Buddhacarita by Ven Asvaghosa - Ancient Buddhist Texts

Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha - 127
25. ‘If therefore, gentle youth, through thy love for thy father thou
desirest not thy paternal kingdom in thy generosity, – then at any rate
thy choice must not be excused, – accepting forthwith one half of my
kingdom.
26. ‘If thou actest thus there will be no violence shown to thine own
people, and by the mere lapse of time imperial power at last flies for
refuge to the tranquil mind; therefore be pleased to do me a kindness,
– the prosperity of the good becomes very powerful, when aided by
the good.
27. ‘But if from thy pride of race thou dost not now feel confidence in
me, then plunge with thy arrows into countless armies, and with me as
thy ally seek to conquer thy foes.
28. ‘Choose thou therefore one of these ends, pursue according to rule
religious merit, wealth, and pleasure; for these, love and the rest, in
reverse order, are the three objects in life; when men die they pass
into dissolution as far as regards this world.
29. ‘That which is pleasure when it has overpowered wealth and
merit, is wealth when it has conquered merit and pleasure; so too it is
merit, when pleasure and wealth fall into abeyance; but all would
have to be alike abandoned, if thy desired end were obtained.
30. ‘Do thou therefore by pursuing the three objects of life, cause this
beauty of thine to bear its fruit; they say that when the attainment of