The Future Buddha, hearing their words, caused the carts to halt, assembled all of his men, and asked: “Has any one of you heard that there is either a lake or a pool in this wilderness?” “Noble sir, we have not so heard. This is what is called a waterless wilderness.” “Just now some men said: ‘Beyond that dark green streak of woods it is raining.’ Now how far does a rain-wind blow?” “A matter of a league, noble sir.” “But has a rain-wind touched the body of even a single one of you?” “It has not, noble sir.” “How far off is a cloud-head visible?” “A matter of a league, noble sir.” “But has any one of you seen even a single cloud-head?” “We have not, noble sir.” “How far off is lightning visible?” “Four or five leagues, noble sir.” “But has any one of you seen a flash of lightning?” “We have not, noble sir.” “How far off can the sound of a cloud be heard?” “A matter of one or two leagues, noble sir.” “But has any one of you heard the sound of a cloud?” “We have not, noble sir.” “Those are not human beings; those are ogres. They must have come with the thought in their minds: ‘We will make these men throw away their water, weaken them, and devour them.’ The foolish caravan-leader who went first was not resourceful. Undoubtedly he must have thrown away the water at their behest, grown weary, and been devoured; the five hundred carts must stand as full as ever. To-day we shall see them. Do not throw away even so much as a dribble of water, but drive ahead as fast as ever you can.” With these words he bade them drive forward. Proceeding, he saw the five hundred carts as full as ever, and the bones of the men’s hands and all their other bones scattered in all directions. He had the carts unharnessed and a stockade built by drawing them into a contracted circle. He had both men and oxen given their supper betimes, and the oxen lie down in the centre of the circle formed by the men. He himself, assisted by the leaders of the force, kept watch during the three watches of the night, sword in hand, and allowed the dawn to rise upon him standing there. On the following day, very early in the morning, he had his men do all their chores, feed the oxen, discard the weak carts, substitute strong ones, throw away goods of little value, substitute those of great value. And going to the place where he would be, he sold his goods for twice or thrice the price, and together with his entire company went back again to his own city. When the Teacher had related this parable, he said: “Thus, householder, in times past those who grasped with the grasp of speculation came to a sorry end, but those who grasped Absolute Truth escaped from the hands of demons, went in safety to the place where they would be, and went back again to their own place.” And having thus joined the two parts of this Parable of Absolute Truth, he, the Supremely Enlightened, uttered the following stanza: