[450] "'The world is wanting, insatiable, a slave of craving (taṇhā)' — so the worthy Raṭṭhapāla has said. But how should the meaning of this statement be seen?"
"What do you think, great king? Do you dwell reigning over the prosperous Kuru country?"
"So it is, worthy Raṭṭhapāla; I dwell reigning over the prosperous Kuru country."
"What do you think, great king? Suppose a man, trustworthy and reliable, were to come to you here from the eastern quarter. Having approached you, he might say thus: 'May it please you to know, great king, that I have come from the eastern quarter. There I saw a great country, powerful and prosperous, populous, teeming with people. There are many troops of elephants there, troops of cavalry, troops of chariots, and troops of infantry; there is much ivory and hide (dantājina) there; there is much gold, both unwrought and wrought; there is an abundance of women there to be possessed. With a force of just such a size it can be conquered. Conquer it, great king!' What would you do with it?"
"That too, worthy Raṭṭhapāla, we would conquer and dwell reigning over."
"What do you think, great king? Suppose a man, trustworthy and reliable, were to come to you here from the western quarter … from the northern quarter … from the southern quarter … from beyond the ocean. Having approached you, he might say thus: 'May it please you to know, great king, that I have come from beyond the ocean. There I saw a great country, powerful and prosperous, populous, teeming with people. There are many troops of elephants there, troops of cavalry, troops of chariots, and troops of infantry; there is much ivory and hide there; there is much gold, both unwrought and wrought; there is an abundance of women there to be possessed. With a force of just such a size it can be conquered. Conquer it, great king!' What would you do with it?"
"That too, worthy Raṭṭhapāla, we would conquer and dwell reigning over."
"It was with reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows and sees, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, said: 'The world is wanting, insatiable, a slave of craving.' And it was having known and seen and heard this that I went forth from the home life into homelessness."
"It is wonderful, worthy Raṭṭhapāla! It is marvellous, worthy Raṭṭhapāla! How well spoken is this by the Blessed One who knows and sees, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One: 'The world is wanting, insatiable, a slave of craving.' For indeed, worthy Raṭṭhapāla, the world is wanting, insatiable, a slave of craving."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.