26 JOURNAL R. A. S. ( CEYLON). [Vol. II., PART I. 



and unpleasant circumstances and a loss of the things which are 

 desirable, agreeable, and pleasant. Do you, priests, understand 

 the reason of this?" 



"Bhagawa, Sire, is our teacher, our guide, our director. 

 Bhagawa, declare the doctrine, and the priests, hearing the 

 words of Bhagawa, will receive the instruction. 



" If so, priests, hear and attentively consider ; I will declare it," 



The priests replied: " Do so, Sire." 



Upon which Bhagawa said : — The unlearned and sensual 

 man, being a disregarder of Rahats, ignorant of their doctrines, 

 and disobeying their precepts ; being a disregarder of holy men, 

 ignorant of their doctrines, and disobeying their precepts, 

 knows neither what he ought to do nor what he ought to 

 leave undone; what to regard nor what to disregard; and 

 accordingly engages in that which he ought to avoid, and 

 neglects that in which he ought to be engaged ; regards that 

 which he ought to disregard, and disregards that which he 

 ought to regard, and by acting in this way brings increasingly 

 upon himself that which is undesirable, disagreeable, and un- 

 pleasant ; and fails to obtain the things which are desirable, 

 agreeable, and pleasant. The cause of this is his being unwise. 



" But, priests, the learned and eminent disciple of Buddha, 

 being a regarder of Rahats, acquainted with their doctrines 

 and obedient to their precepts ; being a regarder of good men, 

 acquainted with their doctrines, and obedient to their precepts, 

 understands what he ought to do, and what he ought to leave 

 undone ; what he ought to regard and what to disregard ; and 

 accordingly does what he ought to do, and leaves that undone 

 which he ought not to do ; and by acting thus he avoids the 

 things which are undesirable, disagreeable, and unpleasant, and 

 obtains abundantly those which are desirable, agreeable, and 

 pleasant. The cause of this is his being wise. 



"There are, priests, four classes cf conduct causative of 

 events : namely, that which produces present sufferings and 



