Chapter I, Section 1c

The play on the words anikkasâvo kâsâvam, or in Sanskrit anishkashâya h kâshâyam, cannot be rendered in English. Kashâya means 'impurity,' nish-kashâya, 'free from impurity,' anish-kashâya, 'not free from impurity,' while kâshâya is the name of the yellowish Buddhist garment. The pun is evidently a favourite one, for, as Fausböll shows, it occurs also in the Mahâbhârata, XII, 568: Anishkashâye kâshâyam îhârtham iti viddhi tam, Dharmadhva g ânâ m mu nd ânâ m v ri ttyartham iti me mati h . 'Know that this yellow-coloured garment on a man who is not free from impurity, serves only for the purpose or cupidity; my opinion is, that it is meant to supply the means of living to those shavelings, who carry their virtue or the dharma like a flag.' (I read v ri ttyartham, according to the Bombay edition, instead of k ri târtham, the reading of the Calcutta edition.) On the exact colour of the dress, see Bishop Bigandet, The Life or Legend or Gaudama, the Budha of the Burmese, Rangoon, 1866, p. 504. Cf. G âtaka, vol. ii. p. 198.] p. 6 10. But he who has cleansed himself from sin, is well grounded in all virtues, and regards also temperance and truth, he is indeed worthy of the yellow dress. 11. They who imagine truth in untruth, and see untruth in truth, never arrive at truth, but follow vain desires. 12. They who know truth in truth, and untruth in untruth, arrive at truth, and follow true desires. 13. As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break through an unreflecting mind. 14. As rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will not break through a well-reflecting mind. 15. The evil-doer mourns in this world, and he [10. With regard to sîla, 'virtue,' see Burnouf, Lotus, p. 547. 11, 12. Sâra, which I have translated by 'truth,' has many meanings in Sanskrit. It means the sap of a thing, then essence or reality; in a metaphysical sense, the highest reality; in a moral sense, truth. It is impossible in a translation to do more than indicate the meaning of such words, and in order to understand them fully, we must know not only their definition, but their history. See Beal, Dhammapada, p. 64. 13. See Beal, Dhammapada, p. 65. 15. Kili tth a is klish t a, a participle of kli s . It means literally, what is spoilt. The abstract noun kle s a, 'evil or sin,' is contantly employed in Budddist works; see Burnouf, Lotus, p. 443.] p. 7 mourns in the next; he mourns in both. He mourns and suffers when he sees the evil of his own work. 16. The virtuous man delights in this world, and he delights in the next; he delights in both. He delights and rejoices, when he sees the purity of his own work. 17. The evil-doer suffers in this world, and he suffers in the next; he suffers in both.