158 A PILGRIMAGE FOR PEACE
The trend of the sage's discourse was that the best
philosophy was that which liberated the mind from plea-
sure and grief, that grief differed from labour, in that the
former was pernicious, the latter friendly to man. There-
upon Onesikritos commented that Pythagoras taught a
like doctrine and instructed his disciples to abstain from
whatever had life ; that Socrates and Diogenes, whose
discourses he heard, held the same views. Dandamis
replied that in other respects he thought them to Be wise,
but that they were mistaken " in preferring custom to
nature," else they would not be ashamed to live on frugal
fare and in uttermost simplicity. " For, that house is the
best which requires least repairs." Introducing next the
object of his visit Onesikritos began, " Hail to thee, thou
teacher of Brahmins* The son of the mighty God Zeus?
being Alexander who is the sovereign Lord of all men,
asks you to go to him, and If you comply, he will reward
you with great gifts, but if you refuse he will cut off your
head."
The sage with a complaisant smile heard him to the
end, " but did not so much as lift up his head from Ms-
couch of leaves," and whilst still retaining his recumbent
attitude replied that he was also a son of Zeus if Alexander
was such, that he wanted nothing that was Alexander's,,
for he was content with what he had, whilst he saw that
the men with Alexander wandered over sea and land for
no advantage and were never coming to the end of their
wanderings : " Go and tell Alexander," he scornfully add-
ed, "that God the supreme King is never the author of
insolent wrong, but is the creator of light, of peace, of life,
of water, of the body of man and of soul, and these he
receives when death sets them free, being in no way sub-
ject to evil disease. He alone is the God of my homage,
who abhors slaughter and instigates no wars. But Alex-
ander is no God, since he must taste of death. How can
such as he be the world's master, when he has not yet
seated himself on a throne of universal dominion ? "
Moreover, had Alexander solved the riddle of death
and life hereafter ? " He has neither as yet entered living