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　　CHAPTER XXIV.

　　THIRST.

　　 334. The thirst of a thoughtless man grows like a creeper; he runs from life to life, like a monkey seeking fruit in the forest.

　　 335. Whomsoever this fierce thirst overcomes, full of poison, in this world, his sufferings increase like the abounding Bîrana grass.

　　 336. He who overcomes this fierce thirst, difficult to be conquered in this world, sufferings fall off from him, like water-drops from a lotus leaf.

　　 337. This salutary word I tell you, ”Do ye, as many as are here assembled, dig up the root of thirst, as he who wants the sweet-scented Usîra root must dig up the Bîrana grass, that Mâra (the tempter) may not crush you again and again, as the stream crushes the reeds.”

　　 338. As a tree, even though it has been cut down, is firm so long as its root is safe, and grows again, thus, unless the feeders of thirst are destroyed, the pain (of life) will return again and again.

　　 339. He whose thirst running towards pleasure is exceeding strong in the thirty-six channels, the

　　[334. This is explained by a story in the Chinese translation. Beal, Dhammapada, p. 148.

　　335. Bîrana grass is the Andropogon muricatum, and the scented root of it is called Usîra (cf. verse 337).

　　338. On Anusaya, i.e. Anusaya (Anlage), see Wassiljew, Der Buddhismus, p. 240 seq.

　　339. The thirty-six channels, or passions, which are pided by the commentator into eighteen external and eighteen internal, are explained by Burnouf (Lotus, p. 649), from a gloss of the Gina-alankâra ”L”indication précise des affections dont un Buddha acte indépendant, affections qui sont au nombre de dix-huit, nous est fourni par la glose d”un livre appartenant aux Buddhistes de Ceylan,” &c. Subhûti gives the right reading as manâpassavanâ; cf. Childers, Notes, p. 12.

　　Vâhâ, which Dr. Fausböll translates by ”equi,” may be vahâ, ”undae.” Cf. Suttanipâta, v. 1034.]

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　　waves will carry away that misguided man, viz. his desires which are set on passion.

　　 340. The channels run everywhere, the creeper (of passion) stands sprouting; if you see the creeper springing up, cut its root by means of knowledge.

　　 341. A creature”s pleasures are extravagant and luxurious; sunk in lust and looking for pleasure, men undergo (again and again) birth and decay.

　　 342. Men, driven on by thirst, run about like a snared hare; held in fetters and bonds, they undergo pain for a long time, again and again.

　　 343. Men, driven on by thirst, run about like a snared hare; let therefore the mendicant drive out thirst, by striving after passionlessness for himself.

　　 344. He who having got rid of the forest (of lust) (i.e. after having reached Nirvâna) gives himself over to forest-life (i.e. to lust), and who, when removed from the forest (i.e. from lust), runs to the forest (i.e. to lust), look at that man! though free, he runs into bondage.

　　[344. This verse seems again full of puns, all connected with the twofold meaning of vana, ”forest and lust.” By replacing ”forest” by ”lust,” we may translate: ”He who, when free from lust, gives himself up to lust, who, when removed from lust runs into lust, look at that man,” &c. Nibbana, ”though with a short a, may be intended to remind the hearer of Nibbâna. The right reading is nibbanatho; see Childers, Notes, p. 8.]

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　　 345. Wise people do not call that a strong fetter which is made of iron, wood, or hemp; far stronger is the care for precious stones and rings, for sons and a wife.

　　 346. That fetter wise people call strong which drags down, yields, but is difficult to undo; after having cut this at last, people leave the world, free from cares, and leaving desires and pleasures behind.

　　 …

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