Vain is man's deepest wisdom to dispel
The passions that within his bosom swell.

Then Harita pointed out to him the power of sin and spoke the fourth stanza:

There are four passions in this world, great king,
That in their power are over-mastering:
Lust, hate, excess and ignorance their name;
Knowledge can here no certain footing claim.

[500] The king on hearing this spoke the fifth stanza:

Endowed with holiness and intellect
The saintly Harita wins our respect.

Then Harita spoke the sixth stanza:

Ill thoughts, with pleasant vices if combined,
Corrupt the sage to saintliness inclined.

Then the king, encouraging him to throw off sinful passion, spoke the seventh stanza:

The beauty that from purest hearts doth shine
Is marred by lust, born of this mortal frame;
Away with it, and blessings shall be thine,
And multitudes thy wisdom shall proclaim.

Then the Bodhisatta recovered the power to concentrate his thoughts, and observing the misery of sinful desire, he spoke the eighth stanza:

Since blinding passions yield a bitter fruit,
All growth of lust I cut down to the root.

[501] So saying he asked the king's leave, and having gained his consent he entered his hermit hut, and fixing his gaze on the mystic circle he entered into a trance, and came forth from the hut, and sitting cross-legged in the air he taught the king the true doctrine and said, "Great king, I have incurred censure in the midst of the people by reason of my dwelling in a place where I ought not. But be thou vigilant. Now will I return to some forest free from all taint of womankind." And amidst the tears and lamentations of the king he returned to the Himalaya, and without falling away from mystic meditation he entered the Brahma world.

The Master knowing the whole story said:

Thus Harita for truth right stoutly did contend,
And lust forsaking did to Brahma world ascend.

And having in his Perfect Wisdom spoken this stanza, he declared the Truths and identified the Birth:--At the conclusion of the Truths the worldly-minded Brother attained to Sainthood:--"At that time the king was Ananda Harita was myself."