ud8.7:0.1Heartfelt Sayings 8.7
ud8.7:0.2A Fork in the Road
ud8.7:1.1So I have heard.
ud8.7:1.2At one time the Buddha was traveling along a road in the Kosalan lands with Venerable Nāgasamāla as his second monk.
ud8.7:1.3Nāgasamāla saw a fork in the road
ud8.7:1.4and said to the Buddha,
ud8.7:1.5“Sir, this is the road,
ud8.7:1.6let us go this way.”
ud8.7:1.7But when he said this the Buddha responded,
ud8.7:1.8“Nāgasamāla, this is the road,
ud8.7:1.9let us go this way.”
ud8.7:2.1For a second time …
ud8.7:2.2For a third time Nāgasamāla said to the Buddha,
ud8.7:2.3“Sir, this is the road,
ud8.7:2.4let us go this way.”
ud8.7:2.5And for a third time the Buddha responded,
ud8.7:2.6“Nāgasamāla, this is the road,
ud8.7:2.7let us go this way.”
ud8.7:2.8Then Nāgasamāla put the Buddha’s bowl and robes down on the ground right there and left, saying,
ud8.7:2.9“Sir, here are your bowl and robes.”
ud8.7:3.1Then as Nāgasamāla was going down that road, he was set upon by bandits who struck him with fists and feet, broke his bowl, and tore up his outer robe.
ud8.7:3.2Then Nāgasamāla—with his bowl broken and his outer robe torn—went to the Buddha and told him what had happened.
ud8.7:4.1Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
ud8.7:5.1“Walking together, dwelling as one,
ud8.7:5.2the knowledge master mixes with foolish folk.
ud8.7:5.3Knowing this, they give up wickedness,
ud8.7:5.4like a milk-drinking heron the water.”