For at that time people used to kill sheep and goats in large numbers in order to offer what is called “The Feast of the Dead” in honour of their deceased relatives. When the monks saw men doing so, they asked the Teacher, saying, “Lord! the people here bring destruction on many living creatures in order to provide the so-called ’Feast of the Dead.’ Can there possibly, Sir, be any advantage in that?” The Teacher said, “Let not us, O mendicants! provide the Feast of the Dead: for what advantage is there in destroying life? Formerly sages seated in the sky preached a discourse showing the evils of it, and made all the dwellers in Jambu-dīpa give up this practice. But now since change of birth has set in, it has arisen again.” And he told a tale. * * * * * Once upon a time, when Brahma-datta was reigning in Benares, a Brāhman, a world-famous teacher, accomplished in the Three Vedas, had a goat brought, with the intention of giving the Feast of the Dead, and said to his pupils: “My lads! take this goat to the river, and bathe it, and hang a garland round its neck, and give it a measure of corn, and deck it out, and then bring it back.” “Very well,” said they, and accordingly took it to the river; and when they had bathed it and decorated it, let it stand on the bank. The goat, seeing in this the effect of his former bad conduct, thought to himself, “To-day I shall be free from that great misery;” and, glad at heart, he laughed a mighty laugh, in sound like the crashing of a jar. Then, thinking to himself, “This Brāhman, by killing me, will take upon himself like misery to that which I had earned,” he felt compassion for the Brāhman, and wept with a loud voice. Then the young Brāhman asked him, “Friend goat! you have both laughed heartily and heartily cried. Pray, what is it makes you laugh, and what is it makes you cry?” “Ask me about it in your teacher’s presence,” said he. They took him back, and told their teacher of this matter. And when he had heard their story, he asked the goat, “Why did you laugh, goat, and why did you cry?”