Must I now preach what I
so hardly won?
Men sunk in sin and lusts
would find it hard
to plumb this Doctrine,-up
stream all the way,
abstruse, profound, most
subtle, hard to grasp.
Dear lusts will blind them
that they shall not see,
-in densest mists of
ignorance befogged.
As thus I pondered, my heart inclined to rest quiet and not to preach my Doctrine. But, Brahma Sahampati's mind came to know what thoughts were passing within my mind, and he thought to himself: The world is undone, quite undone, inasmuch as the heart of the Truth-finder inclines to rest quiet and not to preach his Doctrine I Hereupon, as swiftly as a strong man might stretch out his arm or might draw back his outstretched arm, Brahma Sahampati vanished from the Brahma-world and appeared before me. Towards me he came with his right shoulder bared, and with his clasped hands stretched out to me in reverence, saying: May it please the Lord, may it please the Blessed One, to preach his doctrine! Beings there are whose vision is but little dimmed, who are perishing because they do not hear the Doctrine; these will understand it!