d at heart, and his religious
feelings were much enlarged, as with increased reverence he advanced to
Buddha's presence. Then, as the occasion required, he spoke becoming
words and with politeness made his salutation, his features pleasing and
with hands conjoined he said:--

"Now I desire to ask somewhat from thee; the world has many teachers of
religion, those who know the law as I am myself; but I hear that Buddha
has attained a way which is the end of all complete emancipation. O that
you would, on my account, briefly explain your method, moisten my empty,
thirsty soul! not with a view to controversy or from a desire to gain
the mastery, but with sincerity I ask you so to do."

Then Buddha, for the Brahmakarin's sake, in brief recounted the eight
"right ways"--on hearing which, his empty soul accepted it, as one
deceived accepts direction in the right road. Perceiving now, he knew
that what he had before perceived was not the final way of salvation,
but now he felt he had attained what he had not before attained, and so
he gave up and forsook his books of heresy. Moreover, now he rejected
the gloomy hindrances of doubt, reflecting how by his former practices,
mixed up with anger, hate, and ignorance, he had long cherished no real
joy. For if, he argued, the ways of lust and hate and ignorance are able
to produce a virtuous karman, then "hearing much" and "persevering
wisdom," these, too, are born from lust, which cannot be. But if a man
is able to cut down hate and ignorance, then also he puts off all
consequences of works, and these being finally destroyed, this is
complete emancipation. Those thus freed from works are likewise freed
from subtle questionings, such as what the world says "that all things,
everywhere, possess a self-nature." But if this be the case and
therefore lust, hate, and ignorance, possess a self-implanted nature,
then this nature must inhere in them; what then means the word
"deliverance"? For even if we rightly cause the overthrow of hate and
ignorance, yet if lust remains, then there is a return of birth; even as
water, cold in its nature, may by fire be heated, but when the fire goes
out then it becomes cold again, because this is its constant nature; so
we may ever know that the nature which lust has is permanent, and
neither hearing wisdom nor perseverance can alter it. Neither capable of
increase or diminution, how can there be deliverance? I held aforetime
that birth and death resulte