have chosen a fitting
time for giving increase to the seed of wisdom: the essence of true
friendship is the utterance of truth. The greatest force of reason lies
in righteous judgment. But now in turn hear what we say: The rules of
kings are framed to avoid the use of force when hatred has arisen from
low desires, or else to avoid the sudden use of violence in trifling
questions where some trifling matter is at stake. But we for the sake of
law are about to fight. What wonder is it! Swollen pride is a principle
to be opposed, for it leads to the overthrow of society; no wonder then
that Buddha preached against it, teaching men to practise lowliness and
humility. Then why should we be forbidden to pay our reverence to his
body-relics? In ancient days a lord of the great earth, Pih-shih-tsung
and Nanda, for the sake of a beautiful woman fought and destroyed each
other; how much more now, for the sake of religious reverence to our
master, freed from passion, gone to Nirvana, without regard to self, or
careful of our lives, should we contend and assert our rights! A former
king, Kaurava, fought with a Pandava king, and the more they increased
in strength the more they struggled, all for some temporary gain; how
much more for our not-coveting master should we contend, coveting to get
his living relics? The son of Rama, too, the Rishi, angry with King
Dasa-ratha, destroyed his country, slew the people, because of the rage
he felt; how much less for our master, freed from anger, should we be
niggard of our lives! Rama, for Sita's sake, killed all the
demon-spirits; how much more for our lord, heaven-received, should we
not sacrifice our lives! The two demons A-lai and Po-ku were ever drawn
into contention; in the first place, because of their folly and
ignorance, causing wide ruin among men; how much less for our all-wise
master should we begrudge our lives! Wherefore if from these examples we
find others ready to die for no real principle, how shall we for our
teacher of gods (Devas) and men, reverenced by the universe, spare our
bodies or begrudge our lives, and not be earnest in desire to make our
offerings! Now then, if you desire to stay the strife, go and for us
demand within the city that they open wide the relics, and so cause our
prayer to be fulfilled.
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