A. What do you mean?
J. I am not a religious man; I am too worldly, but him I would follow.
A. Why?
J. He is perhaps the only religious reformer who does not go to extremes. He rejects on the one hand austerities, self-mortifications, penances, and severe fasts as useless, and on the other hand, he would not allow his followers to indulge in pleasures; but he insists most sensibly on keeping between the two extremes and proclaims the middle path of leading a righteous life. There is nothing absurd about him. Think of Devadatta. He insists that the monks should dress in rags picked up in cemeteries. The Buddha appeals to common sense, and therefore I say, he is a wonderful man.
A. He is more than a man; he is enlightenment incarnate.
A stream of blessings goes out from him.
J. He has grown into an international power, and kings do well not to ignore his influence.
A. I think so myself, and I am so glad that his influence is always for good, never for evil, and his ways are so marvelously gentle.
J. Indeed that is a blessing. If he were not so absolutely indifferent to his own affairs he might become positively dangerous. His lay disciples count in thousands of thousands. The farmers in the country, the merchants in the towns, the lawyers, the artisans, and even the soldiers believe in him. Lately General Siha became a lay member of the Buddha's brotherhood, and many other prominent officers followed his example.
A. He would never have gained this influence if he were not truly the Buddha.