z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 08.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 534
534 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
VII
In his wanderings he had no place to stay until later on when his lay disciples built Viharas and resting places which he and his Bhikkhus used as halts on their journeys. Most often he lived under the shade of wayside trees.
He went from place to place, sometimes from village to village, resolving the doubts and difficulties of those who were willing to accept his message, controverting the arguments of those who were his opponents and preaching his gospel to those who like children came to him for guidance.
The Blessed Lord knew that all those who came to listen to him were not all of them intelligent, not all of them came with an open and a free mind.
He had even warned the brethren that there were three sorts of listeners.
The empty-head, the fool who cannot see,— though oft and oft, unto the brethren going, he hears their talk, beginning, middle, end,—but can never grasp it. Wisdom is not his.
Better than he the man of scattered brains, who oft and oft, unto the brethren going, hears all their talk, beginning, middle, end, and seated there can grasp the very words, yet, rising, nought retains. Blank is his mind.
Better than these the man of wisdom wide. He, oft and oft unto the brethren going, hears all their talk, beginning, middle, end, and seated there, can grasp the very words, bears all in mind, steadfast, unwavering, skilled in the Norm and what conforms thereto.
Notwithstanding this, the Lord was never tired of going from place to place preaching his gospel.
As a bhikkhu the Lord never had more than three pieces of clothes. He lived on one meal a day and he begged his food from door to door every morning.
His mission was the hardest task assigned to any human being. He discharged it so cheerfully.