Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a brahmin family. And when he came of age, he acquired all arts at Takkasila, and on his return to Benares he went to see the king. the king offered him the post of family priest, and as he kept the five moral precepts, the king looked upon him with respect as a virtuous man, or as one devoted to the acquisition of learning ?”

The king asked the Bodhisatta, “What is the importance of virtue compared with learning?” The Bodhisatta said:

Virtue and learning I was fain to test;

Henceforth I doubt not virtue is the best.

Virtue excels vain gifts of form and birth,

Apart from virtue learning has no worth.

A prince of peasant, if to sin enslaved,

In neither world from misery is saved.

Men of high caste with those of base degree,

If virtuous here, in heaven will equal be.

Not birth, nor lore, nor friendship aught avails,

Pure virtue only future bliss entails.

Thus did the Great Being sing the praises of virtue, and having gained the consent of the king, that very day he went to the Himalayas and adopting the religious life of an ascetic he developed the Faculties and Attainments, and became destined to birth in the Brahmaworld.

The Master here ended this lesson and identified the Birth : “At that time it was I myself that put virtue to the test and adopted the religious life of an ascetic.”