 Introduction
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Spread of the Christian faith to India (1)
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King Abenner of India, his childlessness and persecution of Christian monks
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One of the King’s servents becomes Christian and the King upbraids him in a dialogue (2)
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The servant’s sermon: Rage and Greed are our worst enemies
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The servant explains why he became a monk
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The King had decided to torture the servant to death, but instead chases him away
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A most beautiful son is born to the King
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Vice men phrophecy that the son will be not a King of this world, but another, and will be Christian (3)
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The King places his son in a palace in luxurious isolation from all the suffering of the world
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The King’s formost and most noble servant brings home a sick man from the hunt; but he is a Christian, and the other servants plot against him before the King (4)
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The sick man advices the nobleman how to cope with the King’s rage, and the King forgives him, but continues his persection of Monks
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Out hunting, the King meets monks, talks with them and then burns them
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The Prince wonders why he cannot go out of the palace, and one of his teachers then says that it is because the King does not want him to hear about Christian teachings (5)
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The Prince asks the King to go out, and he is allowed to go to places which are only pleasant.
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The Prince sees a leper and a blind, and becomes very depressed
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The Prince sees an old and crippled man on the next trip out, and is told he soon will die, as humans will
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The Prince goes home and reflect on death, in sorrow
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By the calling of the Holy Spirit the monk Barlaam seeks admission to the prince as a trader, with the pretext of selling him a jewel
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