again be (no more). Grief has no power to restore them. One should
not, therefore, indulge in grief. Where, O king, is thy sire to-day, and
where thy grandsire? Thou seest them not today, nor do they see thee now.
Reflecting on thy own instability, why dost thou grieve for them? Reflect
with the aid of thy intelligence, and thou wilt understand that verily
thou shalt cease to be. Myself, thyself, O king, thy friends, and thy
foes, shall, without doubt, cease to be. Indeed, everything will cease to
be. Those men that are now of twenty or thirty years of age will, without
doubt, all die within the next hundred years. If a man cannot have the
heart to give up his vast possessions, he should then endeavour to think
his possessions are not his own and by that means seek to do good to
himself.[320] Acquisitions that are future should be regarded by one as
not one's own. Acquisitions that have disappeared, should also be
regarded by one as not one's own. Destiny should be regarded as all
powerful. They that think in this strain are said to be possessed of
wisdom. Such a habit of looking at things is an attribute of the good.
Many persons who are equal or superior to thee in intelligence and
exertion, though deprived of wealth, are not only alive but are never
ruling kingdoms. They are not, like thee. They do not indulge in grief
like thee. Therefore, cease thou to grieve in this way. Art thou not
superior to those men, or at least equal to them in intelligence and
exertion?' The king said, 'I regard the kingdom which I had with all its
appendages to have been won by me without any exertion. All-powerful
Time, however, O regenerate one, has swept it away. The consequence,
however, that I see, of my kingdom having been swept away by Time as by a
stream, is that I am obliged to support upon whatever I obtain (by
charity).'

"'"The sage said, 'Moved by the knowledge of what is true (in life) one
should never grieve for either the past or the future. Be thou of such a
frame of mind, O prince of Kosala, in respect of every affair that may
engage thy attention. Desiring to obtain only that which is obtainable
and not that which is unobtainable, do thou enjoy thy present possessions
and never grieve for that which is absent. Be thou delighted, O prince
of Kosala, with whatever thou succeedest in winning with ease. Even if
divested of prosperity, do not grieve for it but seek to preserve a pure
disposition. Only an unfortunate man who