Buddhist Dhammapadha the misguided naked ascetics

Chapter XXII - NIRAYA VAGGA - Woeful state

GUARD YOURSELF LIKE A FORTIFIED CITY

GUARD YOURSELF LIKE A FORTIFIED CITY

Nagaram yatha paccantam guttam santara bahiram
Evam gopetha attanam khano ve ma upaccaga
Khanatita hi socanti nirayamhi samappita. [316]

HAVE NO FEAR IN THE NON-FEARSOME

Abhaye ca bhaya dassino bhaye cabhayadassino
Micchaditthi samadana satta gacchanti duggatim. [317]

Beings who are ashamed of what is not shameful, and are not ashamed of what is shameful, embrace wrong views and go to a woeful state. [316]

Beings who see fear in what is not to be feared, and see no fear in the fearsome, embrace false views and go to a woeful state. [317]

XXII: 08 The misguided naked ascetics.

One day, some naked ascetics went on an almsround with their bowls covered with a piece of cloth. A number of bhikkhus seeing them commented, 'Those ascetics who cover the front part of the body are more respectable compared to these naked ascetics who go about without wearing anything but covering their begging bowl.' Hearing this comment, the naked ascetics retorted, 'Yes, indeed we do cover our bowls but we cover them up to keep away dust from our food, for even dust contains life in it.'

When the bhikkhus reported what the ascetics had said, the Buddha replied, 'Bhikkhus, those naked ascetics are not ashamed of what they should be ashamed of, but are ashamed of what they should not be ashamed of. Because of their wrong view, their future state cannot be happy.'