BURLINGAME. — BUDDHAGHOSA's DHAMMAPADA COMMENTARY. 549 

 * Book IV. Story 11. How the Elder Godhika attained Nibbana. 



ILLUSTKATING STANZA 14 = 57. 



The Elder Godhika found himself so impeded in the practice of 

 ecstatic meditation by a disease which had attacked him that he drew 

 a razor and cut his throat, passing at once to Nibbana. Mara searched 

 everywhere in hope of discovering where he had been reborn ; but the 

 Teacher informed him that he was engaged in a futile task, and pro- 

 nounced Stanza 57, establishing many in the Fruits. (431-4:) 



Book IV. Story 12. Garahadinna. 



ILLUSTKATING STANZAS 15-16 = 5S-59. 



At Savatthi once lived two friends, Sirigutta and Garahadinna ; the 

 former, a lay disciple of the Buddha • the latter, an adherent of the 

 Naked Ascetics. These heretics used to say to their disciple Gara- 

 hadinna, "Go and ask your friend Sirigutta why he visits the hermit 

 Gotama, and what he expects to get out of him, and see if you can't 

 persuade him to transfer his allegiance to us." So Garahadinna used 

 to ask his friend Sirigutta why he visited the hermit Gotama, and what 

 he expected to get out of him, and tried with all his might to persuade 

 him to transfer his allegiance to the Naked Ascetics. After a time 

 Sirigutta became very weary of hearing this sort of talk, and one day 

 said to Garahadinna, " What do your masters know, anyway ? " " Oh, 

 sir, don't talk that way ; there is nothing my masters don't know. 

 They know all about the past, the present, and the future. They 

 know everybody's thoughts, words, and actions. They know just what 

 is going to happen, and just what is not going to happen." " You 

 don't say." "Indeed I do." "Well, if that's the case, pray convey 

 my compliments to your masters, and tell them that I should like to 

 have the privilege of entertaining them." The heretics at once 

 accepted. (434-6) 



Sirigutta had a long ditch dug, and had it filled with dung and slime. 

 Then he had cords stretched across, rugs laid on the cords, and the 

 seats so placed with one edge resting on the ground and the other on 

 the cords, that the instant the heretics sat down, they would be tipped 

 over backwards and precipitated into the mass of filth at the bottom 

 of the ditch. In order that the rugs might not be smeared with filth, 

 Sirigutta stationed men all along the line with orders to pull the rugs 

 out from under when the heretics sat down. He did n't take the 

 trouble to provide any food or drink for his guests. Thought he, " If 



