z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 04.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 218
218 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
born, the moulding of his instincts and dispositions which man has formed as a result of history and tradition and which are working to his detriment.
III
All prophets have promised salvation. The Buddha is the one teacher who did not make any such promise. He made a sharp distinction between a moksha data and a marga data, one who gives salvation and one who only shows the way.
He was only a marga data. Salvation must be sought by each for himself by his own effort.
He made this very clear to the Brahmin Moggallana in the following Sutta.
“Once the Exalted One was staying at Shravasti, in the East Park, at the storeyed house of Migara’s mother.
“Then, the Brahmin Moggallana, the accountant, came to the Exalted One and gave him friendly greeting and after the exchange of courtesies sat down at one side. So seated, the Brahmin Moggallana, the accountant, said this to the Exalted One :
“ ‘Just as, Master Gautama, one gets a gradual view of this storeyed house, a progress, a graduated path, and so on right up to the last step of the stairs, just so is the progressive training of us Brahmins : that is to say, in our course of study in the Vedas.’
“ ‘Just as in a course of archery, Gautama, with us the Brahmins, the training, the progress, the approach is step by step ; for instance, in counting.’
“ ‘When we take a private pupil we make him count thus: ‘One one, twice two, thrice three, four times four, and so on up to a hundred.’ Now is it possible, Master Gautama, for you to point to a similar progressive training on the part of your followers in your Dhamma.’
“ ‘It is so, Brahmin. Take the case, Brahmin, of a clever horse-trainer. He takes a thoroughbred in hand, gives him his first lesson with bit and bridle, and then proceeds to the further course.’
“ ‘Just so, Brahmin, the Tathagata takes in hand a man who is to be trained and gives him his