At that time there was in Benares a noble youth, Yasa by name,
the son of a wealthy merchant. Troubled in his mind about the
sorrows of the world, he secretly rose up in the night and stole
away to the Blessed One. 1
The Blessed One saw Yasa, the noble youth, coming from afar. And
Yasa approached and exclaimed: "Alas, what distress! What
tribulations!" 2
The Blessed One said to Yasa: "Here is no distress; here are no
tribulations. Come to me and I will teach you the truth, and the
truth will dispel your sorrows." 3
And when Yasa, the noble youth, heard that there were neither
distress, nor tribulations, nor sorrows, his heart was comforted.
He went into the place where the Blessed One was, and sat down
near him. 4
Then the Blessed One preached about charity and morality. He
explained the vanity of the thought "I am"; the dangers of
desire, and the necessity of avoiding the evils of life in order
to walk on the path of deliverance. 5
Instead of disgust with the world, Yasa felt the cooling stream
of holy wisdom, and, having obtained the pure and spotless eye of
truth, he looked at his person, richly adorned with pearls and
precious stones, and his heart was filled with shame. 6