49. VENERABLE KUMARA KASSAPA EXPLAINING TO THE GOVERNOR OF PAYASI THE EXISTENCE OF A FUTURE WORLD

The Governor of Payasi was of the wrong belief that there was no future world, that there were no such beings as higher and lower gods produced without any apparent cause, that there was no such thing as Hell and that there were no effects of good or bad deeds done. According to his view "if a man dies he is not reborn". Venerable Kumara Kassapa was an Arahant who could preach well. The Governor of Payasi with a great crowd of men came to the Arahant and stated to him his religious views.

Venerable Kumara Kassapa pointed out to him the sun and the moon and asked him, "Are the sun and the moon you see over there in this or another world? Are the beings living there human or celestial?" The Governor could not answer that the sun and the moon were in this world ; nor could he say that their inhabitants were human beings. He had, therefore, to admit that "those planets are in another world and their inhabitants are celestial beings". He was converted from his wrong faith by being asked questions of this nature.