One, and took his seat on one side. And when he was thus seated, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Sona, and said : 'Is it not true, Sona, that in your mind, when you had gone apart and were plunged in meditation, there sprung up this thought : "Though I have become (&c., as in J 13, down to the end)?"'
'Even so, Lord!'
'Now what think you, Sona, — you were skilled, were you not, when you formerly lived in the world, in the music of the lute ?'
'That was so, Lord ! '
'Now what think you, Sona, — when the strings of your lute ^ were too much stretched, had your lute then any sound, was it in a fit state to be played upon ? *
'Not so, Lord!'
'Now what think you, Sona, — when the strings of your lute were too loose, had your lute then any sound[1], was it in a fit state to be played upon ?'
'Not so, Lord!'
'Now what think you, Sona, — when the strings of your lute were neither too much stretched nor too loose, but fixed in even proportion, had your lute sound then, was it then in a fit state to be played upon?'
'Yes, Lord!'
'And just so, Sona, does too eager a determination conduce to self-righteousness, and too weak a deter-
Vînâ. On the construction of the ancient Indian lute, see Milinda Pawha (p. 53, ed. Trenckner), where all the various parts are mentioned. Compare also the Guttila Gataka (No. 243, ed. Fausbcll).
- ↑ There is a misprint here in the text, {{sp|savaratî} for saravatî.
