they have sent me here to say what they require:  ’We have come, not for the sake of territory, much less for money’s sake, nor on account of any insolent feeling, nor yet from any thought of hatred; but because we venerate the great Rishi, we have come on this account.  You, noble sirs! know well our mind!  Why should there be such sorrowful contention!  You honor what we honor, both alike, then we are brothers as concerns religion.  We both with equal heart revere the bequeathed spiritual relics of the lord.  To be miserly in hoarding wealth, this is an unreasonable fault; how much more to grudge religion, of which there is so little knowledge in the world!  The exclusive and the selfishly inclined, should practise laws of hospitality; but if ye have not rules of honor such as these, then shut your gates and guard yourselves.’  This is the tenor of the words, be they good or bad, spoken by them.  But now for myself and my own feelings, let me add these true and sincere words:—­Let there be no contention either way; reason ought to minister for peace, the lord when dwelling in the world ever employed the force of patience.  Not to obey his holy teaching, and yet to offer gifts to him, is contradiction.  Men of the world, for some indulgence, some wealth or land, contend and fight, but those who believe the righteous law should obediently conform their lives to it; to believe and yet to harbor enmity, this is to oppose ‘religious principle’ to ‘conduct.’  Buddha himself at rest, and full of love, desired to bestow the rest he enjoyed on all.  To adore with worship the great merciful, and yet to gender wide destruction, how is this possible?  Divide the relics, then, that all may worship them alike; obeying thus the law, the fame thereof widespread, then righteous principles will be diffused; but if others walk not righteously, we ought by righteous dealing to appease them, in this way showing the advantage of religion, we cause religion everywhere to take deep hold and abide.  Buddha has told us that of all charity ‘religious charity’ is the highest; men easily bestow their wealth in charity, but hard is the charity that works for righteousness.”

The Mallas hearing the Brahman’s words with inward shame gazed at one another; and answered the Brahmakarin thus:  “We thank you much for purposing to come to us, and for your friendly and religious counsel—­speaking so well, and reasonably.  Yours are words which a Brahman ought to use, in keeping with his holy character; words full of reconciliation, pointing out the proper road; like one recovering a wandering horse brings him back by the path which he had lost.  We then ought to adopt the plan of reconciliation such as you have shown us; to hear the truth and not obey it brings afterwards regretful sorrow.”